BBC Not The Nine O' Clock News - That's Life Spoof

That's Life spoof (c) British Broadcasting Corporation, BBC

[@CathyKitson]

For those of us who can remember That's Life, this is spot on.

[@richardplume3212]

Yes purfleet

[@CathyKitson]

@@richardplume3212 A place in Surrey??

[@MalevEvans-dw3do]

My Dad wad a manager in BT during this time.... he was so scathing about E Rantzen and this tv program! How they misrepresented what anyone said who was speaking for a utility organisation.

[@CurrieNerd]

To this day, our family uses the "Have you tried calling the electricity board?" to answer stupid questions.

[@djsherz]

AT work, my boss and I suggest writing to the lead singer of Echo And The Bunnymen in these situations. Funny how old TV shows have such a lasting effect!

[@yan24to]

Cirrill

[@Mil-w6d]

We always say “I am sorry, but this has nothing to do with us”

[@petergreen2552]

Griff Rhys Jones impression of Cyril Fletcher absolutely superb.

[@simonmoore2380]

It was funny, but as an impression it was actually terrible. The voice was not even remotely similar to Cyril Fletcher, and even the mannerisms and facial expressions were completely wrong. It looked and sounded more like a third rate impression of Noel Coward. In contrast Pamela Stephenson’s impression of Esther Rantzen is absolutely spot on.

[@SnabbKassa]

Luckily I am not quite old enough to know him, but I do remember the show, only just.

[@sibionic]

@@simonmoore2380 yes, she's brilliant

[@craig1538]

Yes. The camp old twat.

[@Professor6871]

That was brilliant parody of That's Life. Pamala Steveson got the manerism of Esther down to a tea.

[@NoosaHeads]

Down to a "T"....

[@artsimulation]

Not the Nine O'Clock News was essential viewing - legendary - those were the days

[@ewaf88]

Pure brilliance - Pamela Stephenson was a great impersonator.

[@mpdalyful1]

Her Janet street Porter interview with Billy Connolly was the moment he fell in love with her and Is the funniest sketch not the nine o clock news did

[@feline1973]

I was literally crying laughing at this. Superb parody of That's Life.

[@lindamanas954]

Absolutely superb. Esther’s dress held down by her pegs, Griff RhysJones as Cyril Fletcher and I think Rowan Atkinson and Mel Smith are supposed to be Glyn Worsnip and Kieran Prendiville! What a fantastic series WTNOCN was.

[@doubledeckers]

Shortly before this, Esther Rantzen had been arrested while filming That's Life on the street. Hence the reference.

[@petergreen2552]

"This has nothing to do with us". 😂

[@CycolacFan]

Just realised this is where Jeremy Clarkson got his presenting style and delivery…

[@colinjennings3661]

Pamelas Esther Rancid impression is spot on.

[@deuxbiers]

My wife and I still refer to this sketch and have a damn good laugh over it. Usually when we hear about someone who has demanded something from someone and the response should be 'I'm sorry, but this has nothing to do with us!'

[@splatcave3145]

The long winter evenings must just fly by

[@lordprotector3367]

@@splatcave3145 Mr Ploppy.

[@lindamanas6735]

Griff Rhys Jones as Cyril Fletcher! Absolute class!

[@geoffpoole483]

"Camp old twat!"

[@synthonaplinth5980]

@@geoffpoole483 Looks like he was having trouble holding it together when the audience laughed uproariously at that line.

[@Eustace.h.plimsoll6625]

@@geoffpoole483 Those were the days!

[@MrSquooze]

I just love Pamela's "Cyrillle ..", brilliant. All 4 are superb in this, esp. GR-J. Love it.

[@robertgreen6099]

Esther held down by tent pegs.

[@thismagnificentthing1916]

Yeah, I mean what made them think of that? Hilarious, though!

[@ewaf88]

'It was then that weeeeee contacted the electricity board'

[@Simon_Nonymous]

I remember this when it was broadcast! I've just been trying to contact British Gas for over an hour, and it popped back into my head for obvious reasons!

[@trevormillar1576]

She also did a deadly accurate Janet Street-Porter!

