Baffling the journalists
We’re rapidly approaching the 71st anniversary of the first Crazy People broadcast, on 28 May 1951. As the Goons and producer Dennis Main...
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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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Series 1 in review
We’re starting on the second series tomorrow. Before we do, I’ve managed to dig out a few reviews and articles about the first series....
Happy birthday, Stanley Black
Today we come to the final episode, number 17, of the first series. It was broadcast on 20 September 1951 and is listed on page 36 of the...
The Stargazers
The 15th episode of the first series was broadcast on 6 September 1951 and can be found on page 28 of the Radio Times. The same issue...
Valentine Dyall’s lost weekend
Episode 13 of the first series was broadcast on 23 August 1951. Find it on page 28 of this week’s Radio Times below a rather fetching...
Bumblethorpe
The 12th episode of the first series of the Goon Show was broadcast on 16 August 1951 at 8pm on the Home Service. The listing is here....
Peter Sellers
Episode 11 of the first series was broadcast on 9 August 1951 and can be spotted in the Radio Times on page 26. Secombe: It sounds like...
Happy birthday, Kenneth Connor
Known predominantly for his roles in the Carry On… films and ‘Allo, ‘Allo, Kenneth Connor was a minor Goon, appearing in two episodes in...
‘Who are these Go-Ons?’
Page 16 of the Radio Times issue dated 13 July 1951 shows the listing for the eighth episode of the first series. Broadcast on 16 July,...
The Adventures of Philip String
The seventh episode of the debut series of the Goon Show was first broadcast on 9 July 1951. It can be found in the Radio Times here. It...
The Grafton Arms
The year was 1948. Three years after peace was declared in Europe after the ravages of the Second World War, the geopolitical landscape...
This is where the story really starts…
Milligan (German): You have a plan? Sellers (German): Ja. I have a plan of the plin hof of the plons of the plan. Milligan: But have you...
The Goons and me
Episode four of the first series was broadcast on 18 June 1951 on the Home Service at 7:45pm. The Radio Times listing is available here....
Episode 3, and the Radio Times
Episode three of the first series was broadcast on 11 June 1951 on the Home Service. If you’ll turn to page 16 of your Radio Times,...
Why 'The Seagoon Memoirs'?
I chose this name based on the title of seventh episode of the ninth series, broadcast on 15 December 1958. In this episode, Harry...
The first broadcast
On this day exactly 70 years ago, the first Goon Show was broadcast on the BBC’s Home Service radio station. That week’s issue of the...
Coming soon...
On this day 70 years ago, a short article in The Stage gave a glimpse of what was to come: "The Goons" One of the happier meetings during...
'From all accounts, a huge success'
The Goons had been trying to get heard by the BBC for some time before they were finally granted a trial recording. This took place in...
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