The Last Goon Show Of All

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''The Last Goon Show of All'' is a special edition of the

BBC Radio BBC Radio is an operational business division and service of the British Broadcasting Corporation (which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a royal charter since 1927). The service provides national radio stations covering ...

comedy Comedy is a genre of fiction that consists of discourses or works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other entertainment medium. The term o ...

programme ''

The Goon Show ''The Goon Show'' is a British radio comedy programme, originally produced and broadcast by the BBC Home Service from 1951 to 1960, with occasional repeats on the BBC Light Programme. The first series, broadcast from 28 May to 20 September 19 ...

'' commissioned as part of the celebrations of the 50th anniversary of the

BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...

...

Simulcast Simulcast (a portmanteau of simultaneous broadcast) is the broadcasting of programmes/programs or events across more than one resolution, bitrate or medium, or more than one service on the same medium, at exactly the same time (that is, simulta ...

on radio and television on 5 October 1972, the performance reunited

Spike Milligan Terence Alan "Spike" Milligan (16 April 1918 – 27 February 2002) was an Irish actor, comedian, writer, musician, poet, and playwright. The son of an English mother and Irish father, he was born in British Colonial India, where he spent his ...

Peter Sellers Peter Sellers (born Richard Henry Sellers; 8 September 1925 – 24 July 1980) was an English actor and comedian. He first came to prominence performing in the BBC Radio comedy series ''The Goon Show'', featured on a number of hit comic songs ...

and

Harry Secombe Sir Harold Donald Secombe (8 September 1921 – 11 April 2001) was a Welsh comedian, actor, singer and television presenter. Secombe was a member of the British radio comedy programme ''The Goon Show'' (1951–1960), playing many characters, m ...

as well as other contributors to the programme's original run. It was later released as a

long-playing record The LP (from "long playing" or "long play") is an analog sound storage medium, a phonograph record format characterized by: a speed of rpm; a 12- or 10-inch (30- or 25-cm) diameter; use of the "microgroove" groove specification; and ...

Browell, John (Producer). (1974). ''The Last Goon Show of All''. (Long Playing record). BBC Records. Stereo 2964 035 and on

compact disc The compact disc (CD) is a digital optical disc data storage format that was co-developed by Philips and Sony to store and play digital audio recordings. In August 1982, the first compact disc was manufactured. It was then released in Oc ...

.Browell, John (Radio Producer). (1994). ''The Last Goon Show of All'' (disc 1). Running time 52 mins. Released as 2 disc set, with disc 2 containing ''Michael Parkinson Meets the Goons''. BBC Radio Collection, with PolyGram. BBCCD1630 The video recording of the television broadcast was also released on VHS and later on

DVD The DVD (common abbreviation for Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any kind ...

,Hespe, Douglas (Television Presenter) (2005). ''The Last Goon Show of All''. (BBC DVD release, from edited 1973 VHS video of original 1972 telecast). BBC Worldwide Ltd. B00918-9. Running time 40 minutes although with some omissions. In early October 2007, 35 years after the original broadcast, a full unedited version was broadcast on

BBC 7 BBC Radio 4 Extra (formerly BBC Radio 7) is a British digital radio station from the BBC, broadcasting archived repeats of comedy, drama and documentary programmes nationally, 24 hours a day. It is the sister station of BBC Radio 4 and the p ...

(now BBC Radio 4 Extra), the digital radio channel dedicated to re-runs of classic shows.

Introduction

Different versions of the show could be heard in different contexts. The television broadcast began with pre-show announcements by the producer, John Browell, and introduction of the participants, followed by warm-up routines by the cast. The broadcast begins with

and

each trying and failing to lead the other two in saying "It's great to be back." This was the start of the show from the radio audience's point of view. Announcer

Andrew Timothy Andrew Timothy (30 November 1912 – 9 December 1990) was an Anglican priest and BBC Radio announcer, who is known for being the original announcer of the comedy series ''The Goon Show''. His son is the Welsh actor Christopher Timothy. Early life ...

then intervenes with "They haven't quite got the hang of it yet, but after another smoke they should be switched on." From there the show re-caps the cast introductions with typically skewed humour. There is a spoof "warm-up" where Sellers, using a "dramatic voice" announces that the best way to warm up an audience is to have the gentlemen squeeze the thigh of the lady sitting next to them. Timothy then announces that, since

the Queen In the English-speaking world, The Queen most commonly refers to: * Elizabeth II (1926–2022), Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 1952 until her death The Queen may also refer to: * Camilla, Queen Consort (born 1947), ...

