Christmas Crackers

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"Christmas Crackers"
The Goon Show episode
Christmas Crackers - Radio Times 20-26 Dec 1953 (issue1571).jpg
Issue 1571 of the Radio Times for 20-26 Dec 1953
Episode: no.Series: 4
Episode: Special
Written by
AnnouncerWallace Greenslade
Produced byPeter Eton
MusicNo Goons Music
Recording
Number
TLO 40660
First broadcast25 December 1953 (1953-12-25)
Running timeA short insert
Episode Order
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"The British Way"
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"The Giant Bombardon"
The Goon Show series 4
List of episodes

Christmas Crackers was a Christmas special (aired between episodes 12 and 13 of the fourth series) which was recorded on 20 December 1953, at 9.45pm. The recording was made at Aeolian I, 135–137 New Bond Street, London.

The first public broadcast was on the Home Service on Friday 25 December 1953 at 1.15pm. The show achieved a peak listenership of 3.4m.

Unfortunately, although the show was recorded on TLO 40660, the tape no longer exists and there are no known-of publically accessible recordings of this show.

The show featured short sketches from several popular radio shows of the time, including…

Show Name Featuring Writer Producer Story
The Goon Show Spike Milligan
Larry Stephens
Peter Eton The International Christmas Pudding tells of the attempts of Major Bloodnok and Lieutenant Seagoon to recover the International Christmas pudding from Tibet whilst under attack from The Red Bladder.
Bedtime with Braden Bernard Braden
Benny Lee
Pearl Carr
Nat Temple
Ronald Fletcher
Frank Muir
Denis Norden
Pat Dixon
Much-Binding-in-the-Marsh Richard Murdoch
Kenneth Horne
Sam Costa
Maurice Denham
Richard Murdoch
Kenneth Horne
Leslie Bridgmont
A Life of Bliss George Cole
Gladys Henson
Percy Edwards
Godfrey Harrison Leslie Bridgmont
Variety Playhouse Vic Oliver Carey Edwards Tom Ronald
Ray's A Laugh Ted Ray
Kitty Bluett
Peter Sellers
Eddie Maguire
Ted Ray
George Inns

The Keynotes
The Augmented BBC Revue Orchestra
Conductor, Harry Rabinowitz
Special music and lyrics written by Johnny Johnston and Bunny Lewis
Production supervised by Vernon Harris