The Betty Witherspoon Show
- Radio variety / sketch show
- BBC Radio 2
- 1974
- 10 episodes (1 series)
Comedy starring Ted Ray, Kenneth Williams and Miriam Margolyes. Also features Nigel Rees.
The Betty Witherspoon Show
Radio legends Kenneth Williams (Beyond Our Ken, Hancock's Half Hour) and Ted Ray (Ray's A Laugh) join forces for this quickfire mix of characters, songs and sketches, first broadcast on Radio 2 in 1974. Accompanied by Quote... Unquote's Nigel Rees and veteran actress/comedian Miriam Margolyes, they cross their comedy swords and trade playful repartee.
In these ten episodes, recorded in front of a live audience at the Paris Theatre, Ted Ray demonstrates his virtuosity on the violin; documentary feature 'Witherspoon's World' explores topics including medicine, the arts, Europe and the younger generation; and Inspector Spewles of Scotland Yard's Intelligence Unit gets flirty, sweetie, with a public information bulletin that's full of honeyed words.
Plus, the 'Theatre of the Air' troupe make merry at the court of Henry VIII, take a rollicking trip through Rasputin's Russia and give us their comic take on classic literature: from A Tale of Two Cities to Wuthering Heights, Anthony and Cleopatra and Romeo and Juliet. There's also a host of groan-inducing gags and humorous tunes, including 'The Type of Horrible Cockney Song that Killed the Music Hall' and 'Why Don't They Write Songs About Runcorn?'.
None of the shows were kept by the BBC archive, but thanks to the 'Treasure Hunt' campaign, they were all recovered, and are collected here for you to enjoy once more. Happy days!
First released: Thursday 18th January 2024
- Distributor: BBC Digital Audio
- Minutes: 273
BCG may earn commission on sales generated through the links above.
Not in the UK?
Fear not! Many items can still be ordered. Amazon in the UK delivers to many international territories, whilst their Australia, USA and Canada stores also supply many equivalent or imported items.
If you are in the North America, look out for US/Canadian flag icons on popular product listings for direct links.
If you order from a UK store, please note that the UK is in Region 2 and B, respectively, for DVDs and Blu-rays - check your player's compatibility, or look for multi-region products if you are located in another region.
If you are in Australia or New Zealand (DVD Region 4), note that almost all DVDs distributed in the UK by the BBC and 2entertain are encoded for both Region 2 and Region 4. The UK and Australasia are in the same Blu-ray region (B).