It began as a recurring sketch on Alan’s Big 1FM, and was written by its star Michael Redmond.

It later reappeared with more instalments on Shuttleworth’s Showtime. But come late October 1996, Eamon, Older Brother Of Jesus, was due to become its own 15 minute show on BBC Radio 4.

It never aired.

The premise of the show was that the Holy Family was Irish and had left for Israel, where Mary gave birth to two sons, Jesus and Eamon. The latter is constantly overshadowed by his younger brother and bitterly complains to his father Joseph … [I]t quickly raised the ire of the British Sunday Times … [which] was able to persuade the BBC to drop the series.

Incorrect Entertainment by Anthony Slide

Michael talks about this on this podcast.

It amazes me that this happened.

That said, Pip Schofield adopts the ideal tone for this interview, and manages to get through most of it with the perfect straight face. Lovely stuff. Also, it’s fun to say Nut Hut.

Probably not the best way to fire one of your biggest stars.

This is a sketch from The Carol Burnett Show, which was a huge hit for CBS in the 70s. It never really caught on here in the UK, and only managed a 13 episode run on BBC2, although 244 episodes were made.

Before he did Later with the BBC, Jools Holland made his Happening for BSB in 1990-91, before it moved to Channel Four for a further 12 episodes. Here we see an audience at first baffled by Vic & Bob, and then charmed and won over.

What we don’t see is all the stuff that has been imprecisely excised by the edit. I wonder what was missing, why it was cut, and how much of the reaction is manufactured in the edit. Interesting.