Operation Christmas Duff: Difference between revisions

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SPECIAL: Operation Christmas Duff (CD6,Track 11)
SPECIAL: Operation Christmas Duff (CD6,Track 11)
Recording: Sunday 9 December 1956, 7 pm,Aeolian I.TLO 17962
Recording:  
First Genero/ Overseas Service Broadcast Tuesday 25 December 1956, 5.30pm [Mediterranean]/ 10. ISpm
Sunday 9 December 1956, 7 pm,Aeolian I.TLO 17962
[Antarctica]
First Domestic Broadcast Thursday 25 December
1986, 12.27 noon. [Radio 4]
Script Book Synopsis: Entrusted with the task of
driving a giant Christmas pudding to the Forces
Overseas (minus one slice destined for the TransAntarctic
Expedition), Eccles and Bluebottle run into
trouble in the shape of two starving ne'er-do-wells,
Moriarty and Grytpype. Meanwhile, in the icy arctic
wastes, their strength ebbing away.Admiral Seagoon
and Major Bloodnok are on the horns of a classic
dilemma: whether to have their pudding, or eat it.
The choice is agonising ...


Music: Max Geld ray plays Sweet Lorraine (Cliff Burwell/Mitchell Parish); The Ray Ellington Quartet plays 0/'
First General Overseas Service Broadcast
Man River 0erome Kern).
Tuesday 25 December 1956, 5.30pm [Mediterranean]/ 10. ISpm [Antarctica]
 
First Domestic Broadcast
Thursday 25 December 1986, 12.27 noon. [Radio 4]
 
Script Book Synopsis:
Entrusted with the task of driving a giant Christmas pudding to the Forces Overseas (minus one slice destined for the TransAntarctic
Expedition), Eccles and Bluebottle run into trouble in the shape of two starving ne'er-do-wells, Moriarty and Grytpype. Meanwhile, in the icy arctic wastes, their strength ebbing away. Admiral Seagoon and Major Bloodnok are on the horns of a classic dilemma: whether to have their pudding, or eat it. The choice is agonising…
 
Music:  
Max Geldray plays Sweet Lorraine (Cliff Burwell/Mitchell Parish);  
The Ray Ellington Quartet plays Ol' Man River (Jerome Kern).


Two pre-recording sessions took place:
Two pre-recording sessions took place:
Line 63: Line 61:
*Friday 9.30pm, {{Date|1965-08-20}} on the [[w:BBC Home Service|Home Service]] in ''Let's Laugh Again'', to 0.2 million listeners (the broadcast was affected by a fault on the reproduction equipment).
*Friday 9.30pm, {{Date|1965-08-20}} on the [[w:BBC Home Service|Home Service]] in ''Let's Laugh Again'', to 0.2 million listeners (the broadcast was affected by a fault on the reproduction equipment).


== Transcription Service Synopsis ==
== Script Book Synopsis ==
'To open the scene, take a knife and cut along the dotted line. Inside you will find the [[w:Great North Road (Great Britain)|Great North Road]] in an icy blizzard.' This is how Spike Milligan describes the setting for the start of the latest unexpurgated edition of Seagoon's memoirs. Listeners can, in fact, buy a copy (in a plain sealed envelope) at any local Second Class Slipper Bath.
Entrusted with the task of driving a giant [[w:Christmas pudding|Christmas pudding]] to the Forces Overseas (minus one slice destined for the [[w:Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition|TransAntarctic Expedition]]), [[Eccles]] and [[Bluebottle]] run into trouble in the shape of two starving ne'er-do-wells, [[Count Jim Moriarty|Moriarty]] and [[Hercules Grytpype-Thynne|Grytpype]]. Meanwhile, in the icy arctic wastes, their strength ebbing away. [[Neddie Seagoon|Admiral Seagoon]] and [[Major Bloodnok]] are on the horns of a classic dilemma: whether to have their pudding, or eat it. The choice is agonising…


