Misc TV Appearances
Throughout his career, Eddie has appeared on various television shows to promote his stand-up and film performances including: the Conan O’Brien Show, The View, The Daily Show, A&E Breakfast with the Arts, Parkinson, The Frank Skinner Show, So Graham Norton, Friday Night With Jonathan Ross, Ruby, TFI Friday, Des O’Connor Tonight, Where's Elvis This Week, The Priory, Clive Anderson All Talk and Clive Anderson Talks Back in the UK and The Late Show With David Letterman, Late, Late Show With Craig Kilborn, Late Night With Conan O’Brien, The Tonight Show With Jay Leno, The Wayen Brady Show, Open Mike With Mike Bullard and Dinner For Five in the USA and Canada.
Eddie was also interviewed for RIP 2002, (2002), Billy Connolly – A Bafta Tribute, (2002), Best Ever Bond (2002), Stand Up With Alan Davies (2000), Thirty Years Of Billy Connolly (1998), Behind The Music (1997), The End Of The Year Show (1996), Street-Porter's Men (1995), Mondo Rosso (1995) and It's Just A Ride (1994).
He appeared many times on the BBC’s satirical quiz, Have I Got News For You in 1990 and 1991, and on the Reeves and Mortimer’s Shooting Stars (1993) and on Whose Line Is It Anyway in 1989.
Other notable television appearances include:
In 1993, Eddie hosted It's The Monty Python Story for the BBC/A&E. Eddie linked together rare clips and interviews with the Python members and other comedians about the history of one of the most famous comedy groups of the 20th Century.
Open Fire is the true story of Steven Waldorf, the innocent man shot by police as he waited in traffic on January 14th, 1983. It was a case of mistaken identity, the police believing Waldorf to be criminal David Martin. Waldorf subsequently recovered and David Martin was later caught and jailed. Starring Rupert Graves and Kate Hardie, this ITV drama (which at the time was said to challenge any BBC single plays) was broadcast on 12th November, 1994. Eddie had a small role as Rich, a pimp.
Eddie appeared in Tales From The Crypt, 30-minute horror stories introduced by a puppet called The Crypt Keeper, in an episode titled Confession. He played Evans, alongside Alun Armstrong and Ciaran Hinds. The episode was first aired on HBO on 5th July, 1996.
In the spring of 1997, Channel 4 aired a documentary series called Heroes Of Comedy, which profiled famous and influential comedians.
In 1998, Eddie recorded 2 voice-overs for a new animated series, Rex The Runt, for Aardman Animations/BBC2 – Melting Blob Man in the episode titled Adventures On Telly and Easter Island Head in Easter Island. The series (13 x 10 minutes), from the same company that created Wallace And Gromit, is a more adult, focusing on the lives of 4 dogs (Rex, Wendy, Bad Bob and Vince), who share a house and have mundane adventures. According to creator and animator Richard Goleszowski it was hoped that Rex The Runt would “change attitudes to animation….It’s sophisticated with strong scripts and more verbal humour.” Other voices featured were Paul Merton, Judith Chalmers, Kathy Burke and Antoine de Caunes.
On 29th January 1998, Eddie appeared as a guest on the BBC’s famous topical debate show, Question Time. Recorded in Glasgow, other guests on the programme were Conservative barrister and Rangers vice-chairman Donald Findlay, the SNP’s Nicola Sturgeon and Gavin Strang.
On Saturday 18th April, 1998, BBC2 devoted an evening’s programming to the late Spike Milligan. Presented by Prince Charles, Eddie was interviewed (along with other comedians such as Billy Connelly, John Cleese and Michael Palin) about his opinion of Spike and his influence on future comedians. Other programmes included in the broadcast were Happy Birthday Spike (a reunion with Spike and his oldest friends from his days at the BBC Radio Theatre) and Spike In His Own Words – a frank interview with Spike about his life.
In 1998, Eddie took part in Monty Python's Flying Circus – Live At Aspen (also known as the US Comedy Arts Festival Tribute To Monty Python) as a Monty Python Imposter. The event (televised on HBO) was a recording of a live stage event at the Wheeler Opera Theatre, and featured the entire cast (including Graham Chapman’s ashes) on stage talking about how Monty Python began and about the sketches and films. Clips of the show were also included.
On Saturday 9th October, 1999, BBC2 screened ‘Monty Python Night’, a themed evening of programmes celebrating 30 years of Monty Python. Eddie presented a 50 minute documentary entitled ‘It’s: The Monty Python Story’ which looked at the history of Python, with contributions from the five surviving Pythons and celebrities. Other highlights included sketches thought lost from 1971 and ‘Pythonland’; a journey around the various locations used for Monty Python.
In 1999, Eddie appeared in 2 Government television commercials to promote the Gift Aid initiative (and at the end of 2002, he was involved in a press campaign) whereby charities can claim the tax on any donations made.
Between June 22 & June 29 2003, C4 broadcasted the biggest live, interactive archaeological investigation ever staged in the UK. Six and a half hours of primetime TV was devoted to filming members of the public as they dug their own back gardens, or other spaces, in search of the hidden heritage which lay just beneath their feet. Eddie joined Tony Robinson and the team at a site in Swindon on the last weekend as a guest presenter.
