Harry Enfield - Mr Cholmondley-Warner on Life in 1990

Mr Cholmondeley-Warner
An early 20th century television presenter (played by Jon Glover) who, with his manservant Greyson (Enfield), would attempt to uphold the British Empire's values by advising, amongst other things, that women refrain from participating in complex conversations (as this would lead to insanity) or that babies be given gin (to ensure a good night's sleep). The characters also appeared in a series of TV adverts for Mercury Communications. (more)

[@callumsykes1307]

🎵 Start spreading the news I'm leaving today I want to be a part of it - Chiddingfold-on-sea! 🎵

[@somebloke5565]

Works for me.

[@isthereanybodyoutthere9397]

"The fire'a gone out!" Place another piece of plutonium on there then".

[@ShahPhilLeotardo]

I really enjoyed this Short, informal but informative film about life in the 1990’s.

[@liberalhyena9760]

Can you believe it was made in 1940? How uncannily prescient!

[@Mattheq]

Yes

[@ozzythecats]

Yes

[@randomsamno9]

Despite being a parody I have to say that Enfield has recreated early television in Britain more successfully than any other recreation I have ever seen.

[@GusMcGuire]

@taxid3rmy ...says the person who replied 8 years later. 😆

[@GandalfTheGay98]

@taxid3rmy what u on about

[@duncanedwards7840]

He's quality, provided much entertainment & laughter, I'm pleased to say, that according to the girls whom have waited on his table this evening, where we work, he's the sweetest man you could meet. 👏🤝 Mr Enfield.

[@carltrotter7622]

I'm Scottish. This is brilliant.

[@jm15xy]

_Oh! I'm sure that in 1985, plutonium is available at every corner drug store, but in 1955 it's a little hard to come by!_

[@NilsAlbertsson]

🎼🎵🎶Chiddingfold-on-sea, Chiddingfold-on-sea, so good they named it twice 🎶🎵

[@nuthineatholl6434]

Proud resident of the Greater Chiddingfold-on-Sea Metro Area. Thank you, Pilgrims! www.pilgrimsociety.org/

[@lordbiddyzs2510]

Nuthine Atholl d

[@crankyinmv]

The Duke of York shan't like that.

[@salr362]

Chidding-Fold-On-Sea, concrete jungle where dreams are made of.

[@oldguy9051]

@@crankyinmv It's Chiddingfold-on-sea and not Child-Fondler in Chief, though...

[@fredcapp40]

Its a shame they’re not on tv anymore, classic comedy. Brilliant

[@davidhayes4814]

These Cholmondley-Warner parodies of old public information films are inspired. I was born in 1923 and remember the originals rather too well. Extrapolating into the future was farcical then. Let's us stop predicting the future and love the life that we still have. Mr Enfield, I am proud of you. You are a very talented man. Nurse get me more cake please.

[@Ccs1989]

Im sure theres some 95 year olds who have figured out computers.

[@Codex7777]

My Dad was born in 1927 and uses a computer...

[@pseudonayme7717]

Nurse! He's out of bed again.... Seriously though, I totally agree :)

[@jimkoral3824]

Being that old, do you remember when things started to change from black and white to color?

[@MrVidification]

..of which many 'figuring out' how to use them since the 8 bit days well over 30 years ago ;)

[@richcymru3976]

"Footballs returning to its original place of origin!" 🎶

[@MrWilliamunderwood]

I actually grew up in Chiddingfold.... got over excited with the mention of it on the internet, which i am informed they are still waiting for there.

[@__seeker__]

“Hello. I’m African, I’m afraid.” I died.

[@twofoursevenbeauty]

😂😂😂😂

[@ossian11]

I'll have you all know that my father lived to the ripe old age of 85 and played in all 12 of England World Cup winning teams...

[@willie2761]

So did my Dad ! They must have known each other

[@MikeHendryDev]

"No exercise and plenty of sausages" God I wish a doctor could say that to me!

[@Zombiekipper72]

You sound like a man whom likes a lot of sausage. ;0)

[@johnbowkett5920]

Oooh , errr missus !

[@West.Ham1964]

The football fans being recognised as our best ambassadors made me laugh, 'that's our 12th world cup in a row'

[@Rubashow]

"Bad luck, Scotland!"

[@robertofulton]

Tony Ross you have to wonder what’s less likely. England winning 12 world cups in a row or Scotland actually playing in a World Cup. 😀

[@nazfrde]

"If I can make it there, I'll make it anywhere! It's up to you, Chiddingfeld-on-sea, New York!"

