Harry and Paul

Harry & Paul
Harry & Paul title card (series 2)
Also known as	'Ruddy Hell! It's Harry & Paul (series 1)
Created by	Harry Enfield Paul Whitehouse
Starring	Harry Enfield Paul Whitehouse Laura Solon Morwenna Banks Sophie Winkleman Simon Greenall Simon Day Catherine Shepherd Kevin Eldon
Country of origin	United Kingdom
No. of series	4
No. of episodes	24
Production
Producer(s)	Geoffrey Perkins (series 1–2)
Running time	30 minutes
Production company(s)	Tiger Aspect Productions
Distributor	Endemol UK
Release
Original network	BBC One (series 1–2) BBC Two (series 3-4)
Original release	13 April 2007 – 2 December 2012
Chronology
Related shows	Harry Enfield's Brand Spanking New Show (2000)

Harry & Paul (originally titled Ruddy Hell! It's Harry & Paul) is a British sketch comedy show starring Harry Enfield and Paul Whitehouse. It was first broadcast on BBC One on 13 April 2007. Prior to broadcast it was trailed as The Harry Enfield Show.

The show reunites the pair, who had success with Harry Enfield's Television Programme in the 1990s.

The second series of the programme began on BBC One on 5 September 2008. This was the last series from the comedy producer Geoffrey Perkins who died shortly before the programme's second series began. A third series was commissioned and began 28 September 2010 this time on BBC Two to where the show has been moved, because of falling ratings. The fourth series was broadcast in 2012.

The first series opening sequence is a parody of a skin care advertisement, and shows the two main female cast members (Morwenna Banks and Laura Solon) being given a pint of lager, before the footage speeds rapidly as the women have make-up removed, hair cut, given cigarettes and hamburgers, followed by noodles and more cigarettes. As the makeup and hair is removed, it is then clear that the two women were in fact Harry Enfield and Paul Whitehouse.

In the opening sequence of the second series, Enfield and Whitehouse appear as two ageing Soviet-style dictators reviewing a parade. They wave grimly down at the procession, supposedly an example of an ancient and outdated means of politics, whilst lyrics concerning how they are "both incredibly handsome and tall" and "not even beginning to look old" are sung. The melody is based on the Russian national anthem. They also appear picking up three television awards – a National Television Award, a Bafta and a British Comedy Award. Visitors to the British Comedy Guide website also voted it the "Best British TV Sketch Show of 2008" in The Comedy.co.uk Awards.