FOURTH EDITION COMING SOON
This brand new fourth edition covers all comedy series on by BBC Radio up to the end of 2023.
After spending 30 years researching comedy, Peter T. Tatchell gathered together a comprehensive listing of BBC Radio comedy series’ and published the first edition of Tatchell’s Guide to BBC Radio Comedy in 2003. He updated the guide in 2006 and again in 2013, and each time he expanded and improved it to the point where it now lists not just what shows have been played on radio, but what is known to survive, as well as going into detail about some of the classic series.
Peter passed away in 2023, and as a tribute to Peter, the team of researchers who helped him put together the first three editions have updated his guide to include all series broadcast to the end of 2023, and it will be available here to download for free for all researchers and comedy collectors to benefit from Peter’s work.
Stay tuned.
herewith some sample extracts …
Section 1: SERIES AND SPECIALS
(all shows listed run approximately 30 minutes, unless noted)
/…
GOODNESS GRACIOUS ME
Series 1: R4 Friday 11-00pm July 5 to 26 1996
Series 2: R4 Friday 11-00pm July 11 to August 1 1997
Series 3: R4 Thursday 6-30pm May 21 to June 25 1998
with Meera Syal, Kulvinder Ghir, Sanjeev Bhaskar, Nitin Sawhney, Nina Wadia
GOOD TIMING
R4 Thursday 12-30pm May 24 to June 14 1984
with Roger Black, Angus Deayton, Rory McGrath
(script: Roger Black and Rory McGrath)
THE GOON SHOW
Series 1 (titled CRAZY PEOPLE): Home Monday 7-45pm May 28 to July 23 1951,
Thursday 8-00pm August 2 to September 20 1951
*** CINDERELLA: Home Wednesday 8-15pm December 26 1951 (45 min)
Series 2: Home Tuesday 9-30pm January 22 to July 15 1952 (not Feb 12)
Series 3: Home Tuesday 9-30pm November 11 1952 to May 5 1953 (not Dec 23)
*** ROBIN HOOD: Home Friday 8-15pm December 26 1952 (45 min)
*** CORONATION EDITION: Home Wednesday 9-30pm June 3 1953 (40 min)
Series 4: Home Friday 9-30pm October 2 1953 to February 12 1954,
Monday 8-30pm February 15 to April 19 1954
*** CHRISTMAS CRACKERS: Home Friday 1-10pm December 25 1953 (featured Goons sketch)
*** ARCHIE IN GOONLAND: Home Friday 9-45pm June 11 1954
*** THE STARLINGS: Home Tuesday 9-45pm August 31 1954
Series 5: Home Tuesday 9-30pm September 28 1954 to March 22 1955
Series 6: Home Tuesday 8-30pm September 20 1955 to March 20 1956 (Nov 22 ep held til Apr 3)
*** THE MISSING CHRISTMAS PARCEL (15 min segment): December 8 1955 (60 min)
*** THE GOONS HIT WALES (5 min segment): Home Thursday 9-00pm March 1 1956 (60 min)
*** CHINA STORY: August 29 1956
Series 7: Home Thursday 8-30pm October 4 1956 to March 27 1957 (Nov 8 ep delayed til Feb 14)
*** THE REASON WHY: Home Thursday 9-15pm August 22 1957 (repeat on Feb 14)
Series 8: Home Monday 8-30pm September 30 1957 to March 24 1957
Series 9: Home Monday 8-30pm November 3 1958 to February 23 1959
Series 10: Home Tuesday 7-30pm December 24 1959 to January 28 1960
*** THE LAST GOON SHOW OF ALL: R4 Thursday 8-00pm October 5 1972 (40 min)
* The BBC Transcription Service also recorded 15 remakes of series 4 editions for overseas listeners only on … Dec 2 1956, Oct 6 & 20, Nov 3 & 17, Dec 1, 15 & 29 1957, Jan 12, Feb 16 & 23, Mar 2, 9, 16 & 23 1958
* The BBC General Overseas Service also broadcast on shortwave a special edition on Dec 24 1956
with Peter Sellers, Harry Secombe, Michael Bentine (series 1& 2), Spike Milligan, Max Geldray, Ray Ellington
Originally sketches, only 2 season 2 and 1 season 3 editions survive (all recorded off-air). The single storyline format evolved by series 4, with off-air dubs accounting for about half of those episodes. Nearly everything survives from series 5 onwards (when TS began issuing programmes) with over a hundred now commercially available on CDs. Neither Archives nor TS apparently has copies of 5/20, 6/12, 6/15 or 6/17, which only exist in collector circles.
