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BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
radio comedy Radio comedy, or comedic radio programming, is a radio broadcast that may involve variety show, sitcom elements, sketches, and various types of comedy found in other media. It may also include more surreal or fantastic elements, as these can be con ...
, and later
television comedy Television comedy is a category of broadcasting that has been present since the early days of entertainment media. While there are several genres of comedy, some of the first ones aired were variety shows. One of the first United States television ...
series, broadcast from 1954 to 1961 and written by Ray Galton and Alan Simpson. The series starred
Tony Hancock Anthony John Hancock (12 May 1924 – 25 June 1968) was an English comedian and actor. High-profile during the 1950s and early 1960s, he had a major success with his BBC series ''Hancock's Half Hour'', first broadcast on radio from 1954, ...
, with Sidney James; the radio version also co-starred, at various times,
Moira Lister Moira Lister Gachassin-Lafite, Viscountess of Orthez (6 August 192327 October 2007) was a South African-British film, stage and television actress and writer. Early life Born in Cape Town to Major James Lister and Margaret (née Hogan), List ...
,
Andrée Melly Andrée Melly (15 September 1932 – 31 January 2020) was an English actress. Career Born in Liverpool, Lancashire, she performed at the Old Vic in ''Romeo and Juliet'', ''The Merchant of Venice'' and T.S. Eliot’s '' Murder in the Cathedral ...
,
Hattie Jacques Hattie Jacques (; born Josephine Edwina Jaques; 7 February 1922 – 6 October 1980) was an English comedy actress of stage, radio and screen. She is best known as a regular of the ''Carry On'' films, where she typically played strict, no-non ...
,
Bill Kerr William Henry Kerr (10 June 1922 – 28 August 2014) was a British and Australian actor, comedian, and vaudevillian. Born in South Africa, he started his career as a child actor in Australia, before emigrating to Britain after the Second Wor ...
and
Kenneth Williams Kenneth Charles Williams (22 February 1926 – 15 April 1988) was an English actor of Welsh heritage. He was best known for his comedy roles and in later life as a raconteur and diarist. He was one of the main ensemble in 26 of the 31 '' ...
. The final television series, renamed simply ''Hancock'', starred Hancock alone. Comedian Tony Hancock starred in the show, playing an exaggerated and much poorer version of his own character and lifestyle, Anthony Aloysius St John Hancock, a down-at-heel comedian living at the dilapidated 23 Railway Cuttings in
East Cheam Cheam () is a suburb of London, England, south-west of Charing Cross. It is divided into North Cheam, Cheam Village and South Cheam. Cheam Village contains the listed buildings Lumley Chapel and the 16th-century Whitehall. It is adjacent to tw ...
. The series was influential in the development of the situation comedy, with its move away from radio variety towards a focus on character development. The radio version was produced by Dennis Main Wilson for most of its run. After Main Wilson departed for his television career, his role was taken by Tom Ronald. The television series was produced by Duncan Wood. The distinctive tuba-based theme tune was composed by
Angela Morley Angela Morley (10 March 192414 January 2009) was an English composer and conductor who became a familiar household name to BBC Radio listeners in the 1950s. She attributed her entry into composing and arranging largely to the influence and en ...
. Ten scripts (nine TV, one radio) were written but never recorded for a variety of reasons. The unused radio script for ''The Counterfeiter'' was finally recorded in 2019 with Kevin R. McNally as Tony Hancock.


Radio series


Development

The radio series broke with the
variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
tradition which was then dominant in British
radio comedy Radio comedy, or comedic radio programming, is a radio broadcast that may involve variety show, sitcom elements, sketches, and various types of comedy found in other media. It may also include more surreal or fantastic elements, as these can be con ...
, highlighting a new genre: the sitcom or situation comedy. Instead of the traditional variety mix of sketches, guest stars and musical interludes, the show's humour derived from characters and situations developed in a half-hour storyline. This then relatively novel format, of what was in effect a single sketch each week lasting the entire half-hour (though in the radio version James and the others sometimes played different roles), was reflected in the show's title, which aptly described the series as Hancock's "half-hour". Roger Wilmut, in his 1978 biography of Tony Hancock as a performer, credits two British radio comedy shows, already running in 1954, with establishing an uninterrupted 30-minute sitcom format: ''A Life of Bliss'', written by Godfrey Harrison and starring George Cole, and ''
Life with the Lyons ''Life with the Lyons'' was a British radio and television domestic sitcom from the 1950s (1950–1961 on radio, 1955–1960 on television). Overview ''Life with the Lyons'' featured a real American family. Ben Lyon and his wife Bebe Daniels ...
'', a programme heavily based on the US tradition of sitcoms; he therefore dismisses the notion that Galton and Simpson invented the genre. The comedy gradually shifted to observation, with a less strong emphasis on a narrative. The playlet "Look Back in Hunger" (spoofing John Osborne's ''
Look Back in Anger ''Look Back in Anger'' (1956) is a realist play written by John Osborne. It focuses on the life and marital struggles of an intelligent and educated but disaffected young man of working-class origin, Jimmy Porter, and his equally competent yet i ...
'') in the episode "The East Cheam Drama Festival" from the fifth series, showed that writers Galton and Simpson were in touch with developments in the British theatre, in the use of sighs and silent pauses, something Osborne's style had in common with the plays of Harold Pinter, whose work began to emerge towards the end of the series' run. In addition, the measured pacing of the episodes was unusual in an era of fast-talking radio comedians, such as Ted Ray, who typically used a machine-gun style of delivery to fill every single second of airtime.


