Not to be confused with the '80's Channel 4 sketch show 'Assaulted Nuts', this 'N.U.T.S.' was a single-season Yorkshire Television effort, starring Roy Kinnear, Frederick Jaeger, Chris Emmett, Dave Evans ( father of Lee ), and lovely Claire Faulconbridge. It too was a sketch show, mainly of the hit and miss variety ( among the writers were Alan Coren and Tony Bilbow ), but performed with great enthusiasm by the cast. The one skit that sticks out in my mind was 'The Stupidest Man In Britain', done in the style of a beauty contest. The winner was Jaeger. Asked to select his prize, he chose the worst one on offer, justifying it with "well, what do you expect from the stupidest man in Britain?".
Presiding over this gang of jokers was the witty Barry Took, whose idea it was. He invited viewers to send suggestions as to what the acronym 'N.U.T.S.' stood for, and these were read out by him on air. I cannot recall the winner, but one suggestion was 'Never Underestimate The Sennapod'! Dave Evans had been a regular on L.W.T.'s 'Who Do You Do?', a comedy show devoted to impressionists. His repertoire included Harry Secombe and Groucho Marx. You can see where his son got his comedic talent from. Emmett, one of the cast of 'The Burkiss Way' radio show, was also famed for his impressions, mainly of Labour Prime Ministers Harold Wilson and Jim Callaghan.
Claire Faulconbridge played the 'pretty girl' roles. She and Kinnear had earlier appeared that year in the short-lived B.B.C. sitcom 'No Appointment Necessary'. The final edition - broadcast on 18/11/76 - included a smattering of outtakes, some of which were funnier than the finished versions. It looked like everyone was having a good time making this, and that was no bad thing.
'N.U.T.S' went out on Thursdays at 9.30 P.M., inheriting the slot vacated by 'The Howerd Confessions' starring Frankie Howerd. Though there was no second series, Took returned a year later in another Yorkshire T.V. sketch show - 'Took & Co' - notable chiefly for an appearance by Andrew Sachs in his 'Manuel' alter-ego, one of the rare times the character was seen outside of 'Fawlty Towers'.
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