Sad news today, with
the passing of Mel Smith, founding member of
Not the Nine O'Clock News and co-star of
Alas, Smith and Jones, two of the most consistently brilliant comedy programs of the late 70s and 1980s. Never exactly a slave to fitness or health, by all accounts, 60 years of age is still too early to see a performer of such superb timing and comic precision depart.
Not the
Nine O'Clock News and, especially
Alas, Smith and Jones played a huge part in my own comedic and writing education. They're incredible examples of writing, especially in regards to wordplay and dialogue. They were literate, articulate, and scurrilous, and I adored them.
By way of memorial, here's one of my favourite
Smith & Jones sketches, a gleeful decimation of the Shakespearean turn of phrase:
And here's another, illuminating one of the lessons I've learned most deeply: that you can strip away everything else, and still be captivating, funny, and honest, as long as you have strength in your dialogue. No matter what else the show was filled with, these 'conversation' pieces were always the highlight, and this one is just about their best:
It's always a sad day when genius leaves us, not least because it means the opportunity for fresh work is denied us. And this passing leaves me sad indeed.
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