is not available, Secombe has donned a "floral

cretonne Cretonne was originally a strong, white fabric with a hempen warp and linen weft. The word is sometimes said to be derived from Creton, a village in Normandy where the manufacture of linen was carried on; some other serious sources mention that the ...

frock" and stepped in for her at the last minute. Secombe then attempts to "start the show" which sounds a lot like starting, or rather failing to start, a car. This play on words was used by Milligan in his other scripts, particularly the contemporaneous ''" Milligna Show"''. The tone of the whole show, in fact, was much more like Milligan's then-current writing than any of the original shows. Although all the stock characters put in an appearance, the humour consists mostly of one-liners. Secombe eventually starts the show with the help of "a Constabule (sic) of Olde England played by an aging Peter Sellers" who points out that the show has no jokes in the "fuel tonk". Again, humorous typographical errors were a staple of Milligan's writing at the time. For this interlude, Sellers used his impression of

Michael Caine Sir Michael Caine (born Maurice Joseph Micklewhite; 14 March 1933) is an English actor. Known for his distinctive Cockney accent, he has appeared in more than 160 films in a career spanning seven decades, and is considered a British film ico ...

, complete with the catchphrase "There's not many people know that!" This is a reference to Caine's supposed fondness for telling people obscure facts. Secombe then shouts in some old jokes and "starts" the show. Before the "plot" begins, there is a musical interlude in which

Ray Ellington Henry Pitts Brown (17 March 1916 – 27 February 1985), known professionally as Ray Ellington, was an English singer, drummer and bandleader. He is best known for his appearances on ''The Goon Show'' from 1951 to 1960. The Ray Ellington Quartet h ...

performs a very upbeat version of " The Tennessee Waltz". Ellington is introduced by Timothy as " Mrs Dale's last husband". There is also a reference to

Eric Sykes Eric Sykes (4 May 1923 – 4 July 2012) was an English radio, stage, television and film writer, comedian, actor, and director whose performing career spanned more than 50 years. He frequently wrote for and performed with many other leading com ...

, a fellow comedy actor, who co-wrote episodes of ''The Goon Show'' with Milligan. Present in the audience was Princess Anne (now Princess Royal), whose brother Prince Charles was famously known to be a fan of the Goons. A joke telegram from him was read out by Andrew Timothy apologising for his absence.

Plot

Andrew Timothy takes us to the Westminster City Council Rubbish Dump, situated in Hyde Park, where

Hercules Grytpype-Thynne Hercules Grytpype-Thynne was a character from the British 1950s comedy radio programme ''The Goon Show''. He was voiced by Peter Sellers. In the episode "Who Is Pink Oboe?", Valentine Dyall filled-in for the role in Sellers' absence. Grytpype-T ...

and Count Jim Moriarty, more ragged than ever, are starving. The Council has just dumped a huge amount of lagging, because "it was in feet and inches, and we have gone

metric Metric or metrical may refer to: * Metric system, an internationally adopted decimal system of measurement * An adjective indicating relation to measurement in general, or a noun describing a specific type of measurement Mathematics In mathem ...

". Secombe, now in character as

Neddie Seagoon Neddie Seagoon was a character in the 1950s British radio comedy show ''The Goon Show''. He was created and performed by Welsh comedian Harry Secombe. Seagoon was usually the central character of a ''Goon Show'' episode, with most plots involving ...

, arrives "driving an unlicensed ''Goon Show'' with CD plates on". Grytpype's comment is "Yes, it does look a bit seedy, doesn't it." The two villains then attempt their usual swindle of Neddie, in this case convincing him that his legs must be lagged to keep them warm for the coming winter, the payment being his "war gratuity" of one hundred pounds. However, when Seagoon lifts his trouser leg, it is revealed that Bluebottle has been hiding inside, and is threatening to release pictures of Neddie's

bloomers Bloomers, also called the bloomer, the Turkish dress, the American dress, or simply reform dress, are divided women's garments for the lower body. They were developed in the 19th century as a healthful and comfortable alternative to the heavy, ...

