319:, made and videotaped by ABC Television and shown on Sunday afternoons in many ITV regions. The first edition shown by ABC had monologues by Al entitled 'The Railway Station,' 'A Mayfair Cocktail Party,' 'The Wife in her Kitchen.' and 'How to Park a Motor Car,' and his special guests were Shani Wallis and The King Brothers. A second series of seven episodes followed in October 1964 but was only shown wholly in the two ABC regions, with Ulster Television showing the first five episodes. Al Read appears to have changed his approach for this series.
231:. Unusually for the time, his humour reflected everyday life, situations and characters, widely recognisable and only slightly exaggerated for comic effect. According to McCann: "His ability to flit back and forth between speakers and personalities was impressive in itself, but the seemingly effortless yet unfailingly precise rhythms of his speech, and the deftness of his key turns of phrase, were even more remarkable." McCann described him as "pioneering", with an "immense" influence on British comedy.
204:: "Most professional comedians, before Al Read, concentrated on telling gags and/or short but obviously contrived tall tales. Here, in stark contrast, was someone talking about the kind of experience that most people in the audience had endured, except he was exaggerating it just enough to make the listeners laugh not only at the protagonists but also at themselves." The response to Read was so good that it was overheard by another guest coincidentally staying at the same hotel, regional
266:. The programme was one of the most popular radio comedy shows in the UK in the 1950s and 1960s. Up to 35 million people listened to it each week. The introduction to his radio show was usually "Al Read: introducing us to ourselves"; and he himself described his work as "pictures of life". His
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A policeman, an engine driver, a bus conductor, a canteen manageress, a goalkeeper... these are the roles undertaken by Al Read in his new series 'Life and Al Read' starting on ITV tomorrow. For the first time in his career, he will be dreaming the various parts he
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before being found by his father and having to return to work as a meat-products salesman. After his father died he started running the family business while continuing to take opportunities to entertain at local dinners and in clubs.
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came to an arrangement with Read to adapt and perform some of his routines, with the result that some of the material originally written and developed by Read, such as ‘The
Driving Instructor’, became associated more with Newhart.
100:(3 March 1909 – 9 September 1987) was a British radio comedian active throughout the 1950s and 1960s. Originally a businessman, he has been described as highly influential on British comedy.
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firm, E. and H. Read Ltd, initially as a salesman before becoming a director in his early 20s. He always wanted to perform - on one occasion, when he was 18, he performed impressions of
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The sausage maker from
Salford turned king of the comedy catchphrase stars in this episode, first broadcast in 1966, featuring his best-loved characters and timeless humour.
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He retired from performance in the 1970s while continuing to run his business interests from homes in
Yorkshire and Spain. In 1984 a further series of radio shows,
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Classic comedy from
Salford's favourite son. Al Read looks at the very British institutions of hospitals, the post office and noisy neighbours. From December 1998.
350:, was broadcast, drawing on privately recorded routines from earlier years since the BBC recordings had been destroyed. Read published an autobiography,
169:, and started active attempts to develop a second career as a comedian. In 1948 he paid a local theatre producer to let him perform in a show on the
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Al Read with all you ever needed to know about health, courting, marriage, kids and football, from the northern comic's monologues of the 1950s.
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Ken Bruce introduces the
Northern comic's monologues from the 1950s. Arriving home late, Al's efforts to relax are thwarted by his wife.
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Right Monkey! A collection of Al Read's 1950s monologues. Al lifts the lid off horse racing. Compiled in
October 1995 by Mike Craig.
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Al Read gives his views on the fire brigade, the joys of driving and the morning after the night before. From
December 1998.
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Dad! Dad! Is that Al Read? He's a classic comedy act, isn't he, Dad? Vintage humour from
November 1954, isn't it, Dad?
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The sausage maker from
Salford turned king of the comedy catchphrase stars in this episode first broadcast in 1955.