Setting

Hancock's character had various addresses, but by the third radio series he had arrived at 23 Railway Cuttings, East Cheam. Sometimes this was portrayed as a
council house A council house is a form of British public housing built by local authorities. A council estate is a building complex containing a number of council houses and other amenities like schools and shops. Construction took place mainly from 1919 ...
, but occasionally there was a private landlord. In a few early episodes Hancock owned the house, and later this became the norm. The episode "Cinderella Hancock" saw a reverse of the norm with Hancock a lodger in a house owned by Bill Kerr. The house changed to accommodate the cast: in some episodes it appeared to be a two-bedroom terraced house, with Kerr as Hancock's lodger; but in series four and five it had at least three bedrooms, as Miss Pugh was also resident in some episodes. In others she 'came round' each day, presumably from her own domicile. Railway Cuttings and East Cheam were fictitious, but
Cheam Cheam () is a suburb of London, England, south-west of Charing Cross. It is divided into North Cheam, Cheam Village and South Cheam. Cheam Village contains the listed buildings Lumley Chapel and the 16th-century Whitehall. It is adjacent to ...
is a real town, once in Surrey, today part of the
London Borough of Sutton The London Borough of Sutton () is a London borough in south-west London, England and forms part of Outer London. It covers an area of and is the 80th largest local authority in England by population. It borders the London Borough of Croy ...
in Greater London. The whole area is smart and expensive, and by creating 'Railway Cuttings, East Cheam' Galton and Simpson created an address for a snob who wanted to live in a 'posh' area, but could only afford the 'cheap end' (which in reality does not exist). In those days recordings of the radio shows were not commercially available, so the audience had to rely entirely on memory for details of who lived where or who did what in the show. Commissioning of series in the UK was then closer to American practice with extensive runs not unknown, but in this case, with only two writers. Continuity in the idiom was yet to develop, and details changed to suit each episode. The domestic situation varied, but Hancock usually portrayed a 'resting' or hopeless down-at-heel actor and/or comedian (though some episodes showed him having runs of success, while some episodes depict him pursuing professional careers as fantasies), James was always on the fiddle in some way, Kerr gradually became dim and virtually unemployable (although he had started out as a fast-talking American-style Australian), and Hancock's 'secretary', Miss Pugh, had such a loose job description that in one celebrated episode she had cooked the Sunday lunch. At times the scripts would reflect topical realities of British life, such as the reintroduction of
petrol Gasoline (; ) or petrol (; ) (see ) is a transparent, petroleum-derived flammable liquid that is used primarily as a fuel in most spark-ignited internal combustion engines (also known as petrol engines). It consists mostly of organic c ...
rationing from November 1956 to March 1957 (following the Suez Crisis) in 'The Stolen Petrol' and a strike by members of the
trade union A trade union (labor union in American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers intent on "maintaining or improving the conditions of their employment", ch. I such as attaining better wages and benefits ...
ASLEF (Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen) from 28 May to 14 June 1955 which involved a railway strike in 'The Rail Strike'.


