morecombe and wise Classic Comedy from the BBC Ernest Wiseman, born in Bramley (a district of Leeds) to Harry and Connie Wiseman (née Wright) who married in St Thomas Stanningley,[1] was the eldest of five children, and changed his surname (as did his future partner) to go into show business. He attended Thorpe Infant and Junior School, and then East Ardsley Boys' School, but entered the entertainment industry in 1933, appearing as an actor and singer in music hall. His father, Harry, a railway lamp man, was also a semi-professional singer, and they appeared together under the name "Bert Carson and his Little Wonder". He started making solo appearances—singing, dancing, and telling jokes—in 1936, and in the autumn of 1938 he came to the attention of Bryan Michie, a leading juvenile talent spotter, who recommended him to the impresario Jack Hylton. Working with Hylton, Wise made his television debut on the BBC TV Jack Hylton show on 15 March 1939.
