Vic Reeves' Big Night Out began life as a solo comedy show by James Moir in the Goldsmith's Tavern in London in the mid-1980s. Moir met Bob Mortimer during a performance of one of his shows, and they began working together as a double-act. The show, now with Mortimer on board, moved to a bigger venue in Albany Theatre in Deptford in 1989. It began to attract the attention of several comedians, including Charlie Higson, Paul Whitehouse and Jonathan Ross. Ross' company Channel X, brought the show to Channel 4, which aired as a six-part series in 1990. After attaining a cult following, a second eight-part series was aired in 1991.
Bob Mortimer plays the character 'Judge Nutmeg' on the show, which alludes to his former career as a solicitor which he abandoned to join the show.
Les would later to go on and have his own short lived spin-off show.