Eddie Braben’s Morecambe and Wise Book

The definitive illustrated Morecambe and Wise book - a celebration of all their finest moments

One of our greatest comedy writers. Thank you Eddie

[Eddie Braben was] a man who, comically, played all the right notes, in the right order, all the time

All the greatest Morecambe and Wise moments came from Eddie's pen

Eddie Braben was my absolute TV hero. The greatest behind-the-scenes talent of them all

Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise began their award-winning double-act in 1941 after meeting in Jack Hylton's revue, Youth Takes a Bow at the Nottingham Empire Theatre. They temporarily separated during the war, but reformed after and went on to star in a series of hit shows that spanned over 20 years and included the ratings smash The Morecambe and Wise Show. They became one of Britain's best-loved comedy duos and their partnership lasted until Eric Morecambe's death in 1984. 
 
Eddie Braben was born in Liverpool and started writing jokes in his spare moments while working on a fruit and veg stall. He went on to write material for some of the biggest comedians of his day including Ronnie Corbett, Ken Dodd and of course Morecambe and Wise. He currently lives in North Wales with his wife.

With a brand new introduction by Eddie Braben and including never-before-seen material 
 
Morecambe and Wise charmed a nation for decades and at their height commanded TV audiences that could only be matched by the moon landings and the 1966 World Cup final. Often called the third member of Morecambe and Wise, the late Eddie Braben was the quiet genius behind their best-loved jokes. Here, collected together for the first time, is a celebration of the finest repartee Braben ever penned for them - the banter between Eric and Little Ern, lines from those horrendous plays what Ernie wrote, and the unforgettable celebrity encounters with such names as Glenda Jackson, Andre Previn and, of course, Des O'Connor. The perfect Christmas stocking-filler for Eric and Ernie fans young and old. 
 
Ernie: Can you remember the first words you spoke in the theatre? 
 
Eric: I'll never forget them. How could I? 'This way, please! Programmes!...' After a couple of months came my big break. That great Shakespearian actor and dance band leader, Sir Lawrence Olivier came to the theatre. 
 
Ernie: What happened? 
 
Eric: He came up to me. My heart stopped. He said, ' Young man, have you read any of Shakespeare's plays?' 
 
Ernie: What did you say? 
 
Eric: I said, 'Only two of them.' He said, 'Which ones?' I said, 'Romeo and Juliet.' So he put me in his next play. 
 
Ernie: What was it about? 
 
Eric: It was about thirty minutes too long.

Eddie Braben

Eric Morecambe

Ernie Wise

Eighteen episodes from Eric and Ernie’s BBC Radio 2 comedy series, collected together for the very first time 
 
Between 1975 and 1978, when they were at the peak of their popularity on television, Morecambe and Wise also starred in their own radio series, with each episode scripted by the one and only Eddie Braben. 
 
This feast of gags, sketches and song and dance numbers — plus of course Ernie’s ‘plays what I wrote’ — features a host of special guests including Ann Hamilton, Anita Harris, Gayle Hunnicutt, Richard Caldicot, Percy Edwards, Nicola Pagett, Brian Wilde, Des O'Connor, Vince Hill, Penelope Keith and The Nolan Sisters. 
 
So pull back the stage curtain and settle down to nine hours of sparkling comedy, in the company of ‘the tall one with glasses’ and ‘the one with the short, fat, hairy legs’. Honestly, you can’t see the join. 
 
 
The Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise Show 
Written and adapted by Eddie Braben 
Produced by John Browell 
 
The Best of British Laughs – Morecambe &amp; Wise 
Presented by Barry Took 
Produced by John Browell 
 
The Entertainers: Morecambe &amp; Wise: Two of a Kind 
Presented by Frank Dixon 
Produced by Herbert Smith 
 
The comedy in this release reflects the attitudes and conventions of the era in which it was first broadcast

Eddie Braben

Books by Eddie Braben

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