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91-488: The Chuckle Brothers were an English comedy double act comprising real-life brothers Barry David Elliott (24 December 1944 – 5 August 2018) and Paul Harman Elliott (born 18 October 1947). They were known for their BBC children's programme ChuckleVision , which aired from 1987 to 2009 and celebrated its twenty-first series with a 2010 stage tour titled An Audience with the Chuckle Brothers . The comedy of
182-416: A foil to the other. One member of the duo—the " straight man ", "feed", "dead wood", or stooge—is often portrayed as reasonable and serious, while the other one—the funny man, "banana man", or comic—is portrayed as funny, less educated or less intelligent, silly, or unorthodox. When the audience identifies primarily with one character, the other is often referred to as a comic foil. The term "feed" comes from
273-481: A rag and bone man . The comedy derives from the way the characters interact in their tempestuous relationship. The series also has more heart-rending moments as the son despairs at his inability to escape his needy, selfish, grasping father. Porridge saw "an habitual criminal", Fletcher (played by Ronnie Barker , already famous for his comedy partnership with Ronnie Corbett ) and a young, naive, first-time prisoner, Lennie Godber . The two would bicker but endured
364-488: A 100-pupil free school named Rotherham Central Free School in his hometown of Rotherham. His son's partner was to serve as the head teacher of the school. By February 2012, no premises, staff or pupils for the school had been confirmed, despite announcing an intention on opening in September of that year. In February 2014, the Chuckle Brothers attended the trial of Dave Lee Travis . Paul stated that he had no knowledge of
455-413: A Pete and Dud dialogue, leaving him helpless to respond. As the partnership progressed into the often-improvised Derek and Clive dialogues, these light-hearted attempts to make Moore laugh became, as a result of Cook's growing insecurity and alcoholism, aggressive attacks on the defenseless Moore. Carrying the tradition of going against the grain of traditional double acts, when the partnership dissolved in
546-538: A degree of egotism. The difference between the pair is the free-spirited, uneducated and selfishness of Jeremy and the intellectual arrogance but shyness of Mark. In the United States and Canada , the tradition was more popular in the earlier part of the 20th century with vaudeville -derived acts such as Laurel and Hardy , Abbott and Costello , Burns and Allen , Jackie Gleason and Art Carney , Wheeler & Woolsey , and Lyons and Yosco and continuing into
637-503: A double act ( The Dangerous Brothers ) in 1991 when they created Bottom . Their characters are a pair of sad, pathetic losers forced together by their mutual hopelessness. However, unlike earlier examples of such, the characters in Bottom absolutely hate each other, exacerbating their despair. This often leads to slapstick violence, such as hitting each other with frying pans. Mayall and Edmonson have said Bottom aimed to be more than just
728-457: A down-to-earth character while Hancock was pompous and had delusions of grandeur , and the comedy was derived from the two playing off each other's characteristics. A common trend in sitcoms is to place the double act in a situation where they are forced together through uncontrollable circumstance. In another Galton and Simpson production, Steptoe and Son , a son, with great ambition, was forced to live with his elderly, manipulative father as
819-455: A full cast. Their comedy and parody shows have included The Blackpool Tower Circus (1974, 1987), To You To Me (1995), The Chuckle Brothers in Trouble (1996), The Chuckle Brothers Summer Roadshow (1997), The Adventures of The Chuckle Brothers (1998), The Chuckle Brothers Trouble At Sea (1999), The New Adventures of The Chuckle Brothers (2000), Spooky Goings On (2001), Raiders of
910-566: A number of Antenna 3 and Fininvest television shows they took part in. In 1987 the couple split to pursue some solo projects, before briefly reuniting between 2002 and 2006 for a number of stage shows and plays. Gigi e Andrea started performing together in small theaters, cabarets and hostelries in Bologna in the second half of the 1970s. They debuted in 1978 on the Rai 1 variety show Io e la Befana . The year before they had appeared for
1001-460: A number of appearances in the BBC comedy series Still Open All Hours as dog owner Mr Marshall, first appearing in the role for the 2013 Christmas special. On 13 March 2015, they appeared again on Comic Relief, this time in a sketch based around National Treasures . The duo appeared at the 2016 Royal Variety Performance , performing sketches with host David Walliams . In April 2018, it was announced
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#17327755654841092-507: A peculiar comic verve, filled with paradoxical and surreal moods, their popularity increased in the early 1970s with the variety show Il poeta e il contadino and with the participation with the musical show Canzonissima . The couple began to crack in 1974, when Renato started devoting himself to a full-time film career. After a long separation, Cochi e Renato reunited in 2000s for a series of television and stage projects. Cochi e Renato were also very active as singer-songwriters (often with
