View source for The Goon Show

{{Short description|BBC Radio show broadcast from 1951 to 1960}}
{{Use British English|date=July 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2020}}
{{Infobox radio show
| show_name       = The Goon Show
| image           = The_Goon_Show_(cast_photo).jpg
| imagesize       = 250px
| caption         = [[Peter Sellers]] (top), [[Spike Milligan]] (left) and [[Harry Secombe]] (right) in a 1950s [[BBC]] publicity shot
| format          = [[Radio comedy|Comedy]]
| other_names     = ''Crazy People'' (series 1)
| runtime         = 30 minutes
| country         = United Kingdom
| language        = English
| home_station    = [[BBC Home Service]]
| syndicates      = {{ubl|[[BBC Light Programme]]|[[BBC Radio 4 Extra]]}}
| starring        = {{ubl|[[Spike Milligan]]|[[Harry Secombe]]|[[Peter Sellers]]|[[Michael Bentine]] (1951–1953)}}
| creator         = Spike Milligan
| producer        = {{ubl|[[Peter Eton]] (101 episodes)|[[Dennis Main Wilson]] (38 episodes)|[[Pat Dixon]] (29 episodes)|[[Charles Chilton]] (25 episodes)|[[John Browell]] (23 episodes)|Roy Speer (14 episodes)|Leslie Bridgmont (4 episodes)|Tom Ronald (3 episodes)|[[Jacques Brown]] (1 episode)}}
| announcer       = {{ubl|[[Wallace Greenslade]]<!--most episodes-->|[[Andrew Timothy]]<!--second-most-->|Denys Drower}}
| record_location = [[KOKO (venue)|Camden Theatre]], London
| num_episodes    = 238 plus 12 specials
| audio_format    = [[Monaural|Mono]]
| opentheme       = 
| othertheme      = {{ubl|"Lucky Strike", "[[Ding-Dong! The Witch Is Dead]]", "Goons' Gallop", "[[I Want to Be Happy]]" or|"[[Alte Kameraden]]"}}
| endtheme        = "[[Crazy Rhythm]]" or "[[Stompin' at the Savoy]]", performed by [[Max Geldray]] and the [[Ray Ellington|Ray Ellington Quartet]] 
| website         = {{url|https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0072vdz}}
}}

'''''The Goon Show''''' is a British [[radio comedy]] programme, originally produced and broadcast by the [[BBC Home Service]] from 1951 to 1960, with occasional repeats on the [[BBC Light Programme]]. The first series, broadcast from 28 May to 20 September 1951, was titled '''''Crazy People'''''; subsequent series had the title ''The Goon Show''.

The show's chief creator and main writer was [[Spike Milligan]], who performed the series alongside [[Harry Secombe]], [[Peter Sellers]] and (for the first two series) [[Michael Bentine]]. The scripts mixed ludicrous plots with [[surreal humour]], puns, catchphrases and an array of bizarre sound effects. There were also light music interludes. Some of the later episodes feature electronic effects devised by the fledgling [[BBC Radiophonic Workshop]], many of which were reused by other shows for decades. Many elements of the show satirised contemporary life in 1950s Britain, parodying aspects of show business, commerce, industry, art, politics, diplomacy, the police, the military, education, class structure, literature and film.

The show was released internationally through the [[BBC Transcription Services]] (TS).<ref name="Wilmut1976">{{cite book | last = Wilmut | first = Roger |author2=Jimmy Grafton | title = The Goon Show Companion - A History and Goonography | year = 1976 | publisher = Robson Books | location = London | isbn = 0-903895-64-1 }}</ref>{{rp|54}} It was heard regularly from the 1950s in Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, India, and Canada, although these TS versions were frequently edited to avoid controversial subjects.<ref name="Wilmut1976"/>{{rp|54}} In the United States, [[w:NBC|NBC]] began broadcasting the programme on its radio network from the mid-1950s.<ref name="Firezine_Goons">{{cite web |url=http://www.firezine.net/issue4/fz4_13.htm |title=FIREZINE #4: Under the Influence of the Goons |publisher=Firezine.net |date=Winter 1997–1998 |access-date=28 October 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060627180615/http://www.firezine.net/issue4/fz4_13.htm |archive-date=27 June 2006 |url-status=live }}</ref>

[[w:Subversive|Subversive]] and absurdist, ''The Goon Show'' exercised a considerable influence on the development of British and American comedy and popular culture. It was cited as a major influence by [[w:the Beatles|the Beatles]], the American comedy troupe [[w:the Firesign Theatre|the Firesign Theatre]],<ref name="Spike&Co">{{cite book | last = McCann | first = Graham | title = Spike & Co. | year = 2006 | publisher = Hodder & Stoughton | location = London | isbn = 0-340-89809-7 }}</ref><sup>:4,5,61</sup> and the British comedy troupe [[Monty Python]].<ref name="ScudamoresMilliganbio">{{cite book | last = Scudamore | first = Pauline | title = Spike Milligan: A Biography. | year = 1985 | publisher = Granada | location= London | isbn= 0-246-12275-7}}</ref><ref name="MilliganHisPartInOurLives">{{cite book|last=Ventham|first=Maxine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cndElmCstZ0C&q=spike|title=Spike Milligan: His Part In Our Lives.|publisher=Robson|year=2002|isbn=1-86105-530-7|location=London|access-date=23 August 2010}}</ref><ref name="PythonsbythePythons">Chapman, G., Cleese, J., Gilliam, T., Idle, E., Jones, T., & Palin, M. (2004). Edited by Bob McCabe. ''The Pythons Autobiography by The Pythons''. London: Orion. Chapman's posthumous input via collateral sources. {{ISBN|0-7528-6425-4}}</ref><ref name="CalciumMadeInteresting">{{cite book | first=Graham | last=Chapman | year=2006 | title=Calcium Made Interesting: Sketches, Letters, Essays & Gondolas | editor=Jim Yoakum | publisher=Pan Books | location=London}} {{ISBN|978-0-330-43543-7}}; {{ISBN|0-330-43543-4}}</ref>

==Background==
The series was devised and written by Spike Milligan with the regular collaboration of other writers including [[Larry Stephens]] (contributing to around 140 episodes), [[Eric Sykes]] (who co-wrote most of the episodes in Series 5), Maurice Wiltshire and [[John Antrobus]], initially under the supervision of [[Jimmy Grafton]].<ref name=Spike&Co/>

Milligan and [[Harry Secombe]] became friends while serving in the [[w:Royal Artillery|Royal Artillery]] during the [[w:Second World War|Second World War]]. Famously, Milligan first encountered [[w:Lance Bombardier|Lance Bombardier]] Secombe<!-- If you change this to another version of this story, please cite the source (preferably Milligan or Secombe) --> after [[w:Gunner (rank)|Gunner]] Milligan's artillery unit accidentally allowed a large [[w:BL 7.2 inch Howitzer Mk.I|howitzer]] to roll off a cliff, under which Secombe was sitting in a small [[w:radio|wireless]] truck: "Suddenly there was a terrible noise as some monstrous object fell from the sky quite close to us. There was considerable confusion, and in the middle of it all the flap of the truck was pushed open and a young, helmeted idiot asked 'Anybody seen a gun?' It was Milligan."<ref>{{cite book | last = Secombe | first = Harry | title = Goon For Lunch| year =  1975| publisher = M. and J. Hobbs | location = London | isbn = 0-7181-1273-3 | chapter = Goon Away - Try Next Door}}</ref>  Secombe's answer to that question was "What colour was it?" Milligan met [[Peter Sellers]] after the war at the [[w:Hackney Empire|Hackney Empire]], where Secombe was performing, and the three became close friends.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|last=Carpenter|first=Humphrey|title=Spike Milligan|publisher=Hachette UK|year=2011|isbn=9781444717884}}</ref><sup>:20</sup>

The group first formed at Jimmy Grafton's London public house called "Grafton's" in the late 1940s.<ref name=Spike&Co/><ref name=ScudamoresMilliganbio/><ref>There is some confusion in the literature about the actual name of the pub (e.g. Scudamore 1985, McCann 2006). It was "Grafton's" according to ''The Goon Show Companion'', Wilmot/Grafton, not the "Grafton Arms"</ref> Sellers had already débuted with the BBC, Secombe was often heard on ''[[w:Variety Bandbox|Variety Bandbox]]'', Milligan was writing for and acting in the high-profile BBC show ''Hip-Hip-Hoo-Roy'' with [[Derek Roy (comedian)|Derek Roy]], and [[Michael Bentine]], who appeared in the first series, had just begun appearing in [[Charlie Chester]]'s peak-time radio show ''Stand Easy''.<ref name=Spike&Co/>

