Not unlike Not The Nine O’Clock News, some of the sketches used  taboo-breaking material in questionable taste (as well as bad language), and also featured head-to-head ‘duologues’ between Smith and Jones. (adsbygoogle=window.adsbygoogle||[]).push({}); Copyright 2017 British Classic Comedy | By, Writers included: Clive Anderson, Colin Bostock-Smith and Andy Hamilton, Butterflies Star, Geoffrey Palmer Has Died, British Classic Comedy Talk To Roy Clarke, British Classic Comedy Talk To Adrienne Conway, British Classic Comedy Talk To Carla Lane. The show ran for ten series across 14 years, each comprising six 30-minute episodes. Just better. Smith and Rhys Jones soon appeared back with the BBC for a fourth series later that year. Despite the criticism, The World According To Smith & Jones returned for a second series in 1988, and then flashed from the schedules without a repeat (unlike Series 1, which was repeated in battle against the BBC in late 1987). In early 1987, between series 3 and 4 of Alas…, the duo produced a six-part series for London Weekend Television called The World According to Smith and Jones. From 1989 to 1995, it was called Smith and Jones. The show continued along lines similar to Not…, using taboo-breaking material and sketches in questionable taste (as well as bad language). Following on from the success of The Two Ronnies show of the same name, in 2006 Mel Smith and Griff Rhys Jones returned for The Smith and Jones Sketchbook, recorded in front of a live audience acting as a look back at their earlier shows. It was broadcast on the BBC from 1982 to 1998. 4 / 6 The Head to Head debates the merits of real ale while two flies discuss life. Learn how your comment data is processed. From 1989 to 1995, it was called Smith and Jones. starring Mel Smith and Griff Rhys Jones They're back to back. ... (1987) is a spin-off of Alas Smith and Jones and is based on the dysfunctional family camcorder sketches in Series 3. Reference to the Smith and Jones "head to head" sketches The Smith & Jones Sketchbook: Episode #1.2 (2006) In 2006 Smith and Jones returned with "The Smith and Jones Sketchbook", recorded in front of a live audience acting as a look back at their earlier shows. The show's creation followed the ending of Not the Nine O'Clock News in 1982. You could also do it yourself at any point in time. According to Mel Smith, the idea for the Head to Head sketches came about because it was an opportunity for 2 men alone talking about their foibles which had emotional honesty and the barriers were down. Is this interesting? Alas Smith and Jones. [6] However, in 2011 it was announced the individual brand names would return and 'Talkback' is now once again used solely for comedy productions.[7]. Some of the classic head-to-head sketches were updated with new material written especially for the programme.[16]. It was the last show the duo made for BBC2, broadcast shortly before the fifth series of Smith and Jones (the first shown on BBC1). As well as having a great team of comedy writers that included Clive Anderson, Mark Steel, Andy Hamilton, Graham Linehan and Arthur Mathews, Smith and Jones heavily contributed their own material. Smith and Jones would later sell TalkBack to Pearson Television, by then owners of Thames Television, in 2000 for £62 million. The scene involves a plane crash, and the special was first broadcast mere hours after the 1988 Lockerbie bombing. The series was broadcast on BBC One on Friday nights at 9:30 p.m., from 21 April 2006 to 26 May 2006. The head-to-head sketches were very much in the Pete and Dud mould, with Smith playing the idiot who knew everything and Jones the idiot who knew nothing. Quite the same Wikipedia. Alas Smith and Jones was a British comedy sketch television series featuring Mel Smith and Griff Rhys Jones. From 1989 to 1992 and 1995 to 1998, it was called Smith and Jones. Alas Smith and Jones was a British comedy sketch television series featuring Mel Smith and Griff Rhys Jones. Subscribe 1,541. The title of the show itself was a pun of the American TV Western series Alias Smith and Jones. A cultural phenomenon in England in the 1980s and 1990s were Smith vs Jones discussions, plays, and such, the two men and their imitators always slumped, frumpy. Alas Smith and Jones is a British comedy sketch television series featuring Mel Smith and Griff Rhys Jones.It was broadcast on the BBC from 1984 to 1998. The show's creation followed the ending of Not the Nine O'Clock News in 1982. It ran for 62 episodes between 1984 and 1998, totalling 