Saturday Live / Friday Night Live
First aired in 1985 as a one-off special and then running for 32 more shows, Saturday Live was the launchpad for some of Britain’s best-loved comedians, including Ben Elton, Harry Enfield, Rik Mayall, Adrian Edmondson, Stephen Fry & Hugh Laurie, Lee Evans, Julian Clary and Jo Brand, providing their first comedic platform on mainstream TV. This was the time when comedy found its true voice, tearing itself away from mother-in-law jokes and sitcoms set in suburbia. Saturday Live re-shaped the landscape. From Ben Elton’s legendary satirical monologues about “Thatch” and “Normo Tebbs” to Rik Mayall & Adrian Edmondson as The Dangerous Brothers hijacking the programme by blowing up a wall and their trousers in that order, Saturday Live was new, innovative and in-your-face.
In fact, the first series, produced by Paul Jackson and directed by Geoff Posner had a different host every week, starting off with the pilot episode hosted by Lenny Henry. It also had a set with a fairground theme, including a roundabout in the middle of the studio on which various less-than-lucky members of the audience rode. It was only the second series that brought in the giant inflatable and the airplane.
One week, when Frankie Howerd - the prospective host -was ill, the producers asked Ben Elton to stand in - and from then on, he became the regular host.
Famous items include Julian Clary’s first appearance as ‘The Joan Collins Fan Club’ trussed up in finest rubber, Harry Enfield giving birth to two of the most iconic characters of the 1980’s, Stavros and Loadsamoney, Meatloaf forgetting his lines in a sketch with Stephen Fry and nearly saying the f-word live on air...
In an effort to augment the viewing figures, the third series was moved to a Friday night transmission, and thus the show was renamed “Friday Night Live”. The producers had avoided calling the original show Saturday Night Live for fear of confusion with the great long-running American sketch show of that name. But in avoiding that confusion, they probably led to more home-grown confusion. So for the record:
Saturday Live
Friday Night Live.
Easy really.
In effect, the show created a template for a studio-based comedy and variety show, so much so that for the last twenty years - and still today - barely a year goes by without one channel or another proudly announcing it’s commissioning “a “Saturday Live-style” comedy show”. The reality rarely lives up to the original of course.
But in December 2007, the show was revived for a one-off special, called “Saturday Live Again!”, hosted by Marcus Brigstocke, but in the same studio as the original - LWT1, with the same inflatables and with Ben Elton amongst the comedy, musical and variety guests.
Saturday Live / Friday Night Live
"Special Pilot Episode"
First Tx 12/1/85 Channel 4 20.30-22.00-22.00
Hosted by | Lenny Henry |
with | Style Council |
Slade |
Series 1
Show 1
First Tx 25/1/86 Channel 4 20.30-22.00
Hosted by | Tracey Ullman |
with | Stephen Fry |
& | Hugh Laurie |
The Dangerous Brothers | Rik Mayall |
Adrian Edmondson | |
Feargal Sharkey | |
INXS | |
Squeeze |
Show 2
First Tx 1/2/86 Channel 4 20.30-22.00
Hosted by | Lenny Henry |