[@goodman2050]

the milk was cold the food stayed fresh and even the light worked when you opened the door!

[@presntnow]

"I'M SORRY, THIS HAS GOT NOTHING TO DO WITH US!"

[@christschinwon]

"And I was arrested on the street" kills me every time!

[@martythemartian99]

I remember watching this on TV forty years ago, but I only just noticed Pamela Stephenson dress was a tent :D

[@AlunThomas-mp5qo]

Ah yes, back in the days when you could only buy your household appliances from the Electricity or Gas Board showrooms and they took weeks/months to be delivered.

[@BNCA70]

Brilliant! Series like this should be repeated on mainstream TV! (In place of Cash in the Attic type shows and all the other rubbish)

[@blagger116]

Main reason that NTNoN has never been repeated is that a large chunk of each show was satire related to topical news stories from the week it was broadcast. They've released compilation DVDs of the great sketches that don't fall into that category but if you saw an original episode now, lots of it would go right over your head without the context of being familiar with exactly what was being spoofed.

[@thefrecklepuny]

@@blagger116 Good point. Which is why even more recent satire such as the brilliant "Drop the Dead Donkey'' is not repeated.

[@stephenfarrant6439]

@@blagger116 And you wouldn't get away with calling someone a 'camp old twat' these days.

[@ukcomedycharacters7134]

This was written by 'the Comic Strip Presents' Nigel Planer and Peter Richardson

[@ppmppm7010]

Nigel Planer orange peel

[@ginjaico_6132]

​@@ppmppm7010when will I see you againnnnn

[@ppmppm7010]

@@ginjaico_6132 soon I hope

[@GBPaddling]

Back in the day, when TV was worth watching.

[@petesmoth6320]

Yes we all agree! TV Gold 👍

[@SteveInskip]

Brilliant series! The American Express sketch springs to mind!

[@stephendines1936]

Griff Rhys Jones. Spot on.

[@imperatorrm]

I remember watching this at the time, brilliant. One of the sketches that stayed with me.

[@jimsimpson1006]

Along with the new Metro “hand built by Roberts”. 😅

[@andrewdemetrius8090]

One of the best sketches ever!

[@robertcotgrave5920]

Very funny is an understatement!. It's sheer brilliance!!!!!!.

[@samwisegamgeese]

How odd, woke up this morning with this sketch in my mind! Have not seen it in 3 decades!

[@quagswag]

Fantastic. I'm old enough to remember all the references, but not the consequences. I suspect 'That's Life' had a really hard time keeping any belief in their show after this. Superb lampoon.

[@Jehannum2000]

That's Life changed shortly after this sketch, I seem to remember. Cyril Fletcher died. They got younger presenters in. Esther remained, though.

[@mchlbk]

@@Jehannum2000 Cyril died in 2005.

[@JANSSEN1931]

Pamela Stevenson was wonderful in this series. They all were, but I loved her versions of Angela Rippon, Jan leaming and Janet Street Porter. A great time for comedy, now sadly gone...

[@grabham59]

Ah yes "Mr Mugabe's Guerillas"....

[@pauljackson2409]

Her Janet Street Porter impersonation was hilarious.

[@fairlyvague82]

Rantzen’s skirt pegged to the floor omg 😂😂😂😂

[@MrMusicbyMartin]

Reminded me of Reeves and Mortimer doing Masterchef, I think they might have noted that surreal touch.

[@foxee36]

Nigel planer wrote this!!!(with Peter Richardson)!!!

[@thefrecklepuny]

So many Thatcher references in this program!

[@HowardHalifax]

Rowan is brilliant in everything he does!

[@petehuskins]

I have to disagree. Mr Bean is truly awful! The first 10 minutes of the first episode were vaguely funny (if you liked Benny Hill) and then he went on and on, flogging the shit character. Pulling funny faces is only funny for so long.

[@splatcave3145]

@@dtzjones2222 wanker

[@splatcave3145]

They were all brilliant

[@iandennis1]

Rip mel smith

[@marquonuk]

It's a cleverly observed idea for a sketch, where unlike the real That's Life, they're literally contacting no-one who can actually help. Really funny, and enables them to use the "nothing to do with us" jobsworth response from figures of authority as heard so often on the real show. Beautifully performed by them all, as well. :-)

[@nickforbes-warren6602]

We rang the Electricity Board . . .

