List of The Goon Show episodes

From The Goon Show Depository

The following is a List of The Goon Show episodes. The Goon Show was a popular and influential British radio comedy series, originally produced by the BBC from 1951 to 1960 and broadcast on the BBC Home Service.

Availability of The Goon Show episodes

Lost episodes

Many of the earliest radio episodes no longer exist. When the first episodes were broadcast, recording technology was still expensive and primitive by later standards. Audio tape was not in general use, and any recordings were made directly on to acetate discs. These could be played back, but tended to wear out quickly and did not survive unless further processed to create a master disc, which was only done for recordings intended for sale. Only one episode from the fourth series was preserved in the BBC Sound Archive (as a tape dub from an acetate disc).

Other episodes from Series 2–4 have survived, sometimes in incomplete form, as off-air recordings of varying quality. Four episodes from Series 4 were released on CD as The Goon Show: Series Four, Part One (2010). A further seven episodes from Series 2–4 are included in The Goon Show Compendium Volume 13 (2017) along with the only surviving fragment of the Series 4 episode "The Giant Bombardon". Volume 14 (2018) includes all of the remaining Series 4 episodes, including those from the 2010 set.

The special episodes "Archie in Goonland" (1954) (a crossover with Educating Archie) and "The Missing Christmas Parcel – Post Early for Christmas" (1955) (a 15-minute insert in Children's Hour) are also believed lost.

Surviving episodes

Commencing with the start of the fifth series (in 1954), BBC Transcription Services began making copies for overseas sales, and even commissioned re-recordings of some key fourth series episodes for the "Vintage Goons" series, which was mainly intended for overseas markets.

The BBC Transcription Services versions were then cut to remove topical and parochial material and anything that might be potentially offensive. Later, BBC Transcription Services releases had further cuts for timing purposes. For many years, these abridged versions were thought to be only surviving copies of many episodes, but since the late-1990s restoration experts such as Ted Kendall have found and restored a considerable amount of missing material.

According to Kendall's sleeve notes to the Goon Show Compendium CD box sets, Transcription Services originally seem to have used the original broadcast tapes as the basis for their versions, making cuts as necessary. The cut material was often spliced onto the end of the reels in case it needed to be restored. When the "Vintage Goons" series began, episodes were recorded by TS at Maida Vale. Since these were performed on the same nights as Series 8 episodes, it made sense for Transcription Services to make their own simultaneous recordings at Maida Vale and it seems that this technique was also used on Series 9 and 10. These were then edited to match the broadcast versions before TS made its own cuts. However, it seems that in some cases the TS versions inadvertently preserve lines slated for deletion, meaning that longer cuts of these episodes can be reassembled.

To date, the BBC has released 30 CD sets of these re-mastered episodes (originally on audio cassette tapes), containing 120 shows, plus an additional CD set comprising The Last Goon Show of All and Goon Again. Another twelve shows had been previously issued by EMI, but for contractual reasons these were all heavily cut to remove musical interludes and other music cues. Until 2015 these were the only commercially available versions of those particular episodes, but three of them are included without the cuts, in their original chronological order, on The Goon Show Compendium Volume 11, indicating that the rights to at least the earliest EMI releases had by then reverted to the BBC. It was later confirmed that Volume 12, released on 3 November 2016, would include all of the remaining "missing" episodes, plus The Last Goon Show of All and bonus features.[1]

The 25th CD set, as well as the first of a new series of Goon Show Compendiums (which contains the first 13 episodes of series 5), were released on 7 April 2008. The Compendiums' bonus material includes notes by Ted Kendall, audio researcher and restorer, on the sources used for the recordings, which include BBC Sound Archive and Transcription Services master tapes and discs, unofficial copies made by engineers or other BBC staff, and even domestic off-air recordings from which a few cut lines were restored.

Broadcasting

Episodes of The Goon Show are still occasionally repeated on BBC Radio 2 or Radio 4 in the United Kingdom. More recently the show has become a regular feature on the digital radio station w:BBC Radio 4 Extra, which features both new material and archives from several decades of BBC comedy and drama.

The ABC Radio National network in Australia has regularly broadcast The Goon Show since the 1960s. For many years, the series was broadcast every Saturday afternoon, just after the midday news bulletin. More recently, it was broadcast twice a week, on Friday mornings and Sunday afternoons. The network took the series off the air in January 2004, but following listener response to the cancellation, broadcasts of the show resumed in the Friday time slot in June. The ABC's broadcasts of the series have made The Goon Show one of the most repeated and longest-running of all radio programmes.

The programme has been broadcast in the United States. NBC broadcast The Goon Show as early as the mid-1950s.[2] Terry Gilliam of the Goon-influenced Monty Python comedy troupe recalled first hearing it broadcast on FM radio in New York City in the 1960s.[3] When Vermont Public Radio signed on the air in 1977 (as a single station which has since evolved into a statewide network), the first programme to air was an episode of The Goon Show.[4] The show was described as a "madcap radio comedy classic".

Episodes

The following list of episodes of The Goon Show includes any "specials" and all episodes made for the BBC Transcription Service unaired domestically at the time (and therefore listed at the date of their recording).

Series overview

Series Number of episodes First episode Final episode Date of season special(s) Ref
1 17 28 May 1951 20 September 1951 16 December 1951 [5]
2 25 22 January 1952 15 July 1952 [6]
3 25 11 November 1952 5 May 1953 3 June 1953 [7]
4 30 2 October 1953 19 April 1954 11 June 1954
31 August 1954 		[8]
5 26 28 September 1954 22 March 1955 [9]
6 27 20 September 1955 3 April 1956 8 December 1955
29 August 1956 		[10]
7 25 4 October 1956 28 March 1957 22 August 1957

[a]

[11]
8 26 30 September 1957 24 March 1958 [12]
Vintage Goons 14 6 October 1957 23 March 1958 [13]
9 17 3 November 1958
[b] 		23 February 1959 [14]
10 6 24 December 1959 28 January 1960 [14]

One-off special shows

Series Number of shows Date of broadcast Date of broadcast Ref
One-off specials 2 5 October 1972 29 May 2001 [15][16]
BBC recording numbers
Code Definition
SLO 331⁄3 rpm coarse groove 16" disk recorded at Broadcasting House
SBU 331⁄3 rpm coarse groove 16" disk recorded at Bush House
SOX 331⁄3 rpm coarse groove 16" disk recorded at 200 Oxford Street
TLO 15 i.p.s. tape recorded at Broadcasting House
TBU 15 i.p.s. tape recorded at Bush House
TNC 15 i.p.s. tape recorded in Newcastle

First series: Crazy People (1951)

Main article: The Goon Show series 1

Cast: Peter Sellers, Harry Secombe, Spike Milligan, Michael Bentine, The Ray Ellington Quartet, The Stargazers, Max Geldray and the BBC Dance Orchestra, conducted by Stanley Black.
Announcer: Andrew Timothy
The shows were all recorded on a Sunday; episodes 1–9 were broadcast on Mondays, 10–17 were broadcast on Thursdays.[17] No episodes are known to survive.

