1973: MORECAMBE and WISE Interview | Val Meets the VIPs | Comedy Icons | BBC Archive

Valerie Singleton hosts a show where a studio audience of children get the chance to put questions to some of the day's biggest celebrities.
In this edition, Britain's best-loved comedy duo - Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise - are quizzed about various aspects of their school days, and why Eric insists upon supporting Luton Town when so many superior sides are available.
Originally broadcast 21 February, 1973.
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[@bitterspice5525]

No matter what’s going on in my life, watching Eric and Ernie always makes me laugh. The Christmas specials are some of my happiest childhood memories. What talents!

[@sevenwatson5854]

I adore Valerie Singleton! Love this show. The 70s was a nicer time...poorer but nicer!

[@Lytton333]

If it was nicer then you weren't poorer, were you.

[@michaelw2816]

i don't think we were poorer. Almost everyone could afford to buy or rent a home. We had job security. Free education, dentists and healthcare. We could afford to have larger families on a single salary. We didn't realise how much we had, until it was taken away.

[@Meccano403]

Very true, life was simpler too

[@sammemrys8195]

Able to make children and adults laugh: now that's true talent.

[@hilaryepstein6013]

I love their honesty with the children, there didn't seem to be any pretense. Nice to see them rehearsing too.

[@naly202]

Gosh, very articulate children and the toughest questions ever.

[@johnking5174]

This is a rare interview where Eric is actually more serious when answering questions from kids, than he usually was with people like Michael Parkinson asking him questions. Refreshing to see him actually answer questions properly and not be too flippant and always going for the joke rather than the answer.

[@kadiummusic]

Spot on!

[@d.beaumont9157]

I feel so lucky to have grown up in this era. The beautiful Valerie Singleton along with John Noaks and Peter Purves were my favourite Blue Peter line up. Then Saturday night we watch the Morecombe and Wise show with my mum and dad. We didn't have a great deal of things, but we had what counted.

[@ecinomahaeugene]

Valerie Singleton here is the very model of a beautiful, English, girl next door. Perfect for Blue Peter.

[@lillymay3632]

What a lovely interview. No talking over or interrupting. Not once did any of those kids or Morcombe and Wise for that matter, say "So basically"

[@janmcdonald3896]

They have such relaxed chemistry. They obviously loved each other.

[@neilmaguire1444]

How nice to see kids so polite!

[@danielpalmersofficial]

I love these two guys, Eric and Ernie will live forever in our hearts. ✌️☺️

[@casskop]

"Where there any casualties because of Ernies cooking"? That's a good enough joke to go into M & W's act...very funny

[@mpersad]

The questions from the children are some of the best interview questions I've ever heard.

[@danslider9014]

Alan Davies asking the question about Ernie's cooking 🤣

[@Greenwillow]

Love them, Legends🥰

[@jamesparker40]

Thanks for uploading this. Top quality. Love the honesty of M&W in this piece and all the children were wonderful in the audience asking the questions. Would really enjoy hearing from them now talking about the interview.❤❤

[@martinfinnmusic]

I really enjoyed this. Love seeing Eric casually lighting his pipe. Interesting to hear Ernie resisting any talk of school. It’s clear he had a rough time of it.

[@garylucas7050]

What wonderful children , totally innocent and really interested in Morecambe and wise , stuff of a bygone age never see kids doing this today

[@sharonjones873]

Love the kids asking Eric and Ernie questions :)

[@AVMamfortas]

Those kids are more polite, interested, interesting and mature than 99% of kids their age today.

[@johnbatch9276]

Kids today are aliens 👽 😅

[@seamusweber8298]

Superb interview. VS was engaging with the guests and the children. All of the children asked really good question and E&E gave insightful and polite and gently humorous answers. Professional polite and engaging, excellent

[@jsteed44]

Wow I had no idea that the audience was made up of children and Eric and ernie were so warm and upfront with their questions. Love M&W and enjoyed this snippet 😊 thanks

[@stevecook5930]

" You don't give up" great advice to the kids.

[@redlevel2995]

Wish they were still here.