[@commandingjudgedredd1841]

And they said...

[@dimitrisk02]

I’m sorry. This really has got nothing to do with us.

[@ewaf88]

Beautiful acting - Cyriiiil ,-

[@owenlewis8006]

The tent like dress complete with guy ropes and pegs hahaha!!

[@trevorkeyes1639]

she does her brilliant

[@rau1seixas]

RIP Mel Smith.

[@brucedanton3669]

Thank you for this-spot on indeed. I wonder what Dame Esther Rantzen thought about all this? Well done anyway too!!

[@kenworth3609]

A strong woman like her would have laughed at them

[@philipusher4282]

Pamela is a really talented impressionist. She's got that posh, toothy, 70s vocal fry thing down to a tee.

[@julzyboy1973]

Pamela Stephenson was a hottie in those days!

[@Frank_Nemo]

Pamela Stephenson is just a fattie in these days!

[@julzyboy1973]

@Me Too wtf you on about?

[@scottptolomey3498]

That is on point and absolutely hilarious

[@jondellar]

Ha ha ha, Esther Rantzen in a twelve-foot marquee - how apt!

[@tonycavanagh1929]

LOL I remember thats life, ythis is so realistic and funny.

[@L-mo]

G R Jones and Pamela Stevenson are even better than I remember in these. Brilliant

[@trevormillar1576]

Pam Stevenson was the only Aussie who could swim outside the shark-proof netting; the sharks took one look at those teeth, and realised that she had a superior weapon!

[@BadgerBotherer1]

@tecdessus Born in NZ, moved to Aus about the age of 4, then came to UK at age 26-27.

[@murrayduncan7621]

She also appeared in a crap Series 2 episode of Gerry Anderson’s ‘Space:1999’ & an episode of The Professionals’ which concluded with Bodie & Doyle removing a grenade from her character’s bra (some top scriptwriting there…).

[@mikezzknight]

better then Saturday night live

[@00bean00]

but 1990s MadTV tho...legendary

[@adamlee3772]

The best comedy show of its day doing the best parody of one of the most god awful shows broadcast on a Sunday evening.

[@paulmorphy6187]

I remember that's life as a kid...because it contained humor I liked it.."sausages!"

[@hughcope8640]

One of my favourite sketches

[@terratec1001]

This has got nothing to do with us.

[@TallSilentGuy]

The voice was dead on!

[@MrBooojangles]

I'm still watching this video 13 years after my last comment on this video. One other thing to add. The real Cyril Fletcher lived about a mile from my house, on an estate where millionaires live, but only ever saw him once, when he came in to the place I worked at in the mid 80's. Sadly I didn't serve him, but he was like he was on That's Life but without the anecdotes or jokes.

[@Sjmby95]

I can remember this

[@hunterluxton5976]

I remember that drivel well. They are spot on.

[@stoolpigeon4285]

Is Cyril really Anthony Blanche

[@enthusedtosing9655]

This is very reminiscent of Tracy Ullman's Princess Margaret impression

[@presntnow]

It's such a good parody! Hahahahaha

[@paulgreen6302]

David bloody attenborough.

[@princeofdaftness]

That's Life, the origins of 'The Karen I demand to see the manager' 😊

[@robertcreighton4635]

I remember that's life this is a brilliant pisstake. Spot on

[@zakelwe]

Such a great piss take :)

[@chrisst8922]

So sharply observed. Glynn Worsnip and Kieron Prenderville really did wave their heads about like that and they repeated the punch line just like Rowan does.

[@neiljameson4275]

Mel Smith is a genius

[@bjarnepedersen3474]

Better than stand-up

[@timjohnson689]

Hilarious! But makes me feel slightly old...

[@Sawrattan]

And now we have _The Mash Report_ 🤪

[@nakedmambo]

That's Life was a weird programme, but I still watched it.

[@darganx]

They would have a heart wrenching story about a kid with heart problems, and then.. comedy. The show ran for nearly 20 years though!