Episode # Title Recording number Original airdate Producer Scriptwriter(s) Notes
1 Show 1 SLO 90268 28 May 1951 Dennis Main Wilson Spike Milligan,
Larry Stephens,
Jimmy Grafton
2 Show 2 SLO 90269 4 June 1951 Dennis Main Wilson Spike Milligan,
Larry Stephens,
Jimmy Grafton
3 Show 3 SLO 90452 11 June 1951 Dennis Main Wilson Spike Milligan,
Larry Stephens,
Jimmy Grafton
4 Show 4 SLO 90366 18 June 1951 Dennis Main Wilson Spike Milligan,
Larry Stephens,
Jimmy Grafton
5 Show 5 SLO 59949 25 June 1951 Dennis Main Wilson Spike Milligan,
Larry Stephens,
Jimmy Grafton
6 Show 6 SLO 91295 2 July 1951 Dennis Main Wilson Spike Milligan,
Larry Stephens,
Jimmy Grafton
7 Show 7 SLO 91565 9 July 1951 Dennis Main Wilson Spike Milligan,
Larry Stephens,
Jimmy Grafton
8 Show 8 SLO 92262 16 July 1951 Dennis Main Wilson Spike Milligan,
Larry Stephens,
Jimmy Grafton 		Denys Drower replaced Andrew Timothy as announcer
9 Show 9 SLO 92468 23 July 1951 Dennis Main Wilson Spike Milligan,
Larry Stephens,
Jimmy Grafton
10 Show 10 SLO 92867 2 August 1951 Dennis Main Wilson Spike Milligan,
Larry Stephens,
Jimmy Grafton 		Denys Drower replaced Andrew Timothy as announcer
11 Show 11 SOX 61088 9 August 1951 Leslie Bridgmont Spike Milligan,
Larry Stephens,
Jimmy Grafton
12 Show 12 SLO 93368 16 August 1951 Leslie Bridgmont Spike Milligan,
Larry Stephens,
Jimmy Grafton
13 Show 13 SOX 61088 23 August 1951 Leslie Bridgmont Spike Milligan,
Larry Stephens,
Jimmy Grafton
14 Show 14 SLO 93400 30 August 1951 Leslie Bridgmont Spike Milligan,
Larry Stephens,
Jimmy Grafton
15 Show 15 SBU 71149 6 September 1951 Dennis Main Wilson Spike Milligan,
Larry Stephens,
Jimmy Grafton
16 Show 16 SLO 94892 13 September 1951 Dennis Main Wilson Spike Milligan,
Larry Stephens,
Jimmy Grafton
17 Show 17 SLO 95143 20 September 1951 Dennis Main Wilson Spike Milligan,
Larry Stephens,
Jimmy Grafton
Special "Cinderella" SLO 99928 26 December 1951 Dennis Main Wilson Spike Milligan,
Larry Stephens,
Jimmy Grafton 		Lizbeth Webb was Cinderella; Graham Stark was Prince Charming

Second series (1952)

Main article: The Goon Show series 2

Cast: Peter Sellers, Harry Secombe, Spike Milligan, Michael Bentine, The Ray Ellington Quartet, Max Geldray and the BBC Dance Orchestra, conducted by Stanley Black. The Stargazers were present for the first six shows only.
Announcer: Andrew Timothy
The shows were all recorded on a Sunday, except episodes 24 and 25; all episodes were broadcast on Tuesdays.[17] Only three episodes are known to survive as truncated, off-air recordings.

Episode # Title Recording number Original airdate Producer Scriptwriter(s) Notes
1 'Adventures of Handsome Harry Secombe' SLO 1768 22 January 1952 Dennis Main Wilson Spike Milligan,
Larry Stephens,
Jimmy Grafton 		Released on The Goon Show Compendium Vol.13
2 'Story of the Trans Siberian Express' SLO 2147 29 January 1952 Dennis Main Wilson Spike Milligan,
Larry Stephens,
Jimmy Grafton
3 'Captain Pureheart Builds the Crystal Palace' SLO 2519 5 February 1952 Dennis Main Wilson Spike Milligan,
Larry Stephens,
Jimmy Grafton 		Released on The Goon Show Compendium Vol.13
4 Show 21 SLO 2519 19 February 1952 Dennis Main Wilson Spike Milligan,
Larry Stephens,
Jimmy Grafton
5 Show 22 SLO 3334 26 February 1952 Dennis Main Wilson Spike Milligan,
Larry Stephens,
Jimmy Grafton
6 Show 23 SLO 3627 4 March 1952 Dennis Main Wilson Spike Milligan,
Larry Stephens,
Jimmy Grafton
7 Show 24 SLO 4179 11 March 1952 Dennis Main Wilson Spike Milligan,
Larry Stephens,
Jimmy Grafton
8 Show 25 SLO 5112 18 March 1952 Dennis Main Wilson Spike Milligan,
Larry Stephens,
Jimmy Grafton
9 Show 26 SLO 5277 25 March 1952 Dennis Main Wilson Spike Milligan,
Larry Stephens,
Jimmy Grafton
10 Show 27 SLO 5380 1 April 1952 Dennis Main Wilson Spike Milligan,
Larry Stephens,
Jimmy Grafton
11 Show 28 SLO 5684 8 April 1952 Dennis Main Wilson Spike Milligan,
Larry Stephens,
Jimmy Grafton 		Recorded without Milligan
12 Show 29 SLO 6306 15 April 1952 Dennis Main Wilson Spike Milligan,
Larry Stephens,
Jimmy Grafton
13 Show 30 SLO 6737 22 April 1952 Dennis Main Wilson Spike Milligan,
Larry Stephens,
Jimmy Grafton
14 Show 31 SLO 6959 29 April 1952 Dennis Main Wilson Spike Milligan,
Larry Stephens,
Jimmy Grafton
15 Show 32 SBU 83555 6 May 1952 Dennis Main Wilson Spike Milligan,
Larry Stephens,
Jimmy Grafton
16 Show 33 SLO 7761 13 May 1952 Dennis Main Wilson Spike Milligan,
Larry Stephens,
Jimmy Grafton
17 Show 34 SLO 8202 20 May 1952 Dennis Main Wilson Spike Milligan,
Larry Stephens,
Jimmy Grafton
18 Show 35 SLO 8179 27 May 1952 Dennis Main Wilson Spike Milligan,
Larry Stephens,
Jimmy Grafton
19 Show 36 SLO 9302 3 June 1952 Dennis Main Wilson Spike Milligan,
Larry Stephens,
Jimmy Grafton 		Also included the BBC Revue Orchestra, conducted by Robert Busby
20 Show 37 SLO 9307 10 June 1952 Dennis Main Wilson Spike Milligan,
Larry Stephens,
Jimmy Grafton 		Also included the BBC Revue Orchestra, conducted by Wally Stott
21 Show 38 SLO 9638 17 June 1952 Dennis Main Wilson Spike Milligan,
Larry Stephens,
Jimmy Grafton 		Recorded without Bentine
22 Show 39 SLO 9955 24 June 1952 Dennis Main Wilson Spike Milligan,
Larry Stephens,
Jimmy Grafton
23 Show 40 SLO 10474 1 July 1952 Dennis Main Wilson Spike Milligan,
Larry Stephens,
Jimmy Grafton
24 Show 41 SLO 11378 8 July 1952 Dennis Main Wilson Spike Milligan,
Larry Stephens,
Jimmy Grafton
25 Story of the Green Eyed Little Yellow God SLO 10808 15 July 1952 Dennis Main Wilson Spike Milligan,
Larry Stephens,
Jimmy Grafton 		Released on The Goon Show Compendium Vol.13

