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He seemed to impersonate anyone famous around in the 1970s and 1980s, and he certainly "did" every British Prime Minister from Wilson onwards, but that was until Margaret Thatcher came along, for his octave couldn't quite reach the tone for such a female voice, and so Steve Nallon had to be drafted in for Spitting Image, and the irony was that he would have supported the Iron Lady's policies. Mike Yarwood, comedy impressionist (and sometimes even made people laugh) has died at the age of 82. Far too many people to mention here, but he did mostly what Rory Bremner did in the 1990s. I regarded Yarwood as a 1970s equivalent of Bremner.
From the late 1960s onwards, he was a regular fixture on our TV screens; firstly, his Saturday night shows on the BBC, fortnightly at first, and then weekly. When Morecambe and Wise and Bruce Forsyth made the move to the ITV network in 1978, Yarwood eventually followed suit and joined Thames at the start of the 1980s, starring in a few TV specials. A clip from Mike Yarwood in Persons from 1985 was played on Thames' End of the Year Show; the very last show to be made by them before the chimes of Big Ben sounded the end of their franchise period and a handover to Carlton TV. Here he impersonated Bruce Forsyth and Cliff Richard in an old people's home.
Not to be confused with the winchman of the same name, both Yarwood namesakes made it onto This is Your Life during the Eamonn Andrews era, and even the official Yarwood himself speculated what would have happened had Andrews had ran our of guests for his Big Red Book show. In around 1988 his shows ended, and most speculated the rise of alternative comedians as being one reason why Yarwood was falling out of favour by then. Back in the day, his humour was appreciated, especially when he appeared in the post-Coronation Street Wednesday evening slot of 8.00 pm. known for series like The Benny Hill Show, Tommy Cooper and Morecambe and Wise.
He was a Marmite sort of act; one either liked him or not liked him. He was of his time, and his portfolio of voices and impersonations lasted a while. For some reason I thought he was older than 82, but he did start in showbusiness at a relatively young age.
From the late 1960s onwards, he was a regular fixture on our TV screens; firstly, his Saturday night shows on the BBC, fortnightly at first, and then weekly. When Morecambe and Wise and Bruce Forsyth made the move to the ITV network in 1978, Yarwood eventually followed suit and joined Thames at the start of the 1980s, starring in a few TV specials. A clip from Mike Yarwood in Persons from 1985 was played on Thames' End of the Year Show; the very last show to be made by them before the chimes of Big Ben sounded the end of their franchise period and a handover to Carlton TV. Here he impersonated Bruce Forsyth and Cliff Richard in an old people's home.
Not to be confused with the winchman of the same name, both Yarwood namesakes made it onto This is Your Life during the Eamonn Andrews era, and even the official Yarwood himself speculated what would have happened had Andrews had ran our of guests for his Big Red Book show. In around 1988 his shows ended, and most speculated the rise of alternative comedians as being one reason why Yarwood was falling out of favour by then. Back in the day, his humour was appreciated, especially when he appeared in the post-Coronation Street Wednesday evening slot of 8.00 pm. known for series like The Benny Hill Show, Tommy Cooper and Morecambe and Wise.
He was a Marmite sort of act; one either liked him or not liked him. He was of his time, and his portfolio of voices and impersonations lasted a while. For some reason I thought he was older than 82, but he did start in showbusiness at a relatively young age.