The Lenny Henry Show
Lenny Henry first worked with Geoff Posner when Geoff was directing on the BBC early-evening sketch show “Three Of A Kind”, which also launched the career of Tracy Ullman (and from there, via a very convoluted route The Simpsons...). Meanwhile, when “Three Of A Kind” finished its third run, the BBC decided to give Lenny his solo show, working with Geoff again and pretty much the same team of writers.
The show was a major hit for early-evening BBC One, launching perennially popular characters such as Delbert Wilkins, soul singer Theophilus P Wildebeeste, first generation Jamaican immigrant Deakus and Josh Yarlog. It also had spectacular music parodies, including the legendary “Thriller” Michael Jackson spoof
After the first two series, Lenny decided to create six half-hour sitcoms, each with a new central character played by himself, and with scripts written partly by series writers like his stand-up writer alter ego and long-term collaborator Kim Fuller and partly by established writers like Dick Clement & Ian La Frenais.
The next series was two 6-part episodes of a sitcom written by Andrew Nickolds and Stan Hey who had long worked with Lenny and starred Lenny as Brixton wideboy Delbert Wilkins. Showing boundless flexibility, Lenny then created two more sketch specials, for Christmas 1987 and 1988. All were produced and directed by Geoff Posner.
The Lenny Henry Show
Series 1
Show 1
First Tx. 4/9/84 BBC 1 19.30-20.00
Starring | Lenny Henry |
with | Judy Gridley |
Carole Hayman | |
Nicholas Lyndhurst | |
Colin McCormack | |
Bertice Reading | |
Philip Trewinnard |
Show 2
First Tx. 11/9/84 BBC 1 19.30-20.00
Starring | Lenny Henry |
with | Robert Bathurst |
Lyndam Gregory | |
Carla Mendonça | |
Madeleine Newbury |
Show 3
First Tx. 18/9/84 BBC 1 19.30-20.00
Starring | Lenny Henry |
with | David Bellamy |
Dawn French | |
Nicholas Lyndhurst | |
John Owens | |
Jan Ravens | |
Ivor Roberts | |
Jennifer Saunders | |
Liz Smith |
Show 4
First Tx. 25/9/84 BBC 1 19.30-20.00
Starring | Lenny Henry |
with | Adrian Edmondson |
Lou Hirsch | |
Daniel Peacock | |
Alexei Sayle | |
Jan Shand | |
Kay Stonham |
Show 5
First Tx. 2/10/84 BBC 1 19.30-20.00
Starring | Lenny Henry |
with | Ronny Brodie |
Frank Bruno | |
Rik Mayall | |
David Simeon |
Show 6
First Tx. 9/10/84 BBC 1 19.30-20.00
Series 2
Show 1
First Tx. 5/9/85 BBC 1 20.30-21.00
Starring | Lenny Henry |
with | Tony Aitken |
Linda Lou Allen | |
Morwenna Banks | |
Norman Beaton | |
Daniel Hill | |
John Hollis | |
Nick Maloney | |
John Sessions | |
Ron Tarr | |
Steven Woodcock |
Show 2
First Tx. 12/9/85 BBC 1 20.30-21.00
Starring | Lenny Henry |
with | Helen Atkinson-Wood |
Jane Bertish | |
Roger Brierley | |
Ed Devereaux | |
Paul Mark Elliott | |
Stephen Fry | |
Gareth Hale | |
Vincent Marzello | |
Norman Pace | |
Christopher Ryan |
Show 3
First Tx. 19/9/85 BBC 1 20.30-21.00
Starring | Lenny Henry |
with | Debbie Bishop |
Chris Darwin | |
Tony Millan | |
Roger Sloman |
Show 4
First Tx. 26/9/85 BBC 1 20.30-21.00
Starring | Lenny Henry |
with | Julia Hills |
Andrea Levine | |
Mac McDonald | |
Tony Slattery | |
Philip Trewinnard | |
Chris Tummings |
Show 5
First Tx. 3/10/85 BBC 1 20.30-21.00
Starring | Lenny Henry |
with | Kathryn Apanowicz |
Norman Beaton | |
Robbie Coltrane | |
Lee Cornes | |
Brian Croucher | |
Dawn French | |
Steve Nallon | |
Ivor Salter | |
Paula Tilbrook |
Show 6
First Tx. 10/10/85 BBC 1 20.30-21.00
Starring | Lenny Henry |
with | Chris Barrie |
Johanna Hargreaves | |
Daniel Hill | |
Nicholas Lyndhurst | |
Tony Robinson |
Show 7 - Xmas Special
First Tx. 24/10/85 BBC 1 20.30-21.00
Series 3
Show 1
"Pratt Outta Hell"
First Tx. 4/9/86 BBC 1 20.30-21.00
The tale of a super-cool but demented despatch rider...
Starring | |
Vince | Lenny Henry |
with | |
Chain | Dicken Ashworth |
Crow | David Ashworth |
Boss | Chris Barrie |
Norris | Ram John Holder |
Lost Property Man | Norman Beaton |
Written by | Ben Elton |
Show 2
"Popsi"
First Tx. 11/9/86 BBC 1 20.30-21.00
Popsi, a Jamaican barber, finds it hard to come to terms with 1980’s hairstyles and accessories...