Third series (1952–53)

Main article: The Goon Show series 3

Cast: Peter Sellers, Harry Secombe, Spike Milligan, with Max Geldray and The Ray Ellington Quartet, conducted by Wally Stott.
Announcer: Andrew Timothy
The shows were all broadcast on Tuesdays, with the exception of episode 7, a Christmas special.[7] Only one excerpt and one full episode are known to survive.

Episode # Title Recording number Original airdate Producer Scriptwriter(s) Notes
1 "Fred of the Islands" SLO 17297 11 November 1952 Peter Eton Spike Milligan,
Larry Stephens,
Jimmy Grafton
2 "The Egg of the Great Auk" SOX 82948 18 November 1952 Peter Eton Spike Milligan,
Larry Stephens,
Jimmy Grafton
3 "I Was a Male Fan Dancer" SLO 18332 25 November 1952 Peter Eton Spike Milligan,
Larry Stephens,
Jimmy Grafton
4 "The Saga of HMS Aldgate" SLO 18613 2 December 1952 Peter Eton Spike Milligan,
Larry Stephens,
Jimmy Grafton
5 "The Expedition for Toothpaste" SLO 18848 9 December 1952 Peter Eton Larry Stephens,
Jimmy Grafton 		Recorded without Milligan
6 "The Archers" SLO 19414 16 December 1952 Peter Eton Larry Stephens,
Jimmy Grafton 		Recorded without Milligan
7 "Robin Hood" SLO 19526 26 December 1952 Peter Eton Jimmy Grafton Christmas pantomime: running time: 45 minutes
Recorded without Milligan,
with Dick Emery
and Carole Carr
8 "Where Does Santa Claus Go in the Summer?" SLO 19783 30 December 1952 Peter Eton Larry Stephens,
Jimmy Grafton 		Recorded without Milligan,
with Ellis Powell
9 "The Navy, Army and Air Force" SLO 20695 6 January 1953 Peter Eton Larry Stephens,
Jimmy Grafton 		Recorded without Milligan,
with Dick Emery
10 "The British Way of Life" SLO 20695 13 January 1953 Peter Eton Larry Stephens,
Jimmy Grafton 		Recorded without Milligan,
with Graham Stark
11 "A Survey of Britain" SLO 20948 20 January 1953 Peter Eton Larry Stephens,
Jimmy Grafton 		Recorded without Milligan,
with Dick Emery
12 "Flint of the Flying Squad" SLO 21647 27 January 1953 Peter Eton Larry Stephens,
Jimmy Grafton 		Recorded without Milligan,
with Graham Stark
13 "Seaside Resorts in Winter" SOX 86757 3 February 1953 Peter Eton Larry Stephens,
Jimmy Grafton 		Recorded without Milligan,
with Dick Emery
14 "The Tragedy of Oxley Towers" SLO 22493 10 February 1953 Peter Eton Larry Stephens,
Jimmy Grafton 		Recorded without Milligan,
with Graham Stark
and Valentine Dyall
15 "The Story of Civilization" SLO 22860 17 February 1953 Peter Eton Larry Stephens,
Jimmy Grafton 		Recorded without Milligan,
with Dick Emery
16 "The Search for the Bearded Vulture" SLO 22973 24 February 1953 Peter Eton Larry Stephens,
Jimmy Grafton 		Recorded without Milligan,
with Graham Stark.
Excerpt released on The Goon Show Compendium Vol.13
17 "The Mystery of the Monkey's Paw" SLO 23540 3 March 1953 Peter Eton Spike Milligan,
Larry Stephens,
Jimmy Grafton 		Milligan returned,
with Dick Emery.
Released on The Goon Show Compendium Vol.13
18 "The Mystery of the Cow on the Hill" SLO24224 10 March 1953 Charles Chilton Spike Milligan,
Larry Stephens,
Jimmy Grafton
19 "Where Do Socks Come From?" SLO 24432 17 March 1953 Charles Chilton Spike Milligan,
Larry Stephens,
Jimmy Grafton
20 "The Man Who Never Was" SLO 24764 31 March 1953 Peter Eton Spike Milligan,
Larry Stephens,
Jimmy Grafton
21 "The Building of a Suez Canal" SLO 25520 7 April 1953 Peter Eton Spike Milligan,
Larry Stephens,
Jimmy Grafton
22 "The De Goonlies" SLO 25873 14 April 1953 Peter Eton Spike Milligan,
Larry Stephens,
Jimmy Grafton
23 "The Conquest of Space" SLO 26517 21 April 1953 Peter Eton Spike Milligan,
Larry Stephens,
Jimmy Grafton
24 "The Ascent of Mount Everest" SLO 26797 28 April 1953 Peter Eton Spike Milligan,
Larry Stephens,
Jimmy Grafton
25 "The Story of the Plymouth Hoe Armada" SLO 27952 5 May 1953 Peter Eton Spike Milligan,
Larry Stephens,
Jimmy Grafton
Special "Coronation Edition" SLO 29390 3 June 1953 Peter Eton Spike Milligan,
Larry Stephens,
Jimmy Grafton 		Running time: 40 minutes.
Without Geldray;
with Graham Stark

