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Eric, Ernie and Me

Comedy-drama following the story of how The Golden Triangle was formed and celebrating the man behind Morecambe and Wise's greatest successes.

For over a decade, the Liverpudlian ex-market stall trader Eddie Braben penned Morecambe and Wise's material, reshaping the double act into the Eric and Ernie that the nation took to its heart. But it wasn't all sunshine.

This comedy-drama follows the story of how The Golden Triangle was formed and celebrates the man behind Morecambe and Wise's greatest successes.

In 1969 Eddie Braben was persuaded by the Â鶹ÊÓƵAV's then Head of Light Entertainment Bill Cotton to make the journey to London to meet Eric and Ernie and their producer John Ammonds. It wasn't a meeting of the minds. But there was a spark, something different and special that Braben saw in the music hall double act who had yet to crack their on-screen presence. He set out to uncover the essence of what would transform them into television's most beloved entertainers.

What followed was years of dedication, determination and hard graft - comedy comes at a price. With the help and support of his wife Deidree, Eddie dug deep, taking on a huge scripting workload that saw Eric and Ernie take over the living rooms and hearts of the UK population.

Year on year a new series, a new Christmas special, incredible celebrity guests and the never-ending commute from home in Liverpool to work in London saw Eddie work himself to the point of exhaustion. He was a man desperate for a break but driven by perfection and the need to make people laugh.

The film culminates in a journey to the iconic 1977 Christmas Show, celebrates a decade of enormous success for both Braben and Morecambe and Wise, whilst not shying away from the pressure and pain Eddie went through to help create the screen work of Britain's beloved double act.

1 hour

Last on

Wed 22 Dec 2021 22:00
Â鶹ÊÓƵAV Four

  • Hear from screenwriter Neil Forsyth on the Â鶹ÊÓƵAV Writersroom blog.

Music Played

Timings (where shown) are from the start of the programme in hours and minutes

  • 00:09

    Judy Garland, Nelson Riddle

    Life Is Just A Bowl of Cherries

  • 00:26

    Nina Simone

    Wild Is The Wind

  • 00:42

    Sammy Davis Jr.

    There Is Nothin' Like A Dame

  • 00:51

    The Chords

    Sh-Boom

  • 00:54

    Thurston Harris & The Sharps

    Little Bitty Pretty One

  • 00:58

    Brenda Lee

    Bring Me Sunshine

Credits

Director Dan Zeff
Producer Alison Sterling
Writer Neil Forsyth
Executive Producer Toby Stevens
Executive Producer Ben Farrell
Executive Producer Gregor Sharp
Eddie Braben Stephen Tompkinson
Eric Morecambe Mark Bonnar
Ernie Wise Neil Maskell
John Ammonds Rufus Jones
Deidree Braben Liz White
Bill Cotton Alex Macqueen
Ernest Maxin Adam James
Joan Morecambe Katherine Kingsley
Doreen Wise Natasha Joseph
Patsy Susan Twist
Verity Lewis Isobel Middleton
Glenda Jackson Lisa Jackson
Dave Louis Emerick
Andre Previn Darren Bransford
Barry Cryer Jon Culshaw
Vanessa Redgrave Rosalind Halstead
Production Company Objective Fiction

Broadcasts

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