[@Lesinator]

Hello, I'm from Africa I'm afraid! So polite about it, cracks me up :)

[@mattdavies7398]

And with a cut-glass, English accent to boot!

[@steveforest8385]

"I'll let you live in the coal bunker. So long as you promise not to eat my wife."

[@MrDaiseymay]

AS SHOWN ON BBC TV LAST WEEK--NOT. THE TREACHEROUS GUTLESS HYPOCRITS

[@50zcarsman]

They couldn't even find an actual black man, back then, to play the part. It's the host in crude blackface.

[@ronwhycherly]

Are you really as clueless as that reply suggests that you are?

[@tellyontellyon]

I'm Welsh and I have used inside toilets several times, but I still prefer the outside ones.

[@2011zurich]

Me too.

[@MrDaiseymay]

I HOPE YOU STILL USE THE RADIO TIMES, AND SEND BORING MOMENTS BURNING THE SPIDERS WITH YOUR CANDLE

[@stevetaylor8698]

"BORING MOMENTS BURNING THE SPIDERS WITH YOUR CANDLE" I did wonder what they called it in Wales.

[@andybycz]

@@stevetaylor8698 Hint, I suppose: Unwarranted use of capslock...

[@SightForMemories]

'Tis the Future, the Future is now.

[@acmarston]

No one is really offended, just people who are offended on behalf of those they think would be offended.

[@misst.e.a.187]

Quite right

[@antispindr8613]

So, should the people that are most likely to be offended hold back from commenting out of fear of being insulted by, the condescending British snobs on this site?

[@mrspivvy]

My fave enfield sketch ever. "you're welcome to live in the coal bunker-as long as you promise not to eat my wife." hahahahahaha

[@ahassen1236]

Harry Enfield one word. Treasure

[@glenn9683]

I'd forgotten all about this, remember watching it back in the day absolutely hilarious, but now I've got to go and report this sketch to KZbin for racism and get it taken down

[@max-rdj9741]

Got to be done if you're to become a KZbin Hero!

[@igotdarkaether4813]

Yeh you actually do I’m serious

[@MrDaiseymay]

ABSOLUTELY MARVELOUS , I STILL LAUGH OUT LOUD, ( IN A DECOROUS WAY, NATURALLY)

[@sebode87]

I love being british

[@bujin1977]

These old films are great. Such an unrealistic view of the future. I'm Welsh and I still shit on the floor. (Yes, I am aware of what this video is...)

[@marvinc999]

bujin1977 - " I'm Welsh and I still shit on the floor." Nothing to be ashamed of - PROVIDED the floor isn't carpeted.

[@steveowen7475]

Wonderful......does your wife Gwyneth clear it up

[@andynixon2820]

I live in Norfolk a didn't realise there was an alternative to shitting on the floor .

[@misst.e.a.187]

🤣🤣

[@beatlebrian4404]

Shiting on the floor, how disgusting! Use the garden like the rest of us, ( preferably next door's)

[@ivanhart6675]

British humour. Unbeatable.

[@larry4789]

My dad got told to start smoking to improve his bronchial asthma when his dad took him to the doctors in the 20's at age 10. I don't know about the sausages though.

[@mal_752]

Brilliant 👏 👌 👍. Simply Brilliant 👏 😀

[@pawnraider]

“The United States will have seen the error of her ways and beg Britain to take her back.” If only!

[@paulus4222]

From whose point of view??

[@BlatentlyFakeName]

Not Britain's. We don't want to have to sort out that mess!

[@misst.e.a.187]

Love the mobile telephone😂

[@leemccomish1923]

The things we got away with back then. Such a shame we became so sensitive.

[@TheWizardOfTheFens]

I wouldn’t say “got away with” more like didn’t overreact to. Nobody believed that an African would eat his wife for example, they were just comedy - an over exaggerated look at the world - which were (and still are) amusing. Although I’m surprised that they thought that the Welsh could be trained to use toilet facilities......maybe one day. 😉

[@whatshisname3304]

these are self-mocking. its all about mocking old views and simplistic attitudes of the past, and the old school prejudices. It funny because we are all now aware of them and have moved on. I would hope.

[@jontaylor4511]

the english know how to laugh at themselves

[@matthewhendy5785]

Thing is this isn’t racist- it’s a comment about how racist society used to be! But people these days don’t know the difference.

[@sillysausage4549]

See a snowflake, melt it.

[@tristancliffe]

Simply and utterly brilliant bit of (quite truthful) class!

[@flucazade]

this is still so so funny!

[@nitramluap]

I just love the messed up sight lines.