The four clicked immediately. "It was always a relief to get away from the theatre and join in the revels at Grafton's on a Sunday night," said Secombe years later.<ref>''Artists and Raspberries'', Pan; 1997. P72</ref> They took to calling themselves "The Goons" and started recording their pub goings-on with a [[w:Aluminum disc|Pickersgill aluminium disk recorder]].<ref>{{cite AV media|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b086tw3q|date=28 April 2020|publisher=BBC|access-date=28 April 2020|url-status=dead|format=television documentary|title=Archived copy|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170823034837/http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b086tw3q|archive-date=23 August 2017}}</ref>  The BBC producer, Pat Dixon heard a tape and took interest in the group. He pressed the BBC for a long-term contract for the gang, knowing that it would secure Sellers for more than just seasonal work, something for which the BBC had been aiming. The BBC acquiesced and ordered an initial series, though without much enthusiasm.<ref name=Spike&Co/>

The series had its premiere in May 1951 and audience figures grew rapidly, from around 370,000 to nearly two million by the end of the 17th show.<ref name=Spike&Co/> No recordings of any episode of this series are known to have survived. The BBC commissioned a second series and a number of other changes occurred. The musical interludes were shortened, and [[Max Geldray]] joined the lineup. [[Peter Eton]], from the BBC's drama department, replaced [[Dennis Main Wilson]] as producer. Eton brought stricter discipline to the show's production. He was also an expert at sound effects and microphone technique, ensuring that the show became a far more dynamic listening experience. However, a few episodes into the series Milligan suffered a major [[w:nervous breakdown|nervous breakdown]]. He was hospitalised in early December 1952,<ref name=":0" /><sup>:136-139</sup> just before the broadcast of episode five, but it, and the following episode, had already been written, and the next 12 episodes were co-written by Stephens and Grafton. Milligan was absent as a performer for about two months, returning for episode 17, broadcast in early March 1953. As with Series 2, all episodes were co-written by Milligan and Stephens and edited by Jimmy Grafton.

Bentine left the show at the end of series 2, citing a desire to pursue solo projects, although there had been an increasing degree of creative tension between him and Milligan.<ref>There are three or four versions of this story regarding the split. Jimmy Grafton's account is in ''[[The Goon Show Companion]]'' p.39; Secombe's account is in ''[[Arias and Raspberries]]'' p.208; Milligan's account changed over the years and the bitterness shows in the interview ''Now That's Funny'' p.16; and Bentine's account is in ''The Story of the Goons'' p.30 and also in his autobiography "The Reluctant Jester" (1992), p.321 of the paperback edition.</ref>

Milligan blamed his breakdown and the collapse of his first marriage on the sheer volume of writing the show required.<ref name="MoreGoonShowScripts">{{cite book | last = Milligan | first = Spike | title = More Goon Show Scripts. | year = 1974 | publisher = Sphere | location = London | isbn = 0-7221-6077-1}} (a)p.13</ref> His then ground-breaking use of sound effects also contributed to the pressure.<ref group="nb" name="p217">{{harvnb|Lewis|1995|page=217}} "owing to the complexities of the technical side, the BBC were wanting the scripts delivered earlier and earlier - so that the boffins in the electronics department etc. could experiment with the new noises"</ref><ref name="Life&DeathofSellers" >{{cite book
| last = Lewis
| first = Roger
| title = The Life and Death of Peter Sellers.
| year = 1995
| publisher = Arrow Books
| location = London
| isbn = 0-09-974700-6}} (e)pp.205-206</ref> All this exacerbated his mental instability that included [[w:bipolar disorder|bipolar disorder]], especially during the third series.<ref>{{cite news
 |url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4156/is_/ai_n9623932
 |title=Goon with the wind 
 |author=Andrew Billen 
 |newspaper=Sunday Herald 
 |date=2 January 2000 
 |access-date=12 December 2008 
}}{{dead link|date=May 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} "Writing the third season of The Goon Show in 1952, he suffered a relapse. 'I went into a psychiatric home and even while I was there I kept on writing these bloody shows. I had a wife and two kids to support, you see. That was the bottom line.' Inside, he had a full manic episode, including a hallucination that a lion was sitting on the wardrobe."</ref> The BBC however made sure he was surrounded by accomplished radio comedy writers — Sykes, Stephens, Antrobus, Wiltshire, and Grafton — so many of the problems caused by his ill health were skilfully covered over by composite scripts.{{citation needed|date=July 2017}}

Many senior BBC staff were variously bemused and befuddled by the show's surreal humour and it has been reported that senior programme executives erroneously referred to it as ''The Go On Show''<ref name=Spike&Co/><ref>{{cite book | last = Wilmut | first = Roger |author2=Jimmy Grafton | title = The Goon Show Companion - A History and Goonography | year = 1976 | publisher = Robson Books | location = London | isbn = 0-903895-64-1 | chapter = The Birth of the Goons | quote = ...one puzzled planner was heard to ask, 'What is this "Go On Show" people are talking about? }}</ref>{{rp|37}} or even ''The [[w:List of ethnic slurs#C|Coon]] Show''.<ref>{{cite book | last = Milligan | first = Spike | title = More Goon Show Scripts | orig-year = 1973 | year = 1974 | publisher = Sphere Books | location = London | isbn = 0-7221-6077-1 | chapter = Interview | quote = Goon. What's a Goon? D'you mean The Coon Show...? }}</ref>{{rp|13}} The show's title was inspired, according to Spike Milligan, by [[w:Alice the Goon|Alice the Goon]], a character from the ''[[w:Popeye#Thimble Theatre and Popeye comic strips|Popeye]]'' comic.<ref name=Ayto2006>{{citation |year=2006 |author=Ayto, John |place=Oxford, UK |publisher=Oxford University Press |title=Movers and Shakers: A chronology of words that shaped our age |page=144 |isbn=0-19-861452-7 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yfb4NIo3d20C&q=%22spike+milligan%22&pg=PA144 |access-date=23 August 2010}} Alternative {{ISBN|978-0-19-861452-4}}</ref>

Several of the Goons' nonsense songs were recorded in the late 1950s such as the "[[Ying Tong Song]]", number 3 in the [[w:UK Singles Chart|UK Singles Chart]] in 1956.  The radio show had high audience ratings in Britain at its peak; tickets for the recording sessions at the BBC's Camden Theatre (now known as  [[KOKO (venue)|KOKO]]) in London were constantly over-subscribed and the various character voices and [[w:catchphrase|catchphrase]]s from the show quickly became part of the vernacular.<ref>{{cite book | editor = Farnes, Norma| title=The Goons: The Story | date=6 November 1997| publisher=Virgin Publishing | location=London | isbn=1-85227-679-7 | chapter = Harry Secombe's Story | quote = ... people used to fight to get in there, fight to get tickets for the recording at the Camden Theatre}}</ref>{{rp|96}} The series has remained consistently popular ever since, with the show being broadcast weekly by Australia's [[w:Australian Broadcasting Corporation|ABC]] network as late as 2012.<ref>[http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/comedy/goons/]  {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140816050741/http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/comedy/goons/ |date=16 August 2014 }}</ref> The show is also broadcast on [[w:BBC Radio 4 Extra|BBC Radio 4 Extra]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0072vdz|title=The Goon Show - BBC Radio 4 Extra|website=BBC}}</ref>

[[File:Blue plaque - Last Goon Show.jpg|thumbnail|The blue plaque from the old Camden Theatre, now Koko, the site of the recording of ''[[The Last Goon Show of All]]'' in 1972.]]

