Friday Night Live - Channel 4 - 19th February 1988

Ben Elton introduces comedy from Harry Enfield, Bob Mills, Jack Docherty & Moray Hunter, Josie Lawrence, Julian Clary and Joe Bolster. Music comes from Voice of the Beehive & Feargal Sharkey

[@paulsmith-ll9vg]

this takes me back to a time when it was finally a friday, there was no more school until monday, and i could look forward to watching some good weekend television.

[@ianmcnamara62]

Thanks for posting, used to watch all the Saturdays and Fridays live. Ben Elton was a great stand up,unfortunately the rest hasn't dated well.

[@clivejohnson6468]

The fridge set at the end - timeless!

[@antjarvis]

Voice of the Beehive!

[@broomybank]

This takes me back. I heard Ben Elton talking about Friday/Saturday night live recently, live tv, not easy to do.Thanks very much for posting this.

[@stationsixtyseven67]

Blimey! Such good memories! :)

[@waziotter]

Bob Mills dying on his arse in his first TV appearance. Gold.

[@rickybrowne937]

He was awful.

[@danwilson1040]

I’m glad you thought that too! I was thinking of his show ‘ in bed with me dinner’ that wasn’t funny either 😢😮

[@DDandrums]

While he was undoubtedly shit, he got several laughs. So not really dying on his arse. A little unjust, methinks.

[@standenberg]

Great show, remember it well! Fantastic time to be a teenager. Thanks for uploading 👍🏼

[@imranedward5873]

Dont know if you guys gives a damn but if you're bored like me atm then you can stream all the new movies on Instaflixxer. Have been binge watching with my brother for the last couple of weeks xD

[@bentonmohamed1369]

@Imran Edward Yup, have been watching on Instaflixxer for since december myself :D

[@oystermouth1971]

Good to see a full episode as it was aired but there are 4 dvd compilations available out there with the best of Saturday/Friday Night live on

[@TheChrispychristina]

I always look forward to your uploads x

[@leejones8582]

I was a month old when this was on

[@kaybicaku923]

Switching gogglebox off for this on friday . How dare you

[@twerpantine]

adverts were the best bit

[@richardcrook2112]

Lol, second best bit after Harry Enfield.

[@davidoflazarus4601]

I had a loadsa money t shirt 👕 back in the day .

[@dannygraff]

Feargal on fire

[@funkp0wer]

Nice to see Wet Leg as the first act. 👌🏿

[@forgottentelevisiondrama2750]

The first time that I've seen a *full-length* edition of this formative show for 30 years. First episode of the last series, so probably of chief historical interest for the debut appearance of Loadsamoney (as he isn't yet known - he's 'The Plasterer'). It feels like some demonic energy has been unleashed, a force of hideously recognisable contemporary life that immediately captures the audience's imagination. No more Fry & Laurie, sadly, so their unfamiliar replacements Hunter & Docherty and Josie Lawrence perform to widespread unfortunate audience bewilderment, as they then continued to do for the whole ten week run. The new quiz show feature with guests just doesn't work and was immediately abandoned. Three other comics. Julian Clary is great and at something of a peak at this point in time - recognisable from a handful of previous appearances, but it still feels a little bit exciting and transgressive to see him turn up. Debut TV appearance for Bob Mills who is a bag of nerves but gets through it. His material is a record of underwhelming entry level average stand-up comedy of the time - day-and-nighttime television, memories of being at school, blokey but not laddy. I do remember him being funnier than this when I saw him do 20-minute sets at comedy clubs at the time, but maybe my 16/17 year-old critical faculties just hadn't developed much at the time! The unknown guest American is notably polished and good at working in this sort of setting. As the Transatlantic visitors invariably were, making the ramshackle show feel more anchored to a professional performance tradition. I realise now what a good idea having one on every week was. Why have they given Feargal Sharkey two songs? He was hardly a superstar or especially hot in 1988. I love the Voice Of The Beehive, but the giant inflatables/ exceptionally video-effects busy staging is a textbook example of how not to film a band.

[@richardcrook2112]

Bob Mills had a show on TV in the 90s called In Bed With Medinner.

[@johnsurrey7426]

Nurses on strike, NHS on its knees, trouble between Israel and Palestine - Ben, the only thing that’s changed in the last 40 years is that you and I have a lot less hair than we did then!

[@Stocko1234]

Saturday Live episodes please :)

[@jaynecruse8036]

Sounds like history is repeated itself

[@allnamesaretaken]

The intro describes 2022, not much really changes does it.

[@jonnyhaw]

Were there really only two ad breaks in the whole show? How did TV ever make any money in the 80s?

[@steveoranges1960]

I think in England the channels are all controlled by the government so it's paid with taxes. Also only the inner circle is allowed to own private property so there's not much of a consumer culture.

[@andrewgraham5588]

@@steveoranges1960 What? You're not serious, are you-"inner circle"...? You can't be serious.

[@brianmunich553]

Each ad would be costing a fortune due to it being prime time tv

[@af98]

It's still like that now in the UK.

[@jonnyhaw]

@@af98 It’s not quite like that now - the Friday Night Live revival last week was 90 minutes and had 5 ad breaks!

[@scandalousblue]

any chance you have the april 22 episode ? x

[@NeilMiles]

Sorry, no

[@sherrylennondewitt7557]

Awesome 👏🏽

[@raysmith7251]

6:58 madness' Woody on th drums!!

[@jaynecruse8036]

Yes he is married to one of the girls😊

[@trevorrandom]

When channel 4 was worth watching...

[@mikegeeguitarman8991]

Wow I used to love this show so much..I find it unwatchable now..I cant listen to 80s music either. Great to go back down memory lane but I think the once was enough thanks. Have to say though it was a treat to see this up here..thanks for posting. Still cant belive I used to love this show with a passion.

[@brianmunich553]

Not much on in those days I'd imagine I can't remember I'd of only been 3 lol

[@richardcrook2112]

Comedy and chart music always age badly.

[@IainLucey1972]

GOOD EFFORT BY CHANNEL 4 TO BRING IT BACK......... unlike the NEW big breakfast....... :o

[@soloist9495]

Man like Stephen fry you know

[@trevornakamoto6356]

That franch bloke In the cafe was really bush

[@cunninglinguist-hu1dz]

Well some liked it... .. the others not so sure.

[@happyuk06]

Ben Elton was always a closet Tory.

[@trevornakamoto6356]

Looks rubbish

[@Gruffydom]

Ben wasn’t funny, still isn’t funny.