Eddie Izzard

We’ve made it to episode 13 of the second series – see it here in all its printed glory on page 22 of the Radio Times. It was broadcast on 22 April 1952.

Among the many comedians inspired by the Goons, and Spike Milligan in particular, is Eddie Izzard. She has spoken at length of how she believes Spike to have been “the godfather of alternative comedy”.

Here is Eddie taking part in a question-and-answer session alongside Norma Farnes and Jane Milligan (Spike’s daughter) at the Apollo Theatre in London in 2018.

The best person to tell the story of how Eddie Izzard discovered the Goons is, of course, Eddie. Here’s an article originally written for The Guardian, republished on The Goon Show Site.

As radio, the Goon Show could paint these ridiculous images in the audience's heads. Two regular characters, Grytpype-Thynne and Moriarty, once came across a moot point, and one of them said: "Don't point that moot at me." I loved that kind of stuff, just because it's so stupid. Lines like that are part of my conversation now. I just say them and people don't know what I'm talking about.