1183-577: A playful rivalry—the Winters mocked the slight edge Morecambe and Wise had over them in popularity, while Morecambe, when asked what he and Wise would have been if not comedians, replied " Mike and Bernie Winters ". A series of black-and-white films based on Don Camillo and Peppone characters created by the Italian writer and journalist Giovannino Guareschi were made between 1952 and 1965. These were French-Italian coproductions, and starred Fernandel as
1274-814: A ratings hit with children, running for 21 series over a period of 22 years, and giving them a Special Award for Lifetime Achievement at the British Academy Children's Awards in 2008. The final series of the programme was aired in December 2009. The two contributed further to children's entertainment, performing at the Children's Royal Variety Performance in May 1992, and launching a children's game show titled To Me... To You... , which ran between 1996 and 1998 and which took its name from their signature catchphrase . Outside of children's entertainment,
1365-545: A real script and where they often improvised on the set. Also are the 13 films directed by Lucio Fulci , who was the architect of the reversal of their typical roles by making Ciccio the serious one, the sidekick, and Franco the comic one. They also worked with important directors such as Pier Paolo Pasolini and the Taviani brothers . Considered at the time as protagonists of B movie , they were subsequently reevaluated by critics for their comedy and creative abilities, becoming
1456-489: A relationship of mutual respect. Barker also formed a partnership with David Jason in Open All Hours , with Jason playing Granville while Barker played Albert Arkwright. Many don't see this as a comedy duo, but the straight-man element coupled with Barker's funny-man antics on the show are still compressed into the script. Rik Mayall and Ade Edmondson combined their success in sitcoms ( The Young Ones ) and as
1547-654: A resurgence in American double acts. Blazing Saddles (1974) featured a memorable performance by Mel Brooks and Harvey Korman (who later teamed up again in Brooks's 1981 follow-up History of the World, Part I ). Saturday Night Live , first broadcast in 1975, provided an outlet for comedians to appear in sketches as double acts and continues to do so. It was here that Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi honed their characters The Blues Brothers , who were soon pulled to fame in
1638-648: A series of toilet gags—it was meant to be a cruder cousin to plays like Waiting for Godot about the pointlessness of life. Other popular double acts in British sitcoms include complex relationships involving status and superiority themes: in Dad's Army , the social climbing envy of Captain George Mainwaring , to his right-hand man (Sergeant Arthur Wilson) who is of higher status than him; and in Red Dwarf ,
1729-527: A single act, often highlighting differences in their characters' personalities. Pairings are typically long-term, in some cases for the artists' entire careers. Double acts perform on the stage, television and film. The format is particularly popular in the UK where successful acts have included Peter Cook and Dudley Moore (Cook's deadpan delivery contrasted with Moore's buffoonery), Flanagan and Allen , Morecambe and Wise and The Two Ronnies . The tradition
1820-472: A successful transition to radio and later TV via The Smothers Brothers and Rowan and Martin's Laugh In . In Britain, double acts were confined to theatres and radio until the late 1950s, when double acts such as Morecambe and Wise and Mike and Bernie Winters slowly began the transition to TV on variety shows such as Sunday Night at the London Palladium . These acts came into their own in
1911-479: A support act for singer Dorothy Squires . The Chuckle Brothers, performing as The Harman Brothers, won the television talent show Opportunity Knocks in 1967, followed by success on New Faces in 1974. The brothers began their television careers as a double act, making their debut in April 1979 on the BBC comedy series Lennie and Jerry , hosted by Lennie Bennett and Jerry Stevens. They made two appearances on
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#17327755654842002-674: A televised children's show, A Merry Morning , in which the brothers entertained around 250 children from the Leeds area in Yeadon Town Hall . In 1985, the brothers launched a pre-school programme on the BBC entitled Chuckle Hounds , in which they performed routines with no dialogue , while dressed up in giant dog costumes. Their success in children's television came in 1987, with the launch of their iconic children's show, ChuckleVision , in which their real-life siblings Jimmy and Brian Patton made occasional appearances. The show proved
2093-567: A very popular radio show and podcast . Most of the most successful double acts in the early 2000s take their inspiration from the odder strain of double-act comedy spearheaded by Reeves and Mortimer. Matt Lucas and David Walliams , who had previously worked with Reeves and Mortimer, also took inspiration from the Two Ronnies. The Mighty Boosh also played with the formula but essentially remained traditional at their roots. Another popular current light entertainment / presenting comedy act
