The Goon Show was a British radio show that started in 1951 and ran until 1960. The Goons included Spike Milligan, Peter Sellers and Harry Secombe, and ever since I was a small boy (I'm only 28 now though) my father would keep me entertained by acting bits out. I just think that the pure stupidity of pretty much all of their shows was (and still is) laugh out loud funny.
Pure comedy genius at its best.
Ying tan yin tan yin tan yin tan yin tan piddle I poe....
He's fallen in the water.
I love you with all my heart. No, really
I love the line on Milligans grave,.
"See. I told you I was ill."
Funny to the very end.
I still listen to the show, when it's on BBC 7. My only problem with it, is that sometimes the funny voices are hard to understand. As you probably know, Spike Milligan was apparently driven mad by the stress of having to write the show - each episode of which went out live each week - by himself.
Quote: catskillz @ April 3 2008, 2:52 PM BSTSpike Milligan was apparently driven mad,
I doubt it, though he might have faked it..
Here's a small piece of Goon Show Script, that I copied from one of Spike's books as an example of a particular type of script.
http://www.datahighways.net/dhl/downloads/w2000/TheHouseOfTeeth.PDF
Adding to the fact that only some of the script was actually kept to during the performance, so he used to get very depressed about the whole thing.
But he did give me a piece of advice the one time i had the massive honour of meeting him.
And it was this...
Don't take life too seriously, you'll never get out alive.
God bless the man, to have such a gift for making others happy.
I went to Art College with a lad who animated one of Spike's stories. It was called 'Bad Jelly', and was shown on Xmas Day, on BBC 1, about 5 years ago.
Quote: Nobby9360 @ April 2 2008, 4:21 AM BSTThe Goons included Spike Milligan, Peter Sellers and Harry Secombe
and Michael Bentine at the beginning.
Quote: Nobby9360 @ April 2 2008, 4:21 AM BSTI just think that the pure stupidity of pretty much all of their shows was (and still is) laugh out loud funny.
AGREED!
Quote: Andrew M Bedell @ April 2 2008, 12:29 PM BSTYing tan yin tan yin tan yin tan yin tan piddle I poe....
Actually, "Ying tong, ying tong, ying tong, ying tong, ying tong iddle i po".
Quote: Andrew M Bedell @ April 2 2008, 12:33 PM BSTI love the line on Milligans grave,.
"See. I told you I was ill."
Funny to the very end.
This was his wish, however as he was buried a Catholic the church would not allow it on the grounds that it wasn't respectful of the seriousness of death. You know the Catholics love to grieve!
Quote: catskillz @ April 3 2008, 2:52 PM BSTSpike Milligan was apparently driven mad by the stress of having to write the show - each episode of which went out live each week - by himself.
He was already suffering from severe manic-depression when he began writing it. It was accentuated by the pressure of writing the show but not the cause of it, as proven when he had assistance from Larry Stephens but stilll suffered. Plus, he was a bit of a bastard anyway, which people used to wrongly put down to his illness.
I idolised the fella (still do!) and was lucky to meet him on a few occasions, when his wit lit up and enthralled all around. Genius!
Was just listening to this on the radio. Its impact on British comedy to this day is undeniable. The Pythons for sure, and the generations after them.
True greats of the genre. 
And I can't believe there's only one Goon thread.
I know the Goons. I think my mum used to play it. Good memories.
My dad loves the Goons.
Which is why it annoys me when he says Vic and Bob etc are rubbish because it's 'all just nonsense'.
Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaat? >_<
Vic and Bob are natural heirs to the throne.
You can't try to write stuff like this. It has to come naturally and there's only one person I've seen who seems to think like that on here.
Did you get ever get tickets for it, Dave?
My mum loves The Goons. I don't get it. Just a load of shrieking nonsense in my opinion.
I love Peter Sellers, by the way.
