Saturday Live
Saturday Live was a British television comedy and music show broadcast by Channel 4 from 1985 to 1987, and in 1988 as Friday Night Live. Influenced by the American show Saturday Night Live, it was produced by Paul Jackson. The series made stars of Ben Elton, Harry Enfield, Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie, and featured appearances by Patrick Marber, Morwenna Banks, Chris Barrie, Emo Philips, Craig Ferguson, Craig Charles and many others. The show featured comic duo Adrian Edmondson and Rik Mayall in their act The Dangerous Brothers. All episodes were transmitted live, although some material was pre-recorded. Recordings of shows were edited into compilation repeats, retitled Saturday Almost Live. The show was succeeded by Friday Night Live, a shorter and slightly more tightly-formatted show with Elton as the permanent host, which ran for a single series in 1988. The show's titles consisted of reforming clay animations, highly comparable to early MTV idents.
Cast: Ben Elton, Harry Enfield, Stephen Fry
10 episodes
- 1. Tracey UllmanTracey Ullman Introduction John Sparkes Shadwell (character) music INXS This Time The Oblivion Boys Staring contest Tracey Ullman, Jon Glover, Mac McDonald (pre-filmed) The River Country John Bird An unemployed defence minister (character) Tracey Ullman, Amanda Dickinson Kay Clark (character) (Almost:2) (DVD:SL1) Robin Driscoll, Rebecca Stevens, Pete McCarthy, Tony Haase, Suggs Rich (soap opera parody) Pete McCarthy News Flash Sam Kinison American Stand-up (Almost:4) (DVD:SL1) Pete McCarthy Snooker Wizardz Fire dance Pete McCarthy News Flash John Wells (pre-filmed) A Life of Reilli music Squeeze King George Street Tracey Ullman Stand-up Fry & Laurie Chocolate Goodies (DVD:SL1, FLEE) The Dangerous Brothers (pre-filmed) Canon/Big Stunt (DVD:DB, SL1) Tracey Ullman Betty Tomlinson (character) - Two years on (DVD:SL1) Ben Elton Professional liar (DVD:SL1, FLEE) music Feargal Sharkey You Little Thief (Almost:4)CCJan 25, 1986
- 2. Lenny HenryThe compere was Lenny Henry. Guests included Fry & Laurie, Oblivion Boys, Dangerous Brothers (Rik Mayall & Adrian Edmondson), Ben Elton, Level 42, The Damned with a cameo from Gary Glitter :(CCFeb 1, 1986
- 3. Pamela StephensonThe compere was Pamela Stephenson, and guests included Fry & Laurie, The Oblivion Boys, Dangerous Brothers (Rik Mayall & Adrian Edmondson), Richard Digance, Cliffhanger, Spike Milligan (Cameo only), Denis Healy, Talk Talk, Nigel Planer (Featuring Raw Sex), Ben Elton and The Inspirational ChoirCCFeb 8, 1986
- 4. Chris BarrieNo synopsis available yet.CCFeb 15, 1986
- 5. Michael BarrymoreMichael Barrymore Introduction music Colonel Abrams I'm Not Gonna Let You Get The Best of Me The Oblivion Boys Kidnapped Susie Blake Rupert Bear story Michael Barrymore Stand-up and stunt music Mr. Mister Broken Wings Michael Barrymore Singing Harry Enfield, Jon Glover, Helen Lederer (pre-filmed) The Day After (DVD:FLEE) music Johnny Hubcap and the Axles At The Hop Arnold Brown Stand-up Michael Barrymore (Impression) Tommy Cooper Harry Enfield Stavros (character): First appearance (DVD:FLEE) Fry & Laurie Poetry in Parkhurst (DVD:SL1, FLEE) music Ruby Turner Come Go With Me Margaret Smith American stand-up music Mr. Mister Kyrie Craig Charles Poetry (DVD:SL1) Ben Elton Stand-up: Double entendres Michael Barrymore Stand-up and singing We'll Meet AgainCCFeb 22, 1986
- 6. Hale & PaceHale & Pace The Management arrive and introduction music Madness I'll Compete Hale & Pace Proclamation Harry Enfield Stavros (character): My daughter Donna (DVD:SL1, FLEE) music Roger Daltrey Under A Raging Moon Hale & Pace Singing Doctors (DVD:SL1) A Whitney Brown American stand-up Pierre Hollins Alfonse (character) daredevil act Hale & Pace Club 18-30 music The Walkers Hey! Don't Waste My Time Jeremy Hardy Stand-up Hale & Pace St. David's Day music Madness Sweetest Girl Hale & Pace Billy & Johnny (characters) The Wow Show/The Oblivion Boys E.B.T. (DVD:SL1) Norman Pace The world's greatest lover (character) The Dangerous Brothers, Norman Lovett (pre-filmed) Torture (Almost:4) (DVD:DB, SL1) Ben Elton Stand-up: Girlfriend Threw Me Out (DVD:SL1, FLEE) music Madness, Hale & Pace See You Later Alligator / Let's Have A Party / Roll Over Beethoven (Almost:2)CCMar 1, 1986