2184-510: A video message for his Twitter followers, urging them to stay at home to slow the spread of the disease. On 5 August 2018, Barry died after a period of ill health. Paul grieved Barry's death: "I've not just lost my brother, I've lost my theatrical partner of many, many years and my very best friend." Paul later revealed that his brother had been diagnosed with bone cancer , but had kept it secret from his manager, fans and Paul himself as he had wanted to perform for as long as possible. His funeral
2275-568: Is Ant & Dec , who are a very basic yet effective example of a double act. In early 2012, comedians Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele appeared in a sketch comedy TV show titled Key & Peele airing on Comedy Central . Many modern-day YouTube channels follow this format. Some examples include Smosh , Dan and Phil , the Game Grumps , and Rhett and Link of the YouTube channel Good Mythical Morning , In its British form,
2366-410: Is a quiz game with Tinder style sliding mechanics and endless style mobile gameplay. In November 2005, Jacques Peretti , a reporter for The Guardian , remarked "The appeal of the Chuckle Brothers remains a mystery to anyone over eight, but to anyone under eight, they're the ultimate entertainment experience. The little people think they're hilarious, and if you add up all the little people across
2457-532: Is also present in the US with acts like Wheeler and Woolsey , Abbott and Costello , Gallagher and Shean , Burns and Allen , and Lyons and Yosco . The British-American comedy double act Laurel and Hardy has been described as the most popular in the world. Humor is often derived from the uneven relationship between two partners, usually of the same gender, age, ethnic origin, and profession but drastically different in terms of personality or behavior; each one serves as
2548-424: Is presented by David Tennant and features two teams of celebrities, consisting of a captain and two guests. In each episode the teams compete in seven rounds about British and American comedy . The show is a knock-out tournament with the winners of the first four episodes progressing into the semi-finals, and the winners of each of them compete in the final for the eponymous Comedy World Cup. The following are
2639-592: The Crazy Horse in Paris . Noted by film producer Angelo Rizzoli , they renamed themselves Ric e Gian in 1962 and made their film debut in Ischia operazione amore (1966). Starting from the late 1960s, the couple gained popularity thanks to their participation in several prime time RAI variety shows. In the mid-1970s they focused on theatre, and between late 1970s and early 1980s their popularity revamped thanks to
2730-650: The Hebrides , Iceland , the Far East, India, and Burma . Their two older brothers, Jimmy and Brian, were known professionally as the Patton Brothers until Jimmy's death in 2019. The Patton Brothers appeared in ChuckleVision , Jimmy as the nameless character known colloquially as "No Slacking", and Brian as another unnamed character known as "Getoutofit". The Chuckle Brothers gained wider attention as
2821-731: The television age with Martin and Lewis , Kenan & Kel , Bob and Ray , the Smothers Brothers , Wayne and Shuster , Allen and Rossi , Jack Burns and Avery Schreiber , Rowan and Martin , Mike Nichols and Elaine May , the Wayans Brothers , Stewie Griffin and Brian Griffin from Family Guy and Shawn and Gus in Psych . The series I Love Lucy was known for its double acts, and Lucille Ball served as foil to both her husband Desi Arnaz and to Vivian Vance . Vance could also serve as foil to William Frawley when
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2912-444: The 1930s, its popularity waned because of the rise of motion pictures . Some failed to survive the transition to movies and disappeared. By the 1920s, double acts were beginning to attract worldwide fame more readily through the silent era . The comedy was not derived from "cross-talk" or clever verbal exchanges, but through slapstick routines and the actions of the characters. The first double act to gain worldwide fame through film
3003-408: The 1930s, showing themselves to be equally adept at verbal wordplay. In 1940 was the release of Laurel and Hardy's Saps at Sea , their final film for long-term producer and collaborator Hal Roach . Later their popularity declined. In 1940s America the double act remained a cinema draw, developing into the "buddy movie " genre, with Abbott and Costello making the transition from stage to screen and
3094-525: The 1980 buddy movie of the same name. Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor also embarked on a string of successful buddy films in the 1970s. Cheech & Chong also gained massive popularity during this time. Occasionally, the straight-man/funny-man dynamic appeared in unexpected contexts between characters not normally thought of as comics. This often appeared in the James T. Kirk ( William Shatner )/ Mr. Spock ( Leonard Nimoy ) relationship in several episodes of
3185-599: The Chuckle Brothers collaborated with Tinchy Stryder to release a charity single " To Me, To You (Bruv) " to raise funds for the African-Caribbean Leukaemia Trust . In September 2015, the Brothers performed for twenty minutes at the music festival Bestival , citing it as the biggest crowd they had ever performed in front of. In July 2016, the Chuckle Brothers released their first mobile app for Android and iOS titled "Chuckle World". It
