The British comedy world is mourning the loss of one of its greats, Mel Smith, who has died at the age of 60.
As a comedian and actor, Smith will be best remembered for his work as part of the 'Not The Nine O'Clock News' team and alongside Griff Rhys Jones in 'Alas Smith And Jones'. But he was also a director and producer, founding Talkback Productions with Jones and directing comedy films like 'The Tall Guy' and 'Bean'.
"We have lost a great and lovely talent," wrote 'Not The Nine O'Clock News' producer John Lloyd. Hopefully some of the classic sketches below - from that show and 'Alas Smith And Jones' - will go some way to reminding us of what we have, indeed, lost: a man who didn't just have a great face for comedy but also an amazing talent for it. RIP, Mel. Thank you for the laughs.