Three of a Kind (1981 TV series)

Three of a Kind is a British comedy sketch show starring comedians Lenny Henry, Tracey Ullman and David Copperfield. Three series were made by the BBC between 1981 and 1983.^[1]

The show bolstered the careers of Ullman and Henry, as well as being an outlet for young writers including Rob Grant and Doug Naylor, Ian Hislop and Nick Revell. As was typical of British comedy sketch shows of the time, the show often featured musical guests, including The Style Council, Thin Lizzy, and Toyah (whom Ullman had previously lampooned on the show as "Annoyah").

Ullman and Henry went on to greater success after the show, with Ullman initially launching a brief but successful pop career in 1983 before appearing in the films Give My Regards to Broad Street and Plenty. She then co-starred in the ITV sitcom Girls on Top in 1985, before moving to the US and starting a career in American television in 1987. Henry was given his own BBC series The Lenny Henry Show in 1984, which ran in various iterations until 2005 (his comic character "Delbert Wilkins" originated on Three of a Kind and he carried the character over to his own show afterwards), and he has continued appearing on British television, or series produced in Britain (such as The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power in 2022). While Copperfield continued to appear on television, including his own series Lift Off! with Coppers & Co!, he has had more success as a stand-up comedian in the years since Three of a Kind.