10 series. This British Rail Worker Wants to Be a Writer…. [citation needed] Reviews for this series were mixed; critics did not know what to make of it. The set also includes the complete 1989 series Smith and Jones in Small Doses. Chris Langham, Channel: BBC1 Are you 18 years old or above? Synopsis. The BBC were furious and came close to cancelling Alas Smith and Jones, reviews were mixed as critics were unsure what to make of it. head to head and side by side, but fortunately not on top of each other. The BBC was not happy about the move to a rival and came close to not renewing their relationship. The format of the Head to Head with similar characters was used by Smith and Jones in a series of commercials. (tv show 'alias smith and jones' South London's premier philosophers bring their searing intellect to bear on the major issues and concerns of the age with, frankly, frightening results. [citation needed] Smith and Jones soon appeared back with the BBC for a fourth series later that year. Your email address will not be published. Original Transmission Dates: 31 January 1984 – 14 October 1998, alas smith and jonesclassic comedy sketch showscomedy sketch showsgryff rhys jonesmel smith. Galton and Simpson Discuss The Beginnings Of Hancock. The celebrated comedian, writer, actor and … Rowan Atkinson and Pamela Stephenson followed individual career paths, whilst Smith and Jones opted to form a double act instead. It ran for 62  episodes between 1984 and 1998, totalling 10 series. Mel Smith and Griff Rhys Jones are the stars of the sketch show "Alas Smith & Jones" (1984-1998).Here in Finland we're watching the older episodes, from the 80's.There you can see how the world has changed.The show can often be very funny, just hilarious.It's the skill of the comedians who make it all work.They both have huge amount of energy and chemistry, that raise the show from mediocrity to something really memorable.It's also a brilliantly written show.Smith and Jones … The show also had a brief run in the United States on A&E and PBS. The show's title was a pun on that of the American television series Alias Smith and Jones, which was very popular in Britain. The final full series to be produced solely by the BBC was series 4 in 1987, also the last series to be broadcast on BBC2. Alas Smith and Jones was a British comedy sketch television series featuring Mel Smith and Griff Rhys Jones. From 16 November 1989 to 3 December 1992 and 6 September 1995 to 14 October 1998, it was called Smith and Jones.. The second video released in 1993 featured footage from series 1 to 4, particularly from the second series. Alas Smith & Jones (TV Series 1984–1998) cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. Alas Smith and Jones started on BBC2 but transferred to BBC1, where it became a mainstream hit, running until 1998. Writers included: Clive Anderson, Colin Bostock-Smith and Andy Hamilton Alas Smith and Jones, 1984. Please note that if you are under 18, you won't be able to access this site. Smith and Jones in Small Doses was a series of four comedy playlets[10] shown on BBC2 from 19 October 1989 to 9 November 1989, each written by a different comedian or screenwriter. Shortly afterwards the BBC offered the pair their own show, with much of the material written by themselves with help from a large team of other writers. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. The latter was in the same format as Alas… but the quality declined. ... and also featured head-to-head 'duologues' between Smith and Jones. Episode 6. The source code for the WIKI 2 extension is being checked by specialists of the Mozilla Foundation, Google, and Apple. https://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/alassmithandjones/, "The Funny Side of Christmas - BBC One London - 27 December 1982", "The Home-made Xmas Video - BBC Two England - 23 December 1987", "Alas Sage and Onion - BBC Two England - 21 December 1988", "Smith and Jones in Small Doses - BBC Two England - 19 October 1989", "Smith and Jones in Small Doses - BBC Two England - 26 October 1989", "Smith and Jones in Small Doses - BBC Two England - 2 November 1989", "Smith and Jones in Small Doses - BBC Two England - 9 November 1989", "Search results for Smith and Jones in Small Doses", "BBC - Press Office - The Smith & Jones Sketchbook", "Search results for The Smith & Jones Sketchbook", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Alas_Smith_and_Jones&oldid=983179759, Articles with unsourced statements from November 