In 1999, the BBC gave McGowan his own primetime sketch vehicle, which quickly matched and outstripped Bremner and Dead Ringers as the most popular impressionism series on TV.

As Bremner's comedy became increasingly political, McGowan made the worlds of entertainment and sport his primary targets and aided by highly impressive make-up and costumes, impressively took off a wide range of celebrities (from Richard Madeley and Gary Lineker to Naseem Hamed and Robert Kilroy-Silk).

He was assisted greatly by his talented female partner Ronni Ancona, whose mimicry of such stars as Barbara Windsor and Ruby Wax widened the scope for potential sketches.