Charlie Adams

I reckon most readers of this blog will have laughed at a Charlie Adams gag without ever realising. There'll be no new ones, as, sadly, he died last week.

Inspired by the Dick Van Dyke tv series - a sitcom about writing a comedy show - he realised early he wanted to write great punchlines, and started by submitting work for the Radio 4 show Week Ending, and thence to the News Huddlines on Radio 2. He went on to write for countless comedians, including Bob Hope, Bob Monkhouse, Les Dawson, Jimmy Tarbuck and Bruce Forsyth - and pepped up a vast range of panel shows. Like 280 episodes of Call My Bluff.  13 series of Telly Addicts.

He was also responsible for the creation of Mr Blobby. Alan Nixon, who worked with Charlie from the days of the Huddlines, has written a tribute to his partner and friend. Read the whole thing, but here's the Blobby bit..

I was walking through Glasgow Central station on the day Charlie passed away, the town where we were both born, as a live brass band was playing ‘Someone to Watch over Me’. I suddenly remembered Charlie telling me that Mr Blobby, who had no words just bubbly sounds, and would try to hug anyone at inappropriate moments was, underneath it all, really a drunken Glaswegian who wants to be everybody’s pal.