1989 -The Secret Policeman's Biggest Ball -COMPLETE-
After the criticisms of the 1987 show's disproportionate focus on music – and the financial disaster of its music-only Festival Of Youth weekend concert in 1988, Amnesty returned to the original formula that had been so successful in the 1976–1981 era with a primary focus on comedy. Pat Duffy was dropped from organising any further benefit events for Amnesty and for the 1989 show, Amnesty hired producer Judith Holder.
John Cleese and Michael Palin made brief cameo appearances, establishing a connection to the original shows. Also returning was Peter Cook – on this occasion performing with his longtime comedic partner, Dudley Moore – and satirist John Bird. Several performers from the 1987 show returned including: Adrian Edmondson, Stephen Fry & Hugh Laurie, Dawn French & Jennifer Saunders, Lenny Henry, Rory Bremner, Ben Elton, Robbie Coltrane, Willie Rushton and the Spitting Image puppets.
The show was videotaped and televised on October 28, 1989.
The Show
John Bird, Rory Bremner, Kathy Burke, John Cleese, Robbie Coltrane, Peter Cook, Adrian Edmondson, Ben Elton, Dawn French, Lenny Henry, Jools Holland, Chris Langham, Dudley Moore, Jimmy Mulville, Steve Nallon, Michael Palin, Roland Rivron, William Rushton, Jennifer Saunders, Spitting Image and John Williams. Directed by John Cleese and Jennifer Saunders.
Pet Shop #2 (Cleese & Palin) Bad Jokes (Henry) Royal Breakfast (Spitting Image) The Frog And Peach (Cook & Moore) The Way We Were (Burke) Argument Clinic (Palin/French/Langham/Cleese) Cat Flaps (Henry) Jazz Interlude (Holland & Rivron) William Tell Trick (Coltrane & Edmondson) Improvisation (French & Saunders) The Last Supper (Cleese & Edmondson) Biggles Goes To See Bruce Springsteen (Palin & Cleese) The Politics System (Bird/Nallon/Bremner) The Poem (Fry & Laurie) Undercover Agent (Langham) Crunchy Frog (Coltrane/Henry/Mulville/French/Saunders) Guitar Solo (Williams/Saunders/Cleese) One Leg Too Few (Cook & Moore) Fast Food And Drink (Elton) Contraception (French & Saunders) Goodbyee (Cook & Moore & Company)