The scripts exist mostly in fan-transcribed versions via dedicated websites. Although three books<ref name= MoreGoonShowScripts/><ref name="thegoonshowscripts">Milligan, Spike. (1973) ''[[The Goon Show Scripts]]''. London: Sphere</ref><ref name="thelostgoonshows">Milligan, Spike. (1987) ''[[The Lost Goon Shows]]''. London: Robson</ref> were published containing selected scripts, they are out of print, and typically available only in libraries or second-hand. Some more recent biographical books contain selected scripts.<ref name= TheEssentialSpikeMilligan>{{cite book | last = Games | first = Alexander | title = [[The Essential Spike Milligan]] | year = 2003 | publisher = Fourth Estate | location = London | isbn = 0-00-717103-X }}</ref><ref>{{cite book | last = Farnes | first = Norma | title = The Compulsive Spike Milligan | year = 2004 | publisher = Fourth Estate | location = London | isbn = 0-00-719543-5 }}</ref>

There were 10 series in total, plus an additional series called ''Vintage Goons'', recorded at the same time as the eighth series, which featured recordings of re-developments (by Milligan) of short sketches from early shows which had not been recorded by transcription services. The first series had 17 episodes plus one special, ''[[Cinderella (Goon Show)|Cinderella]]'' (1951); the second series had 25 episodes, (1952); the third series had 25 episodes plus one special - ''[[The Coronation Special]]'' (1952–53); the fourth series had 30 episodes plus one special, ''[[Archie In Goonland]]'' (1953–54); the fifth series had 26 episodes plus one special - ''[[The Starlings]]'' (1954–55); the sixth series had 27 episodes plus three specials, (1955–56); the seventh series had 25 episodes plus two specials, (1956–57); the eighth series had 26 episodes, (1957–58); the ''Vintage Goons'' were re-performances of 14 episodes from series four; the ninth series had 17 episodes, (1958–59); and the tenth series had six episodes, (1959–1960).<ref name="Wilmut1976"/>{{rp|101}}<ref name="Spike&Co"/>

==Format==
Throughout its history, each episode of ''The Goon Show, ''which usually ran just under 30 minutes, was essentially structured as a comedy-variety programme, consisting of scripted comedy segments alternating with musical interludes.<ref name="Wilmut1976"/>{{rp|116ff}}

The first two series were mostly produced by [[Dennis Main Wilson]]; none of the episodes was given an individual title<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thegoonshow.net/shows_list_all.asp |title=The Goon Show Site - All Episodes Listed by Series |publisher=Thegoonshow.net |access-date=31 July 2014}}</ref> and these early shows were loosely structured and consisted of four or five unconnected sketches, separated by musical items. According to later producer [[Peter Eton]], the musical segments took up around half the programme.<ref name=":0" /><sup>:113</sup> In this formative phase the show co-starred Milligan (who played only minor roles in the early shows), Sellers, Secombe and [[Michael Bentine]] as the nominal 'hero' of each episode, madcap inventor Dr Osric Pureheart.<ref name=":0" /><sup>:124</sup> Musical performances were by virtuoso jazz harmonica player [[Max Geldray]], singer [[Ray Ellington]] and his quartet (both of whom were recruited by Dixon) and vocal group the Stargazers, but they left after Episode 6 of Series 2, and for the remaining episodes Secombe filled in, singing a straight vocal number.<ref name=":0" /><sup>:124</sup> Incidental, theme and backing music was provided by [[Stanley Black]] and the BBC Dance Orchestra.<ref name=":0" /><sup>:127</sup> Series 2 also saw the first appearances of popular characters Minnie Bannister (Milligan) and Henry Crun (Sellers).

From Series 3, ''The Goon Show'' (as it was now officially titled) gradually settled into its 'classic' format. Milligan, Stephens and Grafton began to work within a narrative structure and by the second half of Series 4 each episode typically consisted of three acts linked by a continuing plot,<ref name=":0" /><sup>:143</sup> with Geldray performing between Acts I and II and Ellington between Acts II and III. Almost all the principal and occasional characters were now performed by Milligan and Sellers, with Secombe usually playing only Neddie Seagoon, who had replaced Pureheart as the hero of most of the stories. The closing theme, backing for Geldray and incidental music was now provided by a big band of freelance musicians under the direction of [[Wally Stott]], who had been writing for the show since the first series.<ref name=":0" /><sup>:127</sup> After the end of Series 3, original announcer [[Andrew Timothy]] was replaced (at the suggestion of [[John Snagge]]) by [[Wallace Greenslade]],<ref name=":0" /><sup>:127</sup> who provided spoken narrative links as well as occasionally performing small roles in the scripts.

From Series 3 onwards, the principal character roles were:<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thegoonshow.net/characters.asp|title=The Goon Show Site - Goons Characters|website=Thegoonshow.net}}</ref>
*[[Neddie Seagoon]] (Secombe)
*[[Eccles]] (Milligan)
*[[Bluebottle]] (Sellers)
*[[Henry Crun]] (Sellers)
*[[Minnie Bannister]] (Milligan)
*[[Hercules Grytpype-Thynne]] (Sellers)
*[[Count Jim Moriarty]] (Milligan)
*[[Major Bloodnok|Major Denis Bloodnok]] (Sellers)

Secondary characters were the "Indians", Banerjee and Lalkaka, the servant Abdul/Singez Thingz, Willium "Mate" Cobblers, Cyril, Jim Spriggs, Little Jim, Flowerdew and Chief Ellinga/The Red Bladder – both played by Ray Ellington.<ref name="Wilmut1976"/>{{rp|107}} There were also occasional guest stars including senior BBC announcer [[John Snagge]], and actors [[Valentine Dyall]], [[Dick Emery]], [[Kenneth Connor]], [[Dennis Price]] and [[Bernard Miles]]. The traditional plots involved Grytpype-Thynne and Moriarty getting Neddie Seagoon involved in some far-fetched plan, and meeting the other cast members along the way.

Many characters had regular catchphrases which quickly moved into the vernacular; among the best known are:
* "He's fallen in the water!" (Little Jim)
* "You dirty, rotten swine, you!  You have deaded me!" (Bluebottle)
* "You can't get the wood, you know." (Henry, Minnie)
* "You silly, twisted boy, you." (Grytpype-Thynne)
* "You can't park 'ere, mate" (Willium)&nbsp;– Milligan's dig at officious BBC commissionaires.
* "Ying Tong Iddle I Po" (various)&nbsp;– which became the basis for a novelty hit as "[[Ying Tong Song]]"

===Surrealism===
{{Listen|filename=what_time_is_it_eccles.mp3|title="What time is it Eccles?"|description=3:22 sample - 973kb|image=none|format=[[Mp3]]|style=float:right; clear:none; width:325px}}
''The Goon Show'' has been variously described as "avant-garde", "surrealist", "abstract", and "four dimensional".<ref name=Zinsser>{{citation |date=20 June 1960 |author=Zinsser, William K |author-link=William Zinsser |title=Peter Sellers: An unpredictable, irrepressible, irreverent mimic |journal= [[w:Life (magazine)|Life]] |pages=63–70 (see p.66) |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5k4EAAAAMBAJ&q=%22spike+milligan%22&pg=PA66 |access-date=23 August 2010}}</ref> The show played games with the medium of radio itself. Whole scenes were written in which characters would leave, close the door behind themselves, yet still be inside the room. Further to this, characters would announce their departure, slam a door, but it would be another character who had left the room. That character would then beat on the door for re-admittance, the door would open and close and again the wrong character would be locked out.<ref>This example is from "Tales of Montmartre", 18th episode of the 6th series.</ref>

The show paved the way for surreal and alternative humour, as acknowledged by comedians such as [[Eddie Izzard]].<ref name= TheEssentialSpikeMilligan /><sup>:vii</sup> The surreality was part of the attraction for Sellers,<ref name="Life&DeathofSellers"/> and this exacerbated his mental instability especially during the third series.<ref>{{cite news
|url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4156/is_/ai_n9623932
|title=Goon with the wind
|author=Andrew Billen
|newspaper=Sunday Herald
|date=2 January 2000
|access-date=12 December 2008}}{{dead link |date=July 2015}}</ref> 
Many of the sequences have been cited as being visionary in the way that they challenged the traditional conventions of comedy.<ref>{{cite book | editor = Farnes, Norma| title=The Goons: The Story | date=6 November 1997| publisher=Virgin Publishing | location=London | isbn=1-85227-679-7 | pages = 161, 168 | chapter = Eric Sykes' Story | quote = p161 ... The Goon Show was a new departure in comedy ... seemingly free-form style of humour ... p168 ... presented scenes of seemingly uncontrolled anarchy | no-pp = true}}</ref>  In the [[Monty Python|Pythons]]' autobiography, [[Terry Jones]] states "The Goons of course were my favourite. It was the surreality of the imagery and the speed of the comedy that I loved - the way they broke up the conventions of radio and played with the very nature of the medium."<ref name=PythonsbythePythons/>{{rp|73}} This is reiterated by [[Michael Palin]] and [[John Cleese]]. Cleese recalls listening to ''The Goon Show'' as a teenager in the mid-1950s "and being absolutely amazed by its surreal humour. It came at a key stage in my own development and I never missed a show".<ref name= MilliganHisPartInOurLives/>{{rp|150}}

===Music and sound effects===
{{listen |filename=Fred the Oyster sound effect.ogg |title=The Fred the Oyster sound effect |description=The sound of an oyster opening which represented the introduction of Fred the Oyster.<br />From The Sinking of Westminster Pier<br />(15 February 1955, s05e23)}}
Orchestral introductions, links and accompaniment were provided by a hand-picked [[big band]] made up of London-based session musicians.<ref name="Wilmut1976"/>{{rp|47}} The arrangements and musical direction were done by [[Angela Morley|Wally Stott]] from the third to the 10th series. Stott produced many arrangements and link passages, further improved by the first-class sound quality the BBC engineers managed to achieve.<ref name="Wilmut1976"/>{{rp|81}} Members of the band featured prominently in the comedy proceedings, particularly jazz trombonist  [[George Chisholm (musician)|George Chisholm]] who frequently played Scots characters. The show's concluding music was usually either "[[Ding-Dong! The Witch Is Dead]]" or a truncated and ironic rendition of the ''[[Alte Kameraden]]'' (Old Comrades') march, followed by Max Geldray and the Ray Ellington Quartet playing "[[Crazy Rhythm]]" as play-out music. Other theme tunes used included "Goons' Gallop", a play on [[Devil's Galop]], "[[I Want to Be Happy]]" and "Lucky Strike", which the cast sang over at the conclusion of the episode called "The Great Bank Robbery".

