The following is a List of The Goon Show episodes . The Goon Show was a popular and influential British radio comedy series, originally produced by the BBC from 1951 to 1960 and broadcast on the BBC Home Service .
Availability of The Goon Show episodes
Lost episodes
Many of the earliest radio episodes no longer exist. When the first episodes were broadcast, recording technology was still expensive and primitive by later standards. Audio tape was not in general use, and any recordings were made directly on to acetate discs . These could be played back, but tended to wear out quickly and did not survive unless further processed to create a master disc , which was only done for recordings intended for sale. Only one episode from the fourth series was preserved in the BBC Sound Archive (as a tape dub from an acetate disc).
Other episodes from Series 2–4 have survived, sometimes in incomplete form, as off-air recordings of varying quality. Four episodes from Series 4 were released on CD as The Goon Show: Series Four, Part One (2010). A further seven episodes from Series 2–4 are included in The Goon Show Compendium Volume 13 (2017) along with the only surviving fragment of the Series 4 episode "The Giant Bombardon ". Volume 14 (2018) includes all of the remaining Series 4 episodes, including those from the 2010 set.
The special episodes "Archie in Goonland " (1954) (a crossover with Educating Archie ) and "The Missing Christmas Parcel – Post Early for Christmas " (1955) (a 15-minute insert in Children's Hour ) are also believed lost.
Surviving episodes
Commencing with the start of the fifth series (in 1954), BBC Transcription Services began making copies for overseas sales, and even commissioned re-recordings of some key fourth series episodes for the "Vintage Goons" series, which was mainly intended for overseas markets.
The BBC Transcription Services versions were then cut to remove topical and parochial material and anything that might be potentially offensive. Later, BBC Transcription Services releases had further cuts for timing purposes. For many years, these abridged versions were thought to be only surviving copies of many episodes, but since the late-1990s restoration experts such as Ted Kendall have found and restored a considerable amount of missing material.
According to Kendall's sleeve notes to the Goon Show Compendium CD box sets, Transcription Services originally seem to have used the original broadcast tapes as the basis for their versions, making cuts as necessary. The cut material was often spliced onto the end of the reels in case it needed to be restored. When the "Vintage Goons" series began, episodes were recorded by TS at Maida Vale. Since these were performed on the same nights as Series 8 episodes, it made sense for Transcription Services to make their own simultaneous recordings at Maida Vale and it seems that this technique was also used on Series 9 and 10. These were then edited to match the broadcast versions before TS made its own cuts. However, it seems that in some cases the TS versions inadvertently preserve lines slated for deletion, meaning that longer cuts of these episodes can be reassembled.
To date, the BBC has released 30 CD sets of these re-mastered episodes (originally on audio cassette tapes), containing 120 shows, plus an additional CD set comprising The Last Goon Show of All and Goon Again . Another twelve shows had been previously issued by EMI , but for contractual reasons these were all heavily cut to remove musical interludes and other music cues. Until 2015 these were the only commercially available versions of those particular episodes, but three of them are included without the cuts, in their original chronological order, on The Goon Show Compendium Volume 11 , indicating that the rights to at least the earliest EMI releases had by then reverted to the BBC. It was later confirmed that Volume 12 , released on 3 November 2016, would include all of the remaining "missing" episodes, plus The Last Goon Show of All and bonus features.[1]
The 25th CD set , as well as the first of a new series of Goon Show Compendiums (which contains the first 13 episodes of series 5), were released on 7 April 2008. The Compendiums' bonus material includes notes by Ted Kendall, audio researcher and restorer, on the sources used for the recordings, which include BBC Sound Archive and Transcription Services master tapes and discs, unofficial copies made by engineers or other BBC staff, and even domestic off-air recordings from which a few cut lines were restored.
Broadcasting
Episodes of The Goon Show are still occasionally repeated on BBC Radio 2 or Radio 4 in the United Kingdom. More recently the show has become a regular feature on the digital radio station w:BBC Radio 4 Extra , which features both new material and archives from several decades of BBC comedy and drama.
The ABC Radio National network in Australia has regularly broadcast The Goon Show since the 1960s. For many years, the series was broadcast every Saturday afternoon, just after the midday news bulletin. More recently, it was broadcast twice a week, on Friday mornings and Sunday afternoons. The network took the series off the air in January 2004, but following listener response to the cancellation, broadcasts of the show resumed in the Friday time slot in June. The ABC's broadcasts of the series have made The Goon Show one of the most repeated and longest-running of all radio programmes.
The programme has been broadcast in the United States. NBC broadcast The Goon Show as early as the mid-1950s.[2] Terry Gilliam of the Goon-influenced Monty Python comedy troupe recalled first hearing it broadcast on FM radio in New York City in the 1960s.[3] When Vermont Public Radio signed on the air in 1977 (as a single station which has since evolved into a statewide network), the first programme to air was an episode of The Goon Show .[4] The show was described as a "madcap radio comedy classic".