with | Stephen Fry |
& | Hugh Laurie |
The Dangerous Brothers | Rik Mayall |
Adrian Edmondson | |
The Damned | |
Darts | |
Level 42 | |
Mint Juleps |
Show 3
First Tx 8/2/86 Channel 4 20.30-22.00
Hosted by | Pamela Stephenson |
with | Stephen Fry |
Hugh Laurie | |
The Dangerous Brothers | Rik Mayall |
Adrian Edmondson | |
Paul Hardcastle |
Show 4
First Tx 15/2/86 Channel 4 20.30-22.00
Hosted by | Chris Barrie |
with | Stephen Fry |
& | Hugh Laurie |
The Dangerous Brothers | Rik Mayall |
Adrian Edmondson | |
Harry Enfield | |
Cliffhanger | Robin Driscoll |
Tony Haase | |
Pete McCarthy | |
Rebecca Stevens |
Show 5
First Tx 22/2/86 Channel 4 20.30-22.00
Hosted by | Michael Barrymore |
with | Stephen Fry |
& | Hugh Laurie |
The Dangerous Brothers | Rik Mayall |
Adrian Edmondson | |
The Oblivion Boys | Mark Arden |
Steve Frost | |
Johnny & The Hubcaps | |
Mr. Mister |
Show 6
First Tx 1/3/86 Channel 4 20.30-22.00
Hosted by | Gareth Hale |
& | Norman Pace |
with | Stephen Fry |
& | Hugh Laurie |
The Dangerous Brothers | Rik Mayall |
Adrian Edmondson | |
Madness | |
Roger Daltrey |
Show 7
First Tx 8/3/86 Channel 4 20.30-22.00
Hosted by | Ben Elton |
with | Stephen Fry |
& | Hugh Laurie |
The Dangerous Brothers | Rik Mayall |
Adrian Edmondson | |
Blow Monkeys | |
Lloyd Cole & The Commotions |
Show 8
First Tx 15/3/86 Channel 4 20.30-22.00
Hosted by | Fascinating Aida |
with | Stephen Fry |
& | Hugh Laurie |
The Dangerous Brothers | Rik Mayall |
Adrian Edmondson |
Show 9
First Tx 22/3/86 Channel 4 20.30-22.00
Hosted by | Peter Cook |
with | Stephen Fry |
& | Hugh Laurie |
The Dangerous Brothers | Rik Mayall |
Adrian Edmondson | |
The Communards | |
Twisted Sister |
Show 10
First Tx 19/3/86 Channel 4 20.30-22.00
Hosted by | Stephen Wright |
with | Stephen Fry |
& | Hugh Laurie |
The Dangerous Brothers | Rik Mayall |
Adrian Edmondson | |
Spike Milligan |
Show 11
Montreux Entry
First Tx 22/4/86 Channel 4 20.30-22.00
Hosted by | Gareth Hale |
with | Stephen Fry |
& | Hugh Laurie |
The Dangerous Brothers | Rik Mayall |
Adrian Edmondson | |
Roger Daltrey | |
Madness | |
Walkers | |
Written by | Geoff Atkinson |
Garry Chambers | |
John Langdon | |
Ben Elton | |
Harry Enfield | |
Guy Jenkin | |
Laurie Rowley | |
Ricky Greene | |
Bernard McKenna | |
The Oblivion Boys | Mark Arden |
& | Steve Frost |
Cliffhanger | Pete McCarthy |
Rebecca Stevens | |
Executive Producer | |
Directed by | Geoff Posner |
(Pilot only) | Paul Jackson |
Produced by | Paul Jackson |
Geoff Posner |
Series 2
Show 1
First Tx 7/2/87 Channel 4 22.00-23.15
Hosted by | Ben Elton |
with | Stephen Fry |
& | Hugh Laurie |
Harry Enfield | |
Meatloaf | |
The Communards |
Show 2
First Tx 7/2/87 Channel 4 22.00-23.15
Hosted by | Ben Elton |
with | Stephen Fry |
& | Hugh Laurie |
Harry Enfield | |
Morris Minor & the Majors | Tony Hawks |
Paul Boross | |
Phil Judge | |
Bob Geldof | |
Klymaxx |
Show 3
First Tx 21/2/87 Channel 4 22.00-23.15
Hosted by | Ben Elton |
with | Stephen Fry |
& | Hugh Laurie |
Harry Enfield | |
The Christians | |
Westworld |
Show 4
First Tx 28/2/87 Channel 4 22.00-23.15
Hosted by | Ben Elton |
with | Stephen Fry |
& | Hugh Laurie |
Harry Enfield | |
