In the late 1940s, the comedy duo of Morecambe and Wise had begun to make a name for themselves on the variety theatre circuit, and had also made some forays onto BBC Radio.
The failure of Running Wild led to the duo subsequently returning to live variety for a period, until they were invited back to television on The Winifred Atwell Show in 1956.
Dicky Leeman, a producer with ATV, one of the new independent broadcasters on the ITV network, contacted them with a view to their becoming regulars on a planned new variety show fronted by the pianist Winifred Atwell, with material provided by the writer Johnny Speight.
Unlike previous series, the duo only played a hosting role in this, as it was a showcase for teenage screenwriters to have their work produced for television with casts of respected actors.
Sullivan, a noted fan of British acts, was at the performance to look at the night's host, Bruce Forsyth, but was so impressed with Morecambe and Wise that he offered them the opportunity of three appearances on his variety show on CBS in the United States.