December | 2023 | Archive Television Musings

Best known for his lengthy stint as Sgt. Alec Peters in The Bill, Larry Dann began acting very early on (aged just five years) when he appeared as an extra in a film starring Jean Simmons and Stewart Granger (titled Adam and Evelyn).

In Oh What a Lovely Memoir, he vividly describes his first stuttering steps into the world of film. Unlike many fellow actors, he could hardly be described as a stagestruck youngster – indeed, Dann confesses that prior to this jaunt to Denham Studios, he had never actually seen a film (his parents deciding he was still too young for even a trip to the Saturday Pictures!).

Given this, it seems remarkable that they were more than happy to let their son loose in the film world at such a tender age (but then his mother had been a keen amateur actress and was no doubt keen to push her initially bewildered son into the theatrical world).

Clearly the bug had quickly bit though, as following a stint at stage school, he began to ply his trade in live television plays during the 1950’s, rubbing shoulders with the likes of David Hemmings and a young chap called Maurice Micklewhite. I wonder what happened to him?

Larry Dann is an engaging storyteller, who leads us through the highs and lows of his professional career. This really began to take off in 1962, when he was invited to audition for Joan Littlewood at Stratford, East London. Despite his apprehension, he must have impressed the daunting Ms Littlewood as he would appear in a number of her productions – most notably Oh What A Lovely War (which, of course, provides the title for this book).

As a jobbing actor, Dann has had a gloriously diverse career. For example he’s appeared in multiple Carry On films (albeit mostly at the fag end of the series’ life – including Carry On Emanuelle). Dann’s reaction when he first read the Emmanuele script (“It was awful and, of course, it got worse”) probably tells you all you need to know.

It’s The Bill, of course, which made him a television regular after decades of guest roles in the likes of Sherlock Holmes, No Hiding Place, Hunter’s Walk, Thirty Minute Theatre and Angels. For me, the most interesting part of his Bill reminisces was the revelation that he’d penned three scripts (in collaboration with Roger Leach – who placed Sgt. Tom Penny) which were on the verge of going into production before they were pulled at the eleventh hour.

Oh What a Lovely Memoir is packed with insights and good-natured name-drops as it charts Larry Dann’s checkered career – from the West End to Broadway and back again (not to mention his childhood during WW2). Warmly recommended.

Oh What a Lovely Memoir can be ordered from Devonfire Books via this link.

Somehow we’ve nearly got through another year, so that means it’s time to start riffling through my collection of Christmas programmes and begin to decide which ones will get another airing this December.

Some old favourites (the Porridge Christmas specials, The Box of Delights) are pretty much shoe-ins, as are the Morecambe & Wise Christmas shows. Indeed, I’ve kicked off this Xmas season with the first of their BBC Christmas shows from 1969 (as their links for the 1968 Christmas Night With The Stars no longer exist).

It’s noticeably not a very festive programme (apart from Eric & Ernie briefly messing about with a very large Christmas tree and Nina – together with a collection of cute children – singing Do You Know How Christmas Trees are Grown?). The reason becomes obvious when you do a little digging – Eric was taken ill (with flu) during the recording on the 21st of December, which meant that most of the show had to be assembled from material taped for their next series.

What I find interesting is that the recording was done so close to Christmas. In years to come, you’d often hear about festive programmes being taped in the summer, possibly Eric & Ernie preferred not to do this. Which, of course, was fine provided nothing went wrong.

The Radio Times listing, published before the aborted recording, tells us what we should have enjoyed – with Susan Hampshire and Frank Thornton due to appear (they were replaced in the broadcast programme by Fenella Fielding). There was no problem with the musical guests, so their spots were recorded as planned (although when you know about the cobbled together nature of the programme, the fact there’s no interaction between them and Eric and Ernie does become obvious).

Also appearing, but not billed in the Radio Times, was Sacha Distel. His performance was dropped in from Show 3.3 (broadcast on the 11th of February 1970). Indeed, this edition was plundered for most of the Christmas programme material (such as the opening with a hip-looking Ernie and a be-wigged Diane Keen, Ernie in the bath, the window cleaner sketch and Fenella Fielding).

So it must have been strange for the first time viewer in February 1970, settling down to watch a “new” episode of Morecambe & Wise, to suddenly realise that most of it was very familiar ….