Not the Nine O'Clock News 1979 S01E01 Show One

First Aired 16 October 1979
Sketches: Clapperboard / Tinker, Tailor / Kenny Everett Sketch / Britt Ekland's car / National Wealth Beds / Wilson's Memoirs / Inflatables / Aliens / Vivisection Sketch / On The Moov / Spinning Head / Man With Ten Legs / Tory Conference / Maori Sketch

[@johng5859]

The NHS sketch still feels very topical more than 43 years on.

[@Toastrackman]

So true.

[@edmund184]

would have been written under Callaghan presumably?

[@johng5859]

@@edmund184 This wasn’t one of the sketches recycled from the pilot made prior to the 1979 election, so it was most likely written afterwards - this episode was first shown five months after the election.

[@stephen9462]

I still don’t know what the giant mouth was about

[@Toby_the_Glen]

21:00 is sounding similar too?

[@andyhinds542]

It's amazing how so many of these sketches are still relevant today.

[@debussy69]

It still seems relevant 40 years later

[@Lilym661]

Shortage of beds in 1979! We all think things are worse now. Nothing has changed.

[@shellybelly35]

Its been a long time since I've seen this miss watching Mel Smith and Kenny Everett RIP ❤ Kenny was the best 😂😂

[@colmcgillveray1010]

Your lot mate, wind yer fash nonce defending neck in. malatesta32.wordpress.com/2014/11/19/updated-edl-nonce-list/

[@nobodyanderson4353]

Kenny Everett singing, let's call the whole thing off, is my favourite comedy sketch I've ever seen. In fact I'm going to watch it now, bye.

[@CricketEngland]

You need to go watch the series “Colins Sandwich” absolutely brilliant

[@creative-renaissance]

The NHS sketch makes you think, will we still be having the same issue in 2067?

[@theVirsa]

You bet things will keep getting worse as long as Tories keep fooling people to vote them to power 😢

[@marquonuk]

I'd forgotten Kenny Everett did that cameo! :-)

[@FreeTVEngland]

The Kenny Everett sketch at the start is excellent, they could not have chosen a funnier word than p***s!

[@TellyMan200]

That nhs sketch at 3:03 is very app and true in 2020s for sure

[@edmundkockenlocker4672]

The fact that you couldn't show this on the BBC today is all the more reason to do so.

[@diskgrinder]

Tired old right wing bollocks about comedy being edgier then. You didn’t like it then and you don’t like it now you entirely snowflake pillock

[@colmcgillveray1010]

LOL, look at the whiny gammon...Perhaps its is the nonce, mate?

[@colmcgillveray1010]

do you want your Gary Glitter gangbang back at the Apollo as well, lad?

[@colmcgillveray1010]

On 2 August 2007, Chris Langham was found guilty of 15 charges of downloading and possessing level 5 child sexual abuse images and videos.[1][2] Langham was jailed for 10 months, reduced to 6 months on appeal. He was made to sign the sex offenders' register and was banned from working with children for 10 years.[3]

[@helenamcginty4920]

This is very tame. Doesnt even vome up to have I got news for you? Do you listen to Radio 4 friday evening shows? Theyve all got better since Johnsons placeman left. I live abroad so dont know what else is available.

[@fredkelly4365]

Mel Smith was a great actor too. Really missed

[@richardenglish2195]

He was incredibly versatile. Loved him in Colin's Sandwich.

[@vernongoodey5096]

Toooo much coke killed him

[@CricketEngland]

@@vernongoodey5096get your facts right dummy before commenting or just keep your mouth shut Smith was hospitalised in 1999 with stomach ulcers, following an accidental overdose of over 50 Nurofen Plus tablets in one day, after previously admitting an addiction to sleeping pills. Smith said at the time that the pressures of film work were a contributing factor, along with a desperate need to ease the pain caused by gout. Partly as a result, he agreed to sell Talkback Productions. On 31 December 2008, Smith appeared on Celebrity Mastermind whilst suffering from severe pharyngitis. On the morning of 19 July 2013, the London Ambulance Service was called to Smith's home in north-west London. Smith was confirmed dead by the ambulance crew, with a later post-mortem confirming death from a heart attack. He was 60 years old.

[@MrPaulc222]

Brilliant! As someone who was born in the 1950s, I do remember some of the prevailing issues of the time. Some political incorrectness thrown in too :) . I think I'll be catching up on these in order.

