One off ITV comedy Mike and Bernie’s Show starred real life brothers Mike and Bernie Winters. The concept was supposed to detail various aspects of their lives, including some dodgy wartime antics, but was in reality little more than a series of linked sketches,
The hour long special scored highly enough for ITV to give the boys their own sitcom, called Mike and Bernie, later in the year. Like the special this series was also written by Vince Powell and Harry Driver.
All three of the main female guest stars on the episode were featured in the week’s TV Times (June 5, 1971). Magda Miller was Lithuanian but was born in Scotland. Valli Kemp, a Miss Australia, was making her TV acting debut and Lynda Baron had a full page interview talking about her life living in the country having been out of the limelight for some time. These days she is best remembered for her role as Nurse Gladys Emmanuel in Open All Hours but she had spent much of the 1960’s as a cabaret singer of satirical sons.
Cast: Mike Winters as Mike; Bernie Winters as Bernie; Peter Jones as Major Mills; Garfield Morgan as Colonel Muller; Lynda Baron as Gloria; Patsy Smart as Mrs Bolton; Bill Pertwee as Joe Collier; Lane Meddick as Sgt Crawford; Sydney Arnold as Bert; Gaynor Stuart as Waitress in Coffee Bar; Magda Miller as Girl (in the TV Times piece about the show, Magda was said to be playing Eva Braun!); Don Davis as Announcer; Lesley Goldie as Chorus Girl; Valli Kemp as Chorus Girl
Writers: Vince Powell, Harry Driver / Musical Director: Ronnie Aldrich / Production Design: Tony Borer / Producer and Director: Alan Tarrant
UK / Thames / 1×60 minutes / Wednesday 9 June 1971 Wednesday at 8.00pm