[@markstanton63]

" Even the Welsh will have been successfully taught how to use inside lavatories " ....... Still waiting on that one.

[@martinwhite7053]

Indeed sir, I am myself working class and I certainly know my place in the social structure. I am eternally grateful that I'm allowed to partake of "fish n chips" once a week on a Friday. God save her Royal majesty the Queen and may God bless and save her.

[@cornishdm]

Can I foul your pavement?

[@harrycooke6349]

Ha ha ha so good

[@A-small-amount-of-peas]

I'm Welsh and my great auntie did have an outside lavatory. I generally distrust Englishman (as do most countries) but am very subservient to English ladies

[@remlatzargonix1329]

Pat Tanackered ....when you learn English, I would like to see more of your views on other issues.

[@nnobster]

Now look here Grayson, that was a most enjoyable "short, informal but informative film".

[@Barosin1]

If this was made today Harry Enfield would be forced to apologize for everything, especially the black face, loved the 90's

[@MrVidification]

People take everything literally and assume the worst online as society becomes arguably more negative and fragmented. That joke is poking fun at the british person who holds the exaggerated mindset, and with the black face obviously at the standards at the time, where no black person would be likely to be hired for any public film. All it takes is one person to share it to a mass audience online (Twitter) for 'the world' to be outraged, resulting in mainly just US coverage, even if it goes right over their heads. This may also be the reason as to why this series above has not been shown or released fully again, whether on dvd,bluray or digitally. Derogatory imagery and words are ironically only accepted in serious historical hollywood movies that make big money www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/tvandradioblog/2013/jan/23/fawlty-towers-isnt-racist-major-gowen-is

[@rtsharlotte]

Little Britain did that in the 2000's.

A lot of students are retarded these days. What about the London University SU that sent the 'behavioural contract' to the comedian?

[@OneAndOnlyMe]

You're kinda missing the point of why he did these sketches. Yes they're humorous but they were done to highlight the wrongs in society.

[@tezzingtonsir28]

Your tiny little mind missed the point completely. Be better.

[@popazz1]

Ah yes, being a boy in the 60s/70s and sitting in the doctor's waiting room enveloped in a cloud of cigarette smoke then going into the doctor's office and there he'd be, ciggie hanging from his bottom lip,overflowing ashtray. My mother was actually advised to start smoking as it'd calm her nerves! She was dead at 58 from cancer.

[@SpeckleKen]

My great aunt had a better result: she had low iron and was given Guinness on prescription (which meant free, in those days) and lived to a ripe old age.

[@misst.e.a.187]

​@@SpeckleKenOh, the good old days. Back then, ppl would take along a bedside gift of a bottle of Guinness or Mackeson's when visiting someone in hospital. Anything to build up your iron and recovery.

[@NuclearCherries]

Ah! I remember learning to use a inside toilet! Great times.

[@awordabout...3061]

I might make a visit to Cheddingfield-on-Sea one day.

[@davidenespana]

I have visited Cheddingfield-on-Sea. It's a bit like Skegness, very cold in the winter only with talller buildings, and for some unfathomable reason they've repainted all their taxis yellow. Burgers and cheesecake are better than in Skegness, but their tea is terrible. It's a rum old place!

[@krashd]

+davidenespana I hear the weather is unseasonably clement?

[@davidenespana]

Rob Fraser As I said, compared to Cheddingfield, Cheddingfield-on-Sea is seasonally inclement. Too hot in the summer and too cold in the winter.

[@anonUK]

The place in Surrey is "Chiddingfold".

[@MrDaiseymay]

IS THAT A POST WAR SUBURB OF CHEDDINGFIELD -ON-SEA ?

[@webmozaic]

I can't wait!

[@mick62mick]

About time Enfield 's shows were released on dvd.

[@Zarathinius]

Best Cholmondley-Warner/Grayson skit!

[@simonl1785]

Excellently brilliant

[@galexeqe]

1:29 I WANT THAT DOCTOR mine's just a bloody quack that wants me to go on a diet

[@richardikin]

Mine too but, to be fair, she does have a point...

[@SightForMemories]

I recommend plenty of soy to quaff down that 1990s burger you just had tomorrow.

[@mubd1234]

"Fire's going down, dear." "Best pop another lump of plutonium on then, dear."

[@jabbyjabjo]

Love these

[@ewaf88]

It was nice to see the Welsh adapting to an inside toilet. Mine is still outside - well at least that's the impression I got after my last party,

[@AR-py5cn]

That means that Rob Bryden is allowed to use the inside loo at channel 4.

[@mikenaughton]

No, I think he has to do the eLearning module first; there is also an instructor-led section with role-playing. Once signed off he's good to go .