[@keep_it_tidy56]

This is wonderful stuff, on many different levels. Eric being quite serious & very straight with the kids, their honesty about not being very bright, the kids looking like normal kids not full of attitude and Valerie Singleton, the epitome of sixties & seventies TV clean cut innocence. This is fifty years ago, the year I left school & started work, yet it feels a million years ago in terms of simplicity & innocence. I also love the way Eric can light a pipe in a TV studio full of kids!

[@millman111123]

Ah, Valerie Singleton. Gorgeous lady

[@davidpease2240]

Great entertainers of years gone bye I’m glad I bought their DVDs and they still make me laugh today and I’m so pleased to have been brought up in a time when entertainment was at its best thanks for posting this little gem

[@davidpayne3938]

Eric and Ernie were such down to earth people and dedicated professionals, that must have been one of the first questions given by a young audience to a pair of top celebrities of the time, well done Blue Peter and the BBC..😉

[@johnking5174]

Actually the BBC had started a show called Ask Aspel, where kids could ask celebrities anything. That started in 1970. Some were from adults, some from kids.

[@willmcallister8464]

I love this & just watching for a few minutes has made me smile & lifted my spirits

[@onlyme219]

You can clearly see these two legends had an effect on Vic and Bob's act, all masters at their craft

[@johnking5174]

Actually they had an effect on Ant and Dec, who have totally ripped off and copied every body language moments from these two. Ant is Eric and Dec is Ernie.

[@realityboost4405]

This is a stunning insight…To give the World…Utter joy! 😍

[@seamusoflatcap]

I seem to remember Eric being interviewed by Parkinson about being a Bevin Boy in WW2 working in a mine. Q What was it like? A Dark. A simple joke,perfectly delivered and hilarious.

[@rabbieburns2501]

Legends

[@letsseeif]

Children ask the most insightful questions.

[@MarkStevens8899]

Not always, Cheers or Mrs Browns Boys? I'll take Cheers.

[@MrSimonmcc]

@@MarkStevens8899 I didn't hear anybody ask that question. You must've been watching something else.

[@Laconic-ws4bz]

These 2 blokes remind me of living in England in the 70's. Absolutely brilliant entertainers along with their peers. Cheers from Aussie.😎👍

[@goodiesguy]

Yet another thumbs up for keeping it in 50p. VideoTape actually looking like videotape and not being filmized/deinterlaced, what a relief!

[@shingitai5882]

What real dates this clip for me other than the fashion is the fact Eric is getting away with smoking a pipe on a children’s tv show, just imagine the outcry if someone did that today!

[@michaelturner4457]

According to the Wiki this episode was broadcast 21st Feb, 1973.

[@johnking5174]

@@michaelturner4457 The date is correct, as this edition is published in the Radio Times on BBC Genome site.

[@snakejuce]

Idk who these people are, nor am I British, but times were chill af back then. Plus you can't hate on the 70's clothing and colors. (even though I was born in '93)

[@acciotardisalohomora6302]

Don't come at me for not knowing these two. I'm starting to know dip my toes into this genre. These two are hilarious and had me laughing throughout. Anyone know of some skits I could look up with these two? Preferably the name of the title so I can find it on KZbin. Thanks.

[@sevenwatson5854]

Just put in Morecambe and wise and it will give you lots of material....I especially loved 'breakfast' (I don't know the proper title) there tv series was around them sharing a flat together. Despite sharing a bed there was no sexuality involved in the jokes just clever crafting of humour.

[@naly202]

I discovered them by accident as well. (I'm not British) they are trully adorable. I highly recommend their Christmas shows. (type Morecambe and Wise Christmas). Some of my favourite sketches are those with Flora Robson, Fenella Fielding, John Mills, Eric Porter, Andre Previn (just type M&W and the name of one of those I mentioned)

[@keep_it_tidy56]

The piano sketch with Andre Previn is priceless & a gem of British comedy. The sketch with Glenda Jackson is also very good.

[@acciotardisalohomora6302]

@@keep_it_tidy56 I'm seeing a few different options for the piano sktetch w/ Andre Previn. Do you know the title for the skit? Also the name I should look up for the skit w/ Glenda Jackson?

[@keep_it_tidy56]

There’s only one sketch with Andre Previn, the one where Eric calls him Andre Preview. The Glenda Jackson one is a skit on Anthony & Cleopatra, with Eric swivelling the statue’s head.

