The Morecambe & Wise Show (1978)

An opening sketch parodies Ernie's newly-grown moustache, then Benefits For Sixteen Children and Varsity Drag before Richard Briars features in the play what Ern wrote, a pirate ship parody entitled Captain Blood and Diana Dors joining Ernie for the end song Bring Me Sunshine. An extract of the play can be found on YouTube and was screened as part of a tribute to Briers following his death in February 2013.

The opening spot is an update of a BBC routine entitled Hands Off Little Ern, here updated to Save Little Ern here, the popular dancer Wayne Sleep then features in the Hollywood Ballet with the duo, followed by an update of a BBC play which had featured Keith Michell in Legion Of The Lost here changed to Beau Jest and now starring Trevor Eve, at the time famous as Eddie Shoestring, leading into the end song Bring Me Sunshine with Jimmy Young.

Opening Spot, Food Trolley, another doctors' surgerys sketch in which the patient (Eric) isn't feeling himself; the Copacabana dance routine features Roy Castle in a return performance; a Guinness Book Of Records skit precedes Bring Me Sunshine as the end song, again featuring Roy Castle. An extract from this programme is available in low resolution on YouTube, showing the musical number at the centre of the show.

Starting with an updated BBC sketch version of This Is Ern's Life with Eric substituting for Eammon Andrews and into a country and western musical number; another BBC sketch is reused when a famous writer visits the duo in their flat with Hugh Paddick playing the part originally performed by Michael Ward, before closing with Bring Me Sunshine where Isla St. Clair, at the time Larry Grayson's hostess on the Generation Game duets with Ernie.

The opening spot features Eric's enormous guard dog and is another skit reused from an earlier BBC show, this is followed by a visit to a shop for Ernie's new desk and typewriter with Royce Mills as the shop assistant; an update of the Ten Years Hence... sketch from an earlier BBC show leads into the boys in top hat and tails for Me & My Shadow before the closing song (Bring Me Sunshine) which Ernie performs with Ruth Madoc, fresh from her success in Hi-De-Hi!, the end credits advise that she appears by arrangement with the BBC.

In an updated BBC opening Spot The Great Nosmo appears as a mind-reader, followed by an Informative Neighbour quickie and Do I Feel High? performed by Marian Monto; the closing sketch is entitled Burgled & Conned and features Alan Dobie who was known to audiences for his recent performance in the BBC drama Kessler the previous year, with the end song Bring Me Sunshine as usual for this series.

In the opening spot it is Ern's Birthday, followed by an update of the BBC sketch Lost In The Desert, a foreign legion parody; a Good Neighbours skit is followed by the Facts Of Life and a doctor routine with Valerie Minfie subtitled Just Not Myself, a guillotine quickie and the closing play, The Adventures Of Sherlock Holmes with Nigel Hawthorne as Moriarty and Patricia Breke as Bertha the maid; the end song is again Bring Me Sunshine