In keeping with the [[Variety show|variety]] requirements of the BBC's "light entertainment" format, ''The Goon Show'' scripts were structured in three acts, separated by two musical interludes. These were provided by the [[Ray Ellington]] Quartet&nbsp;– who performed a mixture of [[jazz]], [[rhythm & blues]] and [[Calypso music|calypso]] songs&nbsp;– and by harmonica virtuoso [[Max Geldray]] who performed mostly middle of the road numbers and jazz standards of the 30s and 40s accompanied by the big band. Both Ellington and Geldray also made occasional cameo appearances; Ellington was often drafted in to play stereotypical "black" roles such as a tribal chieftain, native bearer or Major Bloodnok's nemesis (and counterpoint to Bloodnok's affliction) "The Red Bladder".{{citation needed|date=July 2017}}

It was in its use of pre-recorded and live sound effects that ''The Goon Show'' broke the most new ground.<ref name=Spike&Co/><ref name="Life&DeathofSellers"/>  Part of the problem was that "not even Milligan knew how to capture electronically the peculiar sounds that came alive in his head&nbsp;– he just knew when it had not yet happened".<ref name="Spike&Co"/><sup>:205</sup> An example of this comes from an often cited story of Milligan filling his two socks with custard in the Camden Theatre canteen, in an attempt to achieve a squelching effect. Milligan asked the BBC canteen ladies to make some custard; they thought he must have some stomach trouble so lovingly made him a fresh custard&nbsp;– which he accepted with thanks and immediately poured into his sock, much to their horror. Secombe recalled "Back in the studio, Spike had already placed a sheet of three-ply near a microphone." One after the other, he swung them around his head against the wood, but failed to produce the sound effect he was seeking ("So, a sock full of custard and no sound effect!").<ref name="Spike&Co"/><sup>:205</sup><ref name="Ventham19">Harry Secombe, in Ventham (2002) p.19. The socks-filled-with-custard story has been frequently cited since at least the 1970s, when it was reiterated in newspaper articles</ref> Secombe noted that "Spike used to drive the studio managers mad with his insistence on getting the sound effects he wanted. In the beginning, when the programme was recorded on disc, it was extremely difficult to achieve the right sound effect. There were, I think, four turntables on the go simultaneously, with different sounds being played on each&nbsp;– chickens clucking, Big Ben striking, donkeys braying, massive explosions, ships' sirens&nbsp;– all happening at once. It was only when tape came into use that Spike felt really happy with the effects."<ref name="Ventham19"/> An FX instruction in one script read "Sound effect of two lions walking away, bumping against each other. If you can't get two lions, two hippos will do".  Over time, the sound engineers became increasingly adept at translating the script into desired sounds, assisted  from the late 1950s onwards by specialists in the BBC's newly formed Radiophonic Workshop.<ref name="Spike&amp;Co"/><sup>:205</sup>

Milligan's relationship with BBC managers preparing for the recording of episodes was often acrimonious and resulted in rows, and Milligan later agreed that he was a diva during this time, adding "I was trying to shake the BBC out of its apathy. Sound effects were a knock on the door and tramps on gravel– that was it, and I tried to transform it.".<ref name="Wilmut1976"/>{{rp|44}}

Many of the sound effects created for later programmes featured innovative production techniques borrowed from the realm of ''[[musique concrète]]'', and using the then new technology of magnetic tape. Many of these sequences involved the use of complex multiple edits, echo and reverberation and the deliberate slowing down, speeding up or reversing of tapes. One of the most famous was the legendary "Bloodnok's Stomach" sound effect, created by the [[BBC Radiophonic Workshop]] to represent the sound of Major Bloodnok's digestive system in action, which included a variety of inexplicable gurgling and explosive noises. Lewis (1995, p.&nbsp;218) states Bloodnok's stomach "was achieved by overlaying burps, whoops from oscillators, water splashes, cork-like pops, and light artillery blasts".<ref name="Life&DeathofSellers"/>

==Cast members and characters==
{{main|List of The Goon Show cast members and characters}}

* Secombe's characters
:{{hlist| Major: [[Neddie Seagoon]] }}
:{{hlist| Minor: [[List of The Goon Show cast members and characters#Uncle Oscar|Uncle Oscar]] | [[List of The Goon Show cast members and characters#Private Bogg|Private Bogg]] | [[List of The Goon Show cast members and characters#Nugent Dirt|Nugent Dirt]] | [[List of The Goon Show cast members and characters#Izzy|Izzy]] | [[List of The Goon Show cast members and characters#Welshmen|Welshmen]] | [[List of The Goon Show cast members and characters#Yorkshiremen|Yorkshiremen]] }}
* Milligan's characters
:{{hlist| Major:  [[Eccles (character)|Eccles]] | [[Henry Crun and Minnie Bannister|Minnie Bannister]] | [[Count Jim Moriarty]] }}
:{{hlist| Minor: [[List of The Goon Show cast members and characters#Throat|Throat]] | [[List of The Goon Show cast members and characters#Little Jim|Little Jim]] | [[List of The Goon Show cast members and characters#Spriggs|Spriggs]] | [[List of The Goon Show cast members and characters#Yakamoto|Yakamoto]] | [[List of The Goon Show cast members and characters#Cor blimey|Cor blimey]] | [[List of The Goon Show cast members and characters#Thingz|Singes Thingz]] | [[List of The Goon Show cast members and characters#Hugh Jampton|Hugh Jampton]] | [[List of The Goon Show cast members and characters#Fu Manchu|Fu Manchu]] | [[List of The Goon Show cast members and characters#Mr Banerjee|Mr Banerjee]] }}
* Sellers's characters
:{{hlist| Major: [[Major Bloodnok]] | [[Hercules Grytpype-Thynne]] |  [[Bluebottle (character)|Bluebottle]] | [[Henry Crun and Minnie Bannister|Henry Crun]] }}
:{{hlist| Minor: [[List of The Goon Show cast members and characters#Cynthia|Cynthia]] | [[List of The Goon Show cast members and characters#Willium "Mate" Cobblers|Willium "Mate" Cobblers]] | [[List of The Goon Show cast members and characters#Mr Lalkaka|Mr Lalkaka]] | [[List of The Goon Show cast members and characters#Eidelberger|Eidelberger]] | [[List of The Goon Show cast members and characters#Flowerdew|Flowerdew]] | [[List of The Goon Show cast members and characters#Cyril|Cyril]] | [[List of The Goon Show cast members and characters#Fred Nurke|Fred Nurke]] | [[List of The Goon Show cast members and characters#Gladys|Gladys]] | [[List of The Goon Show cast members and characters#Lew/Ernie Cash|Lew/Ernie Cash]] | [[List of The Goon Show cast members and characters#Churchill|Churchill]] | [[List of The Goon Show cast members and characters#Hearn|Hearn]] | [[List of The Goon Show cast members and characters#And more...|and more...]] }}
* Bentine's characters
:[[List of The Goon Show cast members and characters#Michael Bentine|Prof. Osric Pureheart and more]]
*[[List of The Goon Show cast members and characters#Other members|Other cast members]]
*[[List of The Goon Show cast members and characters#Guest appearances|Guest cast members]]