[@sharonjones873]

This is glorious!

[@andyarmstrong1493]

So enjoyable.

[@growlerthe2nd712]

Ant and Dec ….. with brains 😂

[@seamusoflatcap]

And talent

[@pathfinder2474]

Morecambe & Wise……….a true class act, never been anyone like them and never will be…………..brilliant

[@davidbolton1770]

I make no apologies now. When I watched Blue Peter back in the day, a presenter back then was just that. Now I can truly appreciate Val Singleton as a hottie. How this arrived on my YT homepage I know not. But TU. Now I need to lay down :D BTW great Q.'s from the kids (Maybe some are now viewing/responding to this video)

[@VI-rt7sh]

Naturals.

[@MrAndy1010]

kids asked better questions then than todays presenters

[@mbvideoselection]

Yes, can't stand the inanity of The One Show.

[@johnking5174]

1973, only three TV channels, four radio stations, and no social media, no videos, no DVDs. So kids basically were carbon copies of their parents. Parental control was much tougher in 1973

[@richardbarton2709]

Lovely Aunty VAL

[@ReLive_Photos]

7:51 in the video... Wow that looks like Alan Davis

[@vincentharriman3283]

He was 7 years old at the time (1973) so possibly.

[@kadiummusic]

Isn't Val gorgeous! 😎

[@1958ab]

I have never forgiven Valerie Singleton for leaving Blue Peter in the early70’s. I’m 65 now and still traumatised!

[@alexfletcher5192]

Comedy is a serious business and they had devoted their lives to it. It's natural that they should explain it in those terms. And, of course, they were minor Gods on British TV by then.

[@jantyszka1036]

Smoking in front of children! My God, someone call Childline!

[@vincentharriman3283]

It was accepted in those days.

[@sunflower_power243]

This type of honest genuine talent is sadly a thing of the past. No talent these days , just dreadful so called comedians who are over paid and about as funny as toothache.

[@mbvideoselection]

Except for Milton Jones and Tim Vine, also Lee Mack and David Mitchell.

[@londonlady227]

Ernie looked quite distant about his childhood, very sad to see. He was really hard on himself that he felt he wasnt good at anything else but showbiz. But that was good enough.

[@jedionboard1233]

Pure Leg-ends, . Love how Eric is allowed to smoke his pipe,, the 70s ,, wow.

[@vincentharriman3283]

I read somewhere that after his first heart attack he was told pipe smoking was healthier.

[@johnking5174]

@@vincentharriman3283 I remember a story where a doctor in the 1950s told his patient who was working heavy loads, that smoking would "clear the lungs and help you breathe better".

[@fishandcookaustralia8112]

It was the 70,s and safety wasn't around then . As a kid we loved blue Peter it wasn't full of do good ppl relax enjoy what was happening in the era

[@kennyw218]

Not one swear word

[@DS9TREK]

They don't make 'em like this anymore

[@randybackgammon890]

If I live another 60 years I dont expect to see a lovelier woman than Val.That kind of sex appeal hardly seems to exist now

[@The_Shadow_Returns]

Nothing to distract them as of this age, phones and internet tiktok etc ...

[@myalfie]

Children were very well spoken back then unlike todays giberish

[@paultrussy4243]

Agreed. Technology is a wonderful thing but a consequence of its use has been a deterioration of spoken and written English. It's ironic that in an age of so many ways of instant communication that the quality of communications have, on the whole, deteriorated. It is a major problem affecting many employment sectors across the British economy. Degrees are many fold, but good communication skills are hard to find.

[@MrSimonmcc]

I expect they also knew how to spell gibberish and how to use apostrophes.

[@myalfie]

Mr Simon can I expect you can spell tosser as you are one?

[@MrSimonmcc]

@@myalfie 😂 Your grammar is hilarious too.

[@myalfie]

I can’t be that dull with £1.2 million in the bank sat here, while mugs like you are going into work!! Not so clever are you?

[@garyproffitt5941]

The British Broadcasting Corporation is better and clear with intelligent Valerie Singleton. Straight to the cleaners, smart and expensive Roll-Royce butler the late Morecambe & late Wise.