3276-615: The Chuckle Brothers usually derived from slapstick , other visual gags , and wordplay , and their catchphrases included "To me, to you!" and "Oh dear, oh dear!" The brothers were born in Rotherham to Amy and James Patton Elliott, in 1944 and 1947. Their father was a Gang Show performer whose stage name was Gene Patton; he worked with the 18-year-old Peter Sellers in 1943 in The No. 10 Gang and gave performances in London , Orkney and
3367-500: The Chuckle Brothers won the first Celebrity Coach Trip . From 2014 until 2018, the brothers made appearances at various nightclubs and student events, performing sets and posing for photographs. After Barry's death, Paul stated that he would continue with these appearances. In March 2016, the brothers appeared in a promotional video for the computer game Hitman . In 2017, both brothers appeared in The Funniest Man in
3458-719: The Ghostly Shadows (2011), The Return of the Pirates of the River Rother 2: In Strangers Tights (2012), The Chuckle Brothers meet the Phantom at the Theatre (2013), A 2014 Space Oddity (2014) and The Chuckles of Oz (2015). Live recordings of Pirates of the River Rother and Spooky Goings On 2 were released on DVD 2007, the latter under the title The Chuckle Brothers – Spooky Goings On Live! A box set of
3549-465: The Greek island of Cephalonia , Paul broke his nose and suffered cuts and bruises when he lost control of his motorcycle after suddenly braking to avoid a goatherd and his herd. It was reported at the time that, instead of helping him, tourists who stopped at the accident shouted the Chuckle Brothers' catchphrase, "To me, to you". Paul later revealed on Richard Herring's Leicester Square Theatre Podcast that
3640-561: The Italian priest Don Camillo and Gino Cervi as Giuseppe 'Peppone' Bottazzi, the Communist Mayor of their rural town. The titles are: The Little World of Don Camillo (1952), The Return of Don Camillo (1953), Don Camillo's Last Round (1955), Don Camillo: Monsignor (1961), and Don Camillo in Moscow (1965). The movies were a huge commercial success in their native countries. In 1952, Little World of Don Camillo became
3731-942: The Lost Bark (2002), Star Doors – The Chuckle Brothers Strike Back (2003), Barry Potty and his Smarter Brother Paul in The Chamber of Horrors (2004), Pirates of the River Rother (2005), Doctor What and the Return of the Garlics (2006), Spooky Goings on 2 (2007), Aladdin (Christmas 2007), Indiana Chuckles and the Kingdom of the Mythical Sulk (2008), Chuckle Trek – The Lost Generation (2009), A Christmas Chuckle (Christmas 2009), An Audience With....The Chuckle Brothers (2010), The Twelve Days of Christmas (Christmas 2010), Barry Potty and his Full Blood Brother Paul in
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3822-492: The World , a short film directed by Jon Conway about Joseph Grimaldi , played by Barry. Following Barry's death, Paul has appeared in a number of quiz shows for charity, including Pointless Celebrities , Tenable All Stars and Celebrity Mastermind . In October 1995, the Chuckle Brothers released an album entitled To You to Me featuring eleven tracks. Many of the tracks were based on their catchphrases, such as "To me, to you" and "Silly You, Silly Me". In October 2014,
3913-588: The alleged events. After giving evidence, the pair posed for a selfie outside Southwark Crown Court with Paul sharing it on his Twitter account. The Brothers had smiled for the photograph, and some deemed their actions inappropriate. In March 2016, Barry received condemnation for sharing a Facebook post from the far-right political party Britain First . The post, originally shared in June 2015, called on politicians to strip migrants of their citizenship if they left
4004-468: The biggest ever British comedy gig at Wembley Arena . With this came tension. Newman and Baddiel fell out with Punt and Dennis, not wishing to share screen time with them, and then with each other. David Baddiel went on to form another successful double act with Frank Skinner . The 1990s also saw the introduction of one of comedy's strangest yet most successful double acts in Reeves and Mortimer . They at
4095-739: The brothers have made appearances in many other television series, both together and separately. In May 2008, they appeared in the BBC documentary series Comedy Map of Britain , and won the 2010 series of Celebrity Coach Trip . In November 2011, the brothers starred in a series of TV advertisements for the UK-based van insurance comparison website Van Compare.com In October 2012, they appeared on Comedy World Cup on Channel 4 , while on 15 March 2013, they were featured in David Walliams ' sketch for Comic Relief . From 2013 to 2014, Barry made
4186-536: The brothers were in the process of recording a new clip show for Channel 5 , entitled Chuckle Time ; It ran for one series during the summer of that year, although it was cut short following the death of Barry Elliott in August 2018. As well as regular TV appearances, Paul and Barry appeared on stage in venues across the UK. Their annual nationwide tours often included them performing with The Patton Brothers , magic duo Safire , The Magic Light Puppet Company as well
