I cannot put into
words the joy I feel since Challenge TV have started to repeat Les Dawson
presenting Blankety Blank.
I’m a bit of fan
of quizzes and game shows, so will often head in the direction of Freeview Channel 46 when I’m at a loose end. These shows are a good way of killing
time without expending many brain cells; perfect fodder for a man of tiny
mind and empty diary.
The vast
proportion of the programmes broadcast by Challenge are game shows from the Eighties and Nineties; the sort of material that was never intended to be
repeated after their first broadcast. They’re fascinating in their own way,
offering a surprisingly detailed snapshot of the entertainment and fashions of
our recent past.
It’s frightening
how dated even the more contemporary programmes have started to look: rediscovering these repeats (and remembering when they aired
first time around) acts as a sobering reminder that I’ve been around longer than I’d like to think.
While it can be fun
to while a way the hours watching the likes of Family Fortunes,
Blockbusters and Knightmare, Blankety Blank is a definite cut above the rest –
and this is largely down to deliciously droll persona of Les Dawson.
His timing is
impeccable. Not a moment or a joke is wasted. His downbeat demeanor belies a
mind that is as sharp as a pin and working nineteen to the dozen.
He’s a man it’s
almost impossible to dislike.
I love how he
blissfully sends the programme up; practically screaming that the format is beneath
him, his guests and the audience at home, but together we’re all going to make
the best of it. In the wrong hands this could seem conceited or arrogant. Not
with Les: even if you were on the receiving end of one of his most scathing
glares, you’d still come out the other side wanting to give him a hug.
He'll usually follow a glare with that inimitable gurn anyway.
One of the
episodes I watched yesterday evening featured Spike Milligan amongst the panel
– and the fact that Dawson could hold is own in the presence of such
illustrious comic company and leave Milligan in stitches is tantamount to the
man’s exceptional ability.
As well as being
a top-class comic, Les Dawson was a talented and intelligent wordsmith and an
excellent musician. I don’t think he’s held in half as much high esteem as a
person of his talent should be.
When Les passed
away at the relatively tender age of 62 we lost a gentle giant of comedy. His
talent is sorely missed – and even though he’s been dead for a good twenty
years, I'll still tune into these repeats as often as I can: watching him at the height of his
abilities and learning as much as I can from it.
Expect plenty of mother-in-law jokes to follow.