Two of a Kind: 1961–68
On the back of their success on stage and on screen, in 1961 Lew Grade offered the duo a series for the London-based ITV station ATV. Entitled Two of a Kind and written by Sid Green and Dick Hills, the series fared poorly to start with. Early episodes saw Hills and Green writing for the comedians as if Morecambe and Wise were alter egos of the writers. There was an argument between the writers and the talent. This was ended by an Equity strike, which left the autumn television schedules in tatters. Green commented to Morecambe, "You're done for", to which Morecambe replied "Not at all, we belong to VAF" — a reference to The Variety Artists' Federation, then a separate trade union unaffiliated with Equity. Morecambe and Wise were not bound to participate in the strike.
From then on, Morecambe and Wise got their way. The sketches began to reflect their stage work and the series became a success. Indeed, Hills and Green even appeared in the series as "Sid and Dick": two all-purpose stooges. The series introduced several popular catchphrases (such as "Get out of that!"; "That's not nice"; "I'll smash your face in"; and "More tea Ern?") which would stay with them throughout their careers. Also introduced was Morecambe's famous paper bag trick, as well as an original opening segment which saw the pair parody other series, such as The Man from U.N.C.L.E., Dixon of Dock Green and Take Your Pick. Morecambe and Wise were very popular in Blackpool, and while starring in Show Time, at the North Pier in Blackpool in 1963, Eric's portrait was sculpted by Victor Heyfron, MA.
The show also attracted special guests, such as Pearl Carr, Teddy Johnson and The Beatles. The celebrities were generally teased by the pair, and especially by Morecambe's playful insults. Guests were not offended, however, recognising that the joke was not so much on them as on Morecambe's supposed failure to recognise them, or inability to get their names right. For example, during The Beatles' appearance he persistently addressed Ringo Starr as "Bongo".
The sixth Morecambe and Wise series for ATV was planned from the start to be aired in the United Kingdom as well as exported to the United States and Canada. It was taped in colour and starred international guests, often American. Prior to its British run, it was broadcast in North America by the ABC network as a summer replacement for re-runs of The Hollywood Palace under the title The Piccadilly Palace from 20 May to 9 September 1967.
The duo had appeared in the US on The Ed Sullivan Show and hoped to become stars there, but negotiations for a longer run broke down when the show's ratings were strong in Canada but weak in the US. Lew Grade, who represented the comedians in the negotiations, said in his autobiography that the disappointing American ratings were a result of the comedians' refusal to slow down their fast-paced act. In 1968, as a result of problems with contract negotiations with Lew Grade (they were not offered enough money or allowed to continue making their shows in colour), Morecambe and Wise left ATV to return to the BBC.