Summer ’56 (part I): The Goons take over
With the top-notch musical gag that ended ‘The Man Who Never Was’ still echoing in the public’s ears, series seven of the Goon Show drew...
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The Seagoon Memoirs
Chronicling a 21st century idiot's obsession with a 1950s radio comedy masterpiece.
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Welcome, dear reader - pull up a bollard.
UPDATE: JUNE 2024
I am in the process of transferring this blog to Substack. You'll find me at theseagoonmemoirs.substack.com, where you can read for free and sign up to receive new posts (twice a week) direct to your email.
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On 28 May 1951, four young men took to the airwaves on the BBC's Home Service to launch their unique brand of comedy on an unsuspecting world.
In the mid-1990s, an even younger idiot was introduced to recordings of their broadcasts - and there began a strange obsession crossing decades and generations.
The Seagoon Memoirs is an attempt to channel this obsession into something creative, chronicle the show's history, development and legacy, and in some small way contribute to preserving this masterpiece of British radio comedy.
Listen to me waffle on about the Goons on the excellent Goon Pod here. Alternatively, listen to more interesting people on other episodes of Goon Pod, including Jane Milligan, Al Murray, Dirk Maggs, and the cast of 'Spike!', the new Milligan/Goon-themed play by Ian Hislop and Nick Newman.
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I’d like to see them try that on television
By September 1956 the UK had experienced about a year of two television channels, ending the BBC’s post-war monopoly of the nascent...
Gormenghast
Exactly 21 years ago (well, give or take a day) the BBC broadcast the first episode of Gormenghast, a four-part TV adaptation of Mervyn...
What’s on the telly? Part five: Davy
In 1957, Harry Secombe was cast in his first lead film role in Davy. It told the story of a young entertainer who has to decide whether...
What's on the telly? Part four: The Muppet Show
The Muppet Show was one of my favourite programmes as a child – and, to be honest, it still is. The humour is so closely aligned with the...
What's on the telly? Part three: The Magnificent Seven Deadly Sins
Just over 50 years ago in November 1951, a star-studded comedy curio hit cinemas. The Magnificent Seven Deadly Sins was directed by...
Secombe Here: The summer of '55
The fifth series of the Goon Show ended with ‘The End’, appropriately enough, broadcast on 22 March 1955. From there, our intrepid heroes...
What's on the telly? Part two: The Magic Christian
The Beatles were very open in their enjoyment of the Goons, and indeed Spike Milligan and Peter Sellers became friends with the Fab Four...
What’s on the telly? Part one of a few
Greenslade: This is the BBC Home Service. Sellers: Aaaaaach! What's on the telly? Greenslade: You will find the answer to that question...
Interviewing Spike
In case this headline is misleading, no I have never interviewed Spike. I was about 15 when he died, and I'm not sure he would have had...
The Six-Five Special
On this day in 1957, viewers of BBC television were treated to an episode of the Beeb’s new rock ‘n’ roll programme, Six-Five Special....
The Ladykillers
On this day in 1955, The Ladykillers opened in UK cinemas. It starred Alec Guinness alongside a young, up-and-coming character comedian...
Curry, chips, and more batter puddings
Trawling through some of the Goon-related material available at Neil Pearson Rare Books, I stumbled upon a copy of a script for 'The...
The Running, Jumping, and Standing Still Film
This 1959 silent(ish) comedy last for just over 10 minutes and is packed full of brilliant visual gags, from a musician playing at the...
'Lo, he cometh to us!'
On this day in 1979, Monty Python's cult film Life of Brian premiered in the UK. There was a huge amount of ridiculous controversy about...
Video vault
A few more visual gems for your perusal. First up is a short clip (the only one I can find) from Michael Bentine's 1950s TV puppet show,...
More YouTube gems
For your viewing pleasure, An Evening With Spike Milligan. And as if that wasn't enough, here's a tribute to his regular co-writer, the...
Recommended viewing: ‘I Told You I Was Ill’
Today’s my birthday, so I’m going to celebrate by recommending you all watch this lovely documentary about Spike Milligan, by his...
The Phantom Raspberry Blower
In 1971, Ronnie Barker starred in 1899: The Phantom Raspberry Blower of Old London Town. It was a short TV film written by Spike...
Down Among the Z Men
In October 1952 the Goons made the second of their many attempts to bring their unique humour to the fledgling broadcast medium of...
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