Never heard of this before but look . . . .
Up The Pole
I was born and raised in a house once owned by Ben Warriss but this has been my first opportunity to hear the man in action. Based on this showing he seems to have been an adequate straightman. The real surprise is his cousin Jimmy, who is just terrible.
Whereas I can listen to and enjoy shows from a decade later, this feels still far too rooted in the broad comedy of music hall to work in a more intimate medium, though I suppose it was the style people were used to at the time.
Anyway it is no less unlistenable than many of its modern equivalents in the 6:30 slot on Radio 4, and Jimmy did go onto greater things. (I have Arthur's Hallowed Ground recorded on the PVR; I might give it a whirl this evening.)
Glad you had a listen.
Maybe an academic exercise in the world of comedy but it's a broad church.
(God that sounds psuedy!)
It was terrible but I had a listen though.
Not defending it in anyway, I posted it for interest really.
But I expect many people today would find things like ITMA unfunny but it stopped a nation back then.
And ten years later . . Hancock, which remains as popular amongst true comedy fans now as when it was first broadcast.
According to my records, that's the first episode of Series 2, fact fans. 26 whole weeks. Series 1 ran for 45!
Christ - no wonder the material was thin!