[@Paul-fm3cf]

This is genius, every single thing they said would happen by 1990 DID happen!

[@darania1]

Indeed I often used plutonium coal fires to heat my home with the additional benefit of radiation poisoning which left me with a healthy glow..😊

[@NickHarman]

We are still waiting for America to learn the error of its ways and beg to be back under British rule. Will these colonials never learn?

[@elainebmack]

That line about American cracked me up!!!

[@thecrow7]

satire do you not get it? lol

[@Codex7777]

Yess we do. You, steve Apperly, apparently do not. lol

[@SvenTviking]

Trump will be the last straw. They simply cannot run their own affairs! For God’s sake! A “reality TV “star! Like wilful children.

[@MrVidification]

From now on every president is required be someone of great character or personality - either a celebrity (preferably reality tv) or related to one, so that nepotism can ensure half of the family gets high up that political ladder to also compete to have a shot at 'running the country'

[@harrytd]

😂Love it....and if only!

[@jackmonaghan8477]

Thirty odd years from 1990 and I'm still waiting for my injection of DH Lawrence (I also had 'Doctor Zhivago' and the complete works of HG Wells on my prescription too).

[@misst.e.a.187]

😂😂

[@almac62]

LOL chiddingfold is the vilage where i live xD

[@fredfat1606]

amazingly accurate

[@Rivage1]

this is great

[@tonewheel1773]

An informative and yet entertaining short documentary highlighting what could be in store, perhaps in 40... 45 years. I dare say, watching such material in the future, say, 40... 45 years, could well have one executed by firing squad for just lingering just a little too long whilst viewing a video of a lovely lady or gentleman partaking in lascivious activity on the internet. Yes, the monkey may well end up being spanked on a regular basis or a chap may well wish to send the weasel down the tunnel without worrying about any repercussions,... all because it`s 2022! Thank goodness we currently live in a world of free speech and enlightenment, whilst not being downtrodden by a totalitarian state. Goodness. Six thirty! Time for a brandy. Cheerio.

[@crazybunkum]

1:59 ‘Spare a thought for those plucky losers’ 😆

[@limeyosu2000]

great stuff great scott!

[@TwoOnions275]

Harry Enfield was years ahead of his time. The 'I'm African, I'm afraid...' skit is one of my absolute favourites in ever. The BBC never show these early episodes (don't think you can buy them easily either), so haven't vandalised them - yet. Dear BBC - the racist Major in Fawlty Towers is the butt of the joke (you philistines): he corrects his racism, with more racism...it's funny.

[@geoffreycarson2311]

BANG ON g

[@Nooziterp1]

I thought I'd seen all of the Mr Cholmondley-Warner/Greyson clips, but I seem to have missed this one.

[@alleespach]

Now you have seen everything.

[@philipwebb8297]

Wonderful

[@simonlamphee9905]

Excellent

[@adeh503]

Harry Enfield legend

[@themichaelwolff]

Glorious

[@seangrie8]

Pure class

[@TonicMike]

@ItTakes2ToQuango I realize that you wrote this several years ago but I dare say, I heartily agree with you.

[@natmanprime4295]

ABSOLUTELY CORRECT

[@rorybone100]

No exercise and plenty of sausages....

[@oo7naughtyusmaximus933]

It's all very well the Welsh have learnt to use "the inside lavatory" .....but now it's 2019 ...and I haven't learnt how to use the "three shells" yet !!!!

[@SightForMemories]

Thats gonna spell trouble. Even for an English sort. Cheerio!

[@HarryFlashmanVC]

Jon Glover is a wonderful actor

[@thefurrybastard1964]

So is anyone from Chittingfeld on Sea watching this video?

[@robsmithracing]

“Even the Welsh have learned to use inside toilets” 😂😂😂😂

[@robsmithracing]

@MichaelKingsfordGray huh?

[@the_katman2181]

Uncannily accurate.

[@the_katman2181]

Except for the bit about the Welsh using lavatories. But that was a joke, right?

[@russellwilliams1071]

Football fans were like that....EXCEPT MILLWALL !!

[@andrewnorth170]

"Bad luck Scotland" lol

[@passthebutterrobot2600]

Chiddingfeld-on-sea, so good they named it twice.

[@bluegtturbo]

Many of the predictions in this public information film didn't materialise, but it is quite difficult for even the greatest brains to predict the future 50 years out..