- 7. Ben EltonBen Elton Introduction and stand-up: Club 18-30 (Almost:1) (DVD:SL1) music Buddy Curtess and the Grasshoppers Real Girl (Almost:1) Ben Elton, Hugh Laurie Pop Show (DVD:FLEE) Harry Enfield Stavros (character): Today newspaper (DVD:SL1, FLEE) Ben Elton Taxi driver (DVD:FLEE) music The Blow Monkeys Digging Your Scene music Denise Black and the Kray Sisters Acapella singing (Almost:1) (DVD:SL1) Emo Phillips Stand-up (Almost:1) (DVD:SL1) Ben Elton, Hugh Laurie Simon Ploppy at drama school (DVD:SL1, FLEE) music Hipsway The Honey Thief Craig Charles Poetry (DVD:SL1) Fry & Laurie, Emma Thompson Hush child (DVD:SL1, FLEE) Ben Elton Stand-up: Students Ben Elton Metamorphosis (DVD:FLEE) The Dangerous Brothers (pre-filmed) Exploding politicians (DVD:DB, SL1) Ben Elton, Stephen Fry As nuns: One little thing (Almost:1) (DVD:SL1, FLEE) Jasper Carrott Stand-up Jasper Carrott (pre-filmed) animation Ben Elton Stand-up: Double Seat music Buddy Curtess and the Grasshoppers Let My LoveCCMar 8, 1986
- 8. Fascinating AïdaFascinating Aïda Introduction The Wow Show/The Oblivion Boys Wow Fashion (DVD:SL1) Harry Enfield, John Sessions Stavros (character): Freddie Starr Ate My Hamster (DVD:FLEE) music Kissing the Pink One Step Fascinating Aïda Pretend You're German Craig Charles Poetry Fry & Laurie A Good Night's Sleep (DVD:FLEE) Rita Rudner American Stand-up (Almost:6) (DVD:SL1) music Somo Somo Masikini Ya Mola Emma Thompson Stand-up (Almost:3) (DVD:SL1) The Dangerous Brothers, Jennifer Saunders (pre-filmed) How to get off with a lady (DVD:DB, SL1) Fascinating Aïda England's Green And Pleasant Land Emma Thompson, Hugh Laurie Photographs (DVD:FLEE) Ben Elton Stand-up: Brush with the bomb (DVD:SL1, FLEE) music Girlschool and Gary Glitter Leader of the Gang (Almost:5)CCMar 15, 1986
- 9. Peter CookPeter Cook (Impression) Ferdinand Marcos (DVD:SL1) music The Communards Disenchanted The Oblivion Boys Pot Snooker (DVD:SL1) Kate Robbins (Impression) Sarah Ferguson Peter Cook, John Bird Lord Stockton (character) (DVD:SL1) music Twisted Sister I Am, I'm Me Peter Cook, John Fortune E.L. Wisty (character) - Interesting things (DVD:SL1) Harry Enfield Stavros (character): Video Box (DVD:FLEE) music Hitlist Into The Fire Louie Anderson Stand-up (Almost:5) (DVD:SL1) music Twisted Sister Leader of the Pack French & Saunders, Raw Sex Studio direction (Almost:5) (DVD:SL1) Peter Cook, John Bird Workmen in Kubla Khan music The Communards, The Oblivion Boys La Dolarosa Fry & Laurie Flight to Tokyo (DVD:SL1, FLEE) Peter Cook (pre-filmed) (impression) James Last's Britain Ben Elton Stand-up: The budget (DVD:SL1) Peter Cook (Impression) James Last's orchestraCCMar 22, 1986
- 10. Steven WrightNo synopsis available yet.CCMar 29, 1986
Saturday Live
Saturday Live was a British television comedy and music show broadcast by Channel 4 from 1985 to 1987, and in 1988 as Friday Night Live. Influenced by the American show Saturday Night Live, it was produced by Paul Jackson. The series made stars of Ben Elton, Harry Enfield, Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie, and featured appearances by Patrick Marber, Morwenna Banks, Chris Barrie, Emo Philips, Craig Ferguson, Craig Charles and many others. The show featured comic duo Adrian Edmondson and Rik Mayall in their act The Dangerous Brothers. All episodes were transmitted live, although some material was pre-recorded. Recordings of shows were edited into compilation repeats, retitled Saturday Almost Live. The show was succeeded by Friday Night Live, a shorter and slightly more tightly-formatted show with Elton as the permanent host, which ran for a single series in 1988. The show's titles consisted of reforming clay animations, highly comparable to early MTV idents.
Creators and cast
- Directors
- Geoff Posner, Paul Jackson, Geoff Perkins
- Created by
- Paul Jackson
- Cast
- Ben Elton, Harry Enfield, Stephen Fry, ,