4277-675: The collaboration of Enzo Jannacci ), and they had several commercial hits; their most successful song is "E la vita la vita", which reached the first place at the Italian charts in 1974. Ric e Gian met in an avanspettacolo at the Teatro Maffei in Turin, where Ric worked as a dancer and Gian was the sidekick of the actor Mario Ferrero. They then decided to performing together as Jerry e Fabio and worked in various theaters, nights and cabarets in Northern Italy as well as at
4368-404: The comic but quickly switched roles when Gracie's greater appeal was recognized), Abbott and Costello, Flanagan and Allen , Gallagher and Shean , Smith and Dale , and Lyons and Yosco . The dynamic evolved, with Abbott and Costello using a modern and recognizable formula in routines such as Who's on First? in the 1930s and Flanagan and Allen using "cross talking". Though vaudeville lasted into
4459-407: The comic, though the pair were one of the first not to fit the mold in the way that many double acts do, with both taking a fairly equal share of the laughs. The pair first worked together as a double act in the 1927 film Duck Soup . The first Laurel and Hardy film was called Putting Pants on Philip though their familiar characters had not yet been established. The first film they both appeared in
4550-473: The country to join a terror group. Following the unearthing of the post, Tommy Robinson , former leader of the English Defence League (EDL), came to Barry's defence, calling on people to "leave the man alone". Britain First subsequently described the incident as a "non-story". In March 2020, Paul contracted COVID-19 and suffered mild illness (which he described as "not nice"). He recorded
4641-538: The country who think they're hilarious, you'd think it's ChuckleVision that should have the 28 comedy gongs, not Little Britain or The Office ." On 31 January 2007, Rotherham United chairman Denis Coleman announced that the brothers had both been made honorary presidents of the football club. In 2008, they were honoured with the Special Award at the British Academy Children's Awards . The brothers regularly appeared at events and openings, an example being
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#17327755654844732-426: The couple split in order to pursue solo projects. Ficarra e Picone started in 1993 along with Salvatore Borrello as a comedy trio, performing together on stage as "Chiamata Urbana Urgente". In 1998, the two remaining members began to use their surnames: Ficarra & Picone. In 2000, Ficarra e Picone made their film debut with Ask Me If I'm Happy by Aldo, Giovanni & Giacomo , and two years later they made
4823-551: The cult success of The Mighty Boosh . For the relationship between the two main characters this series uses a formula very similar to that between Sid and Tony in Hancock's Half Hour – that of an arrogant character whose best friend can see his faults and keeps him grounded. A similar dynamic is used in Peep Show in which the characters of Mitchell and Webb were adapted for the sitcom formula. In this case both characters have
4914-603: The double act, with Tamil cinema comedians Goundamani and Senthil teaming up for several films throughout the decade, similarly Kota Srinivasa Rao and Babu Mohan in Telugu cinema . The British duo Mitchell and Webb are another successful double act from the 2000s onwards, having multiple sketch shows on both radio and TV as well as starring in the award-winning sitcom Peep Show . For over 20 years, Australians Hamish Blake and Andy Lee have worked together as Hamish & Andy , having multiple successful TV shows and
5005-525: The double although it is more formulaic. Here there is a distinguished straight man ( tsukkomi ) and funny man ( boke ) and the humor consists of quick slapstick jokes, comical stories and social misunderstandings. In Germany Tünnes and Schäl (since 1803/1850s), two Cologne puppet theater characters, fit to the concept of fool and straight man. During WWII Tran and Helle appeared in a number of short films to deter Germans from actions detrimental to Germany's war effort or security. Between 1950 and 1980,
5096-417: The film Appuntamento a Ischia . They remained active until 1984 when their last film together, Kaos , was shot, although there were some interruptions in 1973 and from 1975 to 1980. Together, they appeared in 112 films. They acted in films certainly made in a short time and with few means, such as those shot with director Marcello Ciorciolini , sometimes even making a dozen films in a year, often without
5187-471: The first film as main actors, Nati stanchi . On 25 April 2005, Ficarra and Picone were the TV anchor-men four episodes of Striscia la notizia to which they collaborated from 27 March 2006 up to 5 December 2020. In 2007 they debuted as directors alongside Gianbattista Avellino with the film Il 7 e l'8 , for which they were nominated to David di Donatello for Best New Director and to Silver Ribbon in
5278-422: The first of Bob Hope and Bing Crosby 's Road to... series in 1940. Further acts followed. For example, the first pairing of Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis occurred in 1946. About the same time The Bickersons became popular on radio. Mel Brooks and Carl Reiner started their 2000 Year Old Man recordings and subsequent television appearances in 1961. The genre has continued to exist in cinema while making