GORHAM AND SWIFT
Series 1: R2 Tuesday 10-30pm January 3 to February 7 1989
Series 2: R2 Sunday 7-00pm December 31 1989 to February 4 1989
Series 3: R2 Tuesday 7-00pm January 22 to February 26 1991
with Carl Gorham, Amanda Swift, Morwenna Banks, Paul Shearer
THE G.P.O. SHOW
Home Friday 1-10pm December 25 1964
with Spike Milligan, Harry Secombe, John Bluthal, Barry Humphries, Bob Todd, Gary Miller
GRAHAM NORTON’S NEWS LASSO
R4 Friday 6-30pm July 16 to August 20 1999
with Graham Norton
GRANDE GINGOLD
Home Friday 9-45pm (later 8-30pm) July 8 to October 7 1955 (not Sep 16)
with Hermione Gingold, Alexander Gauge, Kenneth Connor, Bob Harvey, David Jacobs
GRAND VARIETY GALA FROM THE LONDON PALLADIUM
Forces Sunday 8-00pm May 5 1940 (2 hours)
with Flanagan & Allen, Max Miller, Bebe Daniels & Ben Lyon, Vic Oliver, Arthur Askey, Jack Warner, Gracie Fields
GREASE MONKEYS
Series 1: R4 Tuesday 11-30am August 4 to 25 1998
Series 2: R4 Friday 11-30am July 30 to September 3 1999
with Akbar Kurtha, Bhasker Patel (series 1), Nisha K. Nayar (series 1), Nitin Chandra Ganatra (series 2), Siddique Akhtar (series 2), Syreeta Kumar (series 2)
THE GREAT PURSUIT
R4 Wednesday 11-00pm March 16 to April 6 2005
with Mark Heap, Adam Godley, Sandra Dickinson
GREAT SCOTT – IT’S TERRY SCOTT
R2 Sunday 2-00pm November 28 1971 to January 23 1972
with Terry Scott, June Whitfield, Hugh Paddick, Dilys Watling, Colin Jeavons
THE GREAT GILHOOLY
Home Monday 8-15pm October 2 to December 18 1950
with Noel Purcell, Jack Train, Joe Linnane, Hugh Morton
(script: Ted Kavanagh)
GRIEVOUS BODILY RADIO
R4 Wednesday 11-15pm October 8 to November 12 1997 (15 min)
with Jon Holmes, Andy Hurst, Peter Serafinowicz, Emma Clarke, Mike Chequer
THE GRIFF RHYS JONES SHOW
Series 1: R2 Thursday 9-30pm March 5 to April 2 1998
Series 2: R2 Saturday 1-00pm June 19 to July 24 1999
Series 3 (titled GRIFF RHYS JONES): R2 Thursday 9-30pm August 3 to September 7 2000
Series 4: R2 Saturday 1-00pm September 8 to October 20 2001
Series 5: R2 Thursday 10-00pm February 20 to March 27 2003
with Griff Rhys Jones, Simon Godley, Geoffrey McGivern
…etc
Section 2: TRIBUTES AND ANTHOLOGIES
/…
FOLLOW THAT WITH YOUR SEALIONS – celebration of folk club comics
R4 Tuesday 11-30am April 6 and 13 2004
hosted by Dave Spikey
FOREVERETT – tribute to Kenny Everett
*** CHRISTMAS FOREVERETT: R2 Wednesday noon December 25 1996 (60 min)
R2 Saturday 1-00pm April 12 to May 3 1997
hosted by Noel Edmonds
FORTY LAUGHING YEARS
Light 3-00pm November 12 1962 (45 min)
hosted by Kenneth Horne
FRANK CARSON – 50 YEARS A CRACKER
R2 Monday 7-30pm January 2 1995
hosted by Maurice Leonard
FRANK MUIR – A KENTISH LAD REMEMBERED
R4 Wednesday 11-30am June 24 to July 29 1998
hosted by Simon Brett
FRANK MUIR GOES INTO EUROPE
(sequel to THERE WAS AN ENGLISHMAN …)
R4 Monday 8-00pm October 16 to November 20 1972
with Frank Muir, Hugh Paddick
FRANK MUIR GOES INTO …
Series 1: R4 Monday 7-30pm April 2 to May 21 1973
The Law / Education / Medicine / The Theatre / Advertising / The Church / The Office / Government
Series 2: R4 Monday 7-30pm September 10 to November 12 1973
The Home / Marriage / The Family / Class / Food / Parties / Hobbies / Sport / Pets / Holidays
Series 3: R4 Sunday 7-00pm September 29 to December 1 1974
Nostalgia / Heroism / Optimism / Pessimism / Superstition / Boredom / Pride / Jealousy / Fear /Lust
Series 4: R4 Monday 7-30pm August 18 to October 20 1975
Visual Arts / Books / Popular Music / Serious Music / Cinema / Television / Radio / Poetry / Conversation / Criticism
*** R4 Saturday 8-10am December 25 1976 (45 min): Pleasure
Series 5: R4 Saturday 2-00pm December 31 1977 to March 4 1978
Money / Public Transport / The Motor Car / Air Travel / Consumer Affairs / The Post Office / Inventions / The Environment / The Army / The Navy
Series 6: R4 Sunday 11-00am April 1 to June 3 1979
Teaching / Public School / University / Languages / Mathematics / Science / English / History / Politics / Games
*** R4 Sunday 12-00 noon September 9 1979: Festivals
*** R4 Tuesday 10-30pm January 1 1980: Celebrations
*** R4 Wednesday 10-30pm December 24 1980: Festivities
Series 7: R4 Monday 6-30pm January 19 to March 23 1981
Anger/ Gloom / Hypocrisy / Cruelty / Deceit / Greed / Laziness / Self Importance / Pettiness / Meanness
Series 8: R4 Wednesday 6-30pm March 31 to May 19 1982
Romance / Crime / Travel / Cookery / Childcare / Biography / Health / Horror
Series 9: R4 Monday 12-30pm September 19 to November 7 1983
Success / Failure / Politeness / Rudeness / Sentimentality / Pretention / Eccentricity / Misunderstanding
Series 10 (The World of Nature): R4 Monday 12-30pm May 13 to July 1 1985
Wild Animals / Domestic Animals / Birds / Insects & Spiders / Plants / Fruit and Vegetables / Rivers & Lakes / The Sea
Series 11: R4 Wednesday 6-30pm April 22 to June 10 1987
Profit / Loss / Hope / Despair / Heaven / Hell / Love / Hate
*** R4 Wednesday 12-30pm June 3 1992: Frank Muir Goes Green
with Frank Muir, Alfred Marks
… etc.
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