Educating Archie: Difference between revisions

From The Goon Show Depository

No edit summary
No edit summary
 
Line 1: Line 1:
{{Short description|British comedy show}}
{{Short description|British comedy show}}
{{DISPLAYTITLE:''Educating Archie''}}
{{DISPLAYTITLE:''Educating Archie''}}
[[File:Peter Brough and Archie Andrews.jpg|thumb|Peter Brough and his doll Archie Andrews]]
{{Infobox radio show
'''''Educating Archie''''' was a [[BBC Light Programme]] comedy show which was broadcast for nearly ten years between June 1950 and February 1960, mostly at lunchtime on Sundays. The programme featured [[ventriloquist]] [[Peter Brough]] and his doll [[Archie Andrews (puppet)|Archie Andrews]].<ref>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/genome/entries/796be208-0b9a-4111-b249-13d630cb017e The Sunday Post: Ventriloquism.] Andrew Martin, ''BBC Genome Blog'', 20 July 2017. Retrieved 23 July 2017.</ref> The show was very popular, despite its unlikely central premise of a ventriloquist act on radio. ''Educating Archie'' averaged 15 million listeners, and a fan club boasted 250,000 members. It was so successful that in 1950, after only four months on the air, it won the ''[[Daily Mail]]''{{'}}s Variety Award.{{sfnp|Briggs|1979|p=714|ps=}}
| name          = Educating Archie
| image        = Peter Brough and Archie Andrews.jpg
| alt          =
| caption      = Peter Brough and his doll Archie Andrews
| other_names  =
| format        =
| runtime      = 30 mins
| start_time    =
| end_time      =
| runtime_note  =
| country      = United Kingdom
| language      = English
| home_station  = [[w:BBC Light Programme|BBC Light Programme]]
| syndicates    =
| television    = ''Educating Archie''
| presenter    = [[Peter Brough]]<br />[[Archie Andrews (puppet)|Archie Andrews]]
| starring      = [[Peter Brough]]<br />[[Archie Andrews (puppet)|Archie Andrews]]
| announcer    =
| creator      =
| writer        =
| director      =
| producer      =
| exec_producer =
| editor        =
| senior_editor =
| narrated      =
| rec_location  =
| rem_location  =
| oth_location  =
| first_aired  = {{Start date|1950|06|06}}<!--  -->
| last_aired    = 1960<!-- {{End date|YYYY|MM|DD}} -->
| num_series    = 9
| num_episodes  = 232
| audio_format  = [[w:Monaural|Monaural]]
| opentheme    =
| othertheme    =
| endtheme      =
| sponsor      =
| website      = <!-- {{URL|example.com}} -->
| podcast      = <!-- {{URL|example.com}} -->
}}


The programme introduced comedians who later became well known, including [[Tony Hancock]] as Archie's tutor, who would greet Archie with a weary "Oh, it's you again" and always replied to any put-down from him with "flipping kids".  Other "tutors" included [[Benny Hill]], [[Harry Secombe]], [[Dick Emery]], [[Bernard Bresslaw]], [[Hattie Jacques]], and [[Bruce Forsyth]] – together with a young [[Julie Andrews]] as Archie's girlfriend. Later, [[Beryl Reid]] took this role, playing the [[St Trinian's School]]-esque Monica with such [[catchphrase]]s as "jolly hockey sticks" and "as the art mistress said to the gardener". Reid also played young [[Brummie]] girl Marleen, whose catchphrase was "Good evening, each".
'''''Educating Archie''''' was a [[w:BBC Light Programme|BBC Light Programme]] comedy show which was broadcast for nearly ten years between June 1950 and February 1960, mostly at lunchtime on Sundays. The programme featured [[w:ventriloquist|ventriloquist]] [[Peter Brough]] and his doll [[Archie Andrews (puppet)|Archie Andrews]].<ref>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/genome/entries/796be208-0b9a-4111-b249-13d630cb017e The Sunday Post: Ventriloquism.] Andrew Martin, ''BBC Genome Blog'', 20 July 2017. Retrieved 23 July 2017.</ref> The show was very popular, despite its unlikely central premise of a ventriloquist act on radio. ''Educating Archie'' averaged 15 million listeners, and a fan club boasted 250,000 members. It was so successful that in 1950, after only four months on the air, it won the ''[[w:Daily Mail|Daily Mail]]''{{'}}s Variety Award.{{sfnp|Briggs|1979|p=714|ps=}}


