The Kenny Everett Video Show

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The Kenny Everett Video Show was a groundbreaking comedy show on Thames Television running from 3 July 1978 to 31 December 1980. It is considered Everett's best television work.

[edit] The Conception

Phillip Jones, then the head of light entertainment, asked his son who he'd like to see on television, and he said Kenny Everett. The format for the show came from David Mallet having lunch with kenny, going for a walk in the afternoon, and during those 3 or 4 hours they both discovered that you could not watch on television, the sort of things they wanted to watch. The original conception, was that Everett would be a visual DJ linking bands and singers and the links eventually got longer and longer.

Two pilot episodes were made, which are believed to no longer exist.

[edit] Series 1

The first series was initially broadcast from 3 July 1978 to 21 August 1978 with a Best of Compilation airing on 6 September 1978.

This series was also the longest of the three, running for 45 minutes. This series was the most music filled one of the three, with the music making up most of the program, with only little comedy bits. Musical Guests that appeared in this series were:

Episode 1: Wings, Bonnie Tyler, ELO, Bryan Ferry, Steve Gibbons Band

Episode 2: Darts, Kate Bush, Lindisfarne, Yellow Dog, The Rolling Stones

Episode 3: Suzi Quatro, Nick Lowe, Thin Lizzy, Gordon Giltrap, Bob Dylan

Episode 4: The Moody Blues, The Pirates

Episode 5: Elkie Brooks, Renaissance, Justin Hayward

Episode 6: Cliff Richard, Darts, 10CC, Bonnie Tyler, City Boy

Episode 7: Bryan Ferry, Steve Gibbons Band, The Moody Blues, David Essex

Episode 8: Wings, The Boomtown Rats

[edit] Series 2

Series 2 started off on 1 January 1979 with "The Didn't Quite Make It in Time for Christmas Video Show" This was the last episode to be in the 45 minute format, and is considered an oddball episode due to it being the only episode to feature the big Television set, and not having the standard bank of televisions behind him.

The normal episodes resumed on 19 February 1979 to 30 April 1979 and ran for 25 minutes.

This series was more equal with Comedy vs Music, and many of his greatest comedy pieces come from this series.

The Music Guests for this series were:

Xmas Video Show: Leo Sayer, Rod Stewart

Episode 1: Elvis Costello, David Essex

Episode 2: David Edmonds, Cliff Richard

Episode 3: Levinsky/Sinclair, Kate Bush, Thin Lizzy

Episode 4: The Real Thing, Bonnie Tyler, Leo Sayer

Episode 5: Darts, The Pretenders, Bryan Ferry

Episode 6: The Average White Band, Kiki Dee, David Essex

Episode 7: Squeeze, Frankie Miller, Dean Friedman

Episode 8: Gerry Rafferty, Justin Hayward, Tina Turner

Episode 9: Wings, Rachel Sweet, David Bowie

Episode 10: The Moody Blues, David Essex

[edit] Series 3

Series 3 began with special 1 hour episode "Will Kenny Everett Make It to 1980?" airing on 31 Dec 1979. Quite a few bits from this special made it into the Naughty Bits compilations, Specifically, the Cliff Richard moments, Hot Gossip doing "Sleazy" and a few other short gags. This series was even more focused on the comedy than the music, normally only having 2 musical act per show.

The normal series resume 18 February 1980 to 14 April 1980

The Music guests for this series were:

Episode 1: Gary Numan, Shadows, The Pretenders

Episode 2: The Boomtown Rats, Suzi Quatro, Cliff Richard

Episode 3: Dave Edmunds, Cliff Richard

Episode 4: Dusty Springfield, Elvis Costello, The Police

Episode 5: Ellen Foley, David Essex

Episode 6: John Williams, The Boomtown Rats

Episode 7: Suzy Quatro, 10cc, Joe Jackson

Episode 8: The Police, Pete Townshend, Paul McCartney