==Episodes and archiving==
{{main|Goon Show episodes and archiving}}

==Running jokes==
{{main|The Goon Show running jokes}}

===Lurgi===
{{anchor|Lurgy}}
{{hatnote|[[w:Lurgy (river)|Lurgy (river)]] is a small river near [[w:Kilmacrennan|Kilmacrennan]] in Donegal in Ireland.}}
{{See also|:w:Cooties}}
Several of the words and phrases invented for the show soon entered common usage, the most famous being the word [[wikt:lurgy|lurgi]]. In the episode "Lurgi Strikes Britain", Spike Milligan introduced the fictional malady of Lurgi (sometimes spelt Lurgy), which has survived into modern usage to mean the common cold, or any miscellaneous or non-specific illness (often preceded by the adjective "dreaded"). The symptoms of Lurgi included the uncontrollable urge to cry "Eeeeyack-a-boo", though even during the episode the ailment proved to be an extortionate attempt to sell [[w:brass band|brass band]] musical instruments. Milligan was later to make up his own definition in ''[[Treasure Island According to Spike Milligan]]'', where Jim Hawkins' mother describes it as "like brown spots of shit on the liver".<!-- Please put non goon related lurgi references under the Wikipedia entry for lurgy -->

===Brandyyy!===
Alcohol was strictly forbidden during rehearsals and recording, so the cast fortified themselves with milk. The milk in turn was fortified with brandy. In later episodes the catchphrase "round the back for the old brandy!" or "the old Marlon Brando" was used to announce the exit of one or more characters, or a break for music. In "The Pam's Paper Insurance Policy" (Series 9, Episode 4), Ray Ellington, before his musical item begins, muses, "I wonder where he keeps that stuff!". In "The Scarlet Capsule" (Series 9, Episode 14), Ellington's reply to Secombe's cry of "Time for Ray Ellington and the old BRANDYYY there" was "The introductions he gives me...".  In "The Moon Show" (Series 7, Episode 18), Ellington sympathises with the listeners, stating "Man, the excuses he makes to get to that brandy!", causing Milligan, Sellers and Secombe to wail "MATE!" in protest. However, Milligan got his own back by making Ellington laugh halfway through the song by doing Minnie Bannister voices while Ellington was singing.<ref>{{cite book | last = Wilmut | first = Roger |author2=Jimmy Grafton | title = The Goon Show Companion - A History and Goonography | year = 1976 | publisher = Robson Books | location = London | isbn = 0-903895-64-1 | page = 62 | chapter = Produced by Pat Dixon | quote = Possibly the cast's brandy-and-milk in the back room had a little to do with it (those cries of "round the back for the old brandy" before the musical items are not there just for effect!).}}</ref>

===Rhubarb, rhubarb, rhubarb!===
During radio programmes of the 1920s and 1930s, the background noise for crowd scenes was often achieved by a moderately large group of people mumbling "[[Rhubarb (sound effect)|rhubarb]]" under their breath with random inflections. This was often parodied by Milligan, who would try to get the same effect with only three or four people, clearly intoning the word rather than mumbling. After some time, Secombe began throwing in "custard" during these scenes (for example, in "The Fear of Wages<ref>{{cite web|url=http://goonshowscripts.afraid.org/raw/series06/s06e25.html|title=The Fear of Wages|website=Goonshowscripts.afraid.org|access-date=2 July 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070310163150/http://goonshowscripts.afraid.org/raw/series06/s06e25.html|archive-date=10 March 2007|url-status=dead}}</ref> and Wings Over Dagenham", where the phrase was amended to 'flying rhubarb').<ref>{{cite web|url=http://goonshowscripts.afraid.org/raw/series07/s07e15a.html|title=Wings Over Dagenham|website=Goonshowscripts.afraid.org|access-date=2 July 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070310144700/http://goonshowscripts.afraid.org/raw/series07/s07e15a.html|archive-date=10 March 2007|url-status=dead}}</ref>

===Raspberry blowing===
As well as being used as a comic device randomly inserted into different sketches to avoid silence, the [[Blowing a raspberry|blowing of raspberries]] entered the Goons as Harry Secombe's signal to the other actors that he was going to crack up; you would hear a joke from him, a raspberry, and a stream of laughter.  In the Goons' musical recording "The Ying-Tong Song", Milligan performed a solo for raspberry-blower, as one might for tuba or baritone saxophone.  Milligan made much use of a rather surreal Columbia 78RPM sound effects disc, catalogue number YB20, which bears the innocuous title "Donkey" on the label. Approximating possibly the most obscene and flatulent noise ever recorded, it appeared first in the show "The Sinking of Westminster Pier" as a sound to accompany an oyster opening its shell; it thereafter became known as Fred the Oyster, and appears as such in the scripts.  This recording was often used as a reaction to a bad joke. Examples include ''[[The Last Goon Show of All]]'' during which Neddie shouts old jokes into a fuel tank in order to "start the show".

Years later, Milligan collaborated with [[Ronnie Barker]] on ''[[The Phantom Raspberry Blower of Old London Town]]'' in which the credits read, "Raspberries professionally blown by Spike Milligan".  [[David Jason]] has also claimed to have produced the sound effect and indeed was credited with this in the second segment of Ronnie Barker's [[LWT]] series ''[[Six Dates with Barker]]'' (1971).<ref>{{IMDb episode |0502939 |Six Dates with Barker - 1899: The Phantom Raspberry Blower of Old London Town" (15 Jan 1971)}}</ref>

==="Trapped in a piano"===
In several shows, one character, typically either Henry Crun or Minnie Bannister, would be found trapped in a piano.  In ''The Mystery of the Fake Neddie Seagoon'', Crun was inside a piano and his speech was accompanied by suitable piano noises.  In ''The Jet-Propelled Guided NAAFI'', Moriarty is hiding in a piano disguised as one of the strings.  Grytpype-Thynne plays a "do-re-mi" scale to find him – Moriarty is "me".

The "in a piano" joke was re-used one last time in ''[[The Last Goon Show of All]]''.

===Other references===
Sometimes characters were introduced as "scion of the house of Rowton", or "member of Rowton House".  This was a reference to the "[[Rowton Houses]]", which were hostels for working men in London.

==Films==
The following films were a product of Goon activity:
*''[[Let's Go Crazy (film)|Let's Go Crazy]]'' (1951)
*''[[Penny Points to Paradise]]'' (1951)
*''[[Down Among the Z Men]]'' (1952) (with Bentine)
*''[[The Case of the Mukkinese Battle Horn]]'' (1956)  A two-reeler starring Milligan, Sellers and [[Dick Emery]]
*''[[The Running Jumping & Standing Still Film]]'' (1959)  A surreal one-reeler short subject starring Milligan and Sellers and directed by [[Richard Lester]]

== Later revivals ==
===Books===
Spike Milligan teamed up with illustrator Pete Clarke to produce two books of comic strip Goons. The stories were slightly modified versions of classic Goon shows.
*'''''The Goon Cartoons''''' (1982)
"The Last Goon Show of All", "The Affair of the Lone Banana", "The Scarlet Capsule", "The Pevensey Bay Disaster"<ref>{{cite book | last = Milligan | first = Spike | author-link = Spike Milligan | others = Clarke, Pete (illus.) | title = The Goon Cartoons | year = 1982 | publisher = M & J Hobbs | location = London | isbn = 0-7181-2200-3 }}</ref>
*'''''More Goon Cartoons''''' (1983)
"The Case of the Vanishing Room", "The Case of the Missing C.D. Plates", "The Saga of the Internal Mountain", "Rommel's Treasure"<ref>{{cite book | last = Milligan | first = Spike | others = Clarke, Pete (illus.) | title = More Goon Cartoons | year = 1983 | publisher = M & J Hobbs | location = London | isbn = 978-0-7181-2341-3 }}</ref>
*'''''The Goon Show Scripts''''' (1972) by Milligan
"Foreword by Sellers", Details of the Show, Cast, Characters, etc., and "The Dreaded Batter Pudding Hurler", "The Phantom Head Shaver", "The Affair of the Lone Banana", "The Canal", "Napoleon's Piano", "Foiled by President Fred", "The Mighty Wurlitzer", "The Hastings Flyer", "The House of Teeth".
*'''''More Goon Show Scripts''''' (1973) by Milligan
"The [[Battle of Spion Kop]]", "Ned's Atomic Dustbin", "The spy; or, Who is Pink Oboe?", "Call of the West", "The Scarlet Capsule", "The [[Tay Bridge Disaster]]", "The Gold-plate Robbery", "The £50 cure".

