Alas Smith and Jones
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Image:RadioTimesSmithJones.jpg
Alas Smith and Jones was a British comedy sketch series featuring Mel Smith and Griff Rhys Jones. Its title was a pun on that of the American television series Alias Smith and Jones. It was broadcast on the BBC from 1982 to 1988. The series followed in the footsteps of Not the Nine O'Clock News in its use of taboo-breaking material and sketches in questionable taste (as well as bad language), and also featured head-to-head 'duologues' between Smith and Jones which were very much in the Pete and Dud mould - Smith was the idiot who knew everything, Griff the idiot who knew nothing.
Schedule
The show ran for 25 episodes of 30 minutes each, plus 2 specials:
- December 27, 1982: a 5 minute special, broadcast as part of The Funny Side Of Christmas
- January 31, 1984 - March 6, 1984: Series One, 6 episodes
- October 31, 1985 - December 5, 1985: Series Two, 6 episodes
- September 18, 1986 - October 23, 1986: Series Three, 6 episodes
- October 15, 1987 - November 26, 1987: Series Four, 7 episodes
- December 21, 1988: 40 minutes special, Alas Sage And Onion
Commercial releases
A compilation DVD release was scheduled for August 8th 2005, by the BBC:
- The Best Of Alas Smith And Jones
The compilation DVD's release was unfortunately delayed from August 8th, 2005 to December 6, 2005, and has now been delayed once again, according to play.com, for release on June 26, 2006. Bear in mind that, once this is released, it will be for Region 2, which means it will not be playable in Region 1 DVD players in North America.
There is an older commercial VHS tape of Alas Smith and Jones in circulation, but it is hard to find. This is also for UK VHS systems only.