Victoria Wood's All Day Breakfast

When This Morning started in 1988, It was the BBC that stole a march on daytime television. The appeal of the real husband and wife time of Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan, broadcast live from the rejuvenated Liverpool's Albert Docks proved to be popular with viewers.

Victoria Wood noticed that especially with Madeley's presenting style that This Morning was ripe to be parodied. I think Madeley has been a parody of himself for decades.

I noticed that Wood went nowhere near the weather map!

This spoof is presented by Sally Cumbernauld (Victoria Wood) and Martin Crossthwaite (Duncan Preston). The latter never allows his guests to get a word in.

There is an interview with a keep fit guru where by the time she does open her mouth. She turns out to be frothing in the mouth right winger. It was just a coincidence that the BBC's Breakfast Time fitness expert the Green Goddess was an arch Tory.

Interspersed are some spoof adverts, sketches and the four times a day mini soap opera, The Mall. Which in itself poked fun of trashy American daytime soaps. As well as a certain soap set in the midlands.

Looking at it 30 years later. It is notable that Victoria Wood had a sharp eye. There were also cutting topical references but you needed to be aware of the politics of the time.

There is a lump in the throat moment. An all too brief appearance from Alan Rickman as a guest of the show and his name is pronounced incorrectly. Both Rickman and Wood died within months of each other in 2016.

I find it so hard to believe that nobody has reviewed this show. It's hard to believe it dates back to Christmas 1992, the humour is so fresh and original still.

The format definitely worked, Victoria Wood and Duncan Preston doing a Richard and Judy (This Morning) style show, which would run all day, where they'd be rude to guests, have meaningless conversations and criticise each other. 'The Mall' was presented as the daily soap opera, and the late Alan Rickman was ignored in an interview.

It's an absolute joy from start to finish, truly laugh out loud funny, so many good points, The Mall is sensationally funny, and the re-introduction of Mrs Overall makes it all the more special. Julie Walters grumpy mum and serious daughter is one of my favourite clips, as is Victoria's mature School Girl.

If you like a laugh, do what you can to track it down, it's criminal that it never got a DVD release. Wood and Walters, I salute you.

9/10

Just seen this on telly over the Christmas period for the first time ever!

Watching it today, the fashion is GREAT (I am a nineties baby). So jazzy and colourful.

Celia Imrie, Julie Walters, the whole cast are hilarious (with thanks of course to Victoria Wood's genius writing). And I appreciated the appearance of Alan Rickman (or should I say 'Dickman').

I loved the song 'Real Life' at the end - rings very true still.

Really recommend for a good laugh and super clever but accessible comedy 💙 What a queen Victoria was and is.

Now I need to watch all of her other specials... gonna make a list!