The cast of a popular BBC TV sketch show which ran from 1979 to 1982. Created by producer John Lloyd in collaboration with Sean Hardie, the series was a fast-paced, frequently satirical show which gave many British comedy writers their first big break. The head writer was Richard Curtis, and diverse musical parodies were provided mostly by Howard Goodall. The troupe's first two LPs both reached the UK top ten, something even Monty Python never managed.