[@0AndyC0]

The Chris Langham 'inflatables' thing felt like it was trying to spoof the Ronnie Corbett 'armchair' monologues, but didn't really work. Some great comedy writers in the credits, but other similar series like Spitting Image took a while to really hit their stride too

[@bokami3445]

Good memories! Thanks

[@2catscan]

Kenny Everett! Young, and not dead!

[@mrgurulittle7000]

Very good video! Glad someone posted it!

[@efnissien]

The "Mole is one of these" shows Cyril Smith, he may not have been a mole, but he hid a dark secret.

[@Sheffield_Steve]

So did Chris Langham! As Frankie Boyle said: "Chris Langham, This is Your Life!"

[@mrmensa1096]

and Jimmy Saville's best mate Charles - surprised Epsteins best mate Andrew wasn't there. BTW its Sir Cyril Smith - just like the other Pedos who all coincidently were also Knighted by the Queen 🤔Hmmm, starting to see a pattern there ?

[@viewerabundzu6887]

the other week my mum spent 8 hours in A&E waiting for a number of examinations. 8 hours😮

[@diskgrinder]

If she had to pay for it she’d still be waiting

[@iainclark5964]

Love the Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy intro

[@jayseabie215]

The BBC then and the BBC now. Literally not the same corporation. Regrettably.

[@eggy6656]

The opening is a nice nod to Monty python style. Revisiting as I realised I probably never saw the series since a teen, just the once, like the whole school. But only if you could get that 1 per household TV without your parents grumping " it's just silly... " 😂

[@adb9231]

Wow, very interesting to see season 1 after all these years, and episode 1 too! Thank you. I thought it was lost forever. Like the guy who says he got turned into a newt in the Monty Python & The Holy Grail witch sketch, it did get better, thankfully.

[@raydegs1602]

NHS still the same, different governments same bullshit.

[@dougaldouglas8842]

Imaginations were amazing

[@ianhudson2193]

Remember watching this the first time it aired!!!

[@andyhinds542]

At 10.21 I am amazed to hear the instrumental break to Brother To Brother by Gino Vanelli which is a brilliant track from a brilliant album.

[@felicityfourie1785]

Nostalgic to see Ian Smith. The outcome, as they say, is history 😭

[@annwilliams6438]

As in a totally collapsed economy, collapsed infrastructure, and a third of the Zimbabwean population (yes, quite literally a third) in South Africa trying to make some money to keep their families with enough food to survive?

[@maxmach4361]

"but now that we've got the recipee.." ^^

[@LANCSKID]

Some of this was taken from the pilot that was never broadcast but that is available to view on KZbin.

[@golic7123]

Great Series - I remember it being very daring, edgy and pushing the limits Turns my stomach seeing Chris Langham Thanks for uploading these, and in such good quality too ! I'm just about to 'binge-watch' as many as i can fit in the day, as i sit & work at my PC Supercuthero - you legend

[@krishnan-resurrection714]

it turns my stomach to see what is supposed to be 'comedy' nowadays . . . ..'Man like moDeens' funny to you is it ? . . . . . and dont tell me ..all white men are paedos and all blacks are great people ...lol !

[@Sheffield_Steve]

I skipped past him!

[@edmundkockenlocker4672]

Agree with you there on Chris Langham 😬

[@waltersobchak1719]

You’ll be saying you don’t like Gary Glitter next!

[@bendingspring]

.....& you’ve probably got it in for Jimmy savile too! Wishy washy idealist!

[@woodyspooner]

Can't beleave this N.H.S sketch is over 40 years old, it could have been written yesterday, the situation in this old sketch is probably being played out in a N.H.S hospital whilst l'm writing this comment .

[@PiotrSiedlecki-qv2cd]

Greetings to all American friends ❤

[@OofusTwillip]

The NHS sketch was originally used on an episode of "The Pink Medicine Show".

[@SandrasSpicySpanishSalami]

There are parts of this that would see the comedians and writers in prison if made today. 😢

[@juliacrask5905]

Interesting to see Griff Rhys Jones as a support actor.

[@MrCameroland]

It’s like calling my doctor for appointment 👀🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧

[@Cheva-Pate]

And now he’s the King!

[@Azphreal]

Guess the current tory party took the last sketch to heart.

[@cheltbabe]

The bit about immigration. The more things change, the more they stay the same.

