This was a pretty competent comedy duo. Unfortunately they came upon a TV world that boasted Morcambe & Wise, Mike & Bernie Winters, and soon: The Two Ronnies.
Against such a phalanx of talent as this, something truly extraordinary would be needed to succeed. Hope & keen did their best. And at their best they were really quite funny. But not funny enough. They did at least have their own TV show, and that was a phenomenal achievement. But it's a measure of their comedic prowess that I'm writing their first comment in 2008, and that pretty much as an epitaph.
The only sketch I can particularly remember was a take on 'In Dublin's Fair City'. One posed as a shell-fish salesman with a stall. He sang the song. The other was concealed beneath. At the line of the song 'alive-alive-oh-oh' the concealed partner would thump the display, causing all of the stock to take flight. It was funnier than it sounds, but not much.
I don't suppose they'll ever appear on DVD, even supposing their show recordings have survived.
Against such a phalanx of talent as this, something truly extraordinary would be needed to succeed. Hope & keen did their best. And at their best they were really quite funny. But not funny enough. They did at least have their own TV show, and that was a phenomenal achievement. But it's a measure of their comedic prowess that I'm writing their first comment in 2008, and that pretty much as an epitaph.
The only sketch I can particularly remember was a take on 'In Dublin's Fair City'. One posed as a shell-fish salesman with a stall. He sang the song. The other was concealed beneath. At the line of the song 'alive-alive-oh-oh' the concealed partner would thump the display, causing all of the stock to take flight. It was funnier than it sounds, but not much.
I don't suppose they'll ever appear on DVD, even supposing their show recordings have survived.