===Films===
*'''''The Life and Death of Peter Sellers'' (2004)'''
A recreation of a ''Goon Show'' recording before a studio audience is seen early in the HBO Original Movie, ''[[The Life and Death of Peter Sellers]]'' (2004), with [[Geoffrey Rush]] as Sellers, [[Edward Tudor-Pole]] as Spike Milligan, [[Steve Pemberton]] as Harry Secombe and [[Lance Ellington]] as Ray Ellington. A brief moment from that recreation is seen in the trailer<ref>[http://www.hbo.com/films/petersellers/trailer/quicktime_trailer.html]  {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081022203328/http://www.hbo.com/films/petersellers/trailer/quicktime_trailer.html |date=22 October 2008 }}</ref> for that film.

===Stage===
*'''''Ying Tong: A Walk with the Goons'''''
''Ying Tong'' is a play written by Roy Smiles which is set partly in a radio studio, partly in a mental asylum and partly in Spike Milligan's mind. It recreates the Goons recording the show, but part way through Spike has a mental breakdown and is committed to an asylum. While it features all of the Goons throughout (although Bentine is mentioned, the fourth character represents Wallace Greenslade), the focus is on Milligan and his breakdown.

*'''''Birmingham Comedy Festival'''''
[[w:Birmingham Comedy Festival|Birmingham Comedy Festival]] produced a theatre production as part of their festival in 2014 staging two Milligan Goon Show scripts, ''[[The Canal]]'' and ''[[The Phantom Head Shaver (of Brighton)]]''.<ref>Laws, Roz. [https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/whats-on/comedy-news/birmingham-comedy-festival-gets-under-7838685 "Birmingham Comedy Festival gets under way with a recreation of The Goon Show"], ''Birmingham Mail'', 26 September 2014. Retrieved on 24 April.</ref> The festival produced a second touring production in 2017 featuring two more Milligan scripts, ''[[The House Of Teeth]]'' and ''[[The Jet-Propelled Guided Naafi|The Jet-Propelled Guided NAAFI]]''.<ref>Sutherland, Gill. [https://www.stratford-herald.com/65957-goons-come-stratford.html "The Goons come to Stratford"], ''Stratford-Upon-Herald'', 8 February 2017. Retrieved on 24 April.</ref> Both runs were sanctioned by Norma Farnes and Spike Milligan Productions.
Cast:
Sellers - Richard Usher, 
Milligan - Robert Coletta(2014),Mark Earby(2017), 
Secombe -  Jimm Rennie(2014), Stephan Bessant(2017), 
[[Wallace Greenslade]]/
[[Valentine Dyall]] - Phil Hemming

Directed by Robert F. Ball
Produced by Dave Freak for Birmingham Comedy Festival. 
*'''''Apollo Theatre Company'''''
Touring in late 2018 in the UK, Apollo Theatre Company in conjunction with Spike Milligan Productions recreated three episodes of The Goon Show - The Dreaded Batter Pudding Hurler, Tails of Men's Shirts, and The Phantom Head Shaver - with recreations of the original scripts. Co-producer Norma Farnes, Milligan's ex-manager, agreed to the use of the material on the basis the production was respectful of the scripts. The roles of Sellers, Milligan, and Secombe were played by Julian McDowell, Colin Elmer and Clive Greenwood and the production was directed by McDowell and Tim Astley.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.thestage.co.uk/features/2018/the-goon-show-returns-how-a-new-play-is-celebrating-spike-milligan-harry-secombe-and-peter-sellers/ |title=The Goon Show returns: how a new play is celebrating Milligan and Co |newspaper=The Stage |access-date=15 September 2018}}</ref>

===Radio and television===
*'''''The Idiot Weekly, Price 2d (TV, 1956)''''' and '''''The Idiot Weekly''''' (radio, 1958–1962)
''[[The Idiot Weekly, Price 2d]]'', which starred Peter Sellers, was the first attempt to translate ''Goon Show'' humour to television. Made for [[Associated-Rediffusion]] during 1956 and only broadcast in the London area, it was mainly written by Milligan, with contributions from other writers in the [[Associated London Scripts]] cooperative including  [[Dave Freeman (British writer)|Dave Freeman]] and [[Terry Nation]], with Eric Sykes as script editor. ''[[The Idiot Weekly]]'' (1958–1962) was an Australian radio comedy series written by and starring Milligan with an Australian supporting cast including [[Ray Barrett]] and [[John Bluthal]]. It was made for the [[w:Australian Broadcasting Corporation|ABC]] during Milligan's numerous visits to Australia, where his family had emigrated. Milligan adapted some ''Goon Show'' scripts and included his ''Goon Show'' characters (notably Eccles) in many episodes. Six episodes of ''[[The Idiot Weekly]]'' were remade by the BBC as ''[[The Omar Khayyam Show]]'' in 1963.

*'''''The Telegoons'' (1963–1964)'''
''[[The Telegoons]]'' (1963–1964) was a 15-minute BBC puppet show featuring the voices of Milligan, Secombe and Sellers and adapted from the radio scripts. 26 episodes were made. The series was briefly repeated immediately after its original run, and all episodes are known to survive, having been unofficially released online.<ref>{{cite web|title=THE BOOTLEG FILES: THE TELEGOONS|url=https://filmthreat.com/uncategorized/the-bootleg-files-the-telegoons/|date=18 February 2011|website=Film Threat}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://roxburgh.org/telegoons/history_0_intro.htm|title=History|website=Roxburgh.org|access-date=2 July 2018}}</ref>

*'''''The Goon Show - [[The Whistling Spy Enigma]]'' (Secombe & Friends) (1966)'''
Recorded for Harry Secombe's six-part comedy series, of which only a portion was actually used for the original broadcast, this was similar to ''Tales of Men's Shirts'' as a re-enactment of a radio play for television. Whilst initially it was thought that only the portion used in the TV show survived, a full copy of the performance was found by the [[w:British Film Institute|British Film Institute]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thegoonshow.net/film_tv_television.asp |title=The Goon Show Site&nbsp;– Goons on Television |website=Thegoonshow.net |access-date=31 July 2014}}</ref>

*'''''The Goon Show - [[Tales of Men's Shirts]]'' (1968)'''
Essentially a re-enactment of a radio performance, the three Goons were joined by [[John Cleese]] as announcer for a special shown on Thames Television. An almost-complete copy of this broadcast is held by the [[British Film Institute]].<ref>{{cite web|title=The Goon Show: The Whistling Spy Enigma, Tales of Mens Shirts, The Last Goon Show of All, British Film Institute, Elephant and Castle London|url=http://www.qype.co.uk/events/261363-The-Goon-Show-The-Whistling-Spy-Enigma-Tales-of-Mens-Shirts-The-Last-Goon-Show-of-All-British-Film-Institute-Elephant-and-Castle-London|publisher=Qype.co.uk|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130913212553/http://www.qype.co.uk/events/261363-The-Goon-Show-The-Whistling-Spy-Enigma-Tales-of-Mens-Shirts-The-Last-Goon-Show-of-All-British-Film-Institute-Elephant-and-Castle-London|archive-date=13 September 2013|access-date=31 July 2014}}</ref>

*'''''[[The Last Goon Show of All]]'' (1972)'''
In 1972, the Goons reunited to perform ''The Last Goon Show of All''<ref>{{cite web|url=http://goonshowscripts.afraid.org/raw/LastGoonShowofAll.html|title=The Last Goon Show of All|website=Goonshowscripts.afraid.org|access-date=2 July 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070311103442/http://goonshowscripts.afraid.org/raw/LastGoonShowofAll.html|archive-date=11 March 2007|url-status=dead}}</ref>

*'''''Goon Again'' (2001)'''
In 2001, the BBC recorded a "new" ''Goon Show'', ''Goon Again'',<ref>{{cite web |title=Goon Again-50th Anniversary Goon Show |url=http://www.dirkmaggs.dswilliams.co.uk/Goon%20show%2050th%20anniversary%20dirk%20maggs.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081011095942/http://www.dirkmaggs.dswilliams.co.uk/Goon%20show%2050th%20anniversary%20dirk%20maggs.htm |archive-date=11 October 2008 |work=Dirk Maggs |date=29 May 2001 |access-date=8 August 2016}}</ref> featuring [[w:Andy Secombe|Andy Secombe]] (son of Harry), [[w:Jon Glover|Jon Glover]] and [[w:Jeffrey Holland (actor)|Jeffrey Holland]], with [[w:Christopher Timothy|Christopher Timothy]] (son of Andrew Timothy) announcing and [[w:Lance Ellington|Lance Ellington]] (son of Ray Ellington) singing, based on two lost series 3 episodes from 1953, ''[[The Story of Civilisation]]'' and ''[[The Plymouth Hoe Armada]]'', both written by Milligan and Stephens.

