The Kenny Everett Video Show
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| The Kenny Everett Video Show | |
|---|---|
| Also known as | 'The Kenny Everett Video Cassette (4th series) |
| Created by | David Mallet |
| Written by | <templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/> |
| Directed by | <templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/>
|
| Starring | <templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/> |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| No. of series | 4 |
| No. of episodes | 32 (including 4 specials) |
| Production | |
| Production location(s) | <templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/>
|
| Running time | <templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/>
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| Production company(s) | Thames Television |
| Distributor | Fremantle Media |
| Release | |
| Original network | ITV |
| Picture format | PAL (576i) 4:3 |
| Audio format | Monaural |
| Original release | 3 July 1978 – 21 May 1981 |
| External links | |
| [{{#property:P856}} Website] | |
The Kenny Everett Video Show (later renamed The Kenny Everett Video Cassette) was a groundbreaking British television comedy programme made by Thames Television for ITV from 3 July 1978 to 21 May 1981.
Contents
Conception
Phillip Jones, the then head of light entertainment, asked his son who he'd like to see on television, and he said Kenny Everett. The format for the show came from David Mallet having lunch with Kenny, going for a walk in the afternoon, and during those 3 or 4 hours they both discovered that you could not watch on television the sort of things they wanted to watch. The original conception was that Everett would be a visual DJ linking bands and singers and the links eventually got longer and longer.
The Video Show was also noteworthy in that the sketches were performed to the studio crew and technicians with their laughter heard on the finished programme, unlike the later BBC series The Kenny Everett Television Show which used a live audience.
Two pilot episodes were made, which are believed to no longer exist.
Series 1
The first series was initially broadcast from 3 July to 21 August 1978 with a 'Best of...' compilation airing on 6 September 1978. This series was also the longest of the three, running for 45 minutes. This series was the most music filled one of the three, with the music making up most of the programme, with only little comedy bits.
Musical guests that appeared in this series were:
- Episode 1: Wings, Bonnie Tyler, Electric Light Orchestra, Bryan Ferry, Steve Gibbons Band
- Episode 2: Darts, Kate Bush, Lindisfarne, Yellow Dog, The Rolling Stones
- Episode 3: Suzi Quatro, Nick Lowe, Thin Lizzy, Gordon Giltrap, Bob Dylan
- Episode 4: The Moody Blues
- Episode 5: Elkie Brooks, Renaissance, Justin Hayward
- Episode 6: Cliff Richard, Darts, 10cc, Bonnie Tyler, City Boy
- Episode 7: Bryan Ferry, Steve Gibbons Band, The Moody Blues, David Essex
- Episode 8: Wings, The Boomtown Rats
Series 2
Series 2 premiered on 1 January 1979 with "The didn't quite make it in time for Christmas Video Show" (later repeated and cut down to 30 minutes on 18 April 1979). This was the second and last episode to be in the 45-minute format, and is considered an oddball episode due to it being the only episode to feature the big television set, and not having the standard bank of televisions behind him. This series was more equal with Comedy vs Music and many of his greatest comedy pieces come from this series. The normal series resumed from 19 February to 9 April 1979 and 23 to 30 April 1979 and ran for 25 minutes.
Musical guests that appeared in this series were:
- Xmas Video Show: Leo Sayer, Rod Stewart
- Episode 1: Elvis Costello, David Essex
- Episode 2: Dave Edmunds, Cliff Richard
- Episode 3: Levinsky/Sinclair, Kate Bush, Thin Lizzy
- Episode 4: The Real Thing, Bonnie Tyler, Leo Sayer
- Episode 5: Darts, The Pretenders, Bryan Ferry
- Episode 6: The Average White Band, Kiki Dee, David Essex
- Episode 7: Squeeze, Frankie Miller, Dean Friedman
- Episode 8: Gerry Rafferty, Justin Hayward, Tina Turner
- Episode 9: Wings, Rachel Sweet, David Bowie
- Episode 10: M (Robin Scott), The Moody Blues, David Essex
Series 3
Series 3 began with a special one-hour episode "Will Kenny Everett make it to 1980?" airing on 31 December 1979. Scotland Television aired it on New years day. Quite a few bits from this special made it into the Naughty Bits compilations, Specifically, the Cliff Richard moments, Hot Gossip doing "Sleazy" and a few other short gags. This series was even more focused on the comedy than the music, normally only having 2 musical act per show. The normal series resumed from 18 February to 31 March 1980 and 14 April 1980.
Musical guests that appeared in this series were:
- Episode 1: Gary Numan, Shadows, The Pretenders
- Episode 2: The Boomtown Rats, Suzi Quatro, Cliff Richard
- Episode 3: Dave Edmunds, Cliff Richard
- Episode 4: Dusty Springfield, Elvis Costello, The Police
- Episode 5: Ellen Foley, David Essex
- Episode 6: John Williams, The Boomtown Rats
- Episode 7: Suzi Quatro, 10cc, Joe Jackson
- Episode 8: The Police, Pete Townshend, Paul McCartney
Series 4
Series 4 was renamed "The Kenny Everett Video Cassette" and began with a New Year's Daze special on the last 10 minutes of 31 December 1980 and the first 20 minutes of 1 January 1981. This episode was broadcast on Friday, 2 January 1981, on Grampian and Scotland Television, UTV never screened the new year special. The normal series resumed from 16 April to 21 May 1981.
Musical guests that appeared in this series were:
- New Year's Daze Show: David Essex
- Episode 1: B.A. Robertson
- Episode 2: The Pretenders
- Episode 3: Hot Chocolate
- Episode 4: Cliff Richard
- Episode 5: Chas & Dave
- Episode 6: Dire Straits
Home Video releases
During the 1980s, several VHS, Betamax and Laserdisc compilations were released of the series, to this date, no complete or full episodes have ever been released legally. Only episodes mainly taped in Australia on VHS have been circulating.
The Best of the Kenny Everett Video Show (Vol. 1) (Thames Video - 1981)
The Best of the Kenny Everett Video Show (Vol. 2) (Thames Video - 1982)
The Best of the Kenny Everett Video Show (Vol. 3) (Thames Video - 1982)
Kenny Everett's Naughty Bits (Thames Video - 1989)
More of Kenny Everett's Naughty Bits (Thames Video - 1989)
Both Naughty Bits compilations from 1989 were chosen for release on the 2004 DVD The Complete Naughty Bits.
