'Lost' comedy footage gets an airing

Some of Bob Monkhouse's archive released

A vast collection of ‘lost’ TV and radio footage featuring Tommy Cooper, Frankie Howerd and Benny Hill is to be shown for the first time in 50 years.

The vintage clips – including extracts from The London Palladium Show, Hancock’s Half Hour, Pete Murray’s Open House and New Faces – came from Bob Monkhouse’s vast private archive.

Included in the haul is Lenny Henry's first TV performance on the New Faces talent show in 1975.

It was feared that the footage had been destroyed by the BBC and ITV, both of which regularly wiped expensive tapes to save the cost of storage.

Earlier this year, the Monkhouse family released the material to Kaleidoscope, a not-for-profit organisation that restores old footage, who will show it at Bafta HQ tomorrow.

Spokesman Chris Perry said: ‘Bob supported and knew all the comedy greats, helping their careers whenever he could. He recorded their appearances as well as many of his own to build a huge archive of enormous significance.

‘We have worked closely with the Monkhouse family to preserve this nationally important collection.’

Monkhouse, described as one of Britain’s most influential entertainers, died of prostate cancer in 2003. Profits from the Bob’s Full House Bafta show will go the Prostate Cancer Research Fund.

Published: 23 Oct 2009

Live comedy picks

We see you are using AdBlocker software. Chortle relies on advertisers to fund this website so it’s free for you, so we would ask that you disable it for this site. Our ads are non-intrusive and relevant. Help keep Chortle viable.