[@stepchicken3238]

Because of their opposition to mass immigration they were called the "nasty party." They were more concerned about their public image so, gradually, they went over to Labour, the results of that we see today.

[@markgreet3543]

So funny, comedy at is very best.

[@marquonuk]

This first episode is a bit hit & miss. Mostly miss. It improved quickly, thank goodness! BTW "On the Move" was a TV series at the time.

[@simontemplate]

More to the point - it was an adult literacy endeavour!

[@1946Ash]

And Bob Hoskins was in it.

[@stepchicken3238]

@@1946Ash He was in it to improve diction. 😆

[@downunderrob]

Rowan Atkinson's little spiel wouldn't fly nowadays. 😂 Certainly not with the 'n-bomb' amongst it! And I remember laughing like he'll at Pamela Stephenson's animal libbers sketch! 😂😂😂😂😂

[@daveh5742]

Where did you get these from? I didn't think that they had ever been released. Not from a digital channel or there would have been a logo, doesnt look like a home recorded video. Please tell. I've subscribed.

[@robcarter55]

Excellent 😎 I remember watching these every week when they came out. For anyone under 25 this was what comedy used to look like . People used to laugh. They took the mickey out of everyone. No one was offended and not a single black person died when Rowan used the "N" word because he was sending up the conservatives so we were laughing at that and not black people. You did actually need to have your brain switched to the on position however. Sarcasm and irony was quite popular then but you did have to decide which was which and I do understand that having a degree these days can make that harder. Of course these days Rowan would never be able to work again and would probably be in jail and the NHS sketch would be out as it belittles the conditions that were out bid and of course the top 3 would today be dysxleia ADHD and Gender affirmation therapy (10 points if you noticed the dyslexia joke ). Anyway I'm glad these still exist unedited at least for now. Thanks for posting this video.

[@breaghboo-gc7ub]

Funny😂

[@viorelpiscanu9425]

RIDENDO CASTIGAT MORES! IT SEEMS WE DID NOT LAUGH ENOUGH... Bad things are still happening today 😢😂😊

[@tablighibayans]

Kenny everret resembled Peter Sutcliffe so much, maybe it was just the look of the period.

[@alancheatley4378]

You can only get two DVDs of the best of, and i know that there is plenty great bits left out.. ouch see that Pam naked!! I remember thats the more risky stuff was excluded

[@pauloliver6813]

Is that Pam Ferris in the Hospital sketch in the red shoes?

[@annbjorn]

Wow. How did they know??

[@com.passionatebitch]

When the analogue editing be on fucking point 🪡

[@Wotdoesthisbuttondo1]

Langhams shifty presence nearly killed it before it got started.

[@TS-1267]

.... ARGHHH!... HE OOZES ' WRONG 'UN '... 7:58 ...🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿😷

[@seltaeb3302]

Old news, obviously you've had enough of TOTPs.

[@CricketEngland]

He was never as good as Griff

[@paullaing5154]

Alas, unlike some comedy shows, like Dad's Army or Fawlty Towers, this has not aged well at all.

[@James28R]

I would say the opposite

[@gavinreid8937]

Chris Langham , being more expirienced in tv comedy, would tell the others what was funny, which they grinned and bared till the Life of .Brian sketch which everybody else liked except chris, who just so happened to be in the film, they let him go & gave a more prominent role to Griff. ........................

[@cdname47]

Based on his "stand up" people should've had a quiet word Though people like us with him in WAS funny, sadly that'll never be seen again and for good reason.

[@Seansaighdeoir]

As my old mum used to say at the time 'schoolboy humour' - I think she was right.

[@philipcurnow7990]

Of course. They were straight out of University. Trying things out. Learning the trade ... and quickly.

[@andrewsmith2757]

@SuperCutHero - How on Earth do you get these master files or a copy of them. If you get things from Fremantle let me know. There's a Thames Television comedy series from 1984-1985 (2 series) that I'm dying to get hold of. It's never officially been released. A few episodes are on KZbin but not all 13 episodes. There's around 5-6 episodes on KZbin. I'd pay you of course, depending on how much. Fremantle now own them.

[@Jenifer_R_]

Never saw the pilot. Rowan's Conservative Party speech is still sadly true today.

[@stuartpenman6387]

you know it was labour that didn't want them in the 70s, watch love thy neighbour

[@Jenifer_R_]

@@stuartpenman6387 I vaguely remember that show.

