Pan's People - References in Popular Culture

References in Popular Culture

  • In an episode of Porridge ("A Night In", 1974), Norman Stanley Fletcher (Ronnie Barker) jokes to Lennie Godber (Richard Beckinsale) in their prison cell about having a night out: "We could ring up those girls on Top of the Pops. Pan's People. There's one special one... beautiful Babs... dunno what her name is."
  • The troupe were given one of the top accolades on British TV in 1975 when they were asked to perform alongside Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise on their BBC1 Christmas Day TV Show, one of the most popular TV shows in the UK. They danced to Brenda Arnau's version of Big Spender with Morecambe & Wise posing as two new Pan's Persons.
  • The Benny Hill Show also spoofed the dance troupe as "Pam's People," with Benny Hill, Henry McGee, Bob Todd, Jackie Wright and Earl Adair appearing in drag. Ironically, two later editions of his show featured the late 1970s incarnation of Pan's People, one of whom, Louise English, went on to become a major cast member of the Hill show through the mid-1980s.
  • The Goodies made frequent references to the group, as well as showing an all-pensioner dance-troop called "Pan's Grannies".
  • In their TV series, French & Saunders, Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders parodied the group, with their rendition of "Yellow River", with their group Pans Indeedy People.

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