[[Max Bygraves]] later played Archie's tutor, with the catchphrases "I've arrived, and to prove it, I'm here" and "That's a good idea&nbsp;... son!". The duo recorded two songs from the show on the [[HMV]] label: "The Dummy Song" and "Lovely Dollar Lolly".
The programme introduced comedians who later became well known, including [[Tony Hancock]] as Archie's tutor, who would greet Archie with a weary "Oh, it's you again" and always replied to any put-down from him with "flipping kids".  Other "tutors" included [[Benny Hill]], [[Harry Secombe]], [[Dick Emery]], [[Bernard Bresslaw]], [[Hattie Jacques]], and [[Bruce Forsyth]] – together with a young [[w:Julie Andrews|Julie Andrews]] as Archie's girlfriend. Later, [[Beryl Reid]] took this role, playing the [[St Trinian's School]]-esque Monica with such [[w:catchphrase|catchphrase]]s as "jolly hockey sticks" and "as the art mistress said to the gardener". Reid also played young [[w:Brummie|Brummie]] girl Marleen, whose catchphrase was "Good evening, each".


''Archie's the Boy'' was a spin-off series that aired from November 1954 to March 1955. The series ran for twenty half-hour episodes broadcast on the [[BBC Light Programme]]. It starred [[Peter Brough]], [[Beryl Reid]], [[Benny Hill]], and [[Graham Stark]].<ref>Lavalie, John. ''Archie's the Boy''. EpGuides. 21 Jul 2005. 29 Jul 2005  <https://web.archive.org/web/20071012001624/http://epguides.com/ArchiestheBoy/%3E.{{broken link|date=January 2022}}</ref>
[[Max Bygraves]] later played Archie's tutor, with the catchphrases "I've arrived, and to prove it, I'm here" and "That's a good idea&nbsp;... son!". The duo recorded two songs from the show on the [[w:HMV|HMV]] label: "The Dummy Song" and "Lovely Dollar Lolly".
 
''Archie's the Boy'' was a spin-off series that aired from November 1954 to March 1955. The series ran for twenty half-hour episodes broadcast on the [[w:BBC Light Programme|BBC Light Programme]]. It starred [[Peter Brough]], [[Beryl Reid]], [[Benny Hill]], and [[Graham Stark]].<ref>Lavalie, John. ''Archie's the Boy''. EpGuides. 21 Jul 2005. 29 Jul 2005  <https://web.archive.org/web/20071012001624/http://epguides.com/ArchiestheBoy/%3E.{{broken link|date=January 2022}}</ref>


== ITV sitcom adaptation ==
== ITV sitcom adaptation ==


In 1958, ''Educating Archie'' was adapted as a television sitcom produced by the [[ITV (TV network)|ITV]] company [[Associated-Rediffusion]] and broadcast under the same name. This version, which was broadcast in 1958–9, featured the ventriloquist's dummy Archie Andrews taking on a life of its own, talking and walking all over its creator [[Peter Brough]], aided and abetted by a housekeeper played by [[Irene Handl]], a non-paying lodger played by [[Freddie Sales]] (later [[Ray Barrett]]), and a jack-of-all-trades played by [[Dick Emery]].
In 1958, ''Educating Archie'' was adapted as a television sitcom produced by the [[w:ITV (TV network)|ITV]] company [[w:Associated-Rediffusion|Associated-Rediffusion]] and broadcast under the same name. This version, which was broadcast in 1958–9, featured the ventriloquist's dummy Archie Andrews taking on a life of its own, talking and walking all over its creator [[Peter Brough]], aided and abetted by a housekeeper played by [[Irene Handl]], a non-paying lodger played by [[Freddie Sales]] (later [[Ray Barrett]]), and a jack-of-all-trades played by [[Dick Emery]].