[@stuartpenman6387]

@@Jenifer_R_ No uni students just good comedy, no wonder the BBC didn't do anything like it and before you say Monty Python, SPIKE

[@Jenifer_R_]

@@stuartpenman6387 I don't think it would fly today. From memory, it was pretty bigoted.

[@jfilm7466]

Especially when she was "sleeping" with everything on legs.

[@susanpettitt713]

Strangely mad Enough for today 2024.....

[@chrisodonnell7252]

How on the ball?

[@bridgetstoli2347]

I thought we had better resolution back then.

[@lordeden2732]

If he had stuck with his inflatable wife he would have never got in to the trouble he did. Naughty Naughty man.

[@danielwilliamson6180]

I'm glad Chris Langham didn't return for Series 2. He had no chemistry with Rowan, Mel and Pamela.

[@duncanholding7636]

Yes Indeed. I never actually watched the first series back in 79 and didn't know back then he was in it. But watching it now he looks out of place and Ill at ease

[@keithnaylor1981]

He was very good in the tv and radio series ‘People Like Us’

[@clivenaylor5392]

Level 5

[@richardenglish2195]

He refused to work with any of the cast for the best part of a decade after being replaced by Griff.

[@ianbartle456]

Tetch, tetch - Griff was absolutely the right character for the job and went on to do more stuff with Mel Smith - who is consistently good. Chris L just missed the boat and clearly had a bit of Pete Best syndrome.@@richardenglish2195

[@JoeZamecki]

Video stopped cold by commercials.

[@user-cj8yf5gb9l]

Rowans party speech 😂😂😂 the good days when you could say what you liked. Sadly miised due to the pathetic wokes of today, but thankfully I still say what I want too and watch the original versions of Faulty Towers, as one is only on this planet once. 😅😅😅😅😅

[@Wolfie_Rankin]

Pathetic, if you were watching this as a Gen Xer, you were essentially "Woke".

[@Alltakenbla]

What is the classical piece on intro? Tia

[@waynewalker8227]

Brilliant. What's changed lol

[@Hampton_Doubleday_Jr]

Ironic that Chris Langham is playing the anti-smut guy at the start!

[@anddontcallmeshirley-]

Sadly, only a precious few kids of today will find this funny, and only if they are fortunate enough to have intelligent and humorous older relatives.

[@philipcurnow7990]

I was about 13 at the time. Watched it then and then now. I still have the same feeling as I did then. Some things are hilarious, others forced or not quite right.

[@rogerking7258]

I remember watching this on first showing. Honestly, a lot of it was dreadful and initially, if it hadn't been for Rowan Atkinson I don't think the show would have lasted long enough to find its feet, let alone become iconic. And over 40 years later, if you show that Conservative party speech to modern woke youth they'll completely fail to understand the very concept of "satire". Interesting to see the inclusion of big, fat, jolly Cyril Smith and Chris Langham who would both later be exposed for child sexual offences. One odd thing about the show; if you ask anyone who was around at the time to hum the theme tune, they can never remember it.

[@Herfinnur]

What is that classical piece in the beginning?

[@HelloKimu]

sheeeezz he was 24 in this series

[@litterpicker1431]

He?

[@HelloKimu]

@@litterpicker1431 yep, it was Rowan

[@terranceparsons5185]

I can see why Chris Barrie didnt make the final line-up

[@pltopper771]

is this the first episode ?

[@nf5416]

tory conference could be cut and pasted to the 2023 one

[@bendingspring]

Labour situation also

[@stephen9462]

Ok I saw this when it aired and time has not been kind. A couple sketches stand out but this first episode was very shaky and the audience was not in the right wavelength especially when Chris Langham did his stand up routine it went over their heads

[@robert-hh2ft]

back when the bbc had balls and was not woke a great time

[@hawsrulebegin7768]

It’s not the bbc who’s to blame for every little thing that upsets you. The world isn’t the same as it was. For good and or bad. I’m old and remember the good ol days. it wasn’t that funny or sane.

[@olzyolzmobile]

Are Rowan Atkinson and Ritchie Blackmore brothers?

[@richardenglish2195]

Deep Purple guitarist or the author of Lorna Doone?

