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'''''The Omar Khayyam Show''''' was a 1963 [[w:BBC|BBC]] radio comedy programme, written by [[Spike Milligan]] based on six episodes of his ''[[The Idiot Weekly]]'' made for the [[w:Australian Broadcasting Corporation|Australian Broadcasting Commission]] in 1958–1962.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0075b2t|title = BBC Radio 4 Extra - the Omar Khayyam Show, the Flying Dustman}}</ref> | |||
'''''The Omar Khayyam Show''''' was a 1963 [[BBC]] radio comedy programme, written by [[Spike Milligan]] based on six episodes of his ''[[The Idiot Weekly]]'' made for the [[Australian Broadcasting Corporation|Australian Broadcasting Commission]] in 1958–1962.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0075b2t|title = BBC Radio 4 Extra - the Omar Khayyam Show, the Flying Dustman}}</ref> | |||
The cast was [[Spike Milligan]], [[John Bluthal]], [[Bob Todd]], [[Bill Kerr]] and [[Barry Humphries]] with music by [[George Chisholm (musician)|George Chisholm]] & his Jolly Jazzers. Bluthal had also appeared in two of the three series of ''The Idiot Weekly''. [[Brian Wilde]] appears in episode 1 and [[Tim Gudgin]] in episodes 2–6, whilst in one episode Barry Humphries is heard doing a character voice similar to [[Dame Edna Everage]]'s. <ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b05xwsnj|title = BBC Radio 4 Extra - Barry Humphries: Gladdies All over}}</ref> The producer was [[Charles Chilton]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0075b2t|title = BBC Radio 4 Extra - the Omar Khayyam Show, the Flying Dustman}}</ref> who had also produced some episodes of ''[[The Goon Show]]'', on which ''The Idiot Weekly'' was based. | The cast was [[Spike Milligan]], [[John Bluthal]], [[Bob Todd]], [[Bill Kerr]] and [[w:Barry Humphries|Barry Humphries]] with music by [[George Chisholm (musician)|George Chisholm]] & his Jolly Jazzers. Bluthal had also appeared in two of the three series of ''The Idiot Weekly''. [[Brian Wilde]] appears in episode 1 and [[Tim Gudgin]] in episodes 2–6, whilst in one episode Barry Humphries is heard doing a character voice similar to [[Dame Edna Everage]]'s. <ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b05xwsnj|title = BBC Radio 4 Extra - Barry Humphries: Gladdies All over}}</ref> The producer was [[Charles Chilton]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0075b2t|title = BBC Radio 4 Extra - the Omar Khayyam Show, the Flying Dustman}}</ref> who had also produced some episodes of ''[[The Goon Show]]'', on which ''The Idiot Weekly'' was based. | ||
It was broadcast weekly from 27 December 1963. The episodes were (in broadcast order) ''Ned Kelly'', ''The Ashes'', ''The Prime Minister's Trousers'', ''The Flying Dustmen'', ''The America Cup'' and ''Walzing Matilda''. The scripts had minor changes to remove some references to Australian locations and personalities unfamiliar to British audiences. However, some better known personalities remained, notably [[Donald Bradman|Sir Donald Bradman]]. | It was broadcast weekly from 27 December 1963. The episodes were (in broadcast order) ''Ned Kelly'', ''The Ashes'', ''The Prime Minister's Trousers'', ''The Flying Dustmen'', ''The America Cup'' and ''Walzing Matilda''. The scripts had minor changes to remove some references to Australian locations and personalities unfamiliar to British audiences. However, some better known personalities remained, notably [[w:Donald Bradman|Sir Donald Bradman]]. | ||
{| class="wikitable" | {| class="wikitable" | ||
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| 3 || ''The Prime Minister's Trousers'' || 10 January 1964 || Domestic off-air recordings | | 3 || ''The Prime Minister's Trousers'' || 10 January 1964 || Domestic off-air recordings | ||
|- | |- | ||
| 4 || ''The Flying Dustman'' || 17 January 1964 || Unedited BBC Sound | | 4 || ''The Flying Dustman'' || 17 January 1964 || Unedited [[BBC Sound Archive]] copy | ||
|- | |- | ||
| 5 || ''The America Cup'' || 24 January 1964 || Edited BBC "ring main" recording, and unedited domestic off-air recording | | 5 || ''The America Cup'' || 24 January 1964 || Edited BBC "ring main" recording, and unedited domestic off-air recording | ||
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== Commercial release == | == Commercial release == | ||
The complete series has been released on CD as bonus material on ''The Goon Show Compendium Volume 11'' (2015), comprising the best available recordings as detailed above, compiled into complete episodes and remastered by restoration expert Ted Kendall. | The complete series has been released on CD as bonus material on ''[[The Goon Show Compendiums#Vol11|The Goon Show Compendium Volume 11]]'' (2015), comprising the best available recordings as detailed above, compiled into complete episodes and remastered by restoration expert [[Ted Kendall]]. | ||
==References== | ==References== | ||
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[[Category:BBC Radio comedy programmes]] | [[Category:BBC Radio comedy programmes]] | ||
[[Category:Works by Spike Milligan]] | [[Category:Works by Spike Milligan]] | ||
Latest revision as of 18:58, 10 February 2023
The Omar Khayyam Show was a 1963 BBC radio comedy programme, written by Spike Milligan based on six episodes of his The Idiot Weekly made for the Australian Broadcasting Commission in 1958–1962.[1]
The cast was Spike Milligan, John Bluthal, Bob Todd, Bill Kerr and Barry Humphries with music by George Chisholm & his Jolly Jazzers. Bluthal had also appeared in two of the three series of The Idiot Weekly. Brian Wilde appears in episode 1 and Tim Gudgin in episodes 2–6, whilst in one episode Barry Humphries is heard doing a character voice similar to Dame Edna Everage's. [2] The producer was Charles Chilton[3] who had also produced some episodes of The Goon Show, on which The Idiot Weekly was based.
It was broadcast weekly from 27 December 1963. The episodes were (in broadcast order) Ned Kelly, The Ashes, The Prime Minister's Trousers, The Flying Dustmen, The America Cup and Walzing Matilda. The scripts had minor changes to remove some references to Australian locations and personalities unfamiliar to British audiences. However, some better known personalities remained, notably Sir Donald Bradman.
| Episode | Title | Original broadcast date | Preservation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ned Kelly | 27 December 1963 | Edited BBC "ring main" (internal distribution system) recording, and unedited domestic off-air recording |
| 2 | The Ashes | 3 January 1964 | Domestic off-air recordings |
| 3 | The Prime Minister's Trousers | 10 January 1964 | Domestic off-air recordings |
| 4 | The Flying Dustman | 17 January 1964 | Unedited BBC Sound Archive copy |
| 5 | The America Cup | 24 January 1964 | Edited BBC "ring main" recording, and unedited domestic off-air recording |
| 6 | Waltzing Matilda | 5 May 1964[4] | Domestic off-air recordings |
Commercial release
The complete series has been released on CD as bonus material on The Goon Show Compendium Volume 11 (2015), comprising the best available recordings as detailed above, compiled into complete episodes and remastered by restoration expert Ted Kendall.
