A Kick Up the Eighties own career as an actor. The first series won a Scottish BAFTA for Best Entertainment Programme in 1982. A compilation episode was broadcast on 31 December 1987, entitled "A Kick Up The Bells". A Kick Up the Eighties A Kick Up the Eighties was a 1981-1984 BBC 2 sketch show starring Robbie Coltrane, Tracey Ullman, Richard Stilgoe, Miriam Margolyes, Rik Mayall, Ron Bain and Roger Sloman. The series was created by Tom Gutteridge (producer/director) and Sean Hardie (executive producer). Colin Gilbert was script editor. The show was the first break into television for Rik Mayall, who played the anorak-wearing investigative
The Family (sketch) referred to her as "Thelma"), and Harvey Korman as Ed Higgins. In "The Family" sketches, Mama has five children (in the subsequent series, she has only three): in addition to Ellen Harper (played by Betty White) and Eunice, there were three sons: Larry Harper (Alan Alda), Phillip Harper (Roddy McDowall), and Jack Harper (Tommy Smothers). All three were replaced by Vinton Harper, played by Ken Berry, in the spin-off television series. Berry played Phillip in the made-for-TV movie, "Eunice" (precursor to "Mama's Family"). Tim Conway played recurring character Mickey Hart, Ed's employee. "The Family" sketch was created and written by