The Goodies

When I was a lad many many years ago I used to love watching The Goodies. Imagine my delight when I was flicking through Virgin On Demand service and noticed that The Goodies were on. This was the very first series. I sat down to watch this and watched the first one. I could not believe how truly dreadful it was, it was pathetic. I had to watch the next 2 episodes just in case this was a one off.

It was not if anything these were worse. Maybe it was a comedy of its day

Hopefully the later series will get better

Anyone have fond memories of The Goodies

You are not alone. Many people have fond childhood memories of The Goodies but on watching it years later find that many episodes (especially the early ones) are a bit weak. The episodes worth re-watching are: Saturday Night Grease, It Might As Well Be String, Gender Education, Scatty Safari, Black and White Beauty, Daylight Robbery on the Orient Express, Almost Live and Punky Business.

Some things should be left in childhood. Although I did see the Ronnies' Phantom Raspberry Blower recently and laughed out loud frequently.

The Two Ronnies are definitely still hilarious. But yes, some things don't age well at all.

Quote: youngian @ January 7 2013, 11:33 PM GMT

I did see the Ronnies' Phantom Raspberry Blower recently and laughed out loud frequently.

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Written by Barker and Spike Milligan, IIRC.

Quote: youngian @ January 7 2013, 11:33 PM GMT

Some things should be left in childhood. Although I did see the Ronnies' Phantom Raspberry Blower recently and laughed out loud frequently.

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What a terrible way to talk. Where did you go to school?

'arrow.

Recently watched their ITV shows and whilst I understand the BBC efforts were better it didn't really make me want to invest much effort in watching them.

Quote: Aaron @ January 8 2013, 12:53 PM GMT

Written by Barker and Spike Milligan, IIRC.

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Er, Milligna only wrote the pilot, despite given the credit-at least I think so. Barker was credited as "A Gentleman". The crediting's almost as bizarre as the sketches...

Quote: Kenneth @ January 7 2013, 9:24 PM GMT

You are not alone. Many people have fond childhood memories of The Goodies but on watching it years later find that many episodes (especially the early ones) are a bit weak. The episodes worth re-watching are: Saturday Night Grease, It Might As Well Be String, Gender Education, Scatty Safari, Black and White Beauty, Daylight Robbery on the Orient Express, Almost Live and Punky Business.

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True to a certain extent but The Goodies were (was?) always intended to appeal to children as much as adults so it often unfairly gets compared to the likes of Python when really it was going for a totally different market.

Quote: Basil Rathbon @ January 21 2013, 5:40 PM GMT

True to a certain extent but The Goodies were (was?) always intended to appeal to children as much as adults so it often unfairly gets compared to the likes of Python when really it was going for a totally different market.

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The Goodies was always intended ...

It was originally aired by the BBC at 10pm and then moved to the 8pm timeslot. Hardly an ideal time for a kids' show. Australia was wiser, screening it at 5.30pm, before Doctor Who.

This Fairy Puff clip of a woman getting undressed was censored from the Australian broadcasts: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IXi7pR3A6v0

And I vaguely recall one episode had one or two nude women throwing a beach ball to each other for no good reason. Superb viewing for young boys, I thought.

I don't think I have seen many episodes of The Goodies since it was first shown apart from the odd clip on YouTube. I loved it as a kid but I always regarded it as a poor man's Monty Python. Bill Oddie's songs used to grate on me a bit and Tim Brooke-Taylor's campness could get a bit annoying at times. I will have to check out an episode to see if it stands up. Wouldn't be surprised if the years haven't been kind to the show.

I actually think that Series 2 of The Goodies, originally screened in 1971, was the best one, with SCOTLAND, the MUSIC MASTER, KITTEN KONG,POLLUTION and WOMENS' LIB being among the many highlights - there's one sub-par entry (CHARITY BOUNCE), but even this has a few good isolated gags throughout. Series 2 ends on a high, with the imaginative lookalike pastiche THE BADDIES.

I also appreciated the mock ITV ads of the first four series.

I was unable to view Series 2 again for a full 35 years later, and naturally I feared it would fall flat revisiting it over a third of a Century later, but it was just as good as I remembered it.

I do agree that Series 1 is a bit slow overall, and the trio are clearly finding their feet; but the BBC was very good at giving talent time to nurture in those days, giving a concept a series or three to find an audience.

The Goodies' most popular year was 1975, when they attained 10 million viewers on BBC2 at 9pm.

This fifth series is often cited as their peak of creativity, and there is a lot of good stuff in that one - although, for me, it lacks the raw vigour of the second series overall.

Finally, we can confirm the release date of the complete* BBC collection box set: 24th September 2018.

A limited edition of just 1,000 copies, it's going to be jam-packed with extras, including CDs and two books. The first 500 orders will also include signed certifications from the gents themselves.

Info: https://www.comedy.co.uk/tv/the_goodies/shop/5318/a_binge_of_goodies/

* Sadly the original series edit of Kitten Kong remains missing, but its Montreux-winning version is included.

Wow. It took *forever*. Glad it's within their lifetime.

I wonder if there will be any cuts for music rights and the PC brigade?

12 discs. So about 6 or 7 episodes per disc.

The music CDs sound interesting. Would love to get a raw version of 'Needed' unsullied by studio laughter.

Quote: Kenneth @ 8th June 2018, 3:48 PM

I wonder if there will be any cuts for music rights and the PC brigade?

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There will not be any for PC; music very unlikely also.