Morecambe and Wise the Whole Story

An affectionate and revealing portrait of two great comedian's journey from obscurity to audiences of more than 28 million. This episode looks at how it all began. The Beatles are in full throttle and suddenly Northern is cool. On ITV a Northern comedy act is drawing audiences with their likeable, daft show Two of a Kind. Eric and Ernie had a rocky start on television but they didn't blow their second chance. They are on a roll and having fun at last. But how did they get from the bottom of the bill to primetime success? This is the story of the early days of Morecambe and Wise.

An affectionate and revealing portrait of two great comedian's journey from obscurity to audiences of more than 28 million. This episode looks at success and television. The television years didn't come easy. After their appalling baptism of fire with Running Wild on the BBC, Eric and Ernie's TV career was marked out by an anxiety never to lose editorial control again. This programme charts Morecambe and Wise's TV lives, examining the importance of variety in their work, from the mock stage and curtains to the constant referencing of old acts. They made it big on television by returning to what they knew best, only now they were top of the bill. Featuring restored colour footage from their BBC series, shown here for the first time since it was transmitted.