Ink-apable, and other jokes
The Goons recounted the story of ‘The Great Ink Drought of 1902’ in episode 22 of the fourth series. Broadcast on 22 February 1954 at...
top of page
The Seagoon Memoirs
Chronicling a 21st century idiot's obsession with a 1950s radio comedy masterpiece.
Home: Welcome
A digital
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.
---
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.
Home: Text
Search
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...
A French Greenslade and a disappearing library
Inspector Albert Secombe investigated ‘The Case of the Vanishing Room’ for the 21st episode of the fourth series of the Goon Show. The...
The Toothpaste Expedition
Episode 20 of the fourth series was broadcast on 12 February 1954. ‘The Toothpaste Expedition’ was a reworking of a sketch from the fifth...
The Kippered Herring Gang
Back to our regular schedule today. We’ve made it to episode 19 of the fourth series: ‘The Kippered Herring Gang’, broadcast on 5...
Archaelogist Spike
Grytpype: Listen to this nine o'clock type news. Greenslade: American archaeologists digging at Stonehenge have discovered the skeleton...
The Last Goon Show of All
On this day in 1972, the BBC broadcast a one-off special in celebration of the corporation’s 50th anniversary. ‘The Last Goon Show Of...
The Russian satellite moon
On this day in 1957, the USSR launched Sputnik 1, the first man-made satellite to orbit the planet. Coming as it did at the height of the...
More Telegoons
The Telegoons was one of several attempts to bring the Goons’ humour to the television. The first episode, ‘The Ascent of Mount Everest’,...
The History of Communications
Episode 18 of series four told ‘The History of Communications’. Broadcast on 29 January 1954, the script was a mashup of two previous...
The Mummified Priest
‘The Mummified Priest’ was episode 17 of the fourth series. It was originally broadcast on 22 January 1954, and is listed in the Radio...
Dr Jekyll & Mr Crun
Episode 16 of the fourth series tells the story of ‘Dr Jekyll & Mr Crun’ – a delightful concept, and a shame no recording exists. It was...
The Missing Prime Minister
Episode 15 of the fourth series told the story of ‘The Missing Prime Minister’. Insert your own Boris Johnson jokes here. The episode was...
Oh In Colour
For the first Goon Show episode of 1954 – and the 14th of the fourth series – the Goons went ‘Ten Thousand Fathoms Down in a Wardrobe’....
Happy birthday, Bernard Miles
Today marks the 114th birthday of theatre impresario and actor Bernard Miles. Lord Miles – he was made a peer in 1979 – appeared in the...
Return of Bentine
‘The Giant Bombardon’ was the subject of episode 13 of series four, broadcast on Boxing Day 1953 at the much earlier time of 4:30pm, as...
The British Way
Episode 12 of the fourth series is, like many episodes of this series, lost to history. It is preserved only in this Radio Times listing...
'Haydn's been dead for years'
Episode 11 of the fourth series saw the Goons taking on ‘The Spanish Armada’. It was broadcast on 11 December 1953 at 9:30pm, as per page...
Flying saucers over East Acton
Eyes to the skies, dear listener! (Or would it be 'ears'?) On 30 October 1938, the Columbia Broadcasting Network in the US aired Orson...
Operation Bagpipes
Episode nine of the fourth series of the Goon Show was broadcast on the BBC Home Service – or “in” the Home Service, as was often written...
Home: Blog2
bottom of page