With a mixture of sketches, musical numbers, and the play's 'wot Ernie wrote' there was something for all the family.

Who can forget Monty on the Bonty (Wise's adaptation of Mutiny on the Bounty) or the triumphant revelation of Angela Rippon's dancing feet?

Star guests would line up to appear alongside the duo. Elton John proved a good sport in a running sketch that saw Eric and Ernie detouring him everywhere BUT the stage to stop him singing. Even The Beatles didn't dare correct Eric on the fact that their drummer was not called Bongo Starr.

They were self-effacing too. Eric asking 'what do you think of it so far?' always got a 'rubbish!' (usually from Eric himself) and Ernie's pompous thespianism was joked about as much as the join in his toupee.

Perhaps they are so warmly remembered because they really were the best of friends. Eric's asides to the audience included the viewer in that friendship.

They worked together for the best part of four decades and, as the song says, they brought sunshine to audiences throughout every year that passed.