===Records===
The Goons made a number of records including "I'm Walking Backwards for Christmas" (originally sung by Milligan in the show to fill in during a musicians' strike), and "Bloodnok's Rock and Roll Call", the B-side of which, the "[[Ying Tong Song]]", soon became more popular and was reissued as an A-side in the mid-1970s, becoming a surprise novelty hit. The last time all three Goons worked together was in 1978 when they recorded two new songs, "The Raspberry Song" and "Rhymes".

*'''''Bridge on the River Wye'' (Parlophone 1962)'''
A 1962 comedy LP with Milligan and Sellers as well as [[Peter Cook]] and [[Jonathan Miller]]. A spoof of the film ''[[w:The Bridge on the River Kwai|The Bridge on the River Kwai]]'', it was originally recorded under that name. However, the film company threatened legal action if the name was used. Thus some clever editing of the recording by future Beatles producer [[George Martin]] removed the ''K'' every time the word ''Kwai'' was uttered, creating ''[[Bridge on the River Wye]]''. The LP is based on ''The Goon Show''{{'}}s ''[[African Incident]]'' (30 December 1957),<ref name=Spike&Co/><sup>:183</sup> which featured Sellers' vocal impersonation of [[w:Alec Guinness|Alec Guinness]]. Lewis' (1995, pp.&nbsp;205–206) gives a good account of this background.<ref name="Life&DeathofSellers"/>

*'''''How to Win an Election'' (1964)'''
In 1964, Milligan, Secombe and Sellers lent their voices to a comedy LP, ''How to Win an Election (or Not Lose by Much)'', which was written by [[Leslie Bricusse]]. It was not exactly a Goons reunion because Sellers was in Hollywood and had to record his lines separately. The album was reissued on CD in 1997.

====Singles====
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"
! rowspan="2" |Title
! rowspan="2" |Year
! colspan="2" |Peak chart positions
|-
! scope="col" |<small>[[UK Singles Chart|UK]]</small><br/><ref>{{Cite web|title=GOONS {{!}} full Official Chart History {{!}} Official Charts Company|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/3680/goons/|access-date=2021-10-28|website=www.officialcharts.com}}</ref>
! scope="col" |<small>[[w:Kent Music Report|AUS]]</small><br/><ref>{{cite book|last=Kent|first=David|title=Australian Chart Book 1970–1992|publisher=Australian Chart Book|year=1993|isbn=0-646-11917-6|edition=illustrated|location=St Ives, N.S.W.|page=|author-link=David Kent (historian)}}</ref>
|-
! scope="row" |"I'm Walking Backwards for Christmas"<br/><small>b/w "The Bluebottle Blues"</small>
| rowspan="2" |1956
|4
|—
|-
! scope="row" |"Bloodnok's Rock 'n' Roll Call"<br/><small>b/w "[[Ying Tong Song|The Ying Tong Song]]"</small>
| align="center" |3
|—
|-
! scope="row" |"Eeh! Ah! Oh! Ooh!"<br/><small>b/w "I Love You"</small>
| rowspan="2" |1957
| align="center" |—
|—
|-
! scope="row" |"Whistle Your Cares Away"<br/><small>b/w "A Russian Love Song"</small>
| align="center" |—
|—
|-
! scope="row" |"Ying Tong Song" <small>(re-release)</small><br/><small>b/w "I'm Walking Backwards for Christmas"</small>
|1973
| align="center" |9
|57
|-
! scope="row" |"Bloodnok's Rock 'n' Roll Call" <small>(re-release)</small><br/><small>b/w "I Love You"</small>
|1975
| align="center" |—
|—
|-
! scope="row" |"The Raspberry Song"<br/><small>b/w "Rhymes"</small>
|1978
| align="center" |—
|—
|-
| colspan="4" style="font-size:90%" |"—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory.
|}

==Impact on comedy and culture==
In George Perry's book ''The Life of Python'' (1999) he comments: "In the Britain of 1950, humour was derived from three main sources: print, film and radio, and despite the advent of television, throughout the 1950s radio remained the dominant source of broadcast comedy. In this period, two radio comedy shows exercised a profound influence. The first was ''[[Take It From Here]]'', with its polished professionalism. The other was ''The Goon Show'', with its absurdity, manic surreality and unpredictability."<ref name="Perry">{{cite book | last = Perry | first = George | title = The Life of Python | year = 1999 | publisher = Pavilion Books | location = London | isbn = 1-85793-441-5 | pages = 14–17}}</ref>

On the influence of The Goons, Eric Sykes wrote that in the post-World War II years, "other shows came along but 'The House of Comedy' needed electricity. Then, out of the blue&nbsp;... ''The Goons''&nbsp;...Spike Milligan simply blew the roof off, and lit the whole place with sunshine. At a cursory glance, ''The Goon Show'' was merely quick-fire delivery of extremely funny lines mouthed by eccentric characters, but this was only the froth. In ''The Goon Show'', Spike was unknowingly portraying every facet of the British psyche".<ref name="SykesComedyHeroes">{{cite book | last = Sykes | first = Eric | title = Eric Sykes' Comedy Heroes. | year = 2003 | publisher = Virgin Books | location = London | isbn = 0-7535-0966-0}} p.137</ref>

Sykes and Milligan, along with [[Ray Galton]],  [[Alan Simpson (scriptwriter)|Alan Simpson]], [[Frankie Howerd]] and Stanley ("Scruffy") Dale, co-founded the writers' cooperative Associated London Scripts (ALS), which over time included others including Larry Stephens.<ref name=Spike&Co/><ref name=ScudamoresMilliganbio/> In his book '''''Spike & Co''''', Graham McCann says "the anarchic spirit of the Goon Show...would inspire, directly or indirectly and to varying extents, ''Monty Python's Flying Circus'', ''[[The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy]]'', '' [[The Young Ones (TV series)|The Young Ones]]'', ''[[Vic Reeves Big Night Out]]'', ''[[The League of Gentlemen]]'', ''[[Brass Eye]]'' and countless other strange and bold new comedies". Other ALS-related comedies such as ''[[Sykes and A...]]'', ''[[Hancock's Half Hour]]'', ''[[Steptoe and Son]]'', ''[[Beyond Our Ken]]'', and ''[[Round The Horne]]'' influenced their own genres of comedy.<ref name=Spike&Co/><sup>:344–345</sup>

[[Eddie Izzard]] notes that the Goons and Milligan in particular "influenced a new generation of comedians who came to be known as 'alternative'."<ref name= TheEssentialSpikeMilligan /><sup>:vii</sup> [[John Cleese]] notes that "In comedy, there are a very small number of defining moments when somebody comes along and genuinely creates a breakthrough, takes us into territory where nobody has been before. The only experiences to which I can compare my own discovery of the Goons are going to see N. F. Simpson's play ''One Way Pendulum''&nbsp;... or, later on, hearing Peter Cook for the first time. They were just light years ahead of everyone else."<ref name= MilliganHisPartInOurLives/><sup>:151</sup>

===The Beatles===
The Goons made a considerable impact on the humour of [[the Beatles]], especially [[John Lennon]]. On 30 September 1973, Lennon reviewed the book ''The Goon Show Scripts'' for ''[[The New York Times]]''. He wrote: "I was 12 when ''The Goon Show'' first hit me, 16 when they finished with me. Their humour was the only proof that the world was insane. One of my earlier efforts at writing was a 'newspaper' called ''The Daily Howl''. I would write it at night, then take it into school and read it aloud to my friends. Looking at it now, it seems strangely similar to ''The Goon Show''." Lennon also noted that [[George Martin]], the Beatles' long-time producer, had previously made records with both Spike Milligan and Peter Sellers.<ref name="Lennon">[http://www.telegoons.org/famous_fans.htm ] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120218185620/http://www.telegoons.org/famous_fans.htm |date=18 February 2012 }}</ref>

In a discussion of an accidentally Goonish nature, about introducing the next song during the 1963 BBC production of ''Pop Go The Beatles'', Lennon is also recorded as quipping "Love these Goon shows". This was included in the double album<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.jpgr.co.uk/pcsp726.html |title=Live At The B.B.C |publisher=Jpgr.co.uk |access-date=31 July 2014}}</ref> and CD titled '' [[Live at the BBC (The Beatles album)|Live at the BBC]]'' (side 4, track 10 of the LP; track 62 of CD).