== References ==
== References ==
Line 20: Line 62:
'''Bibliography'''
'''Bibliography'''
{{refbegin}}
{{refbegin}}
*{{citation |last=Briggs |first=Asa |authorlink = Asa Briggs|title=The history of broadcasting in the United Kingdom, Volume IV: Sound & Vision |year=1979 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=0-19-212967-8}}
*{{citation |last=Briggs |first=Asa |authorlink = w:Asa Briggs|title=The history of broadcasting in the United Kingdom, Volume IV: Sound & Vision |year=1979 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=0-19-212967-8}}
{{refend}}
{{refend}}


Line 26: Line 68:


* {{BBC Online|comedy/guide/articles/e/educatingarchie_1299001017.shtml|''Educating Archie''}}
* {{BBC Online|comedy/guide/articles/e/educatingarchie_1299001017.shtml|''Educating Archie''}}
* {{British Comedy Guide|tv|educating_archie}}.
* {{British Comedy Guide|radio|educating_archie}}.


{{Chesney Wolfe}}
{{Chesney Wolfe}}

Latest revision as of 11:27, 13 December 2022

Educating Archie
Peter Brough and Archie Andrews.jpg
Peter Brough and his doll Archie Andrews
Running time30 mins
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Language(s)English
Home stationBBC Light Programme
TV adaptationsEducating Archie
Hosted byPeter Brough
Archie Andrews
StarringPeter Brough
Archie Andrews
Original releaseJune 6, 1950 (1950-06-06) –
1960
No. of series9
No. of episodes232
Audio formatMonaural

Educating Archie was a BBC Light Programme comedy show which was broadcast for nearly ten years between June 1950 and February 1960, mostly at lunchtime on Sundays. The programme featured ventriloquist Peter Brough and his doll Archie Andrews.[1] The show was very popular, despite its unlikely central premise of a ventriloquist act on radio. Educating Archie averaged 15 million listeners, and a fan club boasted 250,000 members. It was so successful that in 1950, after only four months on the air, it won the Daily Mail's Variety Award.[2]

The programme introduced comedians who later became well known, including Tony Hancock as Archie's tutor, who would greet Archie with a weary "Oh, it's you again" and always replied to any put-down from him with "flipping kids". Other "tutors" included Benny Hill, Harry Secombe, Dick Emery, Bernard Bresslaw, Hattie Jacques, and Bruce Forsyth – together with a young Julie Andrews as Archie's girlfriend. Later, Beryl Reid took this role, playing the St Trinian's School-esque Monica with such catchphrases as "jolly hockey sticks" and "as the art mistress said to the gardener". Reid also played young Brummie girl Marleen, whose catchphrase was "Good evening, each".

Max Bygraves later played Archie's tutor, with the catchphrases "I've arrived, and to prove it, I'm here" and "That's a good idea ... son!". The duo recorded two songs from the show on the HMV label: "The Dummy Song" and "Lovely Dollar Lolly".

Archie's the Boy was a spin-off series that aired from November 1954 to March 1955. The series ran for twenty half-hour episodes broadcast on the BBC Light Programme. It starred Peter Brough, Beryl Reid, Benny Hill, and Graham Stark.[3]

ITV sitcom adaptation

In 1958, Educating Archie was adapted as a television sitcom produced by the ITV company Associated-Rediffusion and broadcast under the same name. This version, which was broadcast in 1958–9, featured the ventriloquist's dummy Archie Andrews taking on a life of its own, talking and walking all over its creator Peter Brough, aided and abetted by a housekeeper played by Irene Handl, a non-paying lodger played by Freddie Sales (later Ray Barrett), and a jack-of-all-trades played by Dick Emery.

References

Notes

  1. ^ The Sunday Post: Ventriloquism. Andrew Martin, BBC Genome Blog, 20 July 2017. Retrieved 23 July 2017.
  2. ^ Briggs (1979), p. 714
  3. ^ Lavalie, John. Archie's the Boy. EpGuides. 21 Jul 2005. 29 Jul 2005 <https://web.archive.org/web/20071012001624/http://epguides.com/ArchiestheBoy/%3E.[dead link]

Bibliography

  • Briggs, Asa (1979), The history of broadcasting in the United Kingdom, Volume IV: Sound & Vision, Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-212967-8

External links

Retrieved from "https://www.thegoonshow.co.uk/wiki/index.php?title=Educating_Archie&oldid=27958"