This show was a massive piece of my childhood. Keith Harris and Orville was as much a part of my childhood as roller skating and scraping my knees.
Their show was on BBC TV from 1982 – 1990 and Orville Appeared with other Keith Harris Puppets like Cuddles the monkey. Though I would have loved to own a “cuddles” puppet, I never had one.
I loved Orville when I was much younger – that cute green duck. But as I grew incrementally older finding Orville more and more annoying, perhaps embarrassed that I used to like such a “childish” thing. Funnily of course Keith Harris mostly uses Orville as part of a more adult stage show called “Duck off”!
After their show was cancelled on the BBC Keith Harris took up work for Butlins holiday resorts, Wikipedia says they perform to 5000 a night – maybe on a good night. In 2004, Harris used Orville in an advert for Surf washing powder.
Then Keith Harris and Orville were used in Little Britain, and also in the TV programme Bansai in the 1990’s.
Orville fact: The Original Orville puppet is insured for £100,000.
Do You Remember The Keith Harris show?
Do You Remember The Keith Harris show?