Americans React to Morecambe and Wise's Andre Previn Sketch

This sketch never gets old. Even after 50+ years. It's a classic.

My grandad was in this! He was the bassoon player in the orchestra.

How Ant and Dec are even mentioned in the same breath as Eric and Ernie is a total mystery. This is Brilliant.

No swearing, nothing racist, not political, just a fantastic family comedy program. Andre Previn demonstrated he was a world class performer & entertainer - with a great sense of humour. All sadly missed today.

“I’m playing all the right notes, but not, necessarily, in the right order” must be one of the best lines ever written.

The humour has so many British nuances that it would be difficult for any non-British people to fully 'get' how hilarious this really is. Eric & Ernie were so 'home grown' they are National Treasures - never to be forgotten - never to be repeated. God Bless them

Back in the 90s, I had the privilege of chatting to "Mr. Preview" after a concert here in Los Angeles. Naturally I brought up this sketch. He told me that everywhere he goes in the world people always commented on it. He just couldn't believe the lasting impact it had - and this was before YouTube! Nice to see you enjoying this piece of classic British comedy ❤️

Getting André Previn to jump..... Absolute Quality!

I loved Andre's face of thunder when Eric starts playing. For someone who had never acted, and never rehearsed, Andre's performance was a work of art.

It's still the funniest sketch ever but it's quintessentially British and absolutely part of its time. You can't fully appreciate its genius unless you were part of British culture at that time. You had to BE there! More than half of the British population watched this show live and together we all laughed about it for weeks afterwards. Nothing united the entire nation more than our universal love for the utterly magical joy of a M&W BBC Christmas show. It was the undisputed highlight of the Christmas TV schedule for years. It was not just eagerly anticipated but it never failed to surpass hopes and expectations. It's impossible to appreciate the impact that this sketch had on the public if you didn't live through it. It's a bit like trying to understand, sixty years later, what was so sensational about first hearing the "long-haired" Beatles singing "She Loves You". There had never been anything like it and for those who experienced it at the time, it made an indelible impression.

What few these days realise, is that before this sketch, Andre Previn was renowned as a brilliant, world renowned classical conductor. Well known for being VERY serious. This sketch, brought him to a whole new audience!

I am a thousand years old and remember watching this live on tv. They were the biggest thing on tv and so funny, but we must give praise to Andre Previn who clearly is a masterful and talented musician. He was a composer also and conducted some of the biggest orchestras in the world. RIP all of them.,

Andre Previn needs credit for acting his part throughout this magnificently.

To you both: Just to make you aware. This is one of the most legendary and beloved sketches in British TV comedy history. The Eric Morecambe rejoiner to Previn "I was playing all the right notes, but not necessarily in the right order" has gone down in folklore as one of the best and most quoted of his many memorable famous comic lines. Brilliant, absolutely brilliant...

I've been watching this same sketch for maybe 35 years, I'm still crying with laughter. The orchestra is great they are laughing as hard as anyone else. Morecombe and Wise absolute comic genius.

Previn was the perfect straight man in this sketch. He could have broken at any point in this sketch. He took on the comedy, went with it and made sketch absolutely memorable. We know what we’re going to get from Eric and Ernie. Andrew makes this so special. He’s all in, and never misses a beat.

They were so loved by the British. Previn said he was not known in the local pub, but the day after this aired he became a celebrity. Andre Previn was a great conductor.

Dear Eric and Ernie, so missed. When I first saw this live on TV, I missed large bits because I was just convulsed in laughter. The NOT TOO HEAVY ON THE BANJOS,, I almost stopped breathing. They were simply the best, and by a long long way. Mr preview, Privett read the script on the plane from America that day, then went straight on stage...thats why Eric is so relieved when he did the Get My Baton...From Chicago line.....Eric new at that moment that Andre had it under control. Pravin deserves huge credit for his part......RIP all 3 lads.....so so missed.

Previn was, at the time, one of the greatest musicians in the world, both conducting and playing the piano. The audacity of Eric grabbing him by the lapels was stunning, and the right note quote is comedy legend! Recorded in one take, if I remember correctly?

Full marks to Andre Previn for sending himself up like that!