unless he is given money he will use to impress his schoolyard paramour, Mollie Quotts. Bereft of all cash, Seagoon decides to head for Blackpool to earn some money doing his old stage act, the "shaving routine", which was Secombe's own stock-in-trade. Seagoon then fades away, Timothy dismissing him with "Mr. Secombe's departure is a timely one. Any departure of his is timely." Timothy then introduces

Max Geldray Max van Gelder (12 February 1916 – 2 October 2004), professionally known as Max Geldray, was a Dutch jazz harmonica player. Best known for providing musical interludes for the BBC radio comedy programme ''The Goon Show'', he was also cr ...

as follows: "Just before this show started, Mr. Max Geldray died. His wife described his condition as: satisfactory." Geldray then plays " The Carioca" with the orchestra, and Ellington on conga drums. After the interlude, Timothy announces that "Seagoon is hauling his huge bloated Welsh body up the M1 to Blackpool, and all lanes are blocked." The show moves to the home of Henry Crun and Minnie Bannister for a typical exchange between the two old fossils, with no consequence to the plot other than to link to the entrance of

Major Bloodnok Major Denis Bloodnok is a fictional character from the 1950s BBC Radio comedy ''The Goon Show''. He was voiced by Peter Sellers. Basis of character Bloodnok's army career is notable for cowardice and monetary irregularities. He was discharged aft ...

, who is being pursued by the Red Bladder, played as always by Ray Ellington. After an exchange of empty threats with the Bladder, Bloodnok is told by his Indian aide, Singhiz Thing (Milligan), that it is "time for isperversion". There follows an interlude of bizarre and suggestive sound effects overlaid with ecstatic yelps from Bloodnok, although this could be more of a satire on the kind of lascivious roles Peter Sellers played in several of his films up to that point. Bloodnok then sends Seagoon to the cellar to rest, this serving to re-introduce Eccles to the audience. Eccles has been in the cellar since he delivered coal and forgot to let go of the sack. He has been eating coke to survive and letting his nephew, Little Jim, live in his boot. The encounter of Seagoon and Eccles produces what may be the quintessential Eccles quote: :Seagoon: What are you doing down here? :Eccles: Everybody gotta be somewhere! The philosophical appeal of this was not lost on the audience, who responded with slow-building but long-lasting laughter. Neddie eventually falls asleep, setting the stage for Bluebottle to re-emerge from his bloomers and thus begin a conversation with Eccles. This section ends with Bluebottle persuading Eccles to help him push Seagoon down a well, which naturally leads to Little Jim's catchphrase "He's fallen in the water!" During the subsequent audience applause, Milligan shouts "Had to get it in, folks! Had to get it in!" Bloodnok reappears, pursued by the Red Bladder, but mysteriously transforms into Grytpype-Thynne, who announces to Neddie that "we have found ''Goon Show'' number 1-6-3,The "number" of this edition of the ''Goon Show'' was, along with Neddie dressing as the Queen, one of the few running gags in the show. Secombe begins by announcing the start of "''Goon Show'' number 1-6-1". Later Bloodnok answers the telephone and announces that the BBC has switched to "number 1-6-2". Grytpype announces "number 1-6-3" and at the end, Bluebottle declares that the show is now "number 1-6-4" in which he charges people to poke at Neddie's belly through the hole in the floor. Based on the publication ''More Goon Show Scripts'' and the chronology therein, the final ''Goon Show'' proper was number 264. in which you play the lead all the way through as an

underfloor heating Underfloor heating and cooling is a form of central heating and cooling that achieves indoor climate control for thermal comfort using hydronic or electrical heating elements embedded in a floor. Heating is achieved by conduction, radiation and ...

detective". Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, this line falls victim to one of Sellers' "fluffs", for which he was notorious, followed by an attack of giggling, another one of his trademarks. After some asides by his castmates, he delivers the line, which plays into a ''risqué'' reference to former Goon

Michael Bentine Michael Bentine, (born Michael James Bentin; 26 January 1922General Register Office for England and Wales – Birth Register for the March Quarter of 1922, Watford Registration District, Reference 3a 1478, listed as "Michael J. Bentin", mother ...