[@bossagypsy731]

hahahah just what i needed to make me laugh

[@thismagnificentthing1916]

Esther Tentpegs. What was that all about? Hilarious!

[@darganx]

The big dresses she used to wear on the show.

[@MrTingrag]

a classic sketch

[@letsseeif]

This is still the issue of 2023 when seemingly endless time online trying to get your pipe that once spouted water looked at.

[@DELTIC55007]

Interesting that the name "Harrow on the Weald" is stated rather than "Harrow Weald".

[@applemask]

Prince Phillip exploded,

[@pigknickers]

Rowan is doing a Jeremy Clarkson here. Maybe it's where JC got it from

[@steveforest8385]

Rowan and Mel are mimicking the male 'That's Life' presenters of the time (Paul Heiney and Chris Serle) who used to talk that way when doing consumer investigation items like this.

[@chrisst8922]

@@steveforest8385 Kieren Prenderville and Glyn Worsnip.

[@postscript67]

@@chrisst8922 Prendiville and Worsnip had been replaced by Heiney and Serle by the time of this sketch, but it hardly matters for one pair was much like the other.

[@jamesthecat]

I think it's an audio thing, too.

[@henrybyrd5402]

From that we get historical programmes narrated by 6 or more talking heads.

[@Mortimer50145]

I remember the real That's Life flipped between presenters even more than in this sketch, when telling a consumer-versus-faceless-organisation story: they really played on it and would switch between the narrator and the "voice of the faceless organisation" for single-word quotes: the poor vision mixer must have cursed being rostered to That's Life ;-) Glyn Worsnip, Gavin Campbell, Maeve Alexander, Kieran Prendiville: a lot of people cut their teeth on That's Life. And Esther (plus prehensile teeth!) remained throughout. Good old Cyril Fletcher and his odd odes. There was something very creepy about how he looked so pleased with himself in his leather chair: G R-J captures that very well.

[@80sandretrogubbins25]

Really great That's Life parody but maybe not the first. End Of Part One also had a TL parody.

[@zacmumblethunder7466]

A little while ago, I was unfortunate enough to hear "You and Yours" on Radio 4 and thought it was a re-run of this sketch. Now I've seen the original again after xx years, I realise it is nowhere near as ludicrous as "You and Yours".

[@Kiinell]

They had those painfully smug gits nailed.

[@michelguevara151]

utter classic

[@garsm2290]

Pamela ... yah, was she funny or what? .... Wonderful.

[@knockedoutloaded279]

Great show..

[@lindamanas954]

Actually I think Mel is supposed to be Chris Searle and Griff is Kieran Prendeville

[@AnthonyChara]

Actually Griff is meant to be Cyril Fletcher. Its Rowan who is playing the other person.

[@martinmcgowan4319]

Brilliant-extremely clever!🤟

[@ianstrange5674]

Hysterical.😂

[@97channel]

This has got nothing to do with me.

[@AuroDHikoshi]

I just have to add... This has got nothing to do with me!

[@commandingjudgedredd1841]

And may I say that, when I felt compelled to respond to a three year old comment on KZbin, I then contacted the electricity board, and they said.... "Sorry, but this really has nothing to do with us!"

[@jamesthecat]

@@commandingjudgedredd1841 Did they say it in a commanding voice?!

[@MrTingrag]

ha ha absolute class

[@MultiBelbo]

"His television entertainment is constantly ruined by the appearance of a camp old twat who continuously reads his appalling drivel over the air" Heh. I wonder what the gentleman from Swansea thinks of QI.

[@darganx]

Strange he's been on it a couple of times 😆

[@MegaDarryl1]

The same writers did a similar sketch for ITV's 'end of part one' a couple of years previously...... still a funny sketch though :-)

[@clapstix3495]

Griff is more like Nickolas Grace’s Anthony Blanche from Brodeshead Revisited than Cyril. Still funny though. The others are absolutely 100% nailing it!

[@davidfisher9026]

I remember it well. Before Pamela Stevenson became a psychologist and Billy Connolly became the toff he previously joked about. How sad.

[@HowardHalifax]

Over 3 minutes long?

[@HowardHalifax]

Ah but without Seth, there is no Stewie Griffin! ;)