There was a moment during the filming of Eric, Ernie & Me that Stephen Tompkinson felt a sharp pang of nostalgia. It came when Eric Morecambe, played by Catastrophe’s Mark Bonnar, emerged from behind a curtain carrying a giant ventriloquist’s dummy called Oggy in a memorably hilarious sketch from The Morecambe & Wise Show. 

“I got quite emotional when I saw Oggy,” confesses DCI Banks star Stephen.

“It was just iconically on my TV set as a kid and suddenly I was in the room with it.

You could touch it – it was exactly like I remember it.” It’s part of Stephen’s fond memories of crowding with extended family into his grandmother’s house in Stockton-on-Tees at Christmas to watch The Morecambe & Wise Christmas Special. 

“Everything stopped so we could watch – it was just brilliant,” says Stephen of the duo’s Christmas show, which was as much a part of the holidays as the Queen’s speech. 

Stephen’s wistful feelings about Morecambe and Wise will undoubtedly be repeated across the nation this Christmas when BBC Four tells another chapter of their story.

Eric, Ernie & Me focuses on the third man in their relationship, the comedy writer Eddie Braben. Stephen plays Eddie, a former gag writer for Ken Dodd who was brought in to sharpen up Morecambe and Wise’s act in 1969, when their popularity was flagging.

Braben, who wrote nearly all of The Morecambe & Wise Show between 1969 and 1976 and again between 1980 and 1983, was responsible for sketches that have gone down in history – their collaboration with André Previn, their routines with Glenda Jackson, a sketch of them preparing breakfast together, performing Singin’ In The Rain and appearing on Mastermind, among dozens of others. 

As well as writing great gags, Braben’s idea was to turn Morecambe and Wise into a more intimate study of friends, even putting them in bed together.

“Eddie’s genius came from his Liverpool sense of humour, as well as breaking them down from Morecambe and Wise to just be Eric and Ernie to make it more intimate,” explains Stephen, 52.

“He saw the love these two had for each other and capitalised on it.  

“He also created a distinct character for Ernie. He knew Eric was one of the funniest guys that ever lived – and who still is, in my eyes – but then put him together with this pretentious snob [Ernie], who thought he was a great writer and was protected by Eric. That was beautiful.”

But the film exposes the cost that accompanied such enormous success. Braben’s work with Morecambe and Wise took a toll on him – he suffered physical and emotional breakdowns during his tenure as the comedy duo’s writer. 

“He was put under too much pressure,” explains Stephen.

“They were all workaholics, but the harder they worked, the more successful they became. The demand was overwhelming and the audience wanted more, so the pressure to just stay on the treadmill was intense.”

Adding to Braben’s stress was his insistence on working from Liverpool, where he lived with his wife, Deirdre and their children.  

The scheduling of Eric, Ernie & Me at Christmas reminds us of the place they once held in the nation’s festive calendar and gives us another insight into the comedy duo we still hold so dear. 

Eric, Ernie & Me, Friday 29th, 9pm, BBC Four