. Neddie is then nailed under floorboards for his role, and left there for some months. In fact, he is under the floor of a dressing-room at the Palace Theatre, Blackpool, and this room is given to Bluebottle to prepare for his appearance with "Capt. Goatcabin's Balancing Stallions". He hears Neddie's cries for help, then sees his belly through a knot-hole. The show ends with him poking Neddie in the stomach, as a cacophony of pre-recorded lines from previous parts of the show rise up, followed by a recording of an explosion, a common end to a ''Goon Show''. Andrew Timothy finishes the show with "The next ''Goon Show'' will be on July 7th, 1982. And from ''Goon Show'' number 167, farewell. P.S.: Forever". The orchestra plays the signature tune, as Andrew Timothy announces the credits, then moves into "

Ding-Dong! The Witch Is Dead "Ding-Dong! The Witch Is Dead" is a song in the 1939 film '' The Wizard of Oz''. It is the centrepiece of several individual songs in an extended set-piece performed by the Munchkins, Glinda (Billie Burke) and Dorothy Gale. Highlighted by the Lol ...

", the regular play-out for the show. In the full recording broadcast on

, the cast are then heard saying their thank-you's to the audience, with Milligan coming close to abusing them, again something for which he was known in the years after ''The Goon Show''. There follow some minutes of silence after this, then a dirty limerick can be heard, recited by Sellers and accompanied by laughter from Secombe and Milligan.

Credits

* Performers **

* Musicians ** The

Quartet, including

Judd Proctor Judd Proctor ( Procter; 2 January 1931 – 21 August 2020) was a British jazz guitarist and session musician. Biography He was born in Doncaster, Yorkshire, in 1931, though some sources give different years. His birth surname was Procter ...

(guitar) and

Dick Katz Richard Aaron Katz (March 13, 1924 – November 10, 2009) was an American jazz pianist, arranger and record producer. He freelanced throughout much of his career, and worked in a number of ensembles. He co-founded Milestone Records in 1966 with O ...

(piano). **

, jazz harmonica player. ** The

Wally Stott Angela Morley (10 March 192414 January 2009) was an English composer and conductor who became a familiar household name to BBC Radio listeners in the 1950s. She attributed her entry into composing and arranging largely to the influence and en ...

Orchestra, conducted by Peter Knight. * Announcer

. * Writer

. * Producer John Browell.

Cuts and edits

* Spike Milligan's contribution to the pre-show warm-up was cut to a minimum in the TV broadcast and on the vinyl release. Only in the

broadcast is his parody of "

I Left My Heart In San Francisco "I Left My Heart in San Francisco" is a popular song, written in the fall of 1953 in Brooklyn, New York, with music by George Cory (1920–1978) and lyrics by Douglass Cross and best known as the signature song of Tony Bennett. In 1962, the ...

" heard. * The script referred to then-Prime Minister

Edward Heath Sir Edward Richard George Heath (9 July 191617 July 2005), often known as Ted Heath, was a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1970 to 1974 and Leader of the Conservative Party from 1965 to 1975. Heath a ...

, as "Grocer" Heath, a

sobriquet A sobriquet ( ), or soubriquet, is a nickname, sometimes assumed, but often given by another, that is descriptive. A sobriquet is distinct from a pseudonym, as it is typically a familiar name used in place of a real name, without the need of expla ...

invented by the satirical magazine '' Private Eye''. This was heard during the TV broadcast but the word "Grocer" was cut for the vinyl release. It was left intact in the

broadcast. * Sellers' line ending with "underfloor heating detective" leads to the following scripted exchange: ::Seagoon: I've always wanted big parts! ::Grytpype: You've always had them Neddie, you and Bentine! :This was cut from the original television and radio broadcast, but left untouched in other versions. * Andrew Timothy's winding up of the show is heard as ending with "...farewell, P.S. forever" in the

broadcast. "P.S. forever" was cut from all other versions. * The VHS, and subsequent DVD release (which is verbatim the VHS release) lasts 40 minutes. However, the live telecast, and subsequent LP release were longer. The CD release is faithful to the LP release, with a total running time of about 52 minutes. In editing the VHS release down to 40 minutes, the lead-up to a delayed punch-line is lost. The punch line comprises Bluebottle asking Moriarty: "...what is that lump on your nut?", to which Moriarty replies: "That is the difference between margarine". The primer for this punch-line was edited out between announcer Andrew Timothy's follow-on at the end of Ray Ellington's song, and the part where Neddy drives up on an unlicensed Goon Show. Amongst the banter, Grytpype-Thynne tells Moriarty to place his head on an anvil, followed by a clang, and screams of pain from Moriarty. Grytpype then says: "now, taste this margarine". Moriarty complies. Grytpype says: "There. Can you tell the difference?". Moriarty: "No". Grytpype (triumphantly): "You see! You can't tell the difference between a lump on the head and margarine. The leadership of the Conservative Party is yours for the asking!" In his Technical Notes for ''The Goon Show Compendium Volume Twelve'' (2016), remastering engineer Ted Kendall describes how he and

