Obituary: Eddie Braben, comedy writer behind some of Morecambe and Wise’s most delightful sketches

In the television studio Eddie Braben was known as “the third man behind the success of the Morecambe and Wise Show”. In fact, he was a respected writer for many comedians – dating back to Charlie Chester in the 1950s and later for Ronnie Corbett, Ken Dodd and David Frost. His material was never smutty or rude but good, family-orientated humour that proved ideal for the shows then popular on television.

But it was the years with Morecambe and Wise for which he will be remembered – those classics which are shown on television and now entertain a new generation.

His sketches include famous one with Andre Previn (Andrew Preview, as Morecambe called him) during which Morecambe delivered the unforgettable line when finding some difficulty with the Greig Piano Concerto: “I am playing all the right notes, just not in the right order.”

There is also the scene in which a police siren is heard and Morecambe quips: “He’s not going to sell much ice cream going at that speed.” Then all those plays “what I wrote” that ended countless shows. All those came from the fertile brain of Braben.

At the height of the Morecambe and Wise fame – the Christmas Special had an audience of 28 million – Braben said in an interview: “If I write a mediocre script they’ll make it good, if I write a good script they’ll make it brilliant. One day I might be lucky enough to produce a brilliant script and then I think you might see something special.”

He gave the show jokes,  wildly funny situations and, most especially, heart.

Even at school Braben was writing jokes. He left school at 14 and helped his parents on their fruit and vegetable stall in the market. He did his national service with the RAF and had a trial for Liverpool FC. But in his spare time Braben wrote jokes and sent them to leading comedians appearing in the Liverpool theatres. In 1947 Charlie Chester paid him 2/6 (12.5p).

But Braben found early success with Ken Dodd whose rapid delivery ensured that he needed plenty of jokes. For 12 years Braben supplied Doddy with jokes that he used round the northern clubs and on  television.

By the mid-1960s Braben was becoming well established with some outstanding radio shows. In particular, he contributed to Round the Horne, writing the lyrics for the Rambling Syd numbers that were sung at the end of the show by Kenneth Williams.

In 1969 Braben received a call from Bill Cotton, then head of BBC TV light entertainment, commissioning him to write four trial scripts for Morecambe and Wise. Morecambe had just had a heart attack and scripts had to be written with that in mind.

Braben’s first decision was to maintain the duo’s real life characteristics and personalities in front of the camera – though Braben allowed himself to  extend certain qualities.

Wise came over as naïve, mean and concerned with his appearance. Morecambe was more worldly-wise, a football  fanatic who did funny things with paper bags and his spectacles. Braben quietly refashioned their personalities and wrote jokes that included catch  phrases and oddball asides.

The success of the show relied on their own hard work and capacity for long rehearsals.

Braben also credited their friendship as vital – it ensured there was never jealousy between the two. He wrote the sketches with the two living together and sharing a large double bed – something unthinkable on television even in the 1970s.

Braben argued that it emphasised their closeness and created an air of delightful innocence. No one ever wrote in to complain or question the odd nature of the situation.

Writing for Morecambe and Wise put Braben under immense pressure – the expectation of each show, especially the Christmas specials, was tremendous. Braben began to suffer with nervous illnesses.

When the comedians moved to ITV in 1978 Braben decided not join them and, instead, returned to radio in shows such as The Show With Ten Legs and The Worst Show on the Wireless. In 1980 he returned to write some epic Morecambe and Wise shows that included memorable contributions from Hannah Gordon and Glenda Jackson.

In 2001, a stage play, The Play What I Wrote, opened in the West End written by Hamish McColl, Sean Foley and Eddie Braben. The play, directed by Kenneth Branagh, boasted a new star in an Ernie play every night.

Those priceless television sketches created by Braben linger in the memory: Yehudi Menuhin being told he could not appear without his banjo, Laurence Olivier being confused with a Chinese laundry and Shirley Bassey trying to sing Smoke Gets in Your Eyes.

Braben is survived by his wife, Dee, and their three children.

Alasdair Steven