The Morecambe and Wise Christmas Show (1)

Specials repeated on Five on 26/12/2002 and 26/12/2005. The 1981 guests are Ralph Richardson, Susannah York and Robert Hardy – who returns in 1982 with Rula Lenska. The occasional use of chromakey shows how 80s technology was giving these comedy greats a helping hand. But the repetition of gags and routines becomes very apparent. York's appearance in the Cleopatra sketch doesn't hold a candle to the 1971 Glenda Jackson original; the Rula Lenska musical number was first performed in 1976, and Eric's gag of phoning up famous people and asking them to appear is just what he did in the 1973 BBC Christmas show.