Dirk Maggs David George Dirk Maggs (born St. Helier, Jersey, February 1955) is a British freelance writer and director. During his career as a Senior Producer in BBC Radio he made radio drama adopting a cinematic-sounding approach, combining filmic story c ...

decided to produce a 25th Anniversary "restored" version of the programme in 1997 by selecting material from all of the available sources. These included the

BBC Transcription Services The BBC Transcription Services started life in the mid-1930s as the London Transcription Service to license BBC Radio programmes to overseas broadcasters who were authorised to broadcast the programmes for a set period, usually two or three years. ...

multitrack tapes which also contained rehearsal material. For the ''Compendium'', Kendall remastered the 1997 version and, in his words, removed some rough edges.

Topical jokes

As with the original series, references to contemporary events are heard in the show, and with the passage of time the significance of the references has faded. For instance, at one point Neddie declares that he must get Bluebottle's photographs back "before

Bryan Forbes Bryan Forbes CBE (; born John Theobald Clarke; 22 July 1926 – 8 May 2013) was an English film director, screenwriter, film producer, actor and novelist described as a "Renaissance man"Falk Q. . BAFTA. 17 October 2007. Retrieved 9 May 2013 and ...

turns them into a novelty!" This was a reference to the recently published first novel (''The Distant Laughter'') by the film director Forbes. The novel had been received with derision in certain quarters, particularly in '' Private Eye''. There are other references to ''Private Eye'' and its humour to be heard. At the time the magazine was celebrating its tenth anniversary. During the warm up, Secombe jokes that he is broadcasting "live via satellite from

Neasden Neasden is a suburban area in northwest London, England. It is located around the centre of the London Borough of Brent and is within the NW2 ( Cricklewood) and NW10 (Willesden) postal districts. Neasden is near Wembley Stadium, the Welsh Har ...

", a reference to the all-purpose urban location used in ''Private Eye''s parodies and fake news articles. A joke is made about "us directors of Harlech TV" by Harry Secombe. He was a company director of the erstwhile ITV franchise contractor at the time. Actors

Richard Burton Richard Burton (; born Richard Walter Jenkins Jr.; 10 November 1925 – 5 August 1984) was a Welsh actor. Noted for his baritone voice, Burton established himself as a formidable Shakespearean actor in the 1950s, and he gave a memorable pe ...

and his wife Elizabeth Taylor were also directors.

Reviews

The British press celebrated the event more for its historic significance than the actual content of the show. There was extensive reporting of the pre- and post- show publicity including interviews with the participants. Since Sellers was by then an internationally known film star, and Secombe had become a regular performer in other contexts, such as his appearance as Mr. Bumble in the film of '' Oliver!'', the

Lionel Bart Lionel Bart (1 August 1930 – 3 April 1999) was a British writer and composer of pop music and musicals. He wrote Tommy Steele's " Rock with the Caveman" and was the sole creator of the musical ''Oliver!'' (1960). With ''Oliver!'' and his wor ...

musical, there was much public interest even among those unfamiliar with the original show. The sleeve notes for the LP release quote newspaper articles, including one from ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...

'' headlined "Goons Reithed in Glory":

Fifty years of nation speaking peace unto nation. Fifty years of Reith, Normanbrook,
Hill A hill is a landform that extends above the surrounding terrain. It often has a distinct summit. Terminology The distinction between a hill and a mountain is unclear and largely subjective, but a hill is universally considered to be not a ...
and Alvar Lidell and how does the British Broadcasting Corporation celebrate the occasion? Answer: with a maniac cackle. It showed a fitting sense of history. The Goons, after all, were the fathers of the great national in-joke and a private language.

Footnotes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Goon Show of All The Goon Show The Goon Show episodes