It is wrong to classify The Goon Show as a sketch show. Certainly the first two years consisted of generally un-related sketches (and music) but episodes thereafter had a single plot and narrative (with musical interludes from Max Geldray and Ray Ellington). It was not a sketch show.
You sure know how to Kill a party, Kenneth, I'll give you that.
Quote: Kenneth @ January 31 2011, 8:48 PM GMTIt is wrong to classify The Goon Show as a sketch show. Certainly the first two years consisted of generally un-related sketches (and music) but episodes thereafter had a single plot and narrative (with musical interludes from Max Geldray and Ray Ellington). It was not a sketch show.
Would you classify it as a sitcom then?
Quote: Ian Wolf @ January 31 2011, 8:56 PM GMTWould you classify it as a sitcom then?
I don't think so. Though each episode had just one plot, I don't think there was an overall arc story for the series.
I have a long player vinyl of some of the Goon Shows, stored away somewhere here in my home.
And a book of some of the scripts.
The shows took place in the building that is now the KOKO club in Camden Town.
Quote: Ian Wolf @ January 31 2011, 8:56 PM GMTWould you classify it as a sitcom then?
No. It's a radio comedy series.
As well as Larry Stephens I'm sure the great Eric Sykes wrote some episodes or at least contributed material.
In the 60s or maybe the 70s, or was it the 80s? Maybe never - there was an animated version called something like the Tellygoons.
Excuse me, I'll just go and do my research now.
Quote: Kenneth @ February 1 2011, 8:16 AM GMTNo. It's a radio comedy series.
Yes, but some radio comedy series are definitely radio sitcoms (Miranda's Joke Shop, Bleak Expectations) and some of them are definitely radio sketch shows (On the Town with the League of Gentleman, The Sound of Mitchell and Webb).
More to the point, does anyone remember the Telly Goons? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hdayw_7Er5o
Quote: Baumski @ February 1 2011, 10:42 AM GMTMore to the point, does anyone remember the Telly Goons? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hdayw_7Er5o
Even more to the point does anybody remember the Telly Goon's cartoon strip in the (TV21 I think?) comic. 
Quote: Buddy Sorrel @ February 1 2011, 9:14 AM GMTAs well as Larry Stephens I'm sure the great Eric Sykes wrote some episodes or at least contributed material.
In the 60s or maybe the 70s, or was it the 80s? Maybe never - there was an animated version called something like the Tellygoons.
Sykes started co-writing Goon scripts in Series 5, when the pressure of producing a script a week was getting too much for Spike. After a while they began to argue over petty semantics, prompting Spike to hurl a glass paperweight at Sykes; it missed and smashed through a window. Sykes decided the only way to continue was that he should write one week and Spike the next. This worked until into Series 6, when Sykes went to a rehearsal of one of his scripts, noticed Sellers, Secombe and Milligan looking glum, and producer Peter Eton told him it wasn't funny. Sykes lost his temper and stormed out, declaring he would never write another Goon Show. Larry Stephens had helped Spike write the scripts over the first two series and then again after Sykes quit. Stephens stopped due to poor health and died in 1959 aged 35.
The Telegoons was made over 1963-64 and didn't really work, as puppets couldn't do justice to Milligan's ideas.
Quote: Tim Azure @ February 1 2011, 9:21 AM GMTYes, but some radio comedy series are definitely radio sitcoms (Miranda's Joke Shop, Bleak Expectations) and some of them are definitely radio sketch shows (On the Town with the League of Gentleman, The Sound of Mitchell and Webb).
The Goon Show was described during its time as surreal and anarchic, but never as a "sitcom".
Michael Parkinson interview with Peter Sellers. I watched it the first time and it's as fresh now as it ever was.
Remember The Goon Show?
It was because of the death of Peter Sellers, that I fell in love with the Goons, and radio comedies in general. I was 13 years old, and as a tribute the BBC put on SCRADJE. My dad then bought me The Goons Show Vol 3 LP, Lurgi Strikes Britain is still one of my favourites.
Quote: Kenneth @ February 1 2011, 10:49 AM GMTSykes started co-writing Goon scripts in Series 5, when the pressure of producing a script a week was getting too much for Spike. After a while they began to argue over petty semantics, prompting Spike to hurl a glass paperweight at Sykes; it missed and smashed through a window. Sykes decided the only way to continue was that he should write one week and Spike the next. This worked until into Series 6, when Sykes went to a rehearsal of one of his scripts, noticed Sellers, Secombe and Milligan looking glum, and producer Peter Eton told him it wasn't funny. Sykes lost his temper and stormed out, declaring he would never write another Goon Show.
I'm sure I've heard Sykes tell it that later that evening, after the show had actually recorded, he bumped into Sellers still in hysterics, saying it was the funniest they had ever recorded.
Quote: Kenneth @ February 1 2011, 10:49 AM GMTLarry Stephens had helped Spike write the scripts over the first two series and then again after Sykes quit.
According to my records, Stephens co-wrote Series 1-4, then again from the middle of 6 (presumably that's when Eric left).
Here's some of the Goons in action...
Quote: Baumski @ February 1 2011, 10:42 AM GMTMore to the point, does anyone remember the Telly Goons? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hdayw_7Er5o
No thank God. What a pile of shit.