Terence Trent D’Arby |
Show 5
First Tx 7/3/87 Channel 4 22.00-23.15
Hosted by | Ben Elton |
with | Stephen Fry |
& | Hugh Laurie |
Harry Enfield |
Show 6
First Tx 14/3/87 Channel 4 22.00-23.15
Hosted by | Ben Elton |
with | Stephen Fry |
& | Hugh Laurie |
Harry Enfield | |
Erasure | |
Gary Moore |
Show 7
First Tx 21/3/87 Channel 4 22.00-23.15
Hosted by | Ben Elton |
with | Stephen Fry |
& | Hugh Laurie |
Harry Enfield | |
Style Council | |
Tommy Chase |
Show 8
First Tx 28/3/87 Channel 4 22.00-23.15
Hosted by | Ben Elton |
with | Stephen Fry |
& | Hugh Laurie |
Harry Enfield | |
Alison Moyet | |
The Pogues | |
& | The Dubliners |
Yes/No People |
Show 9
First Tx 3/4/87 Channel 4 22.00-23.15
Hosted by | Ben Elton |
with | Stephen Fry |
& | Hugh Laurie |
Harry Enfield | |
Curiosity Killed The Cat | |
Sureshots |
Show 10
First Tx 10/4/87 Channel 4 22.00-23.15
Hosted by | Ben Elton |
with | Stephen Fry |
& | Hugh Laurie |
Harry Enfield | |
Inspirational Choir | |
Stars On 45 | |
Executive Producer | |
Directed by | Geoff Posner |
Produced by | Geoffrey Perkins |
Geoff Posner |
Series 3 ("Friday Night Live")
Show 1
First Tx 19/2/88 Channel 4 22.00-23.15
Hosted by | Ben Elton |
with | Stephen Fry |
& | Hugh Laurie |
Harry Enfield | |
Voice Of The Beehive | |
Feargal Sharkey |
Show 2
First Tx 26/2/88 Channel 4 22.00-23.15
Hosted by | Ben Elton |
with | Stephen Fry |
& | Hugh Laurie |
Harry Enfield | |
Breakfast Club | |
Hue & Cry |
Show 3
First Tx 4/3/88 Channel 4 22.00-23.15
Hosted by | Ben Elton |
with | Stephen Fry |
& | Hugh Laurie |
Harry Enfield | |
The Hooters | |
The Communards |
Show 4
First Tx 11/3/88 Channel 4 22.00-23.15
Hosted by | Ben Elton |
with | Stephen Fry |
& | Hugh Laurie |
Harry Enfield | |
Madness | |
The Proclaimers |
Show 5
First Tx 18/3/88 Channel 4 22.00-23.15
Hosted by | Ben Elton |
with | Stephen Fry |
& | Hugh Laurie |
Harry Enfield | |
The Primitives | |
Paul Johnson |
Show 6
First Tx 25/3/88 Channel 4 22.00-23.15
Hosted by | Ben Elton |
with | Stephen Fry |
& | Hugh Laurie |
Harry Enfield | |
Gillan/Glover | |
All About Eve | |
Barrence Whitfield |
Show 7
First Tx 8/4/88 Channel 4 22.00-23.15
Hosted by | Ben Elton |
with | Stephen Fry |
& | Hugh Laurie |
Harry Enfield | |
Eurythmics | |
Roachford |
Show 8
First Tx 15/4/88 Channel 4 22.00-23.15
Hosted by | Ben Elton |
with | Stephen Fry |
& | Hugh Laurie |
Harry Enfield | |
The Pogues | |
The Christians |
Show 9
First Tx 22/4/88 Channel 4 22.00-23.15
Hosted by | Ben Elton |
with | Stephen Fry |
& | Hugh Laurie |
Harry Enfield | |
Squeeze | |
Hothouse Flowers |
Show 10
First Tx 29/4/88 Channel 4 22.00-23.15
Hosted by | Ben Elton |
with | Stephen Fry |
& | Hugh Laurie |
Harry Enfield | |
Dame Edna Everage | Barry Humphries |
Was Not Was | |
Executive Producer | |
Directed by | Geoff Posner |
Produced by | Geoffrey Perkins |
Geoff Posner |
Saturday Live / Friday Night Live
"Saturday Live"/"Friday Night Live" and the stars who were in it collectively have, ooh, about a billion hits on Google if you add them all up. So there's not much to add here.
But you can -
- buy "Saturday Live - The Best Of Series 1" on DVD here
- and if you have any cash left, why not buy Series 2 here