Episodes
The following list of episodes of The Goon Show includes any "specials" and all episodes made for the BBC Transcription Service unaired domestically at the time (and therefore listed at the date of their recording).
Series overview
Series
Number of episodes
First episode
Final episode
Date of season special(s)
Ref
1
17
28 May 1951
20 September 1951
16 December 1951
2
25
22 January 1952
15 July 1952
3
25
11 November 1952
5 May 1953
3 June 1953
4
30
2 October 1953
19 April 1954
11 June 1954 31 August 1954
5
26
28 September 1954
22 March 1955
6
27
20 September 1955
3 April 1956
8 December 1955 29 August 1956
7
25
4 October 1956
28 March 1957
22 August 1957
[a]
8
26
30 September 1957
24 March 1958
Vintage Goons
14
6 October 1957
23 March 1958
9
17
3 November 1958[b]
23 February 1959
10
6
24 December 1959
28 January 1960
One-off special shows
Series
Number of shows
Date of broadcast
Date of broadcast
Ref
One-off specials
2
5 October 1972
29 May 2001
[16]
BBC recording numbers
Code
Definition
SLO
331 ⁄3 rpm coarse groove 16" disk recorded at Broadcasting House
SBU
331 ⁄3 rpm coarse groove 16" disk recorded at Bush House
SOX
331 ⁄3 rpm coarse groove 16" disk recorded at 200 Oxford Street
TLO
15 i.p.s. tape recorded at Broadcasting House
TBU
15 i.p.s. tape recorded at Bush House
TNC
15 i.p.s. tape recorded in Newcastle
First series: Crazy People (1951)
Cast: Peter Sellers , Harry Secombe , Spike Milligan , Michael Bentine , The Ray Ellington Quartet , The Stargazers , Max Geldray and the BBC Dance Orchestra, conducted by Stanley Black .
Announcers: Andrew Timothy and Denys Drower (shows 8-10)
The shows were all recorded on a Sunday; episodes 1–9 were broadcast on Mondays, 10–17 were broadcast on Thursdays. No episodes are known to survive.
Episode #
Title
Recording number
Original airdate
Producer
Scriptwriter(s)
Notes
1
Show 1
SLO 90268
28 May 1951
Dennis Main Wilson
Spike Milligan ,Larry Stephens ,Jimmy Grafton
2
Show 2
SLO 90269
4 June 1951
Dennis Main Wilson
Spike Milligan ,Larry Stephens ,Jimmy Grafton
3
Show 3
SLO 90452
11 June 1951
Dennis Main Wilson
Spike Milligan ,Larry Stephens ,Jimmy Grafton
4
Show 4
SLO 90366
18 June 1951
Dennis Main Wilson
Spike Milligan ,Larry Stephens ,Jimmy Grafton
5
Show 5
SLO 59949
25 June 1951
Dennis Main Wilson
Spike Milligan ,Larry Stephens ,Jimmy Grafton
6
Show 6
SLO 91295
2 July 1951
Dennis Main Wilson
Spike Milligan ,Larry Stephens ,Jimmy Grafton
7
Show 7
SLO 91565
9 July 1951
Dennis Main Wilson
Spike Milligan ,Larry Stephens ,Jimmy Grafton
8
Show 8
SLO 92262
16 July 1951
Dennis Main Wilson
Spike Milligan ,Larry Stephens ,Jimmy Grafton
Denys Drower replaced Andrew Timothy as announcer
9
Show 9
SLO 92468
23 July 1951
Dennis Main Wilson
Spike Milligan ,Larry Stephens ,Jimmy Grafton
Denys Drower replaced Andrew Timothy as announcer
10
Show 10
SLO 92867
2 August 1951
Dennis Main Wilson
Spike Milligan ,Larry Stephens ,Jimmy Grafton
Denys Drower replaced Andrew Timothy as announcer
11
Show 11
SOX 61088
9 August 1951
Leslie Bridgmont
Spike Milligan ,Larry Stephens ,Jimmy Grafton
12
Show 12
SLO 93368
16 August 1951
Leslie Bridgmont
Spike Milligan ,Larry Stephens ,Jimmy Grafton
13
Show 13
SOX 61088
23 August 1951
Leslie Bridgmont
Spike Milligan ,Larry Stephens ,Jimmy Grafton
14
Show 14
SLO 93400
30 August 1951
Leslie Bridgmont
Spike Milligan ,Larry Stephens ,Jimmy Grafton
15
Show 15
SBU 71149
6 September 1951
Dennis Main Wilson
Spike Milligan ,Larry Stephens ,Jimmy Grafton
16
Show 16
SLO 94892
13 September 1951
Dennis Main Wilson
Spike Milligan ,Larry Stephens ,Jimmy Grafton
17
Show 17
SLO 95143
20 September 1951
Dennis Main Wilson
Spike Milligan ,Larry Stephens ,Jimmy Grafton
Special
"Cinderella "
SLO 99928
26 December 1951
Dennis Main Wilson
Spike Milligan ,Larry Stephens ,Jimmy Grafton
Lizbeth Webb was Cinderella; Graham Stark was Prince Charming
Second series (1952)
Cast: Peter Sellers , Harry Secombe , Spike Milligan , Michael Bentine , The Ray Ellington Quartet , Max Geldray and the BBC Dance Orchestra, conducted by Stanley Black . The Stargazers were present for the first six shows only.
