The Imaginatively Titled Punt & Dennis Show

Continuing the BBC’s search for a pre-watershed sketch show, in 1994, they commissioned Steve Punt & Hugh Dennis to cerate their own sketch show. Imaginatively titled “The Imaginatively-titled Punt And Dennis Show”, the boys asked David Tyler, Steve’s long-term writing associate to produce the show. It followed on from their appearance as half of the quartet in “The Mary Whitehouse Experience” and included running characters from that show, including Milky Milky. The show was also the long-term grandchild of Punt & Dennis’s original radio show “Live On Arrival” ad the great-grandfather of the still-running “The Now Show” on Radio 4.

Notable appearances included Alistair McGowan as spymaster Kropotkin in the 60’s ITC-style spy serial “A Man called Martin”, Ronni Ancona, a cameo from Steve’s sister, Helen Punt, and a little foreshadowing of a cameo from Tom Baker as the ultimate voice-over actor - a comic trope spotted by another double act some ten years later in Little Britain...

Regular characters included the ever-drunk Michael and Tarquin from World Of Wine (“You poured it on a fish...!), The Gullibles (“We’re always falling for scams!”), the Video Diary Of Samuel Pepys, the Tiny Jockeys, and Embarrassing Dad (“No-one minds! No-one’s looking at us!”).

The series aired in 1994 and was recommisioned, although David didn’t produce the second series. The best of the series was also released on video, under the title “Punt & Dennis: The Imaginatively-Titled Video”


Here’s the original Press Blurb from the series:

Steve Punt and Hugh Dennis are the best new double-act to emerge from the Alternative Comedy scene, and in an unprecedented move, BBC1 have given them their own primetime series, starting on Wednesday July the 13th at 8.30 pm.

Already familiar to BBC1 viewers for their sketches on five series of Jasper Carrott's Carrott Confidential, the younger audience will know them as the slightly less hairy half of BBC2's The Mary Whitehouse Experience, one of the most successful new sketch comedies for years.

Their new show - imaginatively-titled "The Imaginatively-Titled Punt & Dennis Show" features double-act, stand-up, sketches, music and the return of Hugh & Steve's most popular characters. Mr. Strange, whose inexplicable fondness for  curdled milk, and bewildering catchphrase "milky milky" will be popping up, as well as the infuriating dad, who says "What's this? It's got a good beat to it!". New characters include Len, the builder from Hell, two tiny Jockeys, who regard Macauley Culkin as "a very big man", the Gullibles, and our weekly spy-serial, provisionally called "The Man Who Was ... Thingy".

Written and performed by Steve Punt & Hugh Dennis, the show is produced by David Tyler (credits include Spitting Image, Absolutely, Paul Merton - The Series, and Steve Coogan's Paul Calf Video Diary) and directed by David G. Hillier, whose most recent production was The Jack Dee Show.

The Imaginatively Titled Punt & Dennis Show

The Imaginatively Titled Punt & Dennis Show

Click here to hear the fab 'n' groovy signature tune by Phil Pope (from Radio Active)

We shouldn't really link you to any YouTube pages, but there are loads of clips out there including many of the Milky Milky ones...

You can, of course, buy the video by clicking here

It's not only fab but has very good outtakes, mainly of Steve corpsing while Hugh prats about in the background...

Plus the now-famous "log-in-the-camera" incident...

And you can always nag the Beeb to release it on DVD....

And read all about Steve & Hugh here