Fourth series (1953–54)

Main article: The Goon Show series 4

Cast: Peter Sellers, Harry Secombe, Spike Milligan, with Max Geldray and The Ray Ellington Quartet, conducted by Wally Stott.
Announcers: Andrew Timothy (Episodes 1–5) and Wallace Greenslade (Episodes 6–30, plus specials)
Episodes 1–20 were broadcast on Fridays; episodes 21–30 on Mondays.[18]

Episode # Title Recording number Original airdate Producer Scriptwriter(s) Notes Comp. Vol CD Vol
1 "The Dreaded Piano Clubber" TLO 35079 2 October 1953 Peter Eton Spike Milligan,
Larry Stephens 		— —
2 The Man Who Tried to Destroy London's Monuments TLO 35432 9 October 1953 Peter Eton Spike Milligan,
Larry Stephens 		13 —
3 The Ghastly Experiments of Dr Hans Eidelburger TLO 35740 16 October 1953 Peter Eton Spike Milligan,
Larry Stephens 		13 —
4 The Building of Britain's First Atomic Cannon TLO 36235 23 October 1953 Peter Eton Spike Milligan,
Larry Stephens 		— —
5 The Gibraltar Story TLO 37145 30 October 1953 Peter Eton Spike Milligan,
Larry Stephens 		— —
6 "Through the Sound Barrier in an Airing Cupboard" TLO 37511 6 November 1953 Peter Eton Spike Milligan,
Larry Stephens 		— —
7 The First Albert Memorial to the Moon TLO 37898 13 November 1953 Peter Eton Spike Milligan,
Larry Stephens 		— —
8 The Missing Bureaucrat TLO 38482 20 November 1953 Peter Eton Spike Milligan,
Larry Stephens 		— —
9 Operation Bagpipes TLO 37891 27 November 1953 Peter Eton Spike Milligan,
Larry Stephens 		— —
10 The Flying Saucer Mystery TLO 39091 4 December 1953 Peter Eton Larry Stephens — —
11 The Spanish Armada TLO 39790 11 December 1953 Peter Eton Spike Milligan,
Larry Stephens 		— —
12 The British Way TLO 40412 18 December 1953 Peter Eton Spike Milligan,
Larry Stephens 		— —
Special Short insert in: "Christmas Crackers" TLO 40660 25 December 1953 Peter Eton Spike Milligan,
Larry Stephens 		— —
13 The Giant Bombardon TLO 40660 26 December 1953 Peter Eton Spike Milligan,
Larry Stephens 		with Michael Bentine. 13
An extract 		—
14 Ten Thousand Fathoms Down in a Wardrobe TLO 40965 1 January 1954 Peter Eton Spike Milligan,
Larry Stephens 		— —
15 The Missing Prime Minister TLO 41242 8 January 1954 Peter Eton Spike Milligan,
Larry Stephens 		13 —
16 "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Crun" TLO 41552 15 January 1954 Peter Eton Spike Milligan,
Larry Stephens 		— —
17 The Mummified Priest TLO 42416 22 January 1954 Peter Eton Spike Milligan,
Larry Stephens 		— —
18 The History of Communications TLO 42842 29 January 1954 Peter Eton Spike Milligan,
Larry Stephens 		14 —
19 The Kippered Herring Gang TLO 48011 5 February 1954 Peter Eton Spike Milligan,
Larry Stephens 		14 —
20 The Toothpaste Expedition TLO 49072 12 February 1954 Peter Eton Spike Milligan,
Larry Stephens 		14 —
21 The Case of the Vanishing Room TLO 49191 15 February 1954 Peter Eton Spike Milligan 14 —
22 The Great Ink Drought of 1902 TLO 49628 22 February 1954 Peter Eton Spike Milligan — —
23 The Greatest Mountain in the World TLO 50206 1 March 1954 Peter Eton Spike Milligan 14 8
24 The Collapse of the British Railways Sandwich System TLO 50546 8 March 1954 Peter Eton Spike Milligan 14 23
25 The Silent Bugler TLO 50871 15 March 1954 Peter Eton Spike Milligan 14 —
26 Western Story TLO 51429 22 March 1954 Peter Eton Spike Milligan 14 —
27 The Saga of the Internal Mountain TLO 51769 29 March 1954 Peter Eton Spike Milligan 14 25
28 The Invisible Acrobat TLO 52346 5 April 1954 Peter Eton Spike Milligan — —
29 The Great Bank of England Robbery TLO 52585 12 April 1954 Peter Eton Spike Milligan 14 26
30 The Siege of Fort Knight TLO 52599 19 April 1954 Peter Eton Spike Milligan — —
Special "Archie in Goonland" TLO 55169 11 June 1954 Roy Speer Eric Sykes,
Spike Milligan 		with Peter Brough and Archie Andrews, Hattie Jacques and the BBC Variety Orchestra — —
Special The Starlings TNC 408 31 August 1954 Peter Eton Spike Milligan Recorded with no musicians, orchestra or audience. 14 31

Fifth series (1954–55)

Main article: The Goon Show series 5

Cast: Peter Sellers, Harry Secombe, Spike Milligan, with Max Geldray and The Ray Ellington Quartet, conducted by Wally Stott.
Announcer: Wallace Greenslade
The shows were all broadcast on Tuesdays.[9] All episodes from this and subsequent series survive.