Announcer: Andrew Timothy
The shows were all recorded on a Sunday, except episodes 24 and 25; all episodes were broadcast on Tuesdays. Only three episodes are known to survive as truncated, off-air recordings.
Episode #
Title
Recording number
Original airdate
Producer
Scriptwriter(s)
Notes
1
'Adventures of Handsome Harry Secombe'
SLO 1768
22 January 1952
Dennis Main Wilson
Spike Milligan ,Larry Stephens ,Jimmy Grafton
Released on The Goon Show Compendium Vol.13
2
'Story of the Trans Siberian Express'
SLO 2147
29 January 1952
Dennis Main Wilson
Spike Milligan ,Larry Stephens ,Jimmy Grafton
3
'Captain Pureheart Builds the Crystal Palace'
SLO 2519
5 February 1952
Dennis Main Wilson
Spike Milligan ,Larry Stephens ,Jimmy Grafton
Released on The Goon Show Compendium Vol.13
4
'The Return of Handsome Harry Secombe'
SLO 2519
19 February 1952
Dennis Main Wilson
Spike Milligan ,Larry Stephens ,Jimmy Grafton
5
'Handsome Harry Guards a Vineyard in France'
SLO 3334
26 February 1952
Dennis Main Wilson
Spike Milligan ,Larry Stephens ,Jimmy Grafton
6
'Handsome Harry Secombe Goes Home'
SLO 4021
4 March 1952
Dennis Main Wilson
Spike Milligan ,Larry Stephens ,Jimmy Grafton
7
'Handsome Harry Investigates a Murder'
SLO 4179
11 March 1952
Dennis Main Wilson
Spike Milligan ,Larry Stephens ,Jimmy Grafton
8
'Her'
SLO 5112
18 March 1952
Dennis Main Wilson
Spike Milligan ,Larry Stephens ,Jimmy Grafton
9
'Handsome Harry the Toreador'
SLO 5277
25 March 1952
Dennis Main Wilson
Spike Milligan ,Larry Stephens ,Jimmy Grafton
10
'Handsome Harry Secombe and the Lost Million'
SLO 5380
1 April 1952
Dennis Main Wilson
Spike Milligan ,Larry Stephens ,Jimmy Grafton
11
Handsome Harry is Taken Prisoner in the Army by the British
SLO 5684
8 April 1952
Dennis Main Wilson
Spike Milligan ,Larry Stephens ,Jimmy Grafton
Recorded without Milligan
12
'Harry Secombe: Secret Agent'
SLO 6306
15 April 1952
Dennis Main Wilson
Spike Milligan ,Larry Stephens ,Jimmy Grafton
13
'Handsome Harry: Military Intelligence'
SLO 6737
22 April 1952
Dennis Main Wilson
Spike Milligan ,Larry Stephens ,Jimmy Grafton
14
'Handsome Harry and the Ministry of Documentation'
SLO 6959
29 April 1952
Dennis Main Wilson
Spike Milligan ,Larry Stephens ,Jimmy Grafton
15
'Harry Secombe Educates the BBC'
SBU 83555
6 May 1952
Dennis Main Wilson
Spike Milligan ,Larry Stephens ,Jimmy Grafton
16
'Handsome Harry’s Dream'
SLO 7761
13 May 1952
Dennis Main Wilson
Spike Milligan ,Larry Stephens ,Jimmy Grafton
17
'Handsome Harry Secombe Compiles a Dictionary'
SLO 8202
20 May 1952
Dennis Main Wilson
Spike Milligan ,Larry Stephens ,Jimmy Grafton
18
'Handsome Harry Secombe Hunted by a Gang'
SLO 8179
27 May 1952
Dennis Main Wilson
Spike Milligan ,Larry Stephens ,Jimmy Grafton
19
'Harry Delays His Story'
SLO 9302
3 June 1952
Dennis Main Wilson
Spike Milligan ,Larry Stephens ,Jimmy Grafton
Also included the BBC Revue Orchestra, conducted by Robert Busby
20
'Harry Writes a Daytime Radio Serial'
SLO 9307
10 June 1952
Dennis Main Wilson
Spike Milligan ,Larry Stephens ,Jimmy Grafton
Also included the BBC Revue Orchestra, conducted by Wally Stott
21
'Harry Stars in His First Television Commercial'
SLO 9638
17 June 1952
Dennis Main Wilson
Spike Milligan ,Larry Stephens ,Jimmy Grafton
Recorded without Bentine
22
'Harry Performs a Lion Act'
SLO 9955
24 June 1952
Dennis Main Wilson
Spike Milligan ,Larry Stephens ,Jimmy Grafton
23
'Harry Goes for Chief Announcer'
SLO 10474
1 July 1952
Dennis Main Wilson
Spike Milligan ,Larry Stephens ,Jimmy Grafton
24
'Harry Plays a Young Man'
SLO 11378
8 July 1952
Dennis Main Wilson
Spike Milligan ,Larry Stephens ,Jimmy Grafton
25
Story of the Green Eyed Little Yellow God
SLO 10808
15 July 1952
Dennis Main Wilson
Spike Milligan ,Larry Stephens ,Jimmy Grafton
Released on The Goon Show Compendium Vol.13
Third series (1952–53)
Cast: Peter Sellers , Harry Secombe , Spike Milligan , with Max Geldray and The Ray Ellington Quartet , conducted by Wally Stott .
