Overview

The unique story of Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise – British television's most iconic double act. 'A warm and sympathetic portrait of two pals who conquered the world simply by radiating hilarious friendship' Sunday Times 'Barfe lifts the lid on the lives of TV's most iconic double act... and gets to the heart of what made them so loved by a nation' Sunday Post 'Set to be the definitive account of the television age's funniest pair' New European 'Colour about the characters of [Morecambe and Wise] is mixed with Barfe's usual forensic research' Chortle The Morecambe and Wise Show was the crème de la crème of TV light entertainment from the late 1960s until the early 1980s. The hardy perennial comedy duo at its heart had even greater longevity, spanning five decades and becoming a national institution whose shows drew audiences in excess of twenty million. They also loved each other like brothers, and the audience repaid that love; they were the nation's best friends. In Sunshine and Laughter, Louis Barfe tells the touching story of Morecambe and Wise, and explores how it is that thirty-seven years after their last television show, the tall handsome one with glasses and the one with the short, fat, hairy legs continue to work their unique brand of comedy magic.

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9781838933388

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Reviews

'A warm and sympathetic portrait of two pals who conquered the world simply by radiating hilarious friendship' * Sunday Times * 'Barfe lifts the lid on the lives of TV's most iconic double act [...] and gets to the heart of what made them so loved by a nation' * Sunday Post * 'Countless TV programmes have paid tribute to 'the boys' [...] and there's a veritable library of books. So do we need a new one? The answer - if you're a fan - is a resounding yes. And comedy historian Louis Barfe [...] is just the man to do it. A safe pair of hands, his Sunshine and Laughter is the perfect companion piece to Graham McCann's excellent 1998 biography. His research is exemplary' * Camden New Journal * PRAISE FOR HAPPINESS AND TEARS: 'As much a tribute as a biography ... The result is sure to delight Dodd's many admirers' TLS. '[An] industriously thorough, entertaining biography of the late Sir Kenneth Arthur Dodd' Spectator. 'An absolute joy' Choice Magazine. 'Fascinatingly odd' * Daily Express *

A warm and sympathetic portrait of two pals who conquered the world simply by radiating hilarious friendship * Sunday Times * Barfe lifts the lid on the lives of TV's most iconic double act [...] and gets to the heart of what made them so loved by a nation * Sunday Post * Britain's best-loved double act have a superb chronicler in Louis Barfe... This looks set to be the definitive account of the television age's funniest pair * New European * Written with affection... Such colour about the characters of [Morecambe and Wise] is mixed with Barfe's usual forensic research * Chortle * Louis Barfe is becoming a polymathic guide to British show business * Sunday Times * Countless TV programmes have paid tribute to 'the boys' [...] and there's a veritable library of books. So do we need a new one? The answer - if you're a fan - is a resounding yes. And comedy historian Louis Barfe [...] is just the man to do it. A safe pair of hands, his Sunshine and Laughter is the perfect companion piece to Graham McCann's excellent 1998 biography. His research is exemplary * Camden New Journal * The comedy continues * Devon Life *

A warm and sympathetic portrait of two pals who conquered the world simply by radiating hilarious friendship * Sunday Times * Barfe lifts the lid on the lives of TV's most iconic double act [...] and gets to the heart of what made them so loved by a nation * Sunday Post * Britain's best-loved double act have a superb chronicler in Louis Barfe... This looks set to be the definitive account of the television age's funniest pair * New European * Written with affection... Such colour about the characters of [Morecambe and Wise] is mixed with Barfe's usual forensic research * Chortle * Louis Barfe is becoming a polymathic guide to British show business * Sunday Times * Countless TV programmes have paid tribute to 'the boys' [...] and there's a veritable library of books. So do we need a new one? The answer – if you're a fan – is a resounding yes. And comedy historian Louis Barfe [...] is just the man to do it. A safe pair of hands, his Sunshine and Laughter is the perfect companion piece to Graham McCann's excellent 1998 biography. His research is exemplary * Camden New Journal * The comedy continues * Devon Life *

'A warm and sympathetic portrait of two pals who conquered the world simply by radiating hilarious friendship' * Sunday Times * 'Barfe lifts the lid on the lives of TV's most iconic double act [...] and gets to the heart of what made them so loved by a nation' * Sunday Post * 'Countless TV programmes have paid tribute to 'the boys' [...] and there's a veritable library of books. So do we need a new one? The answer - if you're a fan - is a resounding yes. And comedy historian Louis Barfe [...] is just the man to do it. A safe pair of hands, his Sunshine and Laughter is the perfect companion piece to Graham McCann's excellent 1998 biography. His research is exemplary' * Camden New Journal * 'The comedy continues' * Devon Life * PRAISE FOR HAPPINESS AND TEARS: 'As much a tribute as a biography... The result is sure to delight Dodd's many admirers' TLS. '[An] industriously thorough, entertaining biography of the late Sir Kenneth Arthur Dodd' Spectator. 'An absolute joy' Choice Magazine. 'Fascinatingly odd' * Daily Express *

Author Information

Louis Barfe is a journalist and expert on all aspects of the entertainment industry. He is the author of Where Have All The Good Times Gone? The rise and fall of the record industry (2004), Turned Out Nice Again – the story of British light entertainment (2008), The Trials and Triumphs of Les Dawson (2012) and Happiness and Tears: the Ken Dodd Story (2019). He tweets @AlanKelloggs.

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