Yesterday saw the death of 80s television legend Jeremy Beadle. In the modern age you rarely get a presenter with the enthusiasm and heart of Beadle. His production 'You've Been Framed', which is still running to this day, pioneered the user generated clip for entertainment, which must have inadvertently planted the seed for internet sensation You Tube.
The highpoint of his television career came in the late 80s, when with Barrymore and Cilla Black he pretty much ruled ITV Saturday evenings. In this period Saturday evening entertainment was unconcerned with adding to Simon Cowell’s bank balance; all you needed was a big studio audience and a comedy presenter who appealed to young and old. Where are presenters and shows like 'Beadles About' now? Ant and Dec are unfortunately the closest you'll get. Back in the eighties before the digital fragmentation of TV Beadle was getting viewing figures up to the 18 million mark.
Back in this hazy land of Beta SP, humour wasn’t found in the sharp but nasty put downs of some venomous pumped up cartoon of a man on desperate popstar wannabes, but instead in 'caught on camera' home video clips and candid camera set ups conceived by Beadle. He had the nation laughing. The simple slapstick humour was as funny as anything the silent great had conceived; the infectious laughter his programme created was hard to ignore however lowbrow the concept. Noels Crinkley Bottom didn't come close - and Beadle didn't have to rely on a man in a giant pink fat suit to get the laughs. Also heavily involved in Charity, he was awarded with a MBE in 2001 for these services.
My thoughts go out to his family, but Beadles spirit will surely live on. RIP.
My thoughts go out to his family, but Beadles spirit will surely live on. RIP.
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