Announcer: Andrew Timothy
The shows were all broadcast on Tuesdays, with the exception of episode 7, a Christmas special. Only one excerpt and one full episode are known to survive.
Episode #
Title
Recording number
Original airdate
Producer
Scriptwriter(s)
Notes
1
"Fred of the Islands "
SLO 17297
11 November 1952
Peter Eton
Spike Milligan ,Larry Stephens ,Jimmy Grafton
2
"The Egg of the Great Auk "
SOX 82948
18 November 1952
Peter Eton
Spike Milligan ,Larry Stephens ,Jimmy Grafton
3
"I Was a Male Fan Dancer "
SLO 18332
25 November 1952
Peter Eton
Spike Milligan ,Larry Stephens ,Jimmy Grafton
4
"The Saga of HMS Aldgate "
SLO 18613
2 December 1952
Peter Eton
Spike Milligan ,Larry Stephens ,Jimmy Grafton
5
"The Expedition for Toothpaste "
SLO 18848
9 December 1952
Peter Eton
Larry Stephens ,Jimmy Grafton
Recorded without Milligan
6
"The Archers "
SLO 19414
16 December 1952
Peter Eton
Larry Stephens ,Jimmy Grafton
Recorded without Milligan
7
"Robin Hood "
SLO 19526
26 December 1952
Peter Eton
Jimmy Grafton
Christmas pantomime: running time: 45 minutes Recorded without Milligan, with Dick Emery and Carole Carr
8
"Where Does Santa Claus Go in the Summer? "
SLO 19783
30 December 1952
Peter Eton
Larry Stephens ,Jimmy Grafton
Recorded without Milligan, with Ellis Powell
9
"The Navy, Army and Air Force "
SLO 20695
6 January 1953
Peter Eton
Larry Stephens ,Jimmy Grafton
Recorded without Milligan, with Dick Emery
10
"The British Way of Life "
SLO 20695
13 January 1953
Peter Eton
Larry Stephens ,Jimmy Grafton
Recorded without Milligan, with Graham Stark
11
"A Survey of Britain "
SLO 20948
20 January 1953
Peter Eton
Larry Stephens ,Jimmy Grafton
Recorded without Milligan, with Dick Emery
12
"Flint of the Flying Squad "
SLO 21647
27 January 1953
Peter Eton
Larry Stephens ,Jimmy Grafton
Recorded without Milligan, with Graham Stark
13
"Seaside Resorts in Winter "
SOX 86757
3 February 1953
Peter Eton
Larry Stephens ,Jimmy Grafton
Recorded without Milligan, with Dick Emery
14
"The Tragedy of Oxley Towers "
SLO 22493
10 February 1953
Peter Eton
Larry Stephens ,Jimmy Grafton
Recorded without Milligan, with Graham Stark and Valentine Dyall
15
"The Story of Civilization "
SLO 22860
17 February 1953
Peter Eton
Larry Stephens ,Jimmy Grafton
Recorded without Milligan, with Dick Emery
16
"The Search for the Bearded Vulture "
SLO 22973
24 February 1953
Peter Eton
Larry Stephens ,Jimmy Grafton
Recorded without Milligan, with Graham Stark . Excerpt released on The Goon Show Compendium Vol.13
17
"The Mystery of the Monkey's Paw "
SLO 23540
3 March 1953
Peter Eton
Spike Milligan ,Larry Stephens ,Jimmy Grafton
Milligan returned, with Dick Emery . Released on The Goon Show Compendium Vol.13
18
"The Mystery of the Cow on the Hill "
SLO24224
10 March 1953
Charles Chilton
Spike Milligan ,Larry Stephens ,Jimmy Grafton
19
"Where Do Socks Come From? "
