British Comedy Guide
British Comedy Guide
Spike Milligan
Spike Milligan

Spike Milligan

  • Actor, writer and poet

Spike Milligan features

Till Death Us Do Part. Image shows left to right: Alf Garnett (Warren Mitchell), Arthur Blenkinsopp (Eric Sykes). Credit: BBC Features

Comedy Chronicles: Up the polls! - Election campaigns and comedy

Sunday 30th June 2024

Comedy and politics regularly mix, but there has long been a significant hesitation amongst television broadcasters to poke fun during election campaign periods.

Image shows left to right: John Junkin, Barry Cryer Features

Comedy Chronicles: Taking on the tabula rasa: Inside the writing room

Sunday 19th May 2024

Writing comedy. Some like to do it standing up; some prefer sitting down; and others have ended up lying flat out on the floor. Graham McCann examines how some of Britain's finest comic minds got their words down on the page.

Hancock's Half Hour. Image shows left to right: Sidney Balmoral James (Sid James), Anthony Aloysius St John Hancock (Tony Hancock). Credit: BBC Live

Hancock's Half Hour on the stage at 70

Thursday 9th May 2024

Ahead of comedian Tony Hancock's centenary and the 70th anniversary of sitcom Hancock's Half Hour on radio, actor and producer John Hewer discusses his new stage production of three scripts from lost television episodes.

Educating Archie. Peter Brough. Copyright: BBC Radio

Steam radio: a Baby Boomer's personal memory of post-war wireless comedy

Thursday 7th March 2024

With ever-more BBC radio archival treats now available to buy and enjoy again, self-identified Baby Boomer Hercules Grytpype-Thynne shares his personal memories and pays tribute to some of the biggest shows of the post-war era in this ode to brilliant comedy on the wireless.

Sooty with his water pistol Features

75 years of Sooty

Wednesday 19th July 2023

As he celebrates his 75th birthday, we take look back at over seven decades of slapstick shenanigans with Sooty.

The Goon Show. Image shows from L to R: Spike Milligan, Peter Sellers, Harry Secombe. Copyright: BBC Features

Comedy Chronicles: In search of lost time - Remembering The Last Goon Show Of All

Sunday 9th October 2022

Itself produced as part of the BBC's own 50th birthday celebrations, The Last Goon Show Of All marks 50 years since its broadcast this month - so, what of comedy reunions?

Sid James Features

Comedy Chronicles: The ITV Job - The day when the BBC almost lost British comedy

Sunday 26th June 2022

Graham McCann's column charts a fascinating 'what if' moment in British television comedy history: a fork in the road that had consequences of epic proportions in either direction.

The Bed Sitting Room. Mate (Spike Milligan) Features

Honouring Spike Milligan: Quest for The Bed Sitting Room

Monday 20th June 2022

An exciting tribute night honouring the genius of Spike Milligan is coming to Louth Riverhead Theatre on Sunday 3rd July. Producer John Hewer explains more in this article.

The Ghost Of Peter Sellers. Image shows from L to R: Peter Sellers, Peter Medak, Spike Milligan Features

Comedy Chronicles: Close but no cigarette - When Milligan & Sellers met Benson & Hedges

Sunday 18th April 2021

103 years after his birth, Comedy Chronicles recounts the remarkable tale of Spike Milligan's involvement with Peter Sellers and an advertisement for cigarettes.

Spike Milligan Live

A tribute to Spike Milligan

Friday 3rd August 2018

An article about Spike Milligan, written by Jeremy Stockwell who is performing in the tribute show A Sockful of Custard.

Spike Milligan: Inside Out. Spike Milligan. Copyright: BBC People

Spike Milligan in motion

Monday 16th April 2018

A selection of video clips showcasing the talent of Spike Milligan, born 100 years ago today.

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