Who dropped that piano? (Psst, tck, vung!)
Throughout its run, there were many Goon Show episodes that were inspired in part or in full by real events. ‘The Sinking of Westminster...
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The Seagoon Memoirs
Chronicling a 21st century idiot's obsession with a 1950s radio comedy masterpiece.
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time capsule
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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Have a gorilla
Despite several missteps, the Radio Times was determinedly ploughing on with its publication of a synopsis for each new Goon Show episode...
The Lost Emperor, or Aardvarks Never Killed Anybody
During my research for this blog, I stumbled upon a number of scripts for sale via Neil Pearson Rare Books, an online shop linked, so it...
The Secret Escritoire
Episode two of the sixth series of the Goon Show aired on the Home Service at 8:30pm on 27 September 1955. Proof can be found on page 24...
The Man Who Won The War
The Goon Show returned for its sixth series on 20 September 1955, and began in true Goon fashion: with the now-infamous ‘Fred the Oyster’...
Series six, and saxophones in Hyde Park
The sixth series of the Goon Show began on 20 September 1955, to considerable press fanfare. After the success of series five, the Goons...
More Christmas puddings
On 15 November 1955, the Goons prepared everyone for the festive period by regaling them with the dramatic tale of 'The International...
Postponed
On this day in 1955, Home Service listeners were supposed to have heard the 10th episode of the sixth series, ‘The Pevensey Bay...
The Radio Times never lies!
A couple of articles from the Radio Times today. Tomorrow we’ll be looking at the first episode of the fifth series – ‘The Whistling Spy...
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