It’s been four decades since this festive special first aired – but it’s coming back to screens this Christmas.
The Cannon and Ball Christmas special was initially released on December 21, 1985.
Starring Tommy Cannon and Bobby Ball, the beloved comedy variety show ran on ITV from 1979 to 1988 and will now see the special air on That’s TV to spice up the December programme schedule.
What’s more, it will be followed by a season of classic standard episodes.
Cannon, 87, said: ‘It’s wonderful news to hear That’s TV will be showing our shows again.
‘I’m absolutely thrilled that the shows will be back where they belong on national TV.
‘Seeing mine and Bobby’s work back on national television, well, it means more than I can put into words.’
He added: ‘We made the show with love, mischief, and a bond that never broke. To know people can sit down again – families, old fans, and new generations – and laugh with us touches my heart.
‘I’m looking forward to sitting down and watching the shows again, along with the That’s TV viewers, this Christmas. It means the world.’
It comes after Cannon and fans of the show successfully campaigned for it to be included as part of ITV’s 70th birthday celebrations.
That’s TV head of programming, Kris Vaiksalu, said: ‘The secret is out. Every year, we try to have a surprise Christmas gift for our viewers, but this year’s is stratospheric.
‘Throughout the 1980s, Cannon and Ball was must-watch viewing for millions on a Saturday night, leaving the whole nation crying with laughter.
‘Cannon and Ball is one of the biggest shows in British TV history, and really nothing compares to it in TV today.’
Entertainers Cannon and Ball met in the 1960s when they were working as welders in the same factory in Oldham.
They started performing in working men’s clubs before finding fame on the ITV talent show Opportunity Knocks in 1968.
Their rise to popularity coincided with the increase in alternative comedy, but Cannon and Ball’s fanbase began dwindling as tastes changed.
This prompted a change in direction for the pair, who appeared in their own sitcom, Cannon and Ball’s Playhouse, in the 1990s.
In the latter years of their careers, they enjoyed success in pantomime and theatre, as well as a stint in the I’m A Celebrity jungle in 2005.
Behind the scenes of their dazzling stardom, however, Cannon and Ball weren’t always the best of pals.
Previously, they admitted that, during their heyday, they barely spoke to one another and wouldn’t spend time together if they weren’t working.
Tensions remained for three years before they were resolved, allowing the duo to grow close once more.
Ball died after suffering from Covid in 2020, aged 76. Fans lined the street near Hope Church in Lytham to pay their respects to him on his funeral day, with Cannon among the mourners.
Meanwhile, television fans have been left largely disappointed by the festive lineup this year, particularly following last year’s Gavin and Stacey finale, not to mention the new Wallace & Gromit flick.
There’s no denying 2024 was always going to be hard to top, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t plenty to look forward to.
From a Strictly Come Dancing Christmas special to Corrie, EastEnders, and Emmerdale festive episodes, there’ll be both entertainment and drama making their way into the nation’s living rooms.
What’s more, Stranger Things concludes over the new year, hit comedy Amandaland is airing a special, and The Celebrity Apprentice returns.
The 1985 Christmas special of The Cannon and Ball Show will air on December 20; a launch date for the classic episodes is yet to be announced.
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