SLO 24432
17 March 1953
Charles Chilton
Spike Milligan ,Larry Stephens ,Jimmy Grafton
20
"The Man Who Never Was "
SLO 24764
31 March 1953
Peter Eton
Spike Milligan ,Larry Stephens ,Jimmy Grafton
21
"The Building of a Suez Canal "
SLO 25520
7 April 1953
Peter Eton
Spike Milligan ,Larry Stephens ,Jimmy Grafton
22
"The De Goonlies "
SLO 25873
14 April 1953
Peter Eton
Spike Milligan ,Larry Stephens ,Jimmy Grafton
23
"The Conquest of Space "
SLO 26517
21 April 1953
Peter Eton
Spike Milligan ,Larry Stephens ,Jimmy Grafton
24
"The Ascent of Mount Everest "
SLO 26797
28 April 1953
Peter Eton
Spike Milligan ,Larry Stephens ,Jimmy Grafton
25
"The Story of the Plymouth Hoe Armada "
SLO 27952
5 May 1953
Peter Eton
Spike Milligan ,Larry Stephens ,Jimmy Grafton
Special
"Coronation Edition "
SLO 29390
3 June 1953
Peter Eton
Spike Milligan ,Larry Stephens ,Jimmy Grafton
Running time: 40 minutes. Without Geldray; with Graham Stark
Fourth series (1953–54)
Cast: Peter Sellers , Harry Secombe , Spike Milligan , with Max Geldray and The Ray Ellington Quartet , conducted by Wally Stott .
Announcers: Andrew Timothy (Episodes 1–5) and Wallace Greenslade (Episodes 6–30, plus specials)
Episodes 1–20 were broadcast on Fridays; episodes 21–30 on Mondays.
Episode #
Title
Recording number
Original airdate
Producer
Scriptwriter(s)
Notes
Comp. Vol
CD Vol
1
"The Dreaded Piano Clubber "
TLO 35079
2 October 1953
Peter Eton
Spike Milligan ,Larry Stephens
—
—
2
The Man Who Tried to Destroy London's Monuments
TLO 35432
9 October 1953
Peter Eton
Spike Milligan ,Larry Stephens
13
—
3
The Ghastly Experiments of Dr Hans Eidelburger
TLO 35740
16 October 1953
Peter Eton
Spike Milligan ,Larry Stephens
13
—
4
The Building of Britain's First Atomic Cannon
TLO 36235
23 October 1953
Peter Eton
Spike Milligan ,Larry Stephens
—
—
5
The Gibraltar Story
TLO 37145
30 October 1953
Peter Eton
Spike Milligan ,Larry Stephens
—
—
6
"Through the Sound Barrier in an Airing Cupboard "
TLO 37511
6 November 1953
Peter Eton
Spike Milligan ,Larry Stephens
—
—
7
The First Albert Memorial to the Moon
TLO 37898
13 November 1953
Peter Eton
Spike Milligan ,Larry Stephens
—
—
8
The Missing Bureaucrat
TLO 38482
20 November 1953
Peter Eton
Spike Milligan ,Larry Stephens
—
—
9
Operation Bagpipes
TLO 37891
27 November 1953
Peter Eton
Spike Milligan ,Larry Stephens
—
—
10
The Flying Saucer Mystery
TLO 39091
4 December 1953
Peter Eton
Larry Stephens
—
—
11
The Spanish Armada
TLO 39790
11 December 1953
Peter Eton
Spike Milligan ,Larry Stephens
—
—
12
The British Way
TLO 40412
18 December 1953
Peter Eton
Spike Milligan ,Larry Stephens
—
—
Special
Short insert in: "Christmas Crackers "
TLO 40660
25 December 1953
Peter Eton
Spike Milligan ,Larry Stephens
—
—
13
The Giant Bombardon
TLO 40660
26 December 1953
Peter Eton
Spike Milligan ,Larry Stephens
with Michael Bentine .