Episode # Title Original airdate Producer Scriptwriter(s) Notes Comp.
Vol 		CD
Vol
1 The Whistling Spy Enigma 28 September 1954 Peter Eton Spike Milligan This script was later reused in a 1966 television episode of Secombe & Friends. 1 31
2 The Lost Gold Mine (of Charlotte) 5 October 1954 Peter Eton Spike Milligan 1 23
3 The Dreaded Batter Pudding Hurler (of Bexhill-on-Sea) 12 October 1954 Peter Eton Spike Milligan 1 1
4 The Phantom Head Shaver (of Brighton) 19 October 1954 Peter Eton Spike Milligan 1 12
5 The Affair of the Lone Banana 26 October 1954 Peter Eton Spike Milligan 1 7
6 The Canal 2 November 1954 Peter Eton Spike Milligan with Valentine Dyall 1 23
7 Lurgi Strikes Britain 9 November 1954 Peter Eton Eric Sykes,
Spike Milligan 		1 2
8 The Mystery of the Marie Celeste (solved) 16 November 1954 Peter Eton Eric Sykes,
Spike Milligan 		13 8
9 The Last Tram (from Clapham) 23 November 1954 Peter Eton Eric Sykes,
Spike Milligan 		1 8
10 The Booted Gorilla (found?) 30 November 1954 Peter Eton Spike Milligan,
Eric Sykes 		Features Peter Sellers (as Dennis Bloodnok) singing Any Old Iron, a song Sellers recorded in 1957 as "Willium Mate", another voice he used in the series. 1 22
11 The Spanish Suitcase 7 December 1954 Peter Eton Eric Sykes,
Spike Milligan 		1 8
12 Dishonoured
(a.k.a. The Fall of Neddie Seagoon) 		14 December 1954 Peter Eton Spike Milligan,
Eric Sykes 		1 30
13 Forog 21 December 1954 Peter Eton Eric Sykes,
Spike Milligan 		1 31
14 Ye Bandit of Sherwood Forest 28 December 1954 Peter Eton Spike Milligan,
Eric Sykes 		A Christmas episode. Featuring Charlotte Mitchell. Several jokes appear to have been reused in the later Christmas episode 'Robin Hood' 2 32
15 1985 4 January 1955 Peter Eton Spike Milligan,
Eric Sykes 		2 —
16 The Case of the Missing Heir 11 January 1955 Peter Eton Eric Sykes,
Spike Milligan 		2 24
17 China Story 18 January 1955 Peter Eton Spike Milligan,
Eric Sykes 		— —
18 Under Two Floorboards 25 January 1955 Peter Eton Eric Sykes,
Spike Milligan 		2 9
19 The Missing Scroll 1 February 1955 Peter Eton Spike Milligan,
Eric Sykes 		2 31
20 1985 8 February 1955 Peter Eton Spike Milligan,
Eric Sykes 		Remade edition, with John Snagge (pre-recorded) 2 5 / 31
21 The Sinking of Westminster Pier 15 February 1955 Peter Eton Spike Milligan,
Eric Sykes 		2 9
22 The Fireball of Milton Street 22 February 1955 Peter Eton Spike Milligan,
Eric Sykes 		2 25
23 The Six Ingots of Leadenhall Street 1 March 1955 Peter Eton Eric Sykes,
Spike Milligan 		2 32
24 Yehti 8 March 1955 Peter Eton Eric Sykes,
Spike Milligan 		2 9
25 The White Box of Great Bardfield 15 March 1955 Peter Eton Spike Milligan,
Eric Sykes 		2 10
26 The End
(a.k.a. Confessions of a Secret Senna Pod Drinker) 		22 March 1955 Peter Eton Eric Sykes,
Spike Milligan 		2 25

Sixth series (1955–56)

Main article: The Goon Show series 6

Cast: Peter Sellers, Harry Secombe, Spike Milligan, with Max Geldray and The Ray Ellington Quartet, conducted by Wally Stott.
Announcer: Wallace Greenslade
The shows were all broadcast on Tuesdays.[10]

Episode # Title Original airdate Producer Scriptwriter(s) Notes Comp.
Vol 		CD
Vol
1 The Man Who Won the War
(a.k.a. Seagoon MCC) 		20 September 1955 Peter Eton Spike Milligan, Eric Sykes 3 31
2 The Secret Escritoire 27 September 1955 Peter Eton Spike Milligan, Eric Sykes 3 24
3 The Lost Emperor 4 October 1955 Peter Eton Spike Milligan 3 12
4 Napoleon's Piano 11 October 1955 Peter Eton Spike Milligan 3 2
5 The Case of the Missing CD Plates 18 October 1955 Peter Eton Spike Milligan 3 4
6 Rommel's Treasure 25 October 1955 Peter Eton Spike Milligan 3 6
7 Foiled by President Fred 1 November 1955 Peter Eton Spike Milligan 12 33
8 Shangri-La Again 8 November 1955 Peter Eton Spike Milligan 3 19
9 The International Christmas Pudding 15 November 1955 Peter Eton Spike Milligan 3 2
10 The Pevensey Bay Disaster (22 November 1955) Peter Eton Spike Milligan [c]; postponed because of train derailment at Milton; "China Story" repeated instead[19]}} 3 19
11 The Sale of Manhattan (a.k.a. The Lost Colony) 29 November 1955 Peter Eton Spike Milligan 3 22
12 The Terrible Revenge of Fred Fu-Manchu 6 December 1955 Peter Eton Spike Milligan 3 25
Sp. The Missing Christmas Parcel – Post Early for Christmas 8 December 1955 Peter Eton, John Lane Eric Sykes — —
13 The Lost Year 13 December 1955 Peter Eton Spike Milligan 3 26
14 The Greenslade Story 20 December 1955 Peter Eton Spike Milligan with John Snagge 3 3
15 The Hastings Flyer — Robbed 27 December 1955 Peter Eton Spike Milligan 4 30
16 The Mighty Wurlitzer 3 January 1956 Peter Eton Spike Milligan 4 15
17 The Raid of the International Christmas Pudding 10 January 1956 Peter Eton Spike Milligan 4 —
18 Tales of Montmartre 17 January 1956 Peter Eton Spike Milligan, Eric Sykes with Charlotte Mitchell 4 10
19 The Jet-Propelled Guided NAAFI 24 January 1956 Peter Eton Spike Milligan 4 1
20 The House of Teeth 31 January 1956}} Peter Eton Spike Milligan with Valentine Dyall 4 23
21 Tales of Old Dartmoor 7 February 1956 Peter Eton Spike Milligan 12 34
22 The Choking Horror 14 February 1956 Pat Dixon Spike Milligan, Larry Stephens 4 22
23 The Great Tuscan Salami Scandal 21 February 1956 Pat Dixon Spike Milligan with John Snagge (pre-recorded) 4 7
24 The Treasure in the Lake 28 February 1956 Pat Dixon Spike Milligan 4 3
Sp. The Goons Hit Wales 1 March 1956 Unknown Spike Milligan 4 —
25 The Fear of Wages 6 March 1956 Pat Dixon Spike Milligan, Larry Stephens 4 20
26 Scradje 13 March 1956 Pat Dixon Spike Milligan, Larry Stephens with John Snagge (pre-recorded) 4 7
27 The Man Who Never Was 20 March 1956 Pat Dixon Spike Milligan, Larry Stephens 4 4
10 The Pevensey Bay Disaster 3 April 1956 Peter Eton Spike Milligan [d][19]}} 4 19
Sp. China Story 29 August 1956 Dennis Main Wilson Spike Milligan, Eric Sykes Remake 4 30