2015, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 12 October 2020, at 18:31. It was broadcast on the BBC from 1984 to 1998. Yes No. Griff became a household name in the 1980s with Not The Nine O'Clock News and Alas Smith And Jones. It was broadcast on the BBC from 1982 to 1998. From 1989 to 1995, it was called Smith and Jones. From 1989 to 1992 and 1995 to 1998, it was called Smith and Jones. A compilation DVD release The Best of Smith and Jones was scheduled for 8 August 2005 by the BBC, but has been delayed many times and is unlikely to be released. It shared several script writers with Not the Nine O'Clock News including Clive Anderson and Colin Bostock-Smith, and used Chris Langham as a cast regular, while also using Andy Hamilton, which helped keep the show to a consistently high standard.[3]. From 1989 to 1992 and 1995 to 1998, it was called Smith and Jones.. Probably the best known, and defining, recurring feature was the "Head to Head" sketch, in which Smith and Jones' characters face each other across a black void and have an inane Seinfeldian Conversation. Mel Smith Alas Smith and Jones was a British comedy sketch television series featuring Mel Smith and Griff Rhys Jones. This contained compilations of the first four series, as well as the two Christmas specials, "The Homemade Xmas Video" and "Alas Sage and Onion". Alas Smith and Jones was the comedy sketch show featuring the talents of Mel Smith and Gryff Rhys Jones, previously known for their work on Not The Nine O’ Clock News. Menu. [4] Pearson PLC sold Pearson Television to CLT-UFA in 2001 to form the RTL Group. Alas Smith and Jones is a British comedy sketch television series featuring Mel Smith and Griff Rhys Jones that ran for four series and two Christmas specials on BBC2 from 1984 to 1988, and later as Smith and Jones for six series on BBC1 from 1989 to 1998. Alas Smith and Jones was famous for its ‘head to head’ discussions featuring Mel and Griff – but the one in which they discussed the Beatles stands out from the pack. The result, Alas Smith and Jones, began its first series early in 1984 and continued until 1988. A classic clip from alas Smith and Jones - head to head. Rowan Atkinson and Pamela Stephenson followed individual career paths, whilst Smith and Jones opted to form a double act instead.[1]. [17] It has not been repeated since its original broadcast or released commercially. Alas Smith and Jones is a British comedy sketch television series starring comedy duo and namesake Mel Smith and Griff Rhys Jones that originally ran for four series and two Christmas specials on BBC2 from 1984 to 1988, and later as Smith and Jones for six series on BBC1 until 1998. Written By: Alas Smith and Jones was a British comedy sketch television series featuring Mel Smith and Griff Rhys Jones. Tie-in books included The Smith and Jones World Atlas (a humorous gazetteer of the world's countries), Janet Lives With Mel and Griff, and The Lavishly Tooled Smith and Jones Instant Coffee Table Book (co-written with Clive Anderson), which was designed to look as if it could be made into a coffee table. chedule [1]: The show moved from BBC2 to BBC1 starting from the fifth series in 1989, and at the same time 'Alas' was dropped from the title. Volume 2 was prepared at the same time as the first release, featuring newly-edited highlights episodes from the later Smith and Jones era plus the unbroadcast sitcom pilot Three Flights Up, but has yet to see release. Griff Rhys Jones From 1989 to 1995, it was called Smith and Jones. A classic clip from alas Smith and Jones - head to head. Series 5 in 1989, the first series to be broadcast on BBC1, was the first full series of the show to be produced by TalkBack for the BBC. The series – which started on BBC2 but transferred to BBC1 – is probably best remembered for the ”head-to-head” scenes where the idiotic Smith attempted to explain something straightforward to the even dimmer Jones: Mel: I think I might emigrate to Australia Links IMDB, TMDB, TVDB, Fanart.tv, JustWatch, Wikipedia. The first post-Not… appearance as a duo was in a short sketch in the BBC1 comedy special The Funny Side of Christmas[2] in 1982, where Jones played a complete stranger who annoyed hospital patient Smith to the extent that Smith's character walked out in a rage, leaving Jones's character to enjoy Smith's Christmas gifts. In 1987 (between Series 3 & 4), the duo went on London Weekend Television for The World According To Smith & Jones. From 1989 to 1995, it was called Smith and Jones. British Classic Comedy Talk to Galton and Simpon – Hancock, 1961, Galton and Simpson’s 60th Anniversary Interview – Comedy Playhouse. That's it. The first of these has a scene cut, presumably for music clearance reasons, but the latter has an additional scene removed from the initial broadcast. