Make Me Laugh
Contents |
Host
Chesney Allen (1958)
Bernie Winters (1983)
Broadcast
Jack Hylton Productions for Associated-Rediffusion/ITV, 15 September to 20 October 1958 (6 episodes)
Tyne Tees for ITV, 8 April to 19 August 1983 (13 episodes)
Synopsis
A stand-up comedy show and game show rolled into one. This was a remake of an American format in which contestants won money for not laughing when faced with a barrage of jokes from professional comedians. The 1958 version was a vehicle for the Crazy Gang, with Chesney Allen coming out of retirement to act as chairman, and was so badly received that it is regarded as the one outright disaster on the group's CV.
Trivia
Unusually for a TV show of that era, the entire 1958 series survives as telerecordings. This is largely because it was one of the few 1950s entertainment shows to be pre-recorded, owing to a date clash with the filming of The Crazy Gang's movie Life's a Circus.
Brian Conley got an early break by appearing as one of the comics on the 1980s version.
