TWO decades ago, Dave Allen made his final TV series, an ITV postwatershed strand which offended some, but delighted millions – a description which summed up most of his working life.
The ex-Skegness redcoat, newspaper dogsbody and strip show comedian drifted into showbusiness via a hit Australian series. For years, his talents were buried in the “flesh and flash” shows which took him round the Northern circuit as a support act to strippers and singers. But Allen, then known as Dave O’Mahoney, persevered.
His stint in Australia, where he had his own TV show, was a success and he repeated his performance in Britain where, at last, the critics sat up and took notice of the man whose only props were a stool, a glass of whiskey and a wry smile.
He died in March 2005, leaving a legacy of great material. Now there’s a chance to refresh your memory of his greatness in the documentary Dave Allen: God’s Own Comedian, featuring rare, often previously unseen, archive material and interviews with family, friends and colleagues.
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