The Sleeping Prince

"The Sleeping Prince"
The Goon Show episode
Episode: no.	Series: 7 Episode: 6 (20)
Written by	Spike Milligan Larry Stephens
Announcer	Wallace Greenslade
Produced by	Pat Dixon
Music	Orchestra: Wally Stott Geldray: Hoe Down Rag Ellington: Time Takes Care of Everything'
Recording Number	TLO 14930
First broadcast	14 February 1957 (1957-02-14)
Running time	30:36

The Sleeping Prince, though its original title was to have been The President's Protocol, is an episode from The Goon Show. It was originally intended for the show to be the sixth show in the seventh series, but due to political events in Hungary the schedule was disrupted and 'The Sleeping Prince was repositioned in the schedule to be the twentieth episode.

A pre-recording session took place Sunday 4 November 1956, 5pm. at The Camden Theatre, Camden Town, London (DLO 16371 including Knees Up Mother Brown played on piano by Spike Milligan). The recording for transmission (as The President's Protocol) was created later that same Sunday, also at The Camden, at 9pm (TLO 14930).

The originally scheduled Home Service broadcast should have been the following Thursday at 8.30pm 8 November 1956 (it was replaced by a repeat of The Greenslade Story), however the actual first broadcast came about 12 weeks later at 8.30pm on Thursday 14 February 1957, its ratings were 2.3 million.

The show's repeats schedule was also disrupted. The originally scheduled repeat should have been Monday 12 November 1956 at 8pm, however it was again replaced by the repeat of The Greenslade Story. The rescheduled repeat was at 8pm on the Light Programme 18 February 1957 to a listenership of 3.6 million. Then again 35 years later at 11pm on Monday 19 October 1992 on Radio 4 in The Goons.

Transcription Service Synopsis

Ed Hurn, the lively radio reporter, is sent to cover a dangerous assignment in the Republic of Yacabaku, where the newly-elected President, Mr Neddie Tom Dick Harry Seagoon, is to be installed. But all is not well, and there are rumours of a coup. President Seagoon is in danger. How his brilliant stratagem saves the situation – and his life – is revealed in this programme.

Music

• The BBC Radio Orchestra was conducted by Wally Stott
• Max Geldray plays Hoe Down Rag (Roger Edens)
• The Ray Ellington Quartet plays Time Takes Care of Everything (Nat King Cole / Al Fields / Timmie Rogers)

Technical

Originally recorded on TLO 14930 (15 ips ¼" tape recorded at Broadcasting House). This tape still exists, and was used for the version of the show included on The Goon Show Compendium Vol 6.

Note about The President's Protocol

The President's Protocol, the original title of The Sleeping Prince, – an adventure about a Latin American revolution – was recorded on Sunday 4 November, but by the following day the Home Service was already concerned about the programme because of the situation in Hungary where a revolution against the Soviet government had erupted in late October. At the very least, Pat Dixon was informed that the title of the show would have to be changed, and the Corporation would need to listen to the edited programme before deciding if it was suitable for transmission.

Meanwhile the international situation in Hungary forced the Queen to cancel her attendance at the Royal Command Performance – in which Harry was featured – while an extended news bulletin cancelled Spike's Desert Island Discs. It was soon clear that The President's Protocol was entirely inappropriate for broadcast, and so a popular show from the previous series, The Greenslade Story, was substituted. The President's Protocol was retitled to The Sleeping Prince, the unbroadcast episode was shelved until later in the series.