Groovy History - On this day in 1979, the comedy sketch show "Not the Nine O'Clock News" debuts starring Rowan Atkinson, Chris Langham, Pamela Stephenson and Mel Smith on BBC 2. 📺 | Facebook
![Not the Nine O'Clock News at 40: No longer exactly topical but still surprisingly funny | The Independent | The Independent Not the Nine O'Clock News at 40: No longer exactly topical but still surprisingly funny | The Independent | The Independent](https://static.independent.co.uk/s3fs-public/thumbnails/image/2019/10/10/13/not-the-nine-oclock-news.jpg?width=1200&height=1200)
Not the Nine O'Clock News at 40: No longer exactly topical but still surprisingly funny | The Independent | The Independent
James Hogg on Twitter: "Mel Smith would have been 70 today. God bless him! To mark the occasion, here's a chunk of the classic darts sketch from Alas Smith & Jones. Game
![James Hogg on Twitter: "Mel Smith would have been 70 today. God bless him! To mark the occasion, here's a chunk of the classic darts sketch from Alas Smith & Jones. Game James Hogg on Twitter: "Mel Smith would have been 70 today. God bless him! To mark the occasion, here's a chunk of the classic darts sketch from Alas Smith & Jones. Game](https://pbs.twimg.com/ext_tw_video_thumb/1598988744840953858/pu/img/a_G9IyZolbALWbR3.jpg)
James Hogg on Twitter: "Mel Smith would have been 70 today. God bless him! To mark the occasion, here's a chunk of the classic darts sketch from Alas Smith & Jones. Game
![From Not The Nine O'Clock News to The Tall Guy: Top 10 best comedy moments of Mel Smith | Metro News From Not The Nine O'Clock News to The Tall Guy: Top 10 best comedy moments of Mel Smith | Metro News](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/ay_1146048901.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&zoom=1&resize=480%2C320)
From Not The Nine O'Clock News to The Tall Guy: Top 10 best comedy moments of Mel Smith | Metro News
![Griff Rhys-Jones pays tribute to 'gentleman, scholar, gambler and wit' Mel Smith who has died aged 60 - Daily Record Griff Rhys-Jones pays tribute to 'gentleman, scholar, gambler and wit' Mel Smith who has died aged 60 - Daily Record](https://i2-prod.dailyrecord.co.uk/incoming/article2069483.ece/ALTERNATES/s615b/Mel-Smith.jpg)
Griff Rhys-Jones pays tribute to 'gentleman, scholar, gambler and wit' Mel Smith who has died aged 60 - Daily Record
![Mel Smith dead: It's impossible to imagine what British comedy would have been like without him - Andy Dawson - Mirror Online Mel Smith dead: It's impossible to imagine what British comedy would have been like without him - Andy Dawson - Mirror Online](https://i2-prod.mirror.co.uk/incoming/article2069377.ece/ALTERNATES/s1200d/Mel-Smith-at-the-Sony-Ericsson-Empire-Film-Awards.jpg)