After 'Three Of A Kind' concluded, its stars went their separate ways, Tracey Ullman moved over to the States to pursue a film career, David Copperfield vanished without a trace whilst Lenny Henry was awarded his own weekly sketch series. It kept in with the 'alternative comedy' craze that was shaking the nation up at the time but also managed to appeal to a conventional audience.
Each episode started with the likable comic indulging in a stand-up routine before a studio audience before moving on to sketches and songs. Henry portrayed many stand-out characters including BBC TV presenter Trevor McDoughnut ( an obvious send-up of Trevor McDonald ), Jamacian television presenter for JYTV Joshua Yarlog, senile pensioner Deakus and narcissist Theopolous P. Wildebeeste. Some of the best sketches included a hilarious send-up of American cop drama 'Hill Street Blues', a send up Michael Jackson famous music video 'Thriller', with the comic reworking it as 'Thinner' ( ''I'm getting thinner, thinner now. They say I'm anorexic and that would it explain why I can't eat my dinner!'' ) but one of my favourite items had Lenny telling a story of his strict upbringing: ''My mum did all of the discipline in our house. She had to because my dad couldn't cope. She would say: ''Can't your stop these children?'' and he would say ''It's too late for that now!''''.
A lot of talented people took part in the show, such as John Sessions, Rik Mayall, Robbie Coltrane, Nicholas Lyndhurst, Carla Mendonca, Alexei Sayle, Liz Smith, Chris Barrie and Ron Tarr. Boxing legend Frank Bruno also made a surprise guest appearance.
Despite its popularity, 'The Lenny Henry Show' only lasted for two seasons before coming to an end in 1985, however it returned two years later, this time as a sitcom.
'The Lenny Henry Show' is not remembered as a comedy classic but it was entertaining and is miles funnier than Henry's later, and absolutely dreadful, 'Lenny Henry In Pieces'. A BBC VHS compilation of the show was released in 1990 but it is not yet out on DVD. I hope it does surface one day, so we can remind ourselves of how good a comedian he once was.
Each episode started with the likable comic indulging in a stand-up routine before a studio audience before moving on to sketches and songs. Henry portrayed many stand-out characters including BBC TV presenter Trevor McDoughnut ( an obvious send-up of Trevor McDonald ), Jamacian television presenter for JYTV Joshua Yarlog, senile pensioner Deakus and narcissist Theopolous P. Wildebeeste. Some of the best sketches included a hilarious send-up of American cop drama 'Hill Street Blues', a send up Michael Jackson famous music video 'Thriller', with the comic reworking it as 'Thinner' ( ''I'm getting thinner, thinner now. They say I'm anorexic and that would it explain why I can't eat my dinner!'' ) but one of my favourite items had Lenny telling a story of his strict upbringing: ''My mum did all of the discipline in our house. She had to because my dad couldn't cope. She would say: ''Can't your stop these children?'' and he would say ''It's too late for that now!''''.
A lot of talented people took part in the show, such as John Sessions, Rik Mayall, Robbie Coltrane, Nicholas Lyndhurst, Carla Mendonca, Alexei Sayle, Liz Smith, Chris Barrie and Ron Tarr. Boxing legend Frank Bruno also made a surprise guest appearance.
Despite its popularity, 'The Lenny Henry Show' only lasted for two seasons before coming to an end in 1985, however it returned two years later, this time as a sitcom.
'The Lenny Henry Show' is not remembered as a comedy classic but it was entertaining and is miles funnier than Henry's later, and absolutely dreadful, 'Lenny Henry In Pieces'. A BBC VHS compilation of the show was released in 1990 but it is not yet out on DVD. I hope it does surface one day, so we can remind ourselves of how good a comedian he once was.