5369-416: The first time on TV in A modo mio , directed by Memo Remigi . In the 1980s, the couple starred and co-starred in several comedy films which were usually badly received by critics but of commercial success. The same period, their presence on the small screen also became more intense, especially on Fininvest variety shows and television films. In the 1990s, having reached a more than respectable success,
5460-471: The gag-man/straight-man concept, "Stoner" duos like Cheech & Chong , Jay & Silent Bob , and Harold & Kumar have also proven quite popular with audiences. The double act format can also be used in presenting noncomedic information in an entertaining manner, such as Savage / Hyneman pair of the Discovery Channel's MythBusters (which Savage stated was unintentional when they began
5551-467: The game show 3-2-1 , hosted by Ted Rogers , in January 1980 and April 1982, and appeared on the long-running BBC programme, The Good Old Days , in June 1980. In August 1983, the Brothers appeared on The Freddie Starr Showcase alongside the comedian Freddie Starr . Their primary work was mainly focused on children's television, beginning initially on Christmas Day in 1980 with their taking part in
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#17327755654845642-487: The grain as turned their double act into a complex analysis of their relationship. In many of the sketches (especially the Pete and Dud exchanges) Cook played the domineering know-it-all (who knows nothing) and Moore the put-upon dimwit (who also knows nothing). This dominance was accentuated by the difference in height between the two, and the speed of Cook's mind, which meant that he could ad lib and force Moore to corpse in
5733-483: The highest-grossing film in both Italy and France, while The Return of Don Camillo was the second most popular film of 1953 at the Italian and French box office. Franco and Ciccio were a comedy duo formed by Italian actors Franco Franchi (1928–1992) and Ciccio Ingrassia (1922–2003), particularly popular in the 1960s and 1970s. Their collaboration began in 1954 in the theater field, and ended with Franchi's death in 1992. The two made their cinema debuts in 1960 with
5824-515: The late 1970s, it was Cook whose career stalled due to boredom, alcoholism and lack of ambition, while Moore went on to become one of Hollywood's most unlikely leading men. The double act has become a popular theme in British sitcoms . One of the earliest examples of this was the relationship between Tony Hancock and Sid James in the Galton and Simpson series Hancock's Half Hour . James played
5915-399: The mid- to late-1960s. When Morecambe and Wise teamed up with writer Eddie Braben , they began to redefine what was meant by a double act, with Wise, the straight man, being developed into a comic character in his own right. They provided the link between music hall and modern comedy for double acts. As the two leading double acts of the day, Morecambe and Wise and the Winters brothers enjoyed
6006-665: The more gentle humour of Morecambe and Wise and The Two Ronnies. In fact, Smith and Jones showed blatant disregard for their predecessors, openly mocking the Two Ronnies (this may have been a factor in Ronnie Barker 's decision to retire from comedy in the late 1980s ). The early 1990s saw comedy become "the new rock and roll" in Britain and this was inherent in the work of Newman and Baddiel and Punt and Dennis on The Mary Whitehouse Experience . Newman and Baddiel, in particular, symbolized this rock and roll attitude by playing
6097-425: The most popular comedy duo of East Germany , Herricht & Preil , ran a very successful double act, with Hans-Joachim Preil as the straight man and Rolf Herricht as the comic. Comedy World Cup Comedy World Cup is a British television comedy panel game produced by Open Mike Productions for Channel 4 . It was first broadcast on 15 September 2012 and last broadcast on 27 October 2012. The show
6188-706: The most popular double act of the 1970s was the Italian duo Terence Hill and Bud Spencer . The team had already made three straight westerns together during the 1960s but turned their act towards slapstick in their fourth ( They Call Me Trinity , 1970), with massive success. Light entertainment in Britain in the 1970s was dominated by Morecambe and Wise, who enjoyed impressive ratings, especially on their Christmas specials. Although Mike and Bernie Winters's popularity declined, The Two Ronnies' success grew while Peter Cook and Dudley Moore sporadically produced acclaimed work, in particular, their controversial recordings as Derek and Clive from 1976 to 1978. The mid-to-late 1970s saw
6279-429: The original Star Trek series. Morecambe and Wise had dominated British light entertainment throughout the 1970s, but their presence waned in the early 1980s. When Morecambe died moments after finishing a solo show in 1984 (his last words were 'I'm glad that's over'), the best-loved double act in British comedy came to an end, and several new acts emerged. The two distinct groups could not have been more different. In
