Spike Milligan

Spike Milligan accused Monty Python of plagiarism

Michael Palin has revealed Spike Milligan once accused Monty Python of "plagiarism".

What time is it Eccles?

Ever present in The Goon Show re-runs every week on Radio 4 Extra - it's hard to believe that it's ten years since the death of "the godfather of alternative comedy" Spike Milligan, on 26 February.

Noel Fielding's Luxury Comedy review

Some scenes don't work as well as others and if you're not a fan of The Mighty Boosh, this definitely won't be for you. However, if Fielding's aim was to create something in the spirit of the notoriously surreal Spike Milligan, I think he's achieved it.

'Spike Milligan was not an easy man to work for'

Norma Farnes, Spike Milligan's assistant and manager for 36 years, recalls an evening out with her boss and their friends Peter Sellers, Bill Kerr and Alan Clare in 1979.

Radio review: Spike Milligan - The Serious Poet

This study of the comedian's verse, much of it written while he was depressed, helped to highlight the loving and enchanting relationship he had with his daughters.

This is a charming, poignant programme in which Spike Milligan's three daughters, Sile, Laura and Jane, offer their warm recollections of their multi-faceted father, through the prism of his simple, sensitive poetry.

They present a new side to the archetypal tortured comic; to them he was first and foremost an enchanting father - Jane admits to having cried when she discovered a delightful poem he had written for her years before. They are also admirably clear-eyed about how difficult and, well, spiky he could be to live with. But it's his haunting poetry that's the main draw and that is the most affecting.

The good news is that David Suchet appears to be better at presenting documentaries than Sid Field. The bad news is that we didn't see much of Sid Field.

However, this is not Suchet's fault, as very little archive footage of him exists. He only made a handful of films, the most famous of which was London Town, a film panned by critics and which fails to show him at his best. Not only that, there is only one existing sound interview with him. Due to the lack of footage, very few people remember him, although he was one of the most popular comedians of his age.

Not only was he incredibly popular, he was an influence on both Tony Hancock and Spike Milligan. He invented character comedy and camp comedy. He was a popular singer and he could also do straight acting, starring in the lead role in the stage version of Harvey.

There was much to like with this show. My favourite titbit from it, mind, was the story of Field's wedding day. As his mother didn't approve of his marriage he got married on the quiet. His wedding day dinner was a cup of tea and some fish and chips from the local chip shop.

The best bit of news from this programme is that a previously lost feature film starring Field called That's The Ticket has been rediscovered, so we can see him perform in a more successful manner.

Video: Interview - Spike Milligan's PA, Norma Farnes

This week's Meet the Author is with Spike Milligan's former manager and PA, Norma Farnes.

She told the BBC's Nick Higham about Milligan's letters and other writing in Milligan's Meaning of Life.

If you were to try and piece together the genetic make-up of This Is Jinsy, Sky Atlantic's comedy, the family tree would run something like this: Grandfather: Spike Milligan; Parents: The League of Gentleman and Vic and Bob; Distant Cousin: The Mighty Boosh. There's a fine running gag about a talent show judged by a dog called Sandy (his paw hovers between two buttons marked "Woof" and "Enoof" after he's watched the acts). I couldn't put it better than one of the characters in last night's episode: "I think I can safely say, without fear of exaggeration, that I quite enjoyed it."

My TV hero: Gregor Fisher on Spike Milligan

The former Goon may have been unpredictable and even sometimes embarrassing beyond belief, but that was part of his inimitable comic genius.