Seventh series (1956–57)

Main article: The Goon Show series 7

Cast: Peter Sellers, Harry Secombe, Spike Milligan, with Max Geldray and The Ray Ellington Quartet, conducted by Wally Stott.
Announcer: Wallace Greenslade
The shows were all broadcast on Tuesdays, except episodes 10 and 13, which were on Wednesdays.[20]

Episode # Title Original airdate Producer Scriptwriter(s) Notes Comp.
Vol 		CD
Vol
1 The Nasty Affair at the Burami Oasis 4 October 1956 Peter Eton Spike Milligan
Larry Stephens 		5 4
2 Drums Along the Mersey 11 October 1956 Peter Eton Spike Milligan with Valentine Dyall 5 12
3 The Nadger Plague 18 October 1956 Pat Dixon Spike Milligan
Larry Stephens 		5 20
4 The MacReekie Rising of '74 25 October 1956 Pat Dixon Spike Milligan
Larry Stephens 		Recorded without Milligan,
with George Chisholm 		12 —
5 The Spectre of Tintagel 1 November 1956 Pat Dixon Spike Milligan
Larry Stephens 		with Valentine Dyall 5 19
6 The Sleeping Prince 14 February 1957 Pat Dixon Spike Milligan
Larry Stephens 		5 34
7 The Great Bank Robbery 15 November 1956 Pat Dixon Spike Milligan
Larry Stephens 		5 10
8 Personal Narrative 22 November 1956 Pat Dixon Spike Milligan
Larry Stephens 		5 33
9 The Mystery of the Fake Neddie Seagoons 29 November 1956 Pat Dixon Spike Milligan
Larry Stephens 		5 10
Sp. Robin Hood (and His Mirry Mon)" Recorded
2 December 1956
Broadcast
25 December 1988[21] 		Pat Dixon Spike Milligan
Larry Stephens 		A Christmas episode. Featuring Valentine Dyall and Dennis Price. Also features many repeat jokes from 1954's 'Ye Bandit of Sherwood Forest', also a Christmas episode. 12 34
10 What's My Line? 5 December 1956 Pat Dixon Spike Milligan
Larry Stephens 		5 —
11 The Telephone 13 December 1956 Pat Dixon Spike Milligan
Larry Stephens 		5 —
12 The Flea 20 December 1956 Pat Dixon Spike Milligan
Larry Stephens 		5 2
Sp. Operation Christmas Duff 24 December 1956 Pat Dixon Spike Milligan
Larry Stephens 		5 15
13 Six Charlies in Search of an Author 26 December 1956 Pat Dixon Spike Milligan
Larry Stephens 		12 —
14 Emperor of the Universe 3 January 1957 Pat Dixon Spike Milligan
Larry Stephens 		3 —
15 Wings Over Dagenham 10 January 1957 Pat Dixon Spike Milligan
Larry Stephens 		with George Chisholm 6 03
16 The Rent Collectors 17 January 1957 Pat Dixon Spike Milligan
Larry Stephens 		with Bernard Miles 6 3
17 Shifting Sands 24 January 1957 Pat Dixon Spike Milligan
Larry Stephens 		with Jack Train 6 5
18 The Moon Show 31 January 1957 Pat Dixon Spike Milligan
Larry Stephens 		6 34
19 The Mysterious Punch-up-the-Conker 7 February 1957 Pat Dixon Spike Milligan
Larry Stephens 		6 9
20 Round the World in Eighty Days 21 February 1957 Pat Dixon Spike Milligan
Larry Stephens 		6 33
21 Insurance, the White Man's Burden 28 February 1957 Pat Dixon Spike Milligan
Larry Stephens 		— —
22 The Africa Ship Canal 7 March 1957 Pat Dixon Spike Milligan
Larry Stephens 		8 —
23 Ill Met by Goonlight 14 March 1957 Pat Dixon Spike Milligan 6 6
24 The Missing Boa Constrictor 21 March 1957 Pat Dixon Spike Milligan
Larry Stephens 		6 33
25 The Histories of Pliny the Elder 28 March 1957 Pat Dixon Spike Milligan
Larry Stephens 		6 1
Sp. The Reason Why 22 August 1957 Jacques Brown Spike Milligan with Valentine Dyall 6 17

Eighth series (1957–58)

Main article: The Goon Show series 8

Cast: Peter Sellers, Harry Secombe, Spike Milligan, with Max Geldray and The Ray Ellington Quartet, conducted by Wally Stott.
Announcer: Wallace Greenslade
The shows were all broadcast on Mondays.[12]