6370-429: The role of "comic" and "straight man" in a less obvious, largely interchangeable way or are dispensed with altogether. More obvious British examples of the comic-feed dynamic are Cannon and Ball , Little and Large or the children's entertainers The Chuckle Brothers , where the straight man acted largely as a humourless set up for the comic. Peter Cook and Dudley Moore were perhaps the first double act to go against
6461-507: The roles are interchangeable. The model for the modern double act began in the British music halls and the American vaudeville scene of the late 19th century. Here, the straight man was needed to repeat the lines of the comic because audiences were noisy. A dynamic soon developed in which the straight man was a more integral part of the act, setting up jokes for the comic to deliver a punch line. Popular draws included acts like George Burns and Gracie Allen (who initially operated with Burns as
6552-500: The same category. Also in 2007 they were featured as comic characters in the story Zio Paperone e il rapimento teatrale (trad. Uncle Scrooge and the Theatrical Kidnapping ), published in the issue 2678 of Topolino . In China , xiangsheng (also known as crosstalk) is a traditional comedic performance usually in the form of a dialogue between two performers. In Japan the manzai tradition parallels that of
6643-414: The same time deconstructed light entertainment and paid homage to many of the classic double acts (Vic Reeves would even do an Eric Morecambe impression on Vic Reeves Big Night Out ). They simultaneously used very bizarre, idiosyncratic humour and traditional double act staples (in later years they became increasingly reliant on violent slapstick). Another double act that emerged in the mid to late 1990s
6734-765: The series but naturally grew into a double act as the result of their own conflicting personalities). From 2006 to 2010, Apple used the double-act formula successfully in its popular series of I'm a Mac/And I'm a PC ads with John Hodgman and Justin Long . In Italy the tradition was more popular in the late part of the 20th century with Battaglia & Miseferi , Cochi e Renato , Ficarra e Picone , Fichi d'India , Gigi e Andrea , Katia & Valeria , Lillo & Greg , Pio e Amedeo , and Ric e Gian . Cochi e Renato were childhood friends, and they grew accustomed to perform together in front of an audience of friends and relatives. Their professional debut took place in 1965 in
6825-655: The situation required. Vance and Ball would again serve as a double act in their next series The Lucy Show . More recently, the model has been largely supplanted by that of the " buddy movie " genre, which has introduced several notable comedy partnerships not formally billed as a single "act" in the traditional manner. The earliest example of such a team may have been Bob Hope and Bing Crosby ; later examples include Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor , Burt Reynolds and Dom DeLuise , Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi , Corey Haim and Corey Feldman , David Spade and Chris Farley and child stars Drake Bell and Josh Peck . Based on
6916-592: The small cabaret club Cab 64 in Milan , where they performed along with Lino Toffolo and Bruno Lauzi . They were also joined by Enzo Jannacci and Felice Andreasi with whom they formed the comedy ensemble Motore, who had a good success in Milan. The couple became first known in the late 1960s thanks to the RAI innovative variety shows Quelli della domenica (1968) and È domenica, ma senza impegno (1969). Characterized by
7007-461: The story of tourists shouting out catchphrases was an invention in order to get the story in the newspapers. An urban legend surrounding Barry Chuckle's supposed death from a heart attack had circulated since at least 2008. In 2010, the brothers issued a statement on their website stating that the story was "complete and utter rubbish". The BBC reported that the death hoaxes had upset young viewers, and had shocked Barry when they re-surfaced. The hoax
7098-405: The straight man serves no specific comic purpose, but acts as a device to make the comic look good, he is known as a stooge. Sometimes considered a derogatory term, "stooge" began to fall out of use by the 1930s with The Three Stooges . Most often the humor in a double act comes from the way the two personalities play off of each other, rather than from the individual players. In many successful acts
7189-518: The subject of study. The huge success with the public is evidenced by the box office earnings, which in the 1960s, represented 10% of the annual earnings in Italy. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, the traditional formula was shunned by The Two Ronnies , who completely dispensed with the need for a straight man, and Peter Cook and Dudley Moore , two Oxbridge -educated comedians who used the double act to deliver satire and edgy comedy. Internationally
7280-629: The two actors would usually be composed of a "straight man" or "feed" and a "comic", the purpose of the feed is to set up jokes for the comic. This would rely heavily on comic timing. Morecambe and Wise are arguably the quintessential British double act. They followed the traditional formula with Eric Morecambe as the comic and Ernie Wise as the feed. Other British acts such as The Two Ronnies , Hale and Pace , Vic and Bob , French and Saunders , Mitchell and Webb , Fry and Laurie , Ant & Dec , Punt and Dennis , Lee and Herring , Armstrong and Miller , Peacock and Gamble and Dick and Dom display
