Alternative comedy and sketch comedy, consisted of Manchester University and Royal Central School graduates Ade Edmondson, Rik Mayall, Nigel Planer, Dawn French, and Jennifer Saunders, who began to aim their talents at television. As "The Comic Strip Presents", the group made over 40 television films for both Channel 4 and BBC. Ben Elton, who had by then become the Comedy Store's next MC, was invited by Rik Mayall to join him as co-writer of BBC2's TV hit sitcom "The Young Ones". However, it was as MC of Channel 4's new comedy show "Saturday Live" that Elton found fame in his own right.
Joanna Lee (writer) that point as being a TV comedy writer. In her June 11, 1959 appearance on "You Bet Your Life," Joanna Lee describes her career and also wins $3,000 in prize money. Her writing career stretched from 1962 until 1990, including many dozens of episodes of comedic and dramatic television series, before writing, producing, and directing various TV movies and "Afterschool Specials." In 1973 she won an Emmy Award for Best Writing in Drama, for a 1972 Thanksgiving episode of "The Waltons". The same year, she formed her own production company, which, in 1975, produced the documentary "Babe" (also written by