Lost Morecambe and Wise episode date confirmed
BBCA long-lost episode of The Morecambe and Wise Show that was found in a private collection will be broadcast in May, the BBC has confirmed.
The episode, which was discovered by charity Film Is Fabulous! (FIF), will be played on 14 May - on what would have been Eric Morecambe's 100th birthday.
The programme formed part of Morecambe and Wise's return to the BBC after working in commercial television and was originally broadcast on 16 September 1968.
It was one of four missing episodes from the series but a copy was preserved by an industry professional who has since died.
The black and white episode features sketches written by Sid Green and Dick Hills.
Ann Hamilton appears as Pauline in a sketch set in a nudist colony, while Jenny Lee-Wright plays Eric's niece, a balloon dancer.
It also includes a musical performance from The Paper Dolls, who enjoyed hits in the 1960s.
Eric Morecambe's daughter, Gail, said she was "thrilled" the broadcast date would coincide with her father's centenary year.
"What a lovely surprise this is, and I'm really looking forward to seeing it on a screen once again after so many years," she said.
"It's excellent to hear that skilled people are actively going through the archives and discovering 'lost' programmes.
"Not just Morecambe and Wise, of course."
The programme was tracked down by FIF, a charitable trust run by film collectors, cinema lovers, and vintage television enthusiasts.
Prof Justin Smith, professor of cinema and television history at De Montfort University in Leicester, and chair of trustees at FIF, said the episode was "fast-paced" and "witty" with many of the duo's "trademarks".
Gary Morecambe, Eric's son, described the discovery as "wonderful" and said he thought there was not "anything out there left to find".
"I'm so thrilled and surprised by the discovery of a Morecambe and Wise show that hasn't been seen since 1968," he said.
"Hats off to Professor Justin Smith and his team, whose dedication and hard work brought this gem back to us.
"I'm very excited about seeing it for the first time since I was 12 years of age."
The episode will air on BBC Four and BBC iPlayer.
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