[@olzyolzmobile]

@@richardenglish2195 The former! =D (no idea, who the latter is - and if one wants to spin off further on this, there are probably numerous other less known persons with that same name, but that's irrelevant)

[@jrb1802uk]

Weird that Chris Langham is in this, but Griff Rhys Jones isn't. Just not the same 🤔

[@nigelsansom2407]

Griff is the guy at 4:29 with Smallpox in the National Wealth Beds scene.

[@marklatimer7333]

It's not dated very well, but neither have I.

[@pelimies1818]

I liked Boris' speech on... Curry!

[@FedericoDLP]

The last speech, by a Tory, could be made by any of the present Tories talking about the Rwanda deportations.

[@mrmensa1096]

50K by boat - 600K by legal migration. Of course the MSM and Govt only want the sheep to concentrate on the boats, yet 600K yearly are legal ( that means building a City the size of Sheffield every year to cope with the demands) Looks like you fell for it - in future try to see what the controlled MSM aren't saying or are distracting you from. Peace.

[@James28R]

Idiot. Let's just fill the country with scroungers then.

[@EgoShredder]

@@mrmensa1096 When were the public ever asked if they even wanted a single immigrant bringing here? I do not recall a single referendum back in the 1940s onwards. The whole lot of it is not exactly legal when put in this context. High Treason.

[@Eisenwulf666]

16:34 i wasn't expecting that, i bet it was pushing the limits a bit at the times

[@LANCSKID]

NTNOCN was regarded as being cutting edge at the time. Not all of the material worked I think. Some of the sketches were overlong … never a good thing in comedy. Many these days would, no doubt, be offended by some of the ironic references. Overall, it made a refreshing change from all of the tripe that was around in the late 1970s, masquerading as humour.

[@rolfhutter8410]

The best one 0:57 :D

[@MichaelKingsfordGray]

No, it was tame.

[@mlongpre100]

best part of the entire episode

[@vernongoodey5096]

Then Idi Amin follows

[@Woeschhuesli]

ouch 😂

[@philbedford8979]

Rowan,Mel,Griff,Pamela and the pervert....

[@yoellcall]

God what’s changed!

[@torgman]

16:32 ---GIDDITY, GIDDITY, GIDDITY....

[@realnutteruk1]

It all feels all too topical!

[@CrzyGazara]

The whole cast was just , Kiss Chef .

[@hetedeleambacht6608]

rowan atkinson looked like 17 or so.......

[@danielwilliamson6180]

23:30 I was born in England in 84 and I moved to New Zealand in 95.

[@Toastrackman]

Good for you.

[@ianstrange5674]

Did you?🙄

[@gwishart]

Seems unlikely. Those dates don't even add up.

[@danielwilliamson6180]

@@ianstrange5674 Yes.

[@ianstrange5674]

@@danielwilliamson6180 Gosh

[@viorelpiscanu9425]

Well not Only in the former British Empire... Or Little Britain....😂

[@jordanwiles1994]

where is the subititles

[@michaeledwards427]

Thats it!!! Yet again i get the blame for the decline of British Leyland. Anyway id sooner have the mk1 ford transit luton van!!!

[@stephen9462]

I had the audio album of it and the book

[@TPQ1980]

The autochthonous Indo-European (White) population of the UK was 96.4% in 1979 and is 81.9% in 2023. A loss of 14.5% over 44 years. If this trend continues linearly, the autochthonous Indo-European (White) population will be a minority by 2131.

[@jinjrbred]

And rightly so!

[@atilllathehun1212]

Already is some places, Birmingham for instance, Londonistan, where I live.......

[@James28R]

Erm.. what

[@EgoShredder]

@@jinjrbred What? You are advocating for the demise and extinction of the White race?

[@TesterAnimal1]

The world WILL change. You are making your own self miserable.

[@maxheadrom3088]

You know ... Mr. Smith was actually real. I mean ... I don't know much about the events (I'm not British) but read that the conspiracy against Wilson was real.

[@CricketEngland]

Chris Langham was never as good as Gryff

[@georghaupftink7372]

It's funny to see lovely Pam dressed down and just being silly. She was always so up for it. But, quite amusingly, by her own admission, she didn't really get most of the jokes and allusions, or the humour a lot of the time: cultural disorientation (she was, in her own words, fresh off the boat). Humour sometimes also ages quite badly.

[@BLTwithMayo1]

My favourite comedy show when i was a child. Definitely doesn't look like the patients in England now or Dr's esp nurses.

[@ewaf88]

Very embryonic

[@mythgreatbritain5634]

dont think it aged well