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commenting: "I'm only interested in what he has to say - I don't care what he looks like...". His final TV series,
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He was born in 1909 when
Broughton was part of the County Borough of Salford (1844–1974 — "City" status from 1926)
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270:"Right, Monkey!" and "You'll be lucky - I say, you'll be lucky!", and "And he was strong", were well known. The
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was broadcast. However Read's humour did not transfer very well to television, with a critic in
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and dialogues in which he played both voices. His humour was observational and was about
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The Times newspaper, TV listings for Sundays between 29 September and 03 November 1963.
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in the Royal Northern Variety Performance, in the presence of the Queen Mother, at the
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Read quickly became popular on regional and then national radio broadcasts, such as
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producer Bowker Andrews, who invited him to perform the routine on his radio show
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Graham McCann, "Are you talking to me? How Al Read held up a mirror to Britain",
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He became a prosperous and well-respected local businessman. In the
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The Times newspaper, TV listings for 11 October to 22 November 1964.
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The Liverpool Echo, Saturday TV News by Bill Amos, 10 October 1964.
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people, often in a domestic situation. According to writer
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In early 1950 he hosted a dinner for business contacts in
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BBC Written Archives Centre, Reading; File number N4/685.
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TV Times, Midlands Edition, No 413, 27 September 1963.
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Papillon Graphics Encyclopaedia of Greater Manchester
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he spent time playing golf, where he met many of the
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311:In 1963 Read headed a six-part variety series for
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216:in Manchester, it launched Read's comedy career.
258:format. It featured guest performers including
145:his company won a lucrative contract with the
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281:In 1954 he appeared high on the bill at the
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16:British radio comedian (1909–1987)
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165:figures who performed in nearby
380:Surviving editions held by the
324:In 1966 a BBC TV series called
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632:Roy Hudd and Philip Hindin,
623:. Retrieved 28 December 2020
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246:invited him to perform at
759:Comedians from Lancashire
727:BBC.co.uk Guide to Comedy
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362:Read died in hospital in
326:Al Read Says What a Life!
303:. The American comedian
284:Royal Variety Performance
658:The Golden Age of Radio
764:English male comedians
636:, Robson Books, 1998,
137:Early business career
91:Comedian, businessman
352:It's All in the Book
155:after-dinner speaker
621:, 29 November 2020
745:by Padraig Colman
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568:24 February 2008
547:17 February 2008
525:10 February 2008
430:15 November 1955
401:25 November 1954
382:BBC Sound Archive
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390:First Broadcast
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375:The Al Read Show
336:It's All In Life
317:Life and Al Read
289:London Palladium
276:Hulme Hippodrome
252:The Al Read Show
214:Hulme Hippodrome
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143:Second World War
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743:Profile of Read
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564:18 June 2006
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410:24 June 2007
396:Description
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348:Such Is Life
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272:Al Read Show
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268:catchphrases
264:Pat Kirkwood
256:variety show
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240:Central Pier
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175:stage fright
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128:in clubs in
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70:(1987-09-09)
45:3 March 1909
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774:1987 deaths
769:1909 births
521:4 June 2006
500:28 May 2006
479:21 May 2006
460:8 July 2007
458:14 May 2006
439:1 July 2007
404:4 July 2004
305:Bob Newhart
98:Alfred Read
35:Alfred Read
753:Categories
578:References
562:1 May 2005
437:7 May 2006
423:No repeat
342:Later life
301:Manchester
242:, and the
236:Henry Hall
191:monologues
187:Manchester
171:South Pier
149:to supply
118:Lancashire
104:Early life
57:Lancashire
41:1909-03-03
393:Repeated
331:The Stage
322:portrays.
206:BBC Radio
167:Blackpool
110:Broughton
82:, England
59:, England
49:Broughton
151:sausages
644:, p.151
368:strokes
315:called
287:at the
114:Salford
53:Salford
25:Al Read
724:, 2002
668:, p.10
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130:Bolton
358:Death
147:NAAFI
662:ISBN
638:ISBN
262:and
244:King
225:and
65:Died
31:Born
313:ITV
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