Two years after the end of 'Not The Nine O'Clock News', Mel Smith and Griff Rhys Jones formed a double act together instead of going their separate ways and formed this long running sketch show for BBC Television called 'Alas Smith & Jones' ( the title being an obvious spoof of 'Alias Smith & Jones' ). The show had many similarites to its parent programme in that it featured wacky skits ( although some were traditional in tone ), songs and, very occasionally a spoof news item or two.
Perhaps the most popular sketches were those entitled 'the head to head routines', which had the two sitting facing each other close up in front of a blank background, talking over a particular subject without having the faintest idea what they are talking about.
It was popular, there was no doubt about that, but overall I personally found the show rather hard going. Certainly there were many funny moments, such as the 'Terry & June' spoof 'Achmed & June', a sketch featuring Mel sitting on a toilet bowl wondering why the room is moving downwards, only then to discover he is sitting in a lift, Mel as a cack handed dentist trying to pull a tooth out of Griff's mouth, only then to pull out his entire skull or Mel at a funeral casually tossing a wreath amongst a group of mourners as though he were tossing a bouquet at a wedding, but largely the show was patchy and sometimes even derivative.
Quite an impressive list of guest stars took part in the show such as Marsha Fitzalan, Brenda Blethyn, Chris Barrie, Leslie Grantham, Robert Llewellyn, Paul Bradley, Tony Slatterly, Joanna Lumley, Kate Robbins and, surprisingly, Patricia Routledge.
'Alas Smith & Jones' ( later just named 'Smith & Jones' ) may not have been a wonderful show but it certainly had an influence on later shows. For instance, Smith landed his own sitcom, 'Colin's Sandwich'.
Perhaps the most popular sketches were those entitled 'the head to head routines', which had the two sitting facing each other close up in front of a blank background, talking over a particular subject without having the faintest idea what they are talking about.
It was popular, there was no doubt about that, but overall I personally found the show rather hard going. Certainly there were many funny moments, such as the 'Terry & June' spoof 'Achmed & June', a sketch featuring Mel sitting on a toilet bowl wondering why the room is moving downwards, only then to discover he is sitting in a lift, Mel as a cack handed dentist trying to pull a tooth out of Griff's mouth, only then to pull out his entire skull or Mel at a funeral casually tossing a wreath amongst a group of mourners as though he were tossing a bouquet at a wedding, but largely the show was patchy and sometimes even derivative.
Quite an impressive list of guest stars took part in the show such as Marsha Fitzalan, Brenda Blethyn, Chris Barrie, Leslie Grantham, Robert Llewellyn, Paul Bradley, Tony Slatterly, Joanna Lumley, Kate Robbins and, surprisingly, Patricia Routledge.
'Alas Smith & Jones' ( later just named 'Smith & Jones' ) may not have been a wonderful show but it certainly had an influence on later shows. For instance, Smith landed his own sitcom, 'Colin's Sandwich'.