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Alas Smith And Jones is probably best remembered for the 'head to head' sequences, where a pompous "know it all" (Mel Smith) pontificates about a topical subject while his rather dim friend (Griff Rhys Jones) tries, usually unsuccessfully, to make sense of what's being said. However, in October 2009, FremantleMedia released a two-disc set titled At Last Smith and Jones - Volume 1. If you are unsure how best to edit this programme please take a moment to read it. It also featured head-to-head 'duologues' between Smith and Jones. Following on from the success of The Two Ronnies Sketchbook the previous year, Smith and Jones returned in 2006 with The Smith and Jones Sketchbook. It was broadcast on the BBC from 1982 to 1998. The format of the head-to-head with similar characters was used by Smith and Jones in a series of commercials. It was broadcast on the BBC from 1982 to 1998. A spin-off from Not the Nine O'Clock News, the show also had a brief run in the United States on A&E and PBS in the late 1980s, as well as on CBS in the early 1990s during their late-night block. To install click the Add extension button. Cast ... Alas Smith and Jones. In 1991, a compilation of footage from series 5 and 6 was compiled for a VHS release—simply titled Smith and Jones. Alas Smith and Jones was the comedy sketch show featuring the talents of Mel Smith and Gryff Rhys Jones, previously known for their work on Not The Nine O’ Clock News. Featuring head-to-head sketches with Smith & Jones Successful show which ran in total from 1984 – 1998 Alas Smith and Jones is a British comedy sketch television series featuring Mel Smith and Griff Rhys Jones that ran for four series and two Christmas specials on BBC2 from 1984 to 1988 , and later as Smith and Jones for six series on BBC1 from 1989 to 1998. It was broadcast on the BBC from 1982 to 1998. From 1989 to 1995, it was called Smith and Jones. Despite the criticism, The World According to Smith and Jones returned for a second six-part series in 1988, but then disappeared from the schedules without a repeat (unlike the first series, which was repeated in battle against the BBC in late 1987). The series followed in the footsteps of Not the Nine O'Clock News in its use of taboo-breaking material and sketches in questionable taste (as … Upload; Import; Login; Register; BitsandBobs 19 Dec 2020. The series followed in the footsteps of Not the Nine O'Clock News in its use of taboo-breaking material and sketches in questionable taste (as well as bad language), and also featured head-to-head 'duologues' between Smith and Jones. It was broadcast on the BBC from 1984 to 1998. [5] The operational departments of TalkBack and Thames were later merged to form Talkback Thames in 2003; initially each brand continued to be used on screen, but eventually all productions used the Talkback Thames name. Alas Smith and Jones is a British comedy sketch television series featuring Mel Smith and Griff Rhys Jones.It was broadcast on the BBC from 31 January 1984 to 14 October 1998. The six-part series consisted primarily of Smith and Jones introducing highlights from the show's original run from 1984 to 1998. Alas Smith and Jones was a British comedy sketch television series featuring Mel Smith and Griff Rhys Jones. Starting from the 1987 Christmas special, The Homemade Xmas Video, the show became one of the first to be produced for the BBC by an independent production company, TalkBack, of which Smith and Jones were founding directors. The series was repeated a year later on BBC2 from 25 October 1990 to 15 November 1990, albeit in a completely different order (The Boat People, The Whole Hog, The Waiting Room, Second Thoughts).[15]. Alas Smith and Jones. The head-to-head sketches were very much in the  mould of Peter Cook and Dudley Moore – Smith was the idiot who knew everything, Jones the idiot who knew nothing. BBC Two England, 15 October 1987 21.00. ... and also featured head-to-head 'duologues' between Smith and Jones. Pearson Television was renamed FremantleMedia and its UK division took the Thames Television name. In 1985 they were the big name in comedy and appeared on stage as policemen in a brief sketch as part of LIve Aid. 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