Episode # Title Original airdate Producer Scriptwriter(s) Notes Comp.
Vol 		CD
Vol
1 Spon 30 September 1957 Charles Chilton Spike Milligan Recorded without Secombe, with Dick Emery 7 1
2 The Junk Affair 7 October 1957 Charles Chilton Spike Milligan, Larry Stephens 7 21
3 The Burning Embassy 14 October 1957 Charles Chilton Spike Milligan, Larry Stephens 7 21
4 The Great Regent's Park Swim 21 October 1957 Charles Chilton Spike Milligan, Larry Stephens 7 28
5 The Treasure in the Tower 28 October 1957 Charles Chilton Spike Milligan, Larry Stephens 7 17
6 The Space Age 4 November 1957 Roy Speer Spike Milligan, Larry Stephens 7 28
7 The Red Fort 11 November 1957 Roy Speer Spike Milligan, Larry Stephens 12 —
8 The Missing Battleship 18 November 1957 Roy Speer Spike Milligan, Larry Stephens Geldray edited from broadcast[22] 7 21
9 The Policy 25 November 1957 Roy Speer Spike Milligan, Larry Stephens 7 28
10 King Solomon's Mines 2 December 1957 Roy Speer Spike Milligan, Larry Stephens 7 13
11 The Stolen Postman 9 December 1957 Roy Speer Larry Stephens 7 28
12 The Great British Revolution 16 December 1957 Roy Speer Spike Milligan, Larry Stephens Features Peter Sellers portraying Prime Minister Harold MacMillan in the style of Laurence Olivier as Richard III. 7 20
13 The Plasticine Man 23 December 1957 Roy Speer Spike Milligan, Larry Stephens Ellington edited from some broadcast versions[22] 7 17
14 African Incident 30 December 1957 Roy Speer Spike Milligan, Larry Stephens with Cécile Chevreau 7 18
15 The Thing on the Mountain 6 January 1958 Tom Ronald Larry Stephens, Maurice Wiltshire 7 29
16 The String Robberies 13 January 1958 Tom Ronald Spike Milligan with George Chisholm 8 11
17 The Moriarty Murder Mystery 20 January 1958 Charles Chilton Larry Stephens, Maurice Wiltshire 8 13
18 The Curse of Frankenstein 27 January 1958 Charles Chilton Spike Milligan Ellington edited from broadcast,[23] with George Chisholm 8 16
19 The White Neddie Trade 3 February 1958 Charles Chilton Larry Stephens, Maurice Wiltshire 8 11
20 Ten Snowballs that Shook the World 10 February 1958 Charles Chilton Spike Milligan 8 21
21 The Man Who Never Was (remake) 17 February 1958 Charles Chilton Spike Milligan, Larry Stephens 8 4
22 World War One (aka !)" 24 February 1958 Charles Chilton Spike Milligan 8 4
23 The Spon Plague 3 March 1958 Charles Chilton John Antrobus, Spike Milligan with George Chisholm 8 11
24 Tiddleywinks 10 March 1958 Charles Chilton Spike Milligan with John Snagge 8 18
25 The Evils of Bushey Spon 17 March 1958 Charles Chilton Spike Milligan with A. E. Matthews 8 1
26 The Great Statue Debate 24 March 1958 Charles Chilton Spike Milligan, John Antrobus 8 29

Vintage Goons series (1957–58)

Main article: Vintage Goons

Cast: Peter Sellers, Harry Secombe, Spike Milligan, with Max Geldray and The Ray Ellington Quartet, conducted by Wally Stott.
Announcer: Wallace Greenslade

The following episodes were specially recorded for overseas stations only during the Eighth Series and were re-recordings of earlier episodes. Six of these episodes were broadcast prior to the commencement of the Ninth series, which is why the Ninth series was shorter. However, many of these episodes were not broadcast in the United Kingdom until the 1980s or 1990s. So for contextual purposes, the recording dates are listed alongside the original airdates in the United Kingdom.[13][24]

Episode # Title Recording
date 		Original air
date 		Producer Scriptwriter(s) Notes Comp.
Vol 		CD
Vol
1 The Mummified Priest 6 October 1957 22 September 1958 Charles Chilton Spike Milligan 9 12
2 The Greatest Mountain in the World 20 October 1957 29 September 1958 Charles Chilton Spike Milligan 9 27
3 The Missing Ten Downing Street 3 November 1957 N/A Roy Speer Spike Milligan, Larry Stephens Never broadcast in the UK 12 —
4 The Giant Bombardon 17 November 1957 6 October 1958 Roy Speer Spike Milligan with Valentine Dyall 9 18
5 The Kippered Herring Gang 1 December 1957 9 April 1994 Roy Speer Spike Milligan 9 27
6 The Vanishing Room 15 December 1957 13 October 1958 Roy Speer Spike Milligan 9 13
7 The Ink Shortage 29 December 1957 8 December 2008 Roy Speer Spike Milligan 9 22
8 The Mustard and Cress Shortage 12 January 1958 17 September 1994 Tom Ronald Spike Milligan 9 29
9 The Internal Mountain 16 February 1958 28 December 1986 Charles Chilton Spike Milligan 9 —
10 The Silent Bugler 23 February 1958 29 December 1986 Charles Chilton Spike Milligan 9 17
11 The Great Bank of England Robbery 2 March 1958 20 October 1958 Charles Chilton Spike Milligan 9 26
12 The Dreaded Piano Clubber 23 March 1958 26 December 1986 Charles Chilton Spike Milligan [e][24] 9 24
13 The Siege of Fort Night 16 March 1958 27 December 1986 Charles Chilton Spike Milligan 9 26
14 The Albert Memorial 9 March 1958 27 October 1958 Charles Chilton Spike Milligan [e] 9 27

Ninth series (1958–59)

Main article: The Goon Show series 9

Cast: Peter Sellers, Harry Secombe, Spike Milligan, with Max Geldray and The Ray Ellington Quartet, conducted by Wally Stott.
Announcer: Wallace Greenslade
The shows were all broadcast on Mondays, except episode 12, which was on a Tuesday.[14]

