[2] At Goldsmith's he met and began working with Bob Mortimer, and the show then moved to an even bigger venue, the Albany Theatre in Deptford, in 1989.

The show began to attract various well-known audience members, such as Jonathan Ross and Alan Yentob and collaborators such as Charlie Higson and Paul Whitehouse.

In addition to Reeves and Mortimer, the other mainstay of the programme was Les (played by Fred Aylward), Vic's bald, lab-coat-clad assistant who never spoke, loved spirit levels and had a fear of chives.

Other established characters in the TV series included The Man With The Stick, who wore a paper helmet (daubed with drawings of what he had witnessed during the last week) and carried a stick with a mystery item attached to the end; Graham Lister, Reeves' nemesis who regularly entered the talent show Novelty Island with a series of dreadful acts; Donald and Davey Stott, two brothers from the North-East with high-pitched voices, who would recreate popular television game shows; Tinker's Rucksack, a pair of ramblers, one of whom was conducting an affair with the other's wife; and Judge Lionel Nutmeg, a judge who presided over the That's Justice segment of the show.

Two series of six episodes each were made, and most of the original Big Night Out format was abandoned, although various actors returned in new roles, including Caroline Aherne, Charlie Higson (The Fast Show) and Matt Lucas (Little Britain).

The series also featured various celebrity cameos, including Caprice, Michael Winner, Sinéad O'Connor and Damon Hill, and appearances from comedy actors Charlie Higson and Morwenna Banks.

The programme featured Mortimer, Reeves, Coogan, Morwenna Banks, Matt Lucas, Reece Shearsmith and Mark Benton, plus a wide array of further guests including Fiona Allen, Ronni Ancona, Leslie Ash, Lynda Bellingham, Ronnie Corbett, Tim Healy, Jane Horrocks, Neil Morrissey, Griff Rhys Jones, John Simm, Meera Syal, Ricky Tomlinson and Richard Wilson.

The series retained most of the same characters, and featured several guests in common with The All Star Comedy Show, plus some new faces including Mackenzie Crook, Iain Lee, John Thomson and Alistair McGowan.

The program was a debate show chaired by Mortimer, and featured Reeves, Charlie Higson, Johnny Vegas, Liz Smith and Rhys Thomas.

Maintaining their bizarre and irreverent style, the pair played host to two teams of celebrity guests (captained each week by Mark Lamarr and Ulrika Jonsson, and later Will Self, and further Jack Dee) answering what can be loosely described as general knowledge questions.

[6] On 27 February 2008, whilst on a tour of the North East region to support the Learning and Skills Council's Apprenticeship Week, he added "We might be doing Shooting Stars again – it depends on the BBC".

[7] In July 2008, the BBC confirmed that they had commissioned a one-off Christmas Special of Shooting Stars along with an additional "best-of" episode featuring interviews and outtakes, to mark the show's 15 year anniversary.

Shortly after the axing of Shooting Stars by the BBC, Reeves and Mortimer produced a one-off quiz show for Channel 4 in 2012, Lucky Sexy Winners.

The Human League vocalist Phil Oakey, and the future Fast Show trio of Paul Whitehouse, John Thomson and Simon Day, all co-starred.

In early 2000, Vic and Bob headed the cast in revival of sixties private detective drama, Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased).

The pair also presented a one-off behind the scenes show called On Set with Randall & Hopkirk (Deceased), which was broadcast on BBC Choice in 2000.

Vic and Bob played the main roles, with Charlie Higson, Morwenna Banks, Tim Healy, Mark Benton, Matt Lucas and The League of Gentlemen's Reece Shearsmith.

In July 2011, Reeves and Mortimer's first web series, Vic and Bob's Afternoon Delights, was hosted on Fosters' UK website.

Other performers include The Mighty Boosh star Noel Fielding as a local vagrant and Reeves' wife, Nancy Sorrell in multiple roles.

They have advertised several products solo such as Mini Cheddars and DHL (Mortimer) and Heinz Tomato Ketchup, Fanta, Lynx and Mars chocolate bars (Reeves).

The duo's advert replaced these real programmes with their own inventions, including crime-drama "Detective in a Wheelbarrow", a comedy pastiche of Last of the Summer Wine called "Three Blokes in a Bath" (which also featured Matt Lucas), coverage of both "Olympic Anvil Throwing" and "International Pan Fighting", and ended with "Poldark on Mopeds".

An estimated 23 million viewers tuned in to see Nicole jilting Reeves at the altar and eloping with Mortimer in a Clio, spoofing a scene from the 1967 film The Graduate.

For extra exposure, the commercial was scheduled for prime time viewing during the long-standing British soap opera Coronation Street.

[20] The duo's The Smell of Reeves and Mortimer characters Le Corbussier et Papin quoted the advert in their sketches before they were cast in the role.

Reeves' contract with Churchill was terminated in 2005 after he was arrested for a drink-driving offence which disqualified him from driving for 36 months and ordered 100 hours of community service.