==Music==
==Music==
*The BBC Radio Orchestra was conducted by [[Wally Stott]]
*The BBC Radio Orchestra was conducted by [[Wally Stott]]
*[[Max Geldray]] plays ''[[w:I Kiss Your Hand, Madame|I Kiss Your Little Hand, Madame]]'' {{small|([[w:Ralph Erwin|Ralph Erwin]] (music) / [[w:Fritz Rotter|Fritz Rotter]] (lyrics))}}
*[[Max Geldray]] plays ''[[w:Sweet Lorraine|Sweet Lorraine]]'' {{small|([[w:Cliff Burwell|Cliff Burwell]] (music) / [[w:Mitchell Parish|Mitchell Parish]] (lyrics))}}
*[[Ray Ellington|The Ray Ellington Quartet]] plays ''[[w:The Late, Late Show (album)|The Late Late Show]]'' {{small|(Murray Berlin (music) / [[w:Roy Alfred|Roy Alfred]] (lyrics))}}
*[[Ray Ellington|The Ray Ellington Quartet]] plays ''[[w:Ol' Man River|Ol' Man River]]'' {{small|([[w:Jerome Kern|Jerome Kern]])}}


==Technical==
==Technical==
Originally recorded on [[The Goon Show recording numbers#TLO|TLO 72138]] (15 ips ¼" tape recorded at [[w:Broadcasting House|Broadcasting House]]).
Originally recorded on [[The Goon Show recording numbers#TLO|TLO 17962]] (15 ips ¼" tape recorded at [[w:Broadcasting House|Broadcasting House]]). This tape survived in [[BBC Transcription Services|TS]], and has been used for the show included in [[The Goon Show Compendiums#Vol5|Compendium 5]].<ref>{{Cite AV media notes |title=[[The Goon Show Compendiums#Vol5|The Goon Show Compendium Vol 5]] |first=Ted |last=Kendall | author-link=Ted Kendall |date=2011 |page=13|type=Booklet 2 |publisher=BBC Worldwide|ISBN=978-1408-427286}}</ref>
 
The TLO 72138 master tape no longer exists, and the version of the show included on [[The Goon Show Compendiums#Vol10|The Goon Show Compendium Vol 10]] was compiled from the [[Original Issues - The Goon Show|TGS]] disc, the [[Pick of the Goons|POTG]] master tape and domestic recordings of both the original transmission and the 1964 repeat.<ref>{{Cite AV media notes |title=[[The Goon Show Compendiums#Vol5|The Goon Show Compendium Vol 5]] |first=Ted |last=Kendall | author-link=Ted Kendall |date=2011 |page=13|type=Booklet 2 |publisher=BBC Worldwide|ISBN=978-1408-427286}}</ref>
 
SP - Operation Christmas Duff
Originally recorded on TLO 17962. This tape survived in TS, and has been used for this issue. I prepared this
show for its first domestic transmission in 1986, and have to admit to some re-editing.This arose because,
for some reason, the audience on this Goon Show didn't laugh very much. The Telephone was recorded on
the same evening, after this show if the tape numbers are any guide, so maybe the audience hadn't warmed
up.Whatever the cause was, Pat Dixon found it necessary to splice several laughs into the tape.The joins
showed, and some laughs were obviously in the wrong place. The engineer who did the editing evidently
thought so, too - there is a note in the tape log saying 'producer states OK for GOS transmission' (in other
words - 'I was told to do this and pointed out the faults, but Pat says it'll be all right for transmission on shon
wave1. Given this history, I felt it was appropriate to remove some spurious laughs and tidy up otherso
 


==Ted Kendall's restoration==
He prepared this show for its first domestic transmission in 1986, and had to admit to some re-editing. This arose because, for some reason, the audience on this Goon Show didn't laugh very much. ''[[The Telephone]]'' was recorded on the same evening, after this show if the tape numbers are any guide, so maybe the audience hadn't warmed up. Whatever the cause was, [[Pat Dixon]] found it necessary to splice several laughs into the tape. The joins showed, and some laughs were obviously in the wrong place. The engineer who did the editing evidently thought so, too – there is a note in the tape log saying ‘producer states OK for GOS transmission’ (in other words – 'I was told to do this and pointed out the faults, but Pat says it'll be all right for transmission on shortwave’. Given this history, Ted felt it was appropriate to remove some spurious laughs and tidy up others.<ref>{{Cite AV media notes |title=[[The Goon Show Compendiums#Vol5|The Goon Show Compendium Vol 5]] |first=Ted |last=Kendall | author-link=Ted Kendall |date=2011 |page=14|type=Booklet 2 |publisher=BBC Worldwide|ISBN=978-1408-427286}}</ref>


==References==
==References==

Revision as of 23:04, 2 December 2022


"Operation Christmas Duff"
The Goon Show episode
Episode: no.Series: 7
Episode: Special
Written by
AnnouncerWallace Greenslade
Produced byPat Dixon
Music
Recording
Number
TLO 17962
First broadcast24 December 1956 (1956-12-24)
Running time30:23
Episode Order
← Previous
"The Flea"
Next →
"Six Charlies in Search of an Author"
The Goon Show series 7
List of episodes

The Seagoon Memoirs is an episode from The Goon Show. It is the seventh show in the ninth series.

