Friday Night Live

A one off edition to celebrate 40 years of Channel 4. It could easily be a backdoor pilot. Although it could be one heck of a commute for Ben Elton, as he now lives in Australia.

It started out as Saturday Live and the first series had a different host each week. It was aping the more famous show in America.

It had a cutting edge in the second series when Ben Elton became a regular host. Mainly for his rapid fire jokes all laced with a little bit of politics.

If I took off my nostalgic glasses. The show was always a bit hit and miss. Some comedians were not funny at all.

A few who made early appearances on the show would go on to become very funny in later years. As they gained more experience.

The breakout star back in the 1980s was Harry Enfield with Stavros and Loadsamoney.

He returned, older an porkier. I am not convinced that Loadsamoney who characterised the Thatcherite yuppie era works during the cost of living crisis.

As for the other comedians. Jo Brand was funnier than she was back in the 1980s. Julian Clary fluffed a few jokes.

That was a theme in this live show. Several of the newer comedians also fluffed their jokes. Maybe it was nerves.

One of them took advantage of the live format by going full frontal nude.

The best thing was Ben Elton doing topical jokes again. I suspect a few of them were recycled though.