Starring | |
Popsi | Lenny Henry |
with | |
Marvin | Chris Tummings |
Pat | Cathy Tyson |
Bugeye | Paul McKenzie |
Albert | Cameron Miller |
Lloydy | Rudolph Walker |
Written by | Tundi Ikoli |
Show 3
"Gronk Zillman"
First Tx. 18/9/86 BBC 1 20.30-21.00
Gronk Zillman, a time-travelling detective is so far ahead of his time he solves a crime that won’t happen for another 49 years...
Starring | |
Gronk Zillman | Lenny Henry |
with | |
Stephanie | Harriet Thorpe |
Controller | Connie Booth |
Cabbie | Alan Talbot |
Guard | Ronny Brodie |
MP | George Baker |
Busker | Midge Ure |
Written by | Kim Fuller |
Show 4
"Neighbourhood Watch"
First Tx. 25/9/86 BBC 1 20.30-21.00
Living in suburbia, Francis Disley has mundane questions on his mind, and he’s seeking answers...
Starring | |
Francis Disley | Lenny Henry |
with | |
Julia Disley | Dawn French |
Denny | Daniel Peacock |
Roger | Lee Cornes |
Neighbour | Jimmy Nail |
Iranian | Harry Enfield |
Written by | Dick Clement |
& | Ian La Frenais |
Show 5
"What A Country"
First Tx. 2/10/86 BBC 1 20.30-21.00
It’s 1955, and Desmond King, newly arrived in England from Jamaica cannot wait to sample the milk and honey land of unlimited job opportunities and civility...
Starring | |
Desmond King | Lenny Henry |
with | |
Pathé News Interviewer | Chris Douglas |
Commissionaire | Andy De La Tour |
Mr Hodges | Victor Maddern |
Vicar | John Fortune |
Big Eddie Pilkington | Clive Mantle |
Written by | Andrew Nickolds |
& | Stan Hey |
Show 6
"Heavenly Romance"
First Tx. 9/10/86 BBC 1 20.30-21.00
The ultra-boring Fielding and the other staff on a new video teen-magazine tell their stories in words, pictures and music
Starring | |
Jupiter/Fielding Burchill | Lenny Henry |
Juno/Carol | Debbie Bishop |
Trellick | Ellis Dale |
Steve | Billy Hartman |
Mercury | Chris Darwin |
Written by | Kim Fuller |
& | Simon Brint |
Produced & directed by | Geoff Posner |
Series 4
Show 1
"Sonny Sidles Up"
First Tx. 27/10/87 BBC 1 20.30-21.00
Show 2
"Leg Of Darkness"
First Tx. 3/11/87 BBC 1 20.30-21.00
Show 3
"Play Misty Blue For Me"
First Tx. 10/11/87 BBC 1 20.30-21.00
Show 4
"Money’s Too Tight To Mention"
First Tx. 24/11/87 BBC 1 20.30-21.00
Show 5
"Out On Bails"
First Tx. 24/11/87 BBC 1 20.30-21.00
Show 6
"A Mega-Star Is Born"
First Tx. 1/12/87 BBC 1 20.30-21.00
Starring | |
Delbert Wilkins | Lenny Henry |
with | |
Winston | Vas Blackwood |
Rose | Ellen Thomas |
Julie | Gina McKee |
Alex | Michael Mears |
Wazim | Naim Kahn |
Sgt. Lillie | Malcolm Rennie |
PC Monkhouse | Pip Torrens |
Jake | Louis Mahoney |
Written by | Andrew Nickolds |
& | Stan Hey |
Produced & directed by | Geoff Posner |
Series 5
Show 1
"Back To My Roots"
First Tx. 15/9/88 BBC 1 20.30-21.00
Show 2
"Enterprise Zones"
First Tx. 22/9/88 BBC 1 20.30-21.00
Show 3
"The Single Life"
First Tx. 29/9/88 BBC 1 20.30-21.00
Show 4
"In-Laws And Out-Laws"
First Tx. 13/10/88 BBC 1 20.30-21.00
Show 5
"The Crucial Health"
First Tx. 20/10/88 BBC 1 20.30-21.00
Show 6
"Public Enemy"
First Tx. 27/10/88 BBC 1 20.30-21.00
Starring | |
Delbert Wilkins | Lenny Henry |
with | |
Winston | Vas Blackwood |
Rose | Ellen Thomas |
Julie | Gina McKee |
Alex | Michael Mears |
Wazim | Naim Kahn |
Sgt. Lillie | Malcolm Rennie |
Claudette | Nimmy March |
Trevor | Trevor Laird |
Written by | Andrew Nickolds |
& | Stan Hey |
Produced & directed by | Geoff Posner |
The Lenny Henry Christmas Special
A one-off sketches and music special for Xmas 1987
Starring | Lenny Henry |
with | Robbie Coltrane |
Written by | Lenny Henry |
Kim Fuller | |
Geoff Atkinson | |
Produced & directed by | Geoff Posner |
The Lenny Henry Special
The Lenny Henry Show
We can't really show you any wonderful clips of Lenny, as they all belong to the BBC who'd get cross. But have a schmy round YouTube, particularly for the legendary "Thriller" Michael Jackson spoof
This is the official Lenny Henry website
Buy The Best Of The Lenny Henry Show on VHS here
and do have a trawl around for other Lenny tapes and DVDs; we're sure they're out there...