A tribute to what may be the best round entertainer British television has ever had. Bruce Forsyth also had one of the longest television careers having appeared on BBC television before the outbreak of World War 2.
In the 1950s he found fame on Sunday Night at the London Palladium, where he demonstrated his skills in comedy, song and dance. He also found his skill in dealing with people in the game show segment.
Every few years Bruce Forsyth would find a new generation of audience. In my case it was in the 1970s with The Generation Game, a format that suited Bruce's abilities. It was here that he found his famous catchphrases and his thinker's pose. So successful he was at the BBC and so dominant was his Saturday night entertainment show that ITV had little option but poach him.
Unfortunately his ITV entertainment show, three hours long and centred around him flopped but Bruce bounced back with Play Your Cards Right. ITV also gave him entertainment specials with his one man show on Broadway and a show with his idol, Sammy Davis jr.
In 1990 Bruce returned to the BBC with the successful revival of The Generation Game, once again confirming that the show was made for his abilities.
However Bruce would again return to ITV but after a lull in his career, it was revived after a spectacular turn as a guest host on Have I Got News for You, the show where team captain Paul Merton can visibly be seen as enjoying himself as a fanboy of Bruce.
From 2004 onwards Bruce was the host of Strictly Come Dancing, once again finding a new audience, this time my own children. Sometimes he might fluff his lines in the live show but he drew the audience in and he made the celebrity contestants feel at ease.
This tribute to the late entertainer was a whistle stop tour that packed his life in 60 minutes.
