The Kenny Everett Television Show

The Kenny Everett Television Show was a comedy sketch series that aired on BBC1 from December 24, 1981, to January 18, 1988. Hosted by Kenny Everett, the show featured material written by Everett, Barry Cryer, Ray Cameron, and later Andrew Marshall and David Renwick after Cameron’s departure in 1985. The program was similar to Everett's earlier ITV series, The Kenny Everett Video Show, but focused more on comedy sketches than music acts, though it still included at least one musical performance per episode. Over five series, the BBC produced a total of 47 episodes, including six Christmas specials and two compilation episodes. Everett moved to the BBC due to disagreements with Thames Television over scheduling and creative control. The show was known for its zany, daring, and surreal humor, earning critical acclaim upon its debut in 1982. It attracted audiences of around 12-13 million viewers per episode and was praised by critics like Hilary Kingsley of the Daily Mirror. However, by 1987, the format began to seem tired and old-fashioned, leading to declining reception. The series ended abruptly in January 1988 when Everett decided not to renew his contract with the BBC due to growing dissatisfaction with filming processes and strained relationships with co-writers. Despite its success, no complete episodes have been repeated on the BBC since its original run. However, it has been syndicated on UK Gold in the 1990s and Paramount Comedy starting in 2008. The BBC aired two compilation episodes in 1995 after Everett’s death, and a ...