Hancock's Half Hour Page 20

Quote: Hercules Grytpype Thynne @ 19th January 2021, 4:06 PM

Anyway, is it just me or are some of those questions over detailed - surely someone as knowledgeable about Hancock wouldn't need all that time wasting filler, when they could be answering the question and so get more points - just sayin'.

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I suppose they need to aim it at the TV audience as well, who wouldn't be so knowledgeable on a specialist subject as the contestant. And also calculate it so that the asking of each contestant's questions takes up a similar amount of time.

No football to watch; no tennis; no golf. It's raining so can't go anywhere. I've started looking at the wallpaper for faces. As long as my neighbour doesn't call round...

Noticed the following exchange between Tony and Sid on this morning's Radio 4 Extra episode, The Jewel Robbery:

"There's a car behind. It's ringing a bell. I wonder what it's doing that for."

"Probably selling crumpets."

"I shouldn't think he'll sell many doing 80mph."

The forerunner of a later Morecambe & Wise classic?

I'm doing late at night to get to sleep "Alexa - play Hancock". This throws up random episodes. Got "The Wild Man In The Woods" (1957) yesterday and I thought it was a bit of a cracker. Can't recall hearing it before. I've got Roger Wilmut's brilliant book on Hancock in front of me. Probably my favourite Hancock episode, The Diary, was broadcast just four episodes earlier. Was 1957 the series' finest year on radio?

Quote: A Horseradish @ 5th September 2021, 9:35 PM

Was 1957 the series' finest year on radio?

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I would certainly venture to suggest that the best episodes were those featuring Hattie Jacques, Kenneth Williams, Bill Kerr and Sid James all together. That would be the episodes from November 1956 (The New Secretary) up to the 1958 Christmas special (Bill and Father Christmas) so 1957 is bang in the middle of that period, yes. Hancock in the Police (two episodes on from Wild Man in the Woods) is another favourite of mine.

Quote: Billy Bunter @ 5th September 2021, 10:20 PM

I would certainly venture to suggest that the best episodes were those featuring Hattie Jacques, Kenneth Williams, Bill Kerr and Sid James all together. That would be the episodes from November 1956 (The New Secretary) up to the 1958 Christmas special (Bill and Father Christmas) so 1957 is bang in the middle of that period, yes. Hancock in the Police (two episodes on from Wild Man in the Woods) is another favourite of mine.

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Great post - thank you.

It still never fails to amaze me that something that was made in the 50s can still sound as funny and fresh in the twenty first century

Hancock and the cast were great

Galton and Simpson however, were absolute geniuses - masters of their craft

I listen to them over and over again, and never tire of them.

Superb writing and two comedy actors at their peak.

To mark the 60th anniversary of the release of the Pye LP recording of The Blood Donor Radio 4 Extra is broadcasting that recording on Wednesday 6 October at 8am, 12noon & 7pm. And at 8pm Thursday 7 October The Undiscovered Tony Hancock.

And for anyone living in the South London, North Surrey or especially, dare I say it, the East Cheam area, London Transport Museum are running a free vintage bus service on the 93 route on 9 October:

https://www.londonbusmuseum.com/event/route-93-event-free-service-and-flyby/?event_date=2021-10-09&fbclid=IwAR0ePANyioOYSIE-IZNk9D5uIfzHaPOUAKm3mYmlZJAfRkU65LcJfDSihB0

This will of course enable you to re-create the TV episode Sid in Love, first broadcast on 1 April 1960, in which Sid is smitten with the little clippie who goes past every morning on that very same 93 route just as he's taking his socks in off the window sill.

Just don't keep pulling the bell cord. And careful how you chat up the clippie in these less enlightened times.

Might have a go on that.

Quote: Billy Bunter @ 25th December 2020, 2:27 PM

There is also a film worth watching Inn for Trouble.
Next year perhaps Santa will bring you the board game:

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Nice, and I finally managed to buy the HHH board game, for £50 including post and a load (and I mean a load!) of pre-war games and bits and pieces relating to board games, so am thrilled to bits, as one other HHH board game went for £56 just on its own, on eBay.

So, tidy up the decent games to resell and I've got myself a bargain, and all the iffy stuff can go to a charity shop - I'm nothing, if not generous ?

What happens? Is it like snakes and ladders? You land on a "Sid Sells You a Car" and you go backwards?

Only had a brief look at it:-

For four players, and you go round the board collecting/paying for things with a sort of Monopoly money (nowhere near as much as on that game though) and there's something about getting an acting job via Sid's agency, and it's the first one back to Railway Cuttings with suit, shirt etc. and any money left over. Various penalties on the way, of course, and there's something to do with time taken.......

Thanks. Looks like a bit of fun.
Something to while away those Sunday afternoons at home.

Providing someone hasn't lost the board.