13 An extract
—
14
Ten Thousand Fathoms Down in a Wardrobe
TLO 40965
1 January 1954
Peter Eton
Spike Milligan ,Larry Stephens
—
—
15
The Missing Prime Minister
TLO 41242
8 January 1954
Peter Eton
Spike Milligan ,Larry Stephens
13
—
16
"Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Crun "
TLO 41552
15 January 1954
Peter Eton
Spike Milligan ,Larry Stephens
—
—
17
The Mummified Priest
TLO 42416
22 January 1954
Peter Eton
Spike Milligan ,Larry Stephens
—
—
18
The History of Communications
TLO 42842
29 January 1954
Peter Eton
Spike Milligan ,Larry Stephens
14
—
19
The Kippered Herring Gang
TLO 48011
5 February 1954
Peter Eton
Spike Milligan ,Larry Stephens
14
—
20
The Toothpaste Expedition
TLO 49072
12 February 1954
Peter Eton
Spike Milligan ,Larry Stephens
14
—
21
The Case of the Vanishing Room
TLO 49191
15 February 1954
Peter Eton
Spike Milligan
14
—
22
The Great Ink Drought of 1902
TLO 49628
22 February 1954
Peter Eton
Spike Milligan
—
—
23
The Greatest Mountain in the World
TLO 50206
1 March 1954
Peter Eton
Spike Milligan
14
8
24
The Collapse of the British Railways Sandwich System
TLO 50546
8 March 1954
Peter Eton
Spike Milligan
14
23
25
The Silent Bugler
TLO 50871
15 March 1954
Peter Eton
Spike Milligan
14
—
26
Western Story
TLO 51429
22 March 1954
Peter Eton
Spike Milligan
14
—
27
The Saga of the Internal Mountain
TLO 51769
29 March 1954
Peter Eton
Spike Milligan
14
25
28
The Invisible Acrobat
TLO 52346
5 April 1954
Peter Eton
Spike Milligan
—
—
29
The Great Bank of England Robbery
TLO 52585
12 April 1954
Peter Eton
Spike Milligan
14
26
30
The Siege of Fort Knight
TLO 52599
19 April 1954
Peter Eton
Spike Milligan
—
—
Special
"Archie in Goonland "
TLO 55169
11 June 1954
Roy Speer
Eric Sykes , Spike Milligan
with Peter Brough and Archie Andrews , Hattie Jacques and the BBC Variety Orchestra
—
—
Special
The Starlings
TNC 408
31 August 1954
Peter Eton
Spike Milligan
Recorded with no musicians, orchestra or audience.
14
31
Fifth series (1954–55)
Cast: Peter Sellers , Harry Secombe , Spike Milligan , with Max Geldray and The Ray Ellington Quartet , conducted by Wally Stott .
Announcer: Wallace Greenslade
The shows were all broadcast on Tuesdays. All episodes from this and subsequent series survive.
Episode #
Title
Original airdate
Producer
Scriptwriter(s)
Notes
Comp. Vol
CD Vol
1
The Whistling Spy Enigma
28 September 1954
Peter Eton
Spike Milligan
This script was later reused in a 1966 television episode of Secombe & Friends .
1
31
2
The Lost Gold Mine (of Charlotte)
5 October 1954
Peter Eton
Spike Milligan
1
23
3
The Dreaded Batter Pudding Hurler (of Bexhill-on-Sea)
12 October 1954
Peter Eton
Spike Milligan
1
1
4
The Phantom Head Shaver (of Brighton)
19 October 1954
Peter Eton
Spike Milligan
1
12
5
The Affair of the Lone Banana
26 October 1954
Peter Eton
Spike Milligan
1
7
6
The Canal
2 November 1954
Peter Eton
Spike Milligan
with Valentine Dyall
1
23
7
Lurgi Strikes Britain
9 November 1954
Peter Eton
Eric Sykes ,Spike Milligan
1
2
8
The Mystery of the Marie Celeste (solved)
16 November 1954
Peter Eton
Eric Sykes ,Spike Milligan
13
8
9
The Last Tram (from Clapham)
23 November 1954
Peter Eton
Eric Sykes ,Spike Milligan
1
8
10
The Booted Gorilla (found?)
30 November 1954
Peter Eton
Spike Milligan ,Eric Sykes
Features Peter Sellers (as Dennis Bloodnok) singing Any Old Iron , a song Sellers recorded in 1957 as "Willium Mate", another voice he used in the series.