===Firesign Theatre===
The [[NBC]] radio network broadcast the programme in the United States in the mid-1950s.<ref name="Firezine_Goons"/> In 1965, [[Peter Bergman (comedian)|Peter Bergman]] met and befriended Milligan during the time he worked in the UK on the [[BBC]] television program ''Not So Much a Program, More a Way of Life''.<ref name="Firezine_Goons"/> He also saw [[the Beatles]] in concert, which gave him the inspiration to form a four-man comedy group.<ref name="Stereo_review">{{cite AV media notes |title=Putting It Simply, There's Never Been Anything Like The Firesign Theatre Before or Since |year=1993 |url=http://www.firesigntheatre.com/media/media.php?item=sfi-ln |access-date=28 November 2017 |first=Steve |last=Simels |type=liner notes |publisher=Laugh.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171215000610/http://www.firesigntheatre.com/media/media.php?item=sfi-ln |archive-date=15 December 2017 |url-status=live }}</ref> When he returned to the US the next year to host the radio show ''Radio Free Oz'' on [[KPFK]]-FM in Los Angeles, he teamed with [[Philip Proctor]], [[Phil Austin]], and [[David Ossman]] to form [[the Firesign Theatre]]. Proctor, Austin, and Ossman were big fans of the ''Monitor'' broadcasts of the ''Goon Show''. According to Ossman:<ref name="Firezine_Goons"/><ref name="MilliganHisPartInOurLives"/>
{{Blockquote|We all listened to ''The Goon Show'', Peter Sellers, Spike Milligan and Harry Secombe, at various times in our lives. We heard a lot of those shows. They impressed us when we started doing radio ourselves, because they sustained characters in a really [[surreal humour|surreal]] and weird kind of situation for a long period of time. They were doing that show for 10 years, all the way through the 1950s. So we were just listening to them at the end. It was that madness and the ability to go anywhere and do anything and yet sustain those funny characters. So when we first did written radio, where we would sit down and write half hour skits and do them once a week, which we did in the fall of 1967, we did things that were imitative of ''The Goon Show'' and learned a lot of voices from them and such.}}

===Monty Python===
Among the influences on [[Monty Python]], the members of the comedy team are described as being "indebted to BBC radio comedy, and particularly to the ''Goon Show''."<ref name=Landy2005>{{citation |year=2005 |author=Landy, Marcia |title=Monty Python's Flying Circus |series=TV Milestones Series |place=Detroit, Michigan |publisher=Wayne State University Press |page=34 |isbn=0-8143-3103-3 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=J1CxIuG-_NkC&q=goon+show&pg=PT43 |access-date=24 August 2010}}</ref> The future members of Monty Python were fans,<ref name= PythonsbythePythons/> and on many occasions they expressed their collective debt to Milligan and The Goons.<ref>{{cite book | editor=Morgan, David | title=Python Speaks | date=8 June 1999 | publisher=Harper Paperbacks | location=New York | isbn=0-380-80479-4 | page=[https://archive.org/details/montypythonspeak00morg/page/72 72] | chapter=Take Off | quote=p72 ... MacNAUGHTON: ... they [Monty Python] loved Milligan. MORGAN: Python Would not have been what it was had it not been for ''The Goon Show''&nbsp;... MacNAUGHTON: Precisely. But would The Goon Show have been what it was were it not for the Marx Brothers? | chapter-url-access=registration | chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/montypythonspeak00morg/page/72 }}</ref> Scudamore cites an interview for example, in which John Cleese stated "''the Goon Show'' influenced us enormously".<ref name=ScudamoresMilliganbio/><sup>:170</sup> He reiterates this point in his contribution to Ventham's book: "We all loved ''The Goon Show'' in the Monty Python Team: it ignited some energy in us. It was more a spirit that was passed on, rather than any particular technique. The point is that once somebody has crossed a barrier and done something that has never been done before, it is terribly easy for everybody else to cross it".<ref name= MilliganHisPartInOurLives/><sup>:151</sup>

Similarly, in the introduction to [[Graham Chapman]]'s posthumous anthology (2006, p. xvii) Yoakum notes that while other radio comedies influenced Chapman, "the show that truly astounded Graham, and was a major influence on his comedy was ''The Goon Show''." And on page 23 Chapman states: "from about the age of seven or eight I used to be an avid listener to a radio programme called ''The Goon Show''. In fact, at that stage I wanted to ''be'' a Goon".<ref name=CalciumMadeInteresting/>

In their episode [[w:Election Night Special|Election Night Special]], the Pythons gave an appreciative nod to their forebears. When one of the onscreen elections reporters asks his companion, "What do you make of the nylon dog cardigan and plastic mule rest?" a voice offstage yells, "There's no such thing!" to which the reporter replies, "Thank you, Spike."

==Deaths==
Peter Sellers died on 24 July 1980, aged 54. Michael Bentine died on 26 November 1996, aged 74. Harry Secombe died on 11 April 2001, aged 79. Milligan claimed to be relieved that Secombe had died before him, because had he died before Secombe then Secombe would have been in a position to sing at his funeral.<ref name="BBCUnique">{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/2061956.stmc |title=Friends remember unique Milligan |date=24 June 2002 |access-date=3 September 2009 |work=[[BBC News]] |publisher=[[BBC]] }}{{Dead link|date=June 2021 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> Terence "Spike" Milligan died on 27 February 2002, aged 83; Secombe ended up singing at his funeral anyway, as a recording.<ref name="BBCUnique"/> Two years later, Milligan's wish to have the words "I told you I was ill" inscribed on his gravestone was finally granted, although the church would only agree if the words were written in [[Irish language|Irish]], as {{lang|ga|Dúirt mé leat go raibh mé breoite}}.<ref>{{cite news |title=Milligan gets last laugh on grave |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/southern_counties/3742443.stm |work=[[BBC News]] |publisher=[[BBC]] |date=24 May 2004}}</ref>

==See also==
*[[w:Literary nonsense|Literary nonsense]]
*''[[The Milligan Papers]]'' – A BBC Radio comedy from 1987, often called "A Goon Show for the '80s".
*[[Goon Show Preservation Society]]
{{Portal|1950s|BBC}}
*[[List of The Goon Show episodes]]

==Notes==
<references group="nb" />

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Bibliography==
*{{citation |date = August 2002|author=Barnes, Peter |title='An Uncooked Army Boot': Spike Milligan 1918-2002 |journal=New Theatre Quarterly |volume=18|issue=Part 3. Intq 71 |pages=205–210 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=78w532FjD0MC&q=spike+milligan&pg=PA205 |access-date=23 August 2010 |doi=10.1017/s0266464x02000295|doi-access=free }}
*{{cite book | editor = Farnes, Norma| title=The Goons: The Story | date=6 November 1997| publisher=Virgin Publishing | location=London | isbn=1-85227-679-7 }} – includes chapters from Milligan, Secombe & Sykes.
*{{cite book | last=Wilmut | first=Roger |author2=Jimmy Grafton | title=The Goon Show Companion - A History and Goonography | year=1976 | publisher=Robson Books | location=London | isbn=0-903895-64-1}}
*{{citation |year=2000 |editor=Rose, Elizabeth |title=The Book of the Goons |place=London |publisher=Robson Books |isbn=0-86051-286-X |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9zQjs_udTa4C&q=spike+milligan |access-date=23 August 2010}} (First published by Robson Books, 1974).
*{{cite book | title = Spike & Co | last = McCann | first = Graham | year = 2006 | publisher = Hodder and Stoughton Ltd | location = London | isbn= 978-0-340-89808-6 }} – A  resource, comprising a comprehensive biography of the script co-operative 'Associated London Scripts' set up by Milligan, Sykes, Galton and Simpson in the 1950s.

==External links==
*{{BBC Online|id=comedy/thegoonshow/|title=''The Goon Show''|description={{nbsp}}(archived BBC Comedy page)}}
*{{British Comedy Guide|radio|the_goon_show}}
*[http://www.thegoonshow.co.uk The Goon Show Depository]
*[http://www.thegoonshow.net The Goon Show Site]
*[http://www.thegoonshow.org.uk/ Goon Show Preservation Society] – United Kingdom
*[http://www.goon.org/ Goon Show Preservation Society] – United States
*[http://goons.fabcat.org/ ''GoonShowRadio''] – streams various episodes of The Goon Show constantly on the internet.
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20130816073454/http://thegoonshowlive.com.au/ The Goon Show LIVE!]; Australian homage.
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20160811052705/http://oldclassicradio.com/show/the-goon-show Goon Show at oldclassicradio.com]
*[https://www.flickr.com/photos/24489951@N06/2317439334 Photo of Grafton's pub, where they first performed]

{{Goons}}

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