Comic duo return

Press, 12 September 1987, Page 22

Comic duo return

The British comedy, “AIM Smith and Jones,” returns tonight (Saturday) with more of the legendary head-to-head dialogues, as well as many other antics. Funny men Mel Smith and Griff Rhys Jones bring a myriad of crazy characters and situations to the small screen in their award-winning format

Both stars are very pleased with their latest series. According to Jones, the more they work together the closer they get to the brand of comedy that suits their talents and tastes. Their humour derives more from character than from Jokey ideas. For instance, in one sequence the two play a pair of men who are about to commit suicide. The two potential suicides are about to Jump from a window in a highrise office block, when they discover that one is the remote boss of the company and the other one of his insignificant employees. Says Smith: “Our work

is coming down to the tension between two characters. And really we’ve wanted that to happen for some time. It’s a dream, this series.”

The pair’s professional relationship varies between television and the theatre. On stage Jones tends to come over as

“loony or naive,” while Smith acts as the straight man. Although it is Impossible to pin down such an unpredictable pair, the roles are probably reversed in this, their latest series for 8.8. C. television.

“Alas Smith and Jones” screens Saturdays at 9.30 p.m. on One.