SPECIAL: Operation Christmas Duff (CD6,Track 11) Recording: Sunday 9 December 1956, 7 pm,Aeolian I.TLO 17962

First General Overseas Service Broadcast Tuesday 25 December 1956, 5.30pm [Mediterranean]/ 10. ISpm [Antarctica]

First Domestic Broadcast Thursday 25 December 1986, 12.27 noon. [Radio 4]

Script Book Synopsis: Entrusted with the task of driving a giant Christmas pudding to the Forces Overseas (minus one slice destined for the TransAntarctic Expedition), Eccles and Bluebottle run into trouble in the shape of two starving ne'er-do-wells, Moriarty and Grytpype. Meanwhile, in the icy arctic wastes, their strength ebbing away. Admiral Seagoon and Major Bloodnok are on the horns of a classic dilemma: whether to have their pudding, or eat it. The choice is agonising…

Music: Max Geldray plays Sweet Lorraine (Cliff Burwell/Mitchell Parish); The Ray Ellington Quartet plays Ol' Man River (Jerome Kern).

Two pre-recording sessions took place:

  • Wednesday 28 January 1959, 4.15pm/5.15pm. Aeolian Hall Studio 2 (TLO & C/DLO 76382, TLO 77924)
  • Saturday 1 February 1959, 5.45pm, The Paris Cinema (DLO 76513/A)

The recording for transmission was created at 8pm on Sunday 14 December 1958, at The Camden Theatre, Camden Town, London (TLO 72138).

The first Home Service broadcast was the next day at 8.30pm on Monday 15 December 1958, its ratings were 1.1 million.

The show was repeated:

  • Wednesday 9.31pm, 17 December 1958, on the Light Programme to 2.3 million listeners.
  • Friday 9.30pm, 6 March 1964 on the Home Service in Vintage Goons, to 0.5 million listeners.
  • Friday 9.30pm, 20 August 1965 on the Home Service in Let's Laugh Again, to 0.2 million listeners (the broadcast was affected by a fault on the reproduction equipment).

Script Book Synopsis

Entrusted with the task of driving a giant Christmas pudding to the Forces Overseas (minus one slice destined for the TransAntarctic Expedition), Eccles and Bluebottle run into trouble in the shape of two starving ne'er-do-wells, Moriarty and Grytpype. Meanwhile, in the icy arctic wastes, their strength ebbing away. Admiral Seagoon and Major Bloodnok are on the horns of a classic dilemma: whether to have their pudding, or eat it. The choice is agonising…

Music

Technical

Originally recorded on TLO 17962 (15 ips ¼" tape recorded at Broadcasting House). This tape survived in TS, and has been used for the show included in Compendium 5.[1]

Ted Kendall's restoration

He prepared this show for its first domestic transmission in 1986, and had to admit to some re-editing. This arose because, for some reason, the audience on this Goon Show didn't laugh very much. The Telephone was recorded on the same evening, after this show if the tape numbers are any guide, so maybe the audience hadn't warmed up. Whatever the cause was, Pat Dixon found it necessary to splice several laughs into the tape. The joins showed, and some laughs were obviously in the wrong place. The engineer who did the editing evidently thought so, too – there is a note in the tape log saying ‘producer states OK for GOS transmission’ (in other words – 'I was told to do this and pointed out the faults, but Pat says it'll be all right for transmission on shortwave’. Given this history, Ted felt it was appropriate to remove some spurious laughs and tidy up others.[2]

References

  1. ^ Kendall, Ted (2011). The Goon Show Compendium Vol 5 (Booklet 2). BBC Worldwide. p. 13. ISBN 978-1408-427286.
  2. ^ Kendall, Ted (2011). The Goon Show Compendium Vol 5 (Booklet 2). BBC Worldwide. p. 14. ISBN 978-1408-427286.