Two of the most popular characters on 'Harry Enfield's Television Programme' were 'Smashey' ( Paul Whitehouse ) and 'Nicey' ( Enfield ), ageing disc jockeys with colossal egos who engaged in mindless banter during the change over from one show to another. The sketches ended usually with Smashey playing 'You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet' by Bachman Turner Overdrive. Smashey was based on Tony Blackburn, while Nicey's inspiration was the late Alan 'Fluff' Freeman. They caught the public's imagination, even getting to host 'Top Of The Pops' one week! Radio 1, however, was not amused. Feeling the characters' represented a kind of stinging criticism, new bosses Matthew Bannister and Trevor Dann sacked disc jockeys en masse and brought in new blood, such as Danny Baker and the detestable Chris Evans.
In 1994, 'Smashey' and 'Nicey' went the 'Kevin Turvey' route and got their own spoof documentary. Beginning with the pair rushing to a press conference to inform the world they had just quit 'Radio Fab F.M' ( in fact, they had been sacked by controller Johnny Beergut ), it told the story of their meteoric rise to fame. As was the case with Enfield's award-winning Channel 4 programme 'Norbert Smith - A Life?' ( 1989 ), archive footage was seamlessly matched with new material, such as Smashey playing policemen on 'Dixon Of Dock Green', 'Z Cars' and 'Dr.Who', and Nicey dancing with Freddie & The Dreamers on 'Blue Peter'.
The format allowed for greater character development. Both men lived in mansions. Nicey is clearly gay, while Smashey is haunted by the break-up of his marriage ( Enfield later apologised to Tony Blackburn for making fun of his marital breakdown to actress Tessa Wyatt ) and makes chutney. Nicey thinks the 'Swinging Sixties' was all down to him and his friend ( Alan Freeman appeared as himself, tottering about on a Zimmer frame ).
Most of the jokes work, particularly good is Nicey chatting to the Beatles and attempting to get fresh with Paul McCartney. On the down side however, a spoof of 'The Kenny Everett Television Show' in which Nicey ripped off girls' clothes while dressed as 'Gizzard Puke' was in incredibly poor taste. Everett was dying of AIDS at the time. The item should have been deleted.
The director, Daniel Kleinman, went on to design title sequences for Bond movies.
These days, Enfield and Whitehouse cannot make a hyena laugh, luckily we have programmes like this to remind us how good they once were together.
In 1994, 'Smashey' and 'Nicey' went the 'Kevin Turvey' route and got their own spoof documentary. Beginning with the pair rushing to a press conference to inform the world they had just quit 'Radio Fab F.M' ( in fact, they had been sacked by controller Johnny Beergut ), it told the story of their meteoric rise to fame. As was the case with Enfield's award-winning Channel 4 programme 'Norbert Smith - A Life?' ( 1989 ), archive footage was seamlessly matched with new material, such as Smashey playing policemen on 'Dixon Of Dock Green', 'Z Cars' and 'Dr.Who', and Nicey dancing with Freddie & The Dreamers on 'Blue Peter'.
The format allowed for greater character development. Both men lived in mansions. Nicey is clearly gay, while Smashey is haunted by the break-up of his marriage ( Enfield later apologised to Tony Blackburn for making fun of his marital breakdown to actress Tessa Wyatt ) and makes chutney. Nicey thinks the 'Swinging Sixties' was all down to him and his friend ( Alan Freeman appeared as himself, tottering about on a Zimmer frame ).
Most of the jokes work, particularly good is Nicey chatting to the Beatles and attempting to get fresh with Paul McCartney. On the down side however, a spoof of 'The Kenny Everett Television Show' in which Nicey ripped off girls' clothes while dressed as 'Gizzard Puke' was in incredibly poor taste. Everett was dying of AIDS at the time. The item should have been deleted.
The director, Daniel Kleinman, went on to design title sequences for Bond movies.
These days, Enfield and Whitehouse cannot make a hyena laugh, luckily we have programmes like this to remind us how good they once were together.