[@guydouglas8385]

It remonds of an early 'dead-pan' Monty Python type humour. I like when the guy comes in at 0.15 from the left with his arm pre-bent to lean on fireplace top. LOL. GuyP

[@weatherman10]

And sounds the clock! Was actually really ROFLing

[@ELONut]

great

[@mlynn9720]

"Despite being a parody I have to say that Enfield has recreated early television in Britain more successfully than any other recreation I have ever seen." Yes, I would have thought there would have been no advanced CGI filters to make it look old in 1990. They also made the Arthur Atkinson Clips look and sound old in The Fast Show. Clever people at the BBC. In the clip it's supposed to be made in 1940 and at that time nuclear power hadn't really been worked out, so it's a bit ahead of its time saying put another lump of plutonium on the fire but that's being picky. Maybe if they had said 1950 looking at 1990. Did he do Mr Cholmondeley-Warner in Harry and Paul?

[@micheals1992]

Plutonium doesn't work like that though. you don't burn it, you release energy with a fission reaction. so obviously they didn't know how it worked and how you would release the energy, they did know that matter contained an insane amount of pure energy in the 1940s though because Einstein released his finding with the Theory of relativity in 1905 which is where the famous "E=MC2" equation comes from and Plutonium was discovered in 1940.

[@TheChugg11]

Only with the lights off in the standard position...

[@49128]

sadly the blumiin libbers got rid of him. bunch a wingers the lot. and now we have strictly come farting

[@MrDaiseymay]

I THINK ONLY YOU THOUGHT TO STATE THE BLEEDIN OBVIOUS

[@geoffreycarson2311]

BANG ON !!!What !!!a Limey 😂g

[@alanfaulkner6329]

2:26 surprised the mob have not come after them. Well done. Spot on portrayal. 100% accurate of an African chap.

[@TryptychUK]

"...as long as you don't eat my wife." LOL

[@bradameerbeg2154]

Even the Welsh will have been taught to use indoor lavatories.... wow... such progress!

[@Robert-hz9bj]

Bah! Pure science fiction drivel...

[@jimkoral3824]

1:10 What is the Welsh guy holding? I spot the roll of TP in one hand, but what is the other item?

[@davewilliams174]

Leeks!

[@thefurrybastard1964]

Sadly none of this came true, not even the prediction about the Welsh learning how to use indoor toilets.

[@DF-cc5im]

2:25 Try and get away with that now, lol!

[@whatyousaidbud]

That is now! You donut!

[@guyverjay1289]

No way would that black face sketch fly today 🤣

[@williamsterben]

Genius!

[@fetusjuice]

@ItTakes2ToQuango When did that happen?

[@jonoessex]

I live in Chiddingfold LOL!

[@7an7ara]

Chittingfeld-on-sea makes it seem a far more attractive city tbh, and I visited when it was still New York

[@maryhadfad]

"hello, I'm African I'm afraid"

[@roguetrooper5288]

The coal bunker scene has been cut out now for tv broadcast, obviously for the more modern sensitive audiences...

[@Grid56]

As long as you promise not to eat my wife 😂

[@boikot8586]

It's a shame to see this humour being cancelled.

[@jeremymerrifield219]

When was it cancelled. You can still view it on BBC

[@stephenpiper5604]

What really is getting on my nerves are all the silly children on the internet whining about how everything they just watched has been cancelled.

[@jeremymerrifield219]

@@stephenpiper5604 great point

[@worldcomicsreview354]

@@stephenpiper5604 Ha ha, you're pro censorship

[@youcanlearnalotfromlydia]

@@jeremymerrifield219 The episode this sketch is in isn't available on Netflix when the whole of the rest of the series is, because of this sketch. They objected to the "Hello, I'm African, I'm afraid!" segment. Because they didn't know the difference between mocking racism and racism, presumably... Luckily this sketch can be viewed here and the whole episode is available elsewhere if you search for it. Still it's a shame lots of people miss out on the first episode of the whole series setting the scene with all the characters who may not know about DM.

[@asbestosfish_]

Well, we still have time.

[@JohnSmith-ow6nh]

The 19 who have given this a thumbs down need to see a psychiatrist.

[@MrDaiseymay]

IT WAS 19 PSYCHIATRISTS

[@moragmackay3597]

Philip Croft 😂😂😂😂😂.. sharp!

[@bobyorke]

John Smith - and get a sense of humour implant! We know who they are. Pathetic really

[@ivorbiggun710]

And learn how to use indoor toilets.

[@funkydanieluk]

Wow, how did they get it so right?

[@acmarston]

Where can you get a cigarette container like that?

[@someofthepeoplesomeoftheti9185]

You're not an alcoholic if you drink less than your Doctor, that's the rule