1
22
11
The Spanish Suitcase
7 December 1954
Peter Eton
Eric Sykes ,Spike Milligan
1
8
12
Dishonoured (a.k.a. The Fall of Neddie Seagoon)
14 December 1954
Peter Eton
Spike Milligan ,Eric Sykes
1
30
13
Forog
21 December 1954
Peter Eton
Eric Sykes ,Spike Milligan
1
31
14
Ye Bandit of Sherwood Forest
28 December 1954
Peter Eton
Spike Milligan ,Eric Sykes
A Christmas episode. Featuring Charlotte Mitchell . Several jokes appear to have been reused in the later Christmas episode 'Robin Hood '
2
32
15
1985
4 January 1955
Peter Eton
Spike Milligan ,Eric Sykes
2
—
16
The Case of the Missing Heir
11 January 1955
Peter Eton
Eric Sykes ,Spike Milligan
2
24
17
China Story
18 January 1955
Peter Eton
Spike Milligan ,Eric Sykes
—
—
18
Under Two Floorboards
25 January 1955
Peter Eton
Eric Sykes ,Spike Milligan
2
9
19
The Missing Scroll
1 February 1955
Peter Eton
Spike Milligan ,Eric Sykes
2
31
20
1985
8 February 1955
Peter Eton
Spike Milligan ,Eric Sykes
Remade edition, with John Snagge (pre-recorded)
2
5 / 31
21
The Sinking of Westminster Pier
15 February 1955
Peter Eton
Spike Milligan ,Eric Sykes
2
9
22
The Fireball of Milton Street
22 February 1955
Peter Eton
Spike Milligan ,Eric Sykes
2
25
23
The Six Ingots of Leadenhall Street
1 March 1955
Peter Eton
Eric Sykes ,Spike Milligan
2
32
24
Yehti
8 March 1955
Peter Eton
Eric Sykes ,Spike Milligan
2
9
25
The White Box of Great Bardfield
15 March 1955
Peter Eton
Spike Milligan ,Eric Sykes
2
10
26
The End (a.k.a. Confessions of a Secret Senna Pod Drinker)
22 March 1955
Peter Eton
Eric Sykes ,Spike Milligan
2
25
Sixth series (1955–56)
Cast: Peter Sellers , Harry Secombe , Spike Milligan , with Max Geldray and The Ray Ellington Quartet , conducted by Wally Stott .
Announcer: Wallace Greenslade
The shows were all broadcast on Tuesdays.
Seventh series (1956–57)
Cast: Peter Sellers , Harry Secombe , Spike Milligan , with Max Geldray and The Ray Ellington Quartet , conducted by Wally Stott .
Announcer: Wallace Greenslade
The shows were all broadcast on Tuesdays, except episodes 10 and 13, which were on Wednesdays.
Eighth series (1957–58)
Cast: Peter Sellers , Harry Secombe , Spike Milligan , with Max Geldray and The Ray Ellington Quartet , conducted by Wally Stott .
Announcer: Wallace Greenslade
The shows were all broadcast on Mondays.
Episode #
Title
Original airdate
Producer
Scriptwriter(s)
Notes
Comp. Vol
CD Vol
1
Spon
30 September 1957
Charles Chilton
Spike Milligan
Recorded without Secombe, with Dick Emery
7
1
2
The Junk Affair
7 October 1957
Charles Chilton
Spike Milligan , Larry Stephens
7
21
3
The Burning Embassy
14 October 1957
Charles Chilton
Spike Milligan , Larry Stephens
7
21
4
The Great Regent's Park Swim
21 October 1957
Charles Chilton
Spike Milligan , Larry Stephens
7
28
5
The Treasure in the Tower
28 October 1957
Charles Chilton
Spike Milligan , Larry Stephens
7
17
6
The Space Age
4 November 1957
Roy Speer
Spike Milligan , Larry Stephens
7
28
7
The Red Fort
11 November 1957
Roy Speer
Spike Milligan , Larry Stephens
12
—
8
The Missing Battleship
18 November 1957
Roy Speer
Spike Milligan , Larry Stephens
Geldray edited from broadcast[22]
7
21
9
The Policy
25 November 1957
Roy Speer
Spike Milligan , Larry Stephens
7
28
10
King Solomon's Mines
2 December 1957
Roy Speer
Spike Milligan , Larry Stephens
7
13
11
The Stolen Postman
9 December 1957
Roy Speer
Larry Stephens
7
28
12
The Great British Revolution
16 December 1957
Roy Speer
Spike Milligan , Larry Stephens
Features Peter Sellers portraying Prime Minister Harold MacMillan in the style of Laurence Olivier as Richard III .
7
20
13
The Plasticine Man
23 December 1957
Roy Speer
Spike Milligan , Larry Stephens
Ellington edited from some broadcast versions[22]
7
17
14
African Incident
30 December 1957
Roy Speer
Spike Milligan , Larry Stephens
with Cécile Chevreau
7
18
15
The Thing on the Mountain
6 January 1958
Tom Ronald
Larry Stephens , Maurice Wiltshire
7
29
16
The String Robberies
13 January 1958
Tom Ronald
Spike Milligan
with George Chisholm
8
11
17
The Moriarty Murder Mystery
20 January 1958
Charles Chilton
Larry Stephens , Maurice Wiltshire
8
13
18
The Curse of Frankenstein
27 January 1958
Charles Chilton
Spike Milligan
Ellington edited from broadcast,[23] with George Chisholm
8
16
19
The White Neddie Trade
3 February 1958
Charles Chilton
Larry Stephens , Maurice Wiltshire
8
11
20
Ten Snowballs that Shook the World
10 February 1958
Charles Chilton
Spike Milligan
8
21
21
The Man Who Never Was (remake)
17 February 1958
Charles Chilton
Spike Milligan , Larry Stephens
8
4
22
World War One (aka !)"
