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Kenny Everett (February 2021)

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OC
Otis Crump
I'd agree that The Kenny Everett Video Show that Thames made was brilliant - having just the crew laughing at the sketches and jokes made it feel as if you were in on a private joke.
His Radio 2 show was where I first heard his radio work (I'd missed him on Radio 1, and Capital was a station just for London if you can imagine such a thing, and I loved it.

And yes, it was all done in the best possible taste.
Even if the character couldn't be called Mary Hinge, as that was too rude, and she had to be Cupid Stunt instead.


I thought he was told he couldn't use the name Cupid Stunt anymore (the joke was realised belatedly by management), so he changed it to Mary Hinge instead.
LL
Larry the Loafer
I'd agree that The Kenny Everett Video Show that Thames made was brilliant - having just the crew laughing at the sketches and jokes made it feel as if you were in on a private joke.
His Radio 2 show was where I first heard his radio work (I'd missed him on Radio 1, and Capital was a station just for London if you can imagine such a thing, and I loved it.

And yes, it was all done in the best possible taste.
Even if the character couldn't be called Mary Hinge, as that was too rude, and she had to be Cupid Stunt instead.


I thought he was told he couldn't use the name Cupid Stunt anymore (the joke was realised belatedly by management), so he changed it to Mary Hinge instead.


Mary Hinge was the original name but the powers that be thought it was too obvious a joke, so he opted (ironically) for a much more "offensive" name and it seemed to stick.
DE
deejay
Am I alone in thinking Mary Hinge is far more subtle than Cupid?
OC
Otis Crump
I'd agree that The Kenny Everett Video Show that Thames made was brilliant - having just the crew laughing at the sketches and jokes made it feel as if you were in on a private joke.
His Radio 2 show was where I first heard his radio work (I'd missed him on Radio 1, and Capital was a station just for London if you can imagine such a thing, and I loved it.

And yes, it was all done in the best possible taste.
Even if the character couldn't be called Mary Hinge, as that was too rude, and she had to be Cupid Stunt instead.


I thought he was told he couldn't use the name Cupid Stunt anymore (the joke was realised belatedly by management), so he changed it to Mary Hinge instead.


Mary Hinge was the original name but the powers that be thought it was too obvious a joke, so he opted (ironically) for a much more "offensive" name and it seemed to stick.


http://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/classic/kennyeverett/trivia.shtml

"Cupid Stunt
When the TV show moved from Thames, the BBC politely suggested renaming the character. The writers suggested Mary Hinge."
JA
james-2001
This is what I was talking about earlier, the way Philip keeps on talking as if nothings happening even as his chair's being tipped over and he's being tied up makes me laugh out loud

https://www.tvark.org/?page=media&mediaid=132394

The bit immediately following it is geeky too with a sped up Thames ident and Test Card F.
JA
james-2001
Another thing about Kenny is he must have been one of the last high profile HIV deaths, after there'd been numerous over the previous decade, there's only really been a handful over the last 25 years. Shows how medical advances managed to stop it from being a death sentence within a few short years, too late for Kenny though, sadly.
London Lite and Spencer gave kudos
CO
commseng

I thought he was told he couldn't use the name Cupid Stunt anymore (the joke was realised belatedly by management), so he changed it to Mary Hinge instead.


Mary Hinge was the original name but the powers that be thought it was too obvious a joke, so he opted (ironically) for a much more "offensive" name and it seemed to stick.


http://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/classic/kennyeverett/trivia.shtml

"Cupid Stunt
When the TV show moved from Thames, the BBC politely suggested renaming the character. The writers suggested Mary Hinge."

It may be my memory, but I don't remember the character on the Thames show.
I have found other bits on the BBC site about historical things that I know to be incorrect, and I wonder if this is another?
I am reasonably sure she was always Cupid Stunt right until the end of Kenny's TV work.
LL
Larry the Loafer
Cupid didn't appear on the Thames series IIRC.
IS
Inspector Sands
Yes, they weren't originally allowed to take any of the characters from the Thames shows to the BBC, although they did eventually. Cupid was one of the characters created for the BBC series to replace ones they didnt think they could use.

There's an anecdote from Barry Cryer on Everett's episode of Heroes of Comedy about how she was just called Cupid, but when she appeared on his chat show, Michael Parkinson said 'I can't just call her Cupid, what's her surname?' So they told him and he wasn't so keen using it
HC
Hatton Cross
' So they told him and he wasn't so keen using it


I think Cryer said that the reply from Sir Parkie on being told the surname was 'stunt' was to deadpan back to Uncle Baz "You Bas**rd" and walk off.

It's a curious little 'what if' to play in ones mind, about what Ken would be up to now, tv and radio wise and he not died when he did.
Probably, nothing on television (as that star was fading quickly), but I could still see him have a weekly hour or so on BBC Radio Two.
CO
commseng
I suspect he would need national radio, and Radio 2 is probably the more natural home for him - pre-recorded of course.
As someone who played with the technology, I would imagine he would have great fun with podcasts where he could have a completely free reign.
He was a loose cannon at times, which was great, but could backfire. His appearence at a Tory Party conference didn't help him although the lines "Let's bomb Russia" and "Let's kick Michael Foot's walking stick away" were obviously in jest, but turned some against him.

Would he have done more TV - I don't think so, he'd been there and done it, and moved back to radio.
SP
Spencer
Would he have done more TV - I don't think so, he'd been there and done it, and moved back to radio.


I can't imagine he wouldn't have made guest appearances on talk shows and panel shows though. He'd have been great on Would I Lie To You?.

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