The Flea
| "The Flea" | |
|---|---|
| The Goon Show episode | |
| Episode: no. | Series: 7 Episode: 12 |
| Written by | |
| Announcer | Wallace Greenslade |
| Produced by | Pat Dixon |
| Music |
|
| Recording Number | TLO 18731 |
| First broadcast | 20 December 1956 |
| Running time | 29:49 |
The Flea is an episode from The Goon Show. It is the twelfth show in the seventh series.
A pre-recording session took place on Sunday 16 December 1956, 5.30pm at The Camden Theatre, Camden Town, London (DLO 19692/A). The recording for transmission was also recorded on that Sunday at The Camden, but later at 9pm (TLO 18731).
The first Home Service broadcast was the following Thursday at 8.30pm on 20 December 1956, its ratings were 2.3 million. The show was repeated the follwing Monday, Christmas Eve, at 8pm, 24 December 1956, on the Light Programme to 3.4 million listeners. Then it was repeated again four months later on Thursday 2 May 1957 at 9.55pm, on the Home Service (except Scotland), to 0.8 million listeners.
Transcription Service Synopsis
It is 1665. An international situation has arisen because Count Jim Moriarty of the French Court has been bitten by an English flea. Mr Harry Seagoon Pepys finds time between writing entries in his diary to identify the so-called 'English' flea as French. This, of course, would restore the broken international relations. As usual, Moriarty and Grytpype-Thynne are deeply involved in the plot and they succeed in their avowed purpose – the downfall of Neddie Seagoon Pepys.
Music
- The BBC Radio Orchestra was conducted by Wally Stott
- Max Geldray plays Oh, Lady Be Good! (George Gershwin (music) / Ira Gershwin (lyrics))
- The Ray Ellington Quartet plays You Do Something to Me (Cole Porter)
Technical
Originally recorded on TLO 18731 (15 ips ¼" tape recorded at Broadcasting House). This master tape no longer exists, and the show found on Compendium 5 was compiled from the TGS disc, the POTG master tape and a domestic recording of the original transmission.[1]
References
- ^ Kendall, Ted (2011). The Goon Show Compendium Vol 5 (Booklet 2). BBC Worldwide. p. 13. ISBN 978-1408-427286.
