With thousands of TV channels (or so it seems to me) that need to be filled with ‘product’ i.e. programmes 24/7 and require an endless supply of performers to present them, there seem to be hundreds of comedians around today. Even as I wrote that paragraph, another three emerged!

Obviously, I’m familiar with comedians who’ve entertained us for years, like Billy Connolly, Ricky Gervais, Steve Coogan and Mickey Flanagan.
But, because I don’t watch as much TV as the average viewer, whenever I flick through the channels to check what’s on, many of the comedians hosting or taking part in the endless array of comedy panel shows on every channel are often unknown to me.  Fair enough. I expect I’m unknown to them.

While I’m sure they’re all very amusing and have their own loyal fanbase, I do wonder, just because of the sheer numberof funny men and women around today – many of whom can fill arenas – which of them will still be remembered in 50 years’ time.  I ask this because the Gold channel recently broadcast a documentary entitled “Almost An Armful” about the comedian Tony Hancock, who died in 1968 and is still remembered and lauded by fans of timeless comedy, many of whom weren’t born when Tony was a massive TV star.  Gold also showed two colourised episodes of his iconic BBC series “Hancock’s Half Hour” which haven’t dated at all.

Surprisingly, the series (which followed his radio series of the same title) only ran from 1956 to 1960, when Tony defected to ITV to make what turned out to be a disastrous series from which he never quite recovered.   Yet, such is his stature in the comedy pantheon, the Gold channel rightly decided to make a documentary celebrating the work of a comedian who died 55 years ago.  His TV success might have been brief, but thanks to Ray Galton and Alan Simpson’s brilliant scripts and Tony’s masterly performances, it’s obvious by watching clips of him at the peak of his career that no-one today could match his delivery of …

“Does Magna Carta mean nothing to you? Did she die in vain?

Brave Hungarian peasant girl who forced King John to sign the pledge at Runnymede and close the boozers at half-past ten!”  If I’m wrong, tell me in 50 years’ time.