RIP: shocking as 60 is no age. His life style probably didn't help but we see many athletes/joggers etc. also die at young ages too, so I guess when your no on it it's on it.
I have only found this out just on here, wow im shocked, i grew up as a nipper with the pair of them, shame big loss RIP Mel you made ma laff as a kid loads!
NTNN and Alas Smith & Jones were both excellent and original....I really do struggle to think of any other sketch shows where so many of the sketches are so grained in my memory and still make me laugh all these years on.
I think the Fast Show was the only sketch show aside from these two that was any good. So popular were they that they managed to single handidly kill off a national sport for an entire generation when they did that darts sketch.....another classic.
He went onto form TalkBack productions who in turn were responsible for several comedy and inovative classics such as Father Ted and Ali G - I bet Mel had an awful lot to do with those being succesful too.