Dave Allen at Large
1 9 7 1 - 1 9 7 9 (UK)
26 x 45 minute episodes
6 x 50 minute episodes
1 x 35 minute episode
 Dublin-born
comedian Dave Allen (real name David Tynan O'Mahoney) sits on a stool,
smoking a cigarette and taking regular swigs from a glass of whisky
while telling risqué jokes about the pope, the Catholic church and sex
(sometimes all three in one joke). Between the monologues, he appears
in a stream of quick-fire sketches.
His first series, Tonight With Dave Allen for
ATV began in 1967 and ended in 1969 after 31 episodes. There were 5
episodes of The Dave Allen Show for BBC1 (1968 - 1969) and he
then worked his way through Dave Allen At Large (five series)
and two series' simply entitled Dave Allen - one for the BBC
(1981 - 1990) and one for ITV (1993 - 1994). He had a repertory of
actors who appeared in sketches with him, such as Michael Sharvell-Martin,
Ronnie Brody and Jacqueline Clarke.
 A
former journalist in Ireland and Butlins Redcoat at Skegness, Allen is
famous for his nine and a half digits, having lost the tip of one
finger in a car accident. He first made his name on The Val
Doonican Show from 1965 where his quirky jokes came as a blessed
relief from the Celtic crooner's rendering of Paddy McGinty's Goat
and Rafferty's Motor Car. And he didn't have Val's taste in
naff knitwear either. He proved so popular that he was given his own
show.
In 1971, he starred in The Dave Allen Show on
Australian TV with Peter Cook and Dudley Moore. On one show they
discussed the merits of masturbation, as a result of which the three
were yanked off (if you'll pardon the pun) Australian screens. The
ban was intended to be for life but was soon rescinded
 In
Britain, he drew complaints about tackling incest and about his
confessional box jokes but maintained that he got more letters over
scratching his head too much or tugging at his ear lobe. But in 1990
he used the F word on the show, prompting the BBC to issue a public
apology and MPs to ask questions about him in the House of Commons.
The intensely-private Irishman made occasional guest
appearances on chat shows but grew to prefer the quiet life and
shunned the spotlight whenever he could. The comedian who used to
consume up to 80 cigarettes a day, quit smoking and cut down on his
drinking after a health scare several years ago. A keen painter, his
first exhibition, "Private Views", was held in Edinburgh in 2001. He
has a son, Ed Allen, from his marriage to actress Judith Stott which
ended in divorce in 1983. Ed is also a comedian.
"May your God go with you . . ."
TRIVIA NOTE
The 1974 special was a compilation of material from the first three
seasons of Dave Allen At Large linked by Allen with some new
material. Ditto the 1978 special, which was made as a British entry
for the annual Montreux Festival.
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