Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube
    Nostalgia Central
    • Home
    • Blog
      • Lists
    • Television
      • TV by Decade
        • TV – 1950s
        • TV – 1960s
        • TV – 1970s
        • TV – 1980s
        • TV – 1990s
      • Comedy
      • Drama
      • Kids TV
      • Variety
      • News & Sport
      • Advertisements
    • Music
      • Music by Decade
        • Music – 1950s
        • Music – 1960s
        • Music – 1970s
        • Music – 1980s
        • Music – 1990s
      • Artists – A to K
        • Artists – A
        • Artists – B
        • Artists – C
        • Artists – D
        • Artists – E
        • Artists – F
        • Artists – G
        • Artists – H
        • Artists – I
        • Artists – J
        • Artists – K
      • Artists – L to Z
        • Artists – L
        • Artists – M
        • Artists – N
        • Artists – O
        • Artists – P
        • Artists – Q
        • Artists – R
        • Artists – S
        • Artists – T
        • Artists – U
        • Artists – V
        • Artists – W
        • Artists – X
        • Artists – Y
        • Artists – Z
      • Artists – 0 to 9
      • Genres
      • Music on Film & TV
      • One-Hit Wonders
      • Playlists
      • Online Radio
    • Movies
      • Movies by Decade
        • Movies – 1950s
        • Movies – 1960s
        • Movies – 1970s
        • Movies – 1980s
        • Movies – 1990s
      • Movies – 0 to 9
      • Movies – A to K
        • Movies – A
        • Movies – B
        • Movies – C
        • Movies – D
        • Movies – E
        • Movies – F
        • Movies – G
        • Movies – H
        • Movies – I
        • Movies – J
        • Movies – K
      • Movies – L to Z
        • Movies – L
        • Movies – M
        • Movies – N
        • Movies – O
        • Movies – P
        • Movies – Q
        • Movies – R
        • Movies – S
        • Movies – T
        • Movies – U
        • Movies – V
        • Movies – W
        • Movies – X
        • Movies – Y
        • Movies – Z
    • Pop Culture
      • Fads
      • Toys & Games
      • Fashion
      • Decor
      • Food & Drink
      • People
      • Technology
      • Transport
    • Social History
      • 1950s Year by Year
      • 1960s Year by Year
      • 1970s Year by Year
      • 1980s Year by Year
      • 1990s Year by Year
      • Events
    Nostalgia Central
    Home»Television»Comedy
    Comedy TV Shows - 1980s 2 Mins Read

    Smith and Jones in Small Doses

    Share
    Facebook Twitter Pinterest WhatsApp Reddit Email

    1 9 8 9 (UK)
    4 x 20 minute episodes

    These four 20-minute comedy dramas were two-handers starring the old Oxbridge firm of Mel Smith and Griff Rhys Jones.

    20 minutes is a strange length to begin with, and the shows were nothing like sitcoms. They were also much more ambitious than sketch comedy, and far removed from full-length drama. Rather they were short stories with a twist in the tail (or tale).

    Smith and Jones’ own Talkback company made the series as an experiment instead of doing a Christmas special. It was an interesting idea because if the one-act offering failed to appeal then the evening wasn’t entirely wasted and it was no disaster. In fact, it was ideal viewing to accompany a bedtime drink and biscuit.

    Their familiar sketch work and nose-to-nose dialogue were gone and the emphasis was on acting and fleshing out characters.

    The opening story (‘The Whole Hog’ written by Graeme Garden, late of The Goodies ) was the best of the quartet. It had Smith cast as a toy manufacturer – whose big seller was the ‘My Little Darling’ doll – about to merge with an American company known for its macho Doom-Hunk toy.

    Maurice (Jones), the American boss, arrives and a spluttering Smith is amazed to find that he was married to him once – when Maurice was called “Monica” and hadn’t had the sex-change operation. That was ten years ago.

    Smith’s fleshy round face twists in disbelief as lines like “when we were married” and “it was a mug’s game being a woman” are exchanged. He protests that Monica-turned-Maurice isn’t a real man despite that expensive surgery in Brazil. However, Maurice – all smiles and confident assurance – replies he hasn’t had any complaints from females . . . and it’s the first nine inches that count.

    To which Mel can only snarl “you bitch”.

    The whole playlet is good for a laugh and entertaining with a payoff that has the Doom Hunk having sexual high jinks with the Darling doll.

    In subsequent comedy shorts (each shot in 48 hours), Mel and Griff appeared as two poor boating types, as two would-be suicides arguing over who jumps first, and as contrasting vicars.

    Episodes

    The Whole Hog | The Boat People | Second Thoughts | The Waiting Room

    Related Posts

    • Mac and Merle
      Mac and Merle
      1 9 7 4 (Australia) 6 x 30 minute episodes Australian…
    • Smith and Goody
      Smith and Goody
      1 9 8 0 (UK) 7 x 30 minute episodes This…
    • Elephant's Eggs in a Rhubarb Tree
      Elephant's Eggs in a Rhubarb Tree
      1 9 7 1 (UK) 6 x 30 minute episodes The…
    • Goodbye, Mr. Kent
      Goodbye, Mr. Kent
      1 9 8 2 (UK) 7 x 30 minute episodes This…
    • Old Campaigner, The
      Old Campaigner, The
      1 9 6 8 - 1 9 6 9 (UK)…
    • Kindly Leave the Kerb
      Kindly Leave the Kerb
      1 9 7 1 (UK) 6 x 30 minute episodes This…
    • Wink to Me Only
      Wink to Me Only
      1 9 6 8 - 1 9 6 9 (UK) 7…
    • Not The Nine O'clock News
      Not The Nine O'clock News
      1 9 7 9 - 1 9 8 2 (UK) 28…

    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest WhatsApp Reddit Email
    Previous ArticleTurkish Delight
    Next Article Touch of Larceny, A (1960)

    Comments are closed.

    Follow us
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
    • Instagram
    You May Also Like
    • Gong
      When Soft Machine toured France in 1967, Australian guitarist […]
    • Fun With Dick & Jane (1976)
      When aerospace executive Dick Harper (George Segal) loses his […]
    • Blue Lagoon, The (1980)
      In 1949 Jean Simmons and David Houston starred in The Blue […]
    • Father Knows Best
      1 9 5 4 – 1 9 6 3 (USA) 203 x 30 minute episodes Father […]
    • High Tide
      1 9 9 4 – 1 9 9 7 (USA) 74 x 60 minute episodes Gordon […]
    • My Man Joe
      1 9 6 7 (UK) 3 x 30 minute episodes Pudgy comedian Joe Baker so […]
    Twitter Feed
    Please note


    Nostalgia Central covers the period 1950 to 1999 and contains some words and references which reflect the attitudes of those times and which may be considered culturally sensitive, offensive or inappropriate today.
    Popular Tags
    1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1975 1976 Action Figures Amicus Arcade games Australia Beach movies Beatles Blaxploitation Board games Britpop Canada Crime Disco Disney Doo-Wop Elvis Presley Girl groups Glam Goth Hammer Heavy Metal Irwin Allen Labels Merseybeat Mod revival Motown New Romantic New Wave NWOBHM Oi! One-hit wonders Power Pop Pub rock Punk Radio Scotland Ska Soul music Surf music
    Search Nostalgia Central
    Copyright © 1998, 2022 Nostalgia Central
    • About
    • Contact
    • FAQ

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.