7371-632: The two was also made available. A dress rehearsal of the duo's 1996 tour The Chuckle Brothers in Trouble was released on DVD in 2008. In addition, the brothers' 2008 tour, Indiana Chuckles and The Kingdom of the Mythical Sulk , set in Ancient Egypt , was released on DVD later that year. The brothers toured theatres annually with their shows until 2015. Although, they performed regularly in pantomimes, festivals, events and holiday parks until Barry's death in 2018. During their career, Paul and Barry performed in fifty one pantomimes together. Their first
7462-965: The unveiling of the Tropical Butterfly House, Wildlife and Falconry Centre in North Anston in South Yorkshire in July 2013, which Barry attended. Supporters of Rotherham United Football Club , they were made Honorary Life Presidents of the club in 2007. Both brothers have been married: Barry was married to Ann from 1973 until his death and Paul has been married to Sue since 1988. Both brothers were smokers , although Paul had apparently quit by 2000. Paul lives in Serlby, Doncaster , whilst Barry lived in Ravenfield , Rotherham , until his death. In April 2007, whilst on holiday on
7553-454: The wake of Not the Nine O'Clock News , The Young Ones and the breakthrough onto television of " alternative comedy " came French and Saunders ; Fry and Laurie ; Rik Mayall and Ade Edmondson ; Hale and Pace ; and Smith and Jones . These edgier comics were brasher and crude—comedy's answer to punk rock . They developed the satire and vulgarity of Peter Cook and Dudley Moore rather than
7644-430: The way a straight man sets up jokes and then "feeds" them to his partner. Despite the names often given to the roles, the straight man is not always humorless, nor is it always the comic who provides the act's humor. Sometimes the straight man gets laughs through sarcastic reactions to the comic's antics, such as Stewart Lee 's deadpan , reasoned reactions to Richard Herring 's ridiculous antics in their pairing . When
7735-493: The working class everyman Dave Lister to the middle class but socially-awkward Arnold Rimmer . However, the most prominent double act is that of an intelligent person and his inferior sidekick, such as Basil and Manuel of Fawlty Towers , Blackadder and Baldrick of Blackadder , or Ted and Father Dougal of the Irish sitcom Father Ted . In recent years, double acts as sitcoms appear to have gone full circle, as illustrated by
7826-731: Was Babes in the Wood , which they performed as The Harman Brothers in Malvern from 1967 until 1968 with Sandy Powell . Their final pantomime became Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs at The Mayflower Theatre in Southampton, which they appeared in from 2017 until 2018 with Craig Revel Horwood . They were awarded a Great British Pantomime Award for Best Double Act for this production. Since Barry's death, Paul has stated his intention to continue to appear in pantomime productions. In 2010 ,
7917-485: Was Lee & Herring , who combined a classic clash of personalities (downbeat and rational Lee contrasting with energetic, childish Herring) with very ironic, often satirical humour. Also appearing in the latter half of the decade were Adam and Joe , whose low-budget, self-produced Channel 4 series The Adam and Joe Show was a very sharp combination of TV and movie parodies and satirical looks at various elements of youth culture. Indian cinema also had its share of
8008-415: Was Lucky Dog in 1921. Laurel and Hardy adapted well to silent films, both being skilled at slapstick, and their nonverbal interplay with each other and the audience became famous—Laurel's cry and Hardy's downtrodden glances to the camera whenever something went wrong—and were carried over to their later talkies . They were one of the few silent acts who made a successful transition to spoken word pictures in
8099-492: Was held on 17 August at the New York Stadium , where Rotherham United play their home matches, and was attended by a number of show business friends; a large number of fans waited outside to pay their respects. Double act A double act (also known as a comedy duo ) is a form of comedy originating in the British music hall tradition, and American vaudeville , in which two comedians perform together as
8190-551: Was said to have initially spread via Facebook in 2008, but re-surfaced in 2010 via Twitter . In December 2010, Barry announced his support for a proposal that one of the Conservative–Liberal Democrat coalition government's planned free schools , a taxpayer-funded school independent of the local authority, should be established in Rotherham. In January 2011, it was announced that Barry had planned to incorporate
8281-476: Was the Danish duo Ole & Axel , who made their first film together in 1921. The latter half of the same decade introduced to the world the inimitable team of Laurel and Hardy . The pair had never worked together on stage (they did as of 1940), though both had worked in vaudeville— Stan Laurel with Charlie Chaplin as part of Fred Karno 's Army and Oliver Hardy as a singer. Laurel could loosely be described as
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