24 February 1958
Charles Chilton
Spike Milligan
8
4
23
The Spon Plague
3 March 1958
Charles Chilton
John Antrobus , Spike Milligan
with George Chisholm
8
11
24
Tiddleywinks
10 March 1958
Charles Chilton
Spike Milligan
with John Snagge
8
18
25
The Evils of Bushey Spon
17 March 1958
Charles Chilton
Spike Milligan
with A. E. Matthews
8
1
26
The Great Statue Debate
24 March 1958
Charles Chilton
Spike Milligan , John Antrobus
8
29
Vintage Goons series (1957–58)
Cast: Peter Sellers , Harry Secombe , Spike Milligan , with Max Geldray and The Ray Ellington Quartet , conducted by Wally Stott .
Announcer: Wallace Greenslade
The following episodes were specially recorded for overseas stations only during the Eighth Series and were re-recordings of earlier episodes. Six of these episodes were broadcast prior to the commencement of the Ninth series, which is why the Ninth series was shorter. However, many of these episodes were not broadcast in the United Kingdom until the 1980s or 1990s. So for contextual purposes, the recording dates are listed alongside the original airdates in the United Kingdom.[24]
Ninth series (1958–59)
Cast: Peter Sellers , Harry Secombe , Spike Milligan , with Max Geldray and The Ray Ellington Quartet , conducted by Wally Stott .
Announcer: Wallace Greenslade
The shows were all broadcast on Mondays, except episode 12, which was on a Tuesday.
Tenth series (1959–60)
Cast: Peter Sellers , Harry Secombe , Spike Milligan , with Max Geldray and The Ray Ellington Quartet , conducted by Wally Stott .
Announcer: Wallace Greenslade
The shows were all broadcast on Thursdays.
Specials (1968–2001)
"Tales of Men's Shirts" (8 August 1968; Thames Television)
"The Last Goon Show of All " (5 October 1972)
"At Last the Go On Show " A documentary celebrating the 40th anniversary of the first Goon Show broadcast (27 May 1991)
"Goon Again : the 50th Anniversary Cardboard Replica Goon Show" (29 May 2001)
Notes and references
Notes
^ A special was recorded on 2 December 1956 for broadcast on the BBC Transcription Services and was not heard in Britain. A second special was broadcast on 24 December 1956 on the BBC General Overseas Service only.
^ Six episodes of Vintage Goons were broadcast 22 September 1958 – 27 October 1958, prior to the start of series nine.
^ Recorded 20 November 1955
^ Postponed from 22 November 1955
^ a b Different paperwork sources for episodes 12 and 14 of the Vintage Goons series are variously dated 9 March 1958 or 23 March 1958. The rehearsal material for "The Dreaded Piano Clubber " was recorded on the same day as the eighth series episode "The Great Statue Debate ", which was 23 March 1958. However, along with "The Albert Memorial ", it was issued out of chronological order.
References
^ The Goon Show Compendium Volume 12: Ten episodes of the classic BBC radio comedy series plus bonus features Audio CD – Audiobook, CD, Unabridged . ASIN 1785294490 .
^ "Under the Influence of the Goons" . FIREZINE #4 . Firesign Theatre . Winter 1997–1998. Retrieved 14 October 2006 .
^ "The Goon Show Site – Tributes – Terry Gilliam" . Pythonline Daily Llama. Retrieved 2 June 2006 .
^ "Vermont Public Radio 25th Anniversary Site" . Vermont Public Radio. 2002. Archived from the original on 4 October 2006. Retrieved 29 May 2006 .
^
"Secombe's son in Goon revival" . BBC . London. 15 May 2001.
^ Cite error: Invalid <ref>
tag; no text was provided for refs named CD9781408410448
^ "The Goon Show: Volume 34" . Retrieved 24 May 2019 .
^ a b Pixley, Andrew; Kendall, Ted (2012). The Goon Show Compendium Volume Seven (Series 8 – Part 1) (CD). AudioGO Ltd. booklet 1, pp. 9, 11; booklet 2, p. 6. ISBN 978-1445-891330 .
^ Pixley, Andrew; Kendall, Ted (2012). The Goon Show Compendium Volume Eight (Series 8 – Part 2) (CD). AudioGO Ltd. booklet 1, p. 4. ISBN 978-1445-825601 .
^ a b Pixley, Andrew; Kendall, Ted (2014). The Goon Show Compendium Volume Nine (Vintage Goons) (CD). AudioGO Ltd. booklet 2, pp. 2–6, 9. ISBN 978-1471-331619 .
Bibliography
The Goons
Radio / TV series Characters Films Related Technical