The Lenny Henry Birthday Show: Now 60 years old and still absolutely hilarious

The imitation game: Lenny Henry was interviewed by Sir Trevor McDonald, who the comedian sends up in an impersonation
BBC/Des Willie
Guy Pewsey22 August 2018

Lenny Henry has been a fixture on television for more than 40 years, one of this country’s most widely recognised performers.

His impressions, stand-up, comedy, drama, Comic Relief campaigning and, well, Premier Inn advertisements mean he has made an impression on generations. And now, somehow, he is 60.

There is enough stellar material in his career to warrant an entire series acknowledging his role in changing the face of comedy but the BBC has gone with a more restrained approach: a one-off, hour-long look at his life and work (BBC One, 8pm).

It is an impressively succinct yet all-encompassing retrospective. We are given brief yet joyous glimpses of the historic work which laid the foundations of his popularity — stand-up work from the Eighties, clips from Tiswas, BBC specials and The Black and White Minstrel Show — as well as new sketches which show Henry’s prevailing ability to speak to contemporary audiences.

BBC One: The Lenny Henry Birthday Show 
BBC/Des Willie

His interpretation of Childish Gambino’s This is America video is excellent, as is his take on Bishop Michael Curry, the fervent American who delivered the inspirational (and long) sermon at Harry and Meghan’s wedding. Some of this new content doesn’t exactly break new ground — the Black Panther spoof is charming, if unremarkable — but Henry delivers every line with vigour.

These clips, however, are just punctuation for the main event: an interview by Sir Trevor McDonald. The legendary newsreader explores Henry’s past thoroughly. He covers his upbringing, his formidable Jamaican mother and the family’s attempts at integration. Then there are the early attempts to break into comedy, the years of stand-up and sketches, and his break into serious acting with an acclaimed run in Othello (a discussion of which includes an anecdote that could teach Boris Johnson a thing or two about how one can find humour in the niqab without risking a national outcry).

Pals: Sir Lenny Henry and Sir Trevor McDonald
BBC/Des Willie

The most moving moment, though, comes when Henry discusses his part in Comic Relief. The clips of his work with the charity are a reminder of why he has become such a national treasure: his heart is surely as vital to his success as his funny bone.

Henry is, of course, the star of the show but it is a genuine pleasure to watch McDonald looking so comfortable. He laughs and jokes throughout, clearly at ease with a man whose early fame, at least in part, stemmed from imitating the newsreader.

There is a strange omission, however, when Henry’s 1984 wedding comes up. McDonald is the one to bring it up, and Henry states that the union brought him into an upper echelon of comedy circles, meaning that he was suddenly amidst an impressive group including “Rik [Mayall], Ade [Edmondson] and Jennifer [Saunders]”. The fact that the marriage was to Dawn French, though, is not mentioned. Perhaps it was not considered relevant — the pair separated in 2010 — but the failure to acknowledge his wife of 16 years even in passing, when others in the group are namechecked and celebrated, seems slightly pointed.

Despite this, though, this birthday special is a treat. Henry is an expert in presenting important discussions on diversity alongside his trademark humour, and when the credits roll you may wonder if it’s possible that he has another 40 years of TV ahead of him.

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