Episode # Title Original airdate Producer Scriptwriter(s) Notes Comp.
Vol 		CD
Vol
1 The Sahara Desert Statue 3 November 1958 John Browell Spike Milligan 10 20
2 I Was Monty's Treble 10 November 1958 John Browell Spike Milligan 10 6
3 The ₤1,000,000 Penny 17 November 1958 John Browell Spike Milligan 10 13
4 The Pam's Paper Insurance Policy 24 November 1958 John Browell Spike Milligan 10 24
5 The Mountain Eaters 1 December 1958 John Browell Spike Milligan 10 11
6 The Childe Harolde Rewarde 8 December 1958 John Browell Spike Milligan 10 14
7 The Seagoon Memoirs 15 December 1958 John Browell
 Larry Stephens,
Maurice Wiltshire 		10 6
8 Queen Anne's Rain 22 December 1958 John Browell Spike Milligan 10 14
9 The Battle of Spion Kop 29 December 1958 John Browell Spike Milligan 10 14
10 Ned's Atomic Dustbin 5 January 1959 John Browell Spike Milligan with John Snagge
(pre-recorded) 		10 19
11 Who is Pink Oboe? 12 January 1959 John Browell Spike Milligan Recorded without Sellers, with
Kenneth Connor,
Valentine Dyall,
Graham Stark,
Jack Train
and a pre-recorded
John Snagge 		10 16
12 The Call of the West 20 January 1959 John Browell Spike Milligan 10 5
13 Dishonoured — Again 26 January 1959 John Browell Spike Milligan 11 30
14 The Scarlet Capsule 2 February 1959 John Browell Spike Milligan with Andrew Timothy
(pre-recorded) 		11 32
15 The Tay Bridge 9 February 1959 John Browell Spike Milligan with George Chisholm 11 18
16 The Gold Plate Robbery 16 February 1959 John Browell Spike Milligan 11 14
17 The ₤50 Cure 23 February 1959 John Browell Spike Milligan Recorded without Secombe, with
Kenneth Connor 		11 16

Tenth series (1959–60)

Main article: The Goon Show series 10

Cast: Peter Sellers, Harry Secombe, Spike Milligan, with Max Geldray and The Ray Ellington Quartet, conducted by Wally Stott.
Announcer: Wallace Greenslade
The shows were all broadcast on Thursdays.[14]

Episode # Title Original airdate Producer Scriptwriter(s) Notes Comp.
Vol 		CD Vol
1 "A Christmas Carol" 24 December 1959 John Browell Spike Milligan 11 15
2 "The Tale of Men's Shirts" 31 December 1959 John Browell Spike Milligan 11 32
3 "The Chinese Legs" 7 January 1960 John Browell Spike Milligan with John Snagge (pre-recorded) 11 26
4 "Robin's Post" 14 January 1960 John Browell Spike Milligan 11 27
5 "The Silver Dubloons" 21 January 1960 John Browell Spike Milligan with Valentine Dyall 11 29
6 "The Last Smoking Seagoon" 28 January 1960 John Browell Spike Milligan with John Snagge (pre-recorded) 11 5

Specials (1968–2001)

  1. "Tales of Men's Shirts" (8 August 1968; Thames Television)
  2. "The Last Goon Show of All" (5 October 1972)
  3. "At Last the Go On Show" A documentary celebrating the 40th anniversary of the first Goon Show broadcast (27 May 1991)
  4. "Goon Again: the 50th Anniversary Cardboard Replica Goon Show" (29 May 2001)

Notes and references

Notes

  1. ^ A special was recorded on 2 December 1956 for broadcast on the BBC Transcription Services and was not heard in Britain. A second special was broadcast on 24 December 1956 on the BBC General Overseas Service only.[11]
  2. ^ Six episodes of Vintage Goons were broadcast 22 September 1958 – 27 October 1958, prior to the start of series nine.[13]
  3. ^ Recorded 20 November 1955
  4. ^ Postponed from 22 November 1955
  5. ^ a b Different paperwork sources for episodes 12 and 14 of the Vintage Goons series are variously dated 9 March 1958 or 23 March 1958. The rehearsal material for "The Dreaded Piano Clubber" was recorded on the same day as the eighth series episode "The Great Statue Debate", which was 23 March 1958. However, along with "The Albert Memorial", it was issued out of chronological order.

References

  1. ^ The Goon Show Compendium Volume 12: Ten episodes of the classic BBC radio comedy series plus bonus features Audio CD – Audiobook, CD, Unabridged. ASIN 1785294490.
  2. ^ "Under the Influence of the Goons". FIREZINE #4. Firesign Theatre. Winter 1997–1998. Retrieved 14 October 2006.
  3. ^ "The Goon Show Site – Tributes – Terry Gilliam". Pythonline Daily Llama. Retrieved 2 June 2006.
  4. ^ "Vermont Public Radio 25th Anniversary Site". Vermont Public Radio. 2002. Archived from the original on 4 October 2006. Retrieved 29 May 2006.
  5. ^ Wilmut & Grafton 1981, p. 116.
  6. ^ Wilmut & Grafton 1981, p. 117.
  7. ^ a b Wilmut & Grafton 1981, p. 118.
  8. ^ Wilmut & Grafton 1981, pp. 120–122.
  9. ^ a b Wilmut & Grafton 1981, p. 122.
  10. ^ a b Wilmut & Grafton 1981, p. 124.
  11. ^ a b Wilmut & Grafton 1981, pp. 126–127.
  12. ^ a b Wilmut & Grafton 1981, p. 128.
  13. ^ a b c Wilmut & Grafton 1981, p. 130.
  14. ^ a b c d Wilmut & Grafton 1981, p. 132.
  15. ^ Wilmut & Grafton 1981, p. 147.
  16. ^ "Secombe's son in Goon revival". BBC. London. 15 May 2001.
  17. ^ a b Farnes 1997, p. 189.
  18. ^ Wilmut & Grafton 1981, p. 120.
  19. ^ a b Pixley, Andrew; Kendall, Ted (2009). The Goon Show Compendium Volume Three (Series 6 – Part 1) (CD). BBC Audiobooks. booklet 1, p. 9; booklet 2, pp. 8, 11, 14. ISBN 978-1-4084-1044-8.
  20. ^ Wilmut & Grafton 1981, p. 126.
  21. ^ "The Goon Show: Volume 34". Retrieved 24 May 2019.
  22. ^ a b Pixley, Andrew; Kendall, Ted (2012). The Goon Show Compendium Volume Seven (Series 8 – Part 1) (CD). AudioGO Ltd. booklet 1, pp. 9, 11; booklet 2, p. 6. ISBN 978-1445-891330.
  23. ^ Pixley, Andrew; Kendall, Ted (2012). The Goon Show Compendium Volume Eight (Series 8 – Part 2) (CD). AudioGO Ltd. booklet 1, p. 4. ISBN 978-1445-825601.
  24. ^ a b Pixley, Andrew; Kendall, Ted (2014). The Goon Show Compendium Volume Nine (Vintage Goons) (CD). AudioGO Ltd. booklet 2, pp. 2–6, 9. ISBN 978-1471-331619.

Bibliography

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