CHRIS LANGHAM: Classic or Dud?

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'Mention Kermit and Miss Piggy and you are talking about one of the greatest unrequieted love affairs of the twentieth century... and we have Chris Langham to thank for some of their best lines when he was co-writer on the show from 1977-1980.' An old stand-up comic, modest, enigmatic and ungainly: He appeared on Clive Anderson's 'Talk Back' show, replacing Tony Slattery; He was also in 'Kiss Me Kate', had a bit part as Roman trying not to laugh in 'Life of Brian', and was thrown out of the 'Not the Nine 'O'clock News' team for failing to turn up to sessions (replaced by Griff Rhys-Jones). He has since said his tardy beginnings were due to crippling nerves. Classic or dud?

― Jason Pillow, Monday, 7 October 2002 14:06 (twenty-three years ago)

anyone replacing tony slattery = classic, i should think.

― g-kit (g-kit), Monday, 7 October 2002 14:08 (twenty-three years ago)

He has such a low profile - but deadly, comedic-wise; I'd be interested to know if anyone here actually knows who I mean?

― Jason Pillow, Monday, 7 October 2002 14:17 (twenty-three years ago)

Was he the writer of People Like Us or just Mallard's voice actor? People Like Us is classic. Beyond that I don't know. Not helpful, sorry...

― Rebecca (reb), Monday, 7 October 2002 14:21 (twenty-three years ago)

People like us was created by the writer John Morton and Chris Langham. Chris Morton wrote fot it, but Langham must have chipped in - it sound so like his style. Chris Langham is kind of like the Frances Farmer of comedy.

― Jason Pillow, Monday, 7 October 2002 14:28 (twenty-three years ago)

i always thought he was DUD until People Like Us...he never made me laugh until then

― blueski, Monday, 7 October 2002 15:10 (twenty-three years ago)

I always liked him, and still do.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Monday, 7 October 2002 18:21 (twenty-three years ago)

Chris Langham is ace. Didn't he actually appear on the Muppet Show at one point, during or shortly after the first series of Not The Nine O' Clock News? Apparently he was called in to replace Richard Pryor, who had previously fried himself with that freebasing accident.

― Chriddof (Chriddof), Monday, 7 October 2002 21:22 (twenty-three years ago)

Is Langham the one who did the mimed acrobat/Sabre Dance routine in the Secret Policeman's Ball? If so = classic.

Last night, coincidentally, I was watching him and Palin (right up in his face) in the "Biggus Dickus" bit of Life of Brian... That has got to be without a doubt the funniest 5 seconds in the movie.

― Joe (Joe), Monday, 7 October 2002 21:38 (twenty-three years ago)

Ah, thank you, now I have a face with the name! It is indeed a killer moment in that wonderful film. Palin on the Criteirion DVD talks about how he was losing it just as bad as Langham in that scene, and it's true that you can just see him on the verge of cracking up as he delivers his lines.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 7 October 2002 21:43 (twenty-three years ago)

He told this charming anecdote on Jonathan Ross' radio show recently - describing his father's dry and understated sense of humour. He remembers being a young boy, hovering outside the entrance to a department store for a few moments as his diffident father quietly agonised about taking a short cut through the building to get to the street on the other side. He proposed that he and his son should walk right through the middle of the busy store, looking straight ahead - never to their left or right. Chris nodded and, indomitably, they took each other's hands and embarked without further hesitation. When they got to the exit at the opposite end of the store, Chris' father turned to him and said: 'That showed 'em'.

― Owen, Tuesday, 8 October 2002 10:08 (twenty-three years ago)

one year passes...

I've always liked Chris Langham, allthough I wasn't quite old enough to remember him in Not The Nine O'Clock News, I was brought up on a stable diat of The Secrtet policemans Ball's and such like. I was very glad when People Like Us made the sucessfull transition from Radio to T.V. and, allthough I'm not a fan of the show, I was equally pleased that Kiss Me Kate was the sucess it was. He is now enjoying the fame he desurved and has waited so long for. I hope future fans of Not The Nine O'Clock are made aware of his contribution to the early shows.

― Dave Lanford, Thursday, 11 December 2003 23:47 (twenty-two years ago)

four months pass...

Just googled here after seeing Chris Langham in the Tamworth Two over Easter. He was really good.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/guide/images/400/peoplelikeus_3.jpg

― S. Wool, Tuesday, 13 April 2004 10:21 (twenty-two years ago)

he's got a good funny face.

i like him, i think.

― Robbie Lumsden (Wallace Stevens HQ), Tuesday, 13 April 2004 10:32 (twenty-two years ago)

I like him quite a lot, but alas Tamworth was not his finest hour.

― the tamfox, Tuesday, 13 April 2004 11:07 (twenty-two years ago)

v. funny. i'm pleased he's finally getting this recognition. another comedy under achiever of his generation = Michael Fenton Stevens. he's curently stealing BBC's Nighty Night, starring alongside Julia Davis, playing the quietly incredulous vicar. a really fine actor, seemingly always in work, but while he has the reputation of being a so called comedian's-comedian (highly esteemed by his ex-footlight peers), he has never been rewarded with his own comedy vehicle on radio or telly.

― mark diet, Tuesday, 13 April 2004 11:12 (twenty-two years ago)

http://www.mikefs.co.uk/r-active.jpg

"Michael is the good looking hunk with his back to the camera."

― mark diet, Tuesday, 13 April 2004 11:26 (twenty-two years ago)

Brilliant *Brilliant* as George Orwell in that fake docudrama.

― de, Tuesday, 13 April 2004 12:59 (twenty-two years ago)

ten months pass...

His new sitcom with Paul Whitehouse is absolutely amazing and probably deserving of its own thread.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Wednesday, 2 March 2005 20:20 (twenty-one years ago)

Yes.
(Tis mostly due to Whitehouse though.)

― Masked Gazza, Wednesday, 2 March 2005 20:28 (twenty-one years ago)

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