Radio series cast

*
Tony Hancock Anthony John Hancock (12 May 1924 – 25 June 1968) was an English comedian and actor. High-profile during the 1950s and early 1960s, he had a major success with his BBC series ''Hancock's Half Hour'', first broadcast on radio from 1954, ...
as Anthony Aloysius St John Hancock, principal character. * The comedy actor Sidney James (as he was then billed) played Sid (full name Sidney Balmoral James), a criminally-inclined confidant of Hancock, who usually succeeded in conning him each week. *
Bill Kerr William Henry Kerr (10 June 1922 – 28 August 2014) was a British and Australian actor, comedian, and vaudevillian. Born in South Africa, he started his career as a child actor in Australia, before emigrating to Britain after the Second Wor ...
appeared as Hancock's Australian lodger (full name William Montmorency Beaumont Kerr), a character who became noticeably dim-witted in the later shows. Often refers to Hancock as "Tub". *
Kenneth Williams Kenneth Charles Williams (22 February 1926 – 15 April 1988) was an English actor of Welsh heritage. He was best known for his comedy roles and in later life as a raconteur and diarist. He was one of the main ensemble in 26 of the 31 '' ...
, taking his first job in comedy, provided the funny voices for all the minor characters in the show each week. Williams left after the first recording session for the sixth series. *
Moira Lister Moira Lister Gachassin-Lafite, Viscountess of Orthez (6 August 192327 October 2007) was a South African-British film, stage and television actress and writer. Early life Born in Cape Town to Major James Lister and Margaret (née Hogan), List ...
appeared in the first series, before being replaced by
Andrée Melly Andrée Melly (15 September 1932 – 31 January 2020) was an English actress. Career Born in Liverpool, Lancashire, she performed at the Old Vic in ''Romeo and Juliet'', ''The Merchant of Venice'' and T.S. Eliot’s '' Murder in the Cathedral ...
for the next two; both women played love interest for Hancock's character, in essentially 'straight' roles. * In the fourth and fifth series
Hattie Jacques Hattie Jacques (; born Josephine Edwina Jaques; 7 February 1922 – 6 October 1980) was an English comedy actress of stage, radio and screen. She is best known as a regular of the ''Carry On'' films, where she typically played strict, no-non ...
provided comedy in the female role as the harridan Griselda Pugh, who was Hancock's secretary and Sid's occasional girlfriend. By this time, Hancock's difficulties with women had become part of the characterisation. Among the well-known actors who appeared in the series were
Hugh Lloyd Hugh Lewis Lloyd (22 April 1923 – 14 July 2008) was an English actor who made his name in film and television comedy from the 1960s to the 1980s. He was best known for appearances in ''Hancock's Half Hour'', ''Hugh and I'' and other sit ...
,
Patricia Hayes Patricia Lawlor Hayes (22 December 1909 – 19 September 1998) was an English character actress. Early life Patricia Hayes OBE was born in Streatham,Dennis Barker, "Hayes, Patricia Lawlor (1909–1998)", ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biogra ...
,
Dick Emery Richard Gilbert Emery (19 February 19152 January 1983) was an English comedian and actor. His broadcasting career began on radio in the 1950s, and his self-titled television series ran from 1963 to 1981. Life and career Richard Gilbert Emery was ...
,
Warren Mitchell Warren Mitchell (born Warren Misell; 14 January 1926 – 14 November 2015) was a British actor. He was a BAFTA TV Award winner and twice a Laurence Olivier Award winner. In the 1950s, Mitchell appeared on the radio programmes ''Educatin ...
,
John Le Mesurier John Le Mesurier (, born John Elton Le Mesurier Halliley; 5 April 191215 November 1983) was an English actor. He is perhaps best remembered for his comedic role as Sergeant Arthur Wilson in the BBC television situation c ...
and
Richard Wattis Richard Wattis (25 February 1912 – 1 February 1975) was an English actor, co-starring in many popular British comedies of the 1950s and 1960s. Early life Richard Cameron Wattis was born on 25 February 1912 in Wednesbury, Staffordshire, the ...
. Also appearing were
Pat Coombs Patricia Doreen Coombs (27 August 1926 – 25 May 2002) was an English actress. She specialised in the portrayal of the eternal downtrodden female, comically under the thumb of stronger personalities. She was known for many roles on radio, ...
,
Rolf Harris Rolf Harris (born 30 March 1930) is an Australian entertainer whose career has encompassed work as a musician, singer-songwriter, composer, comedian, actor, painter and television personality. He often used unusual instruments in his performan ...
,
Burt Kwouk Herbert Tsangtse Kwouk, (; ; 18 July 1930 – 24 May 2016) was a British actor, known for his role as Cato in the ''Pink Panther'' films. He made appearances in many television programmes, including a portrayal of Imperial Japanese Army Ma ...
, credited as 'Burd Kwouk', and
Anne Reid Anne Reid, MBE (born 28 May 1935) is a British stage, film and television actress, known for her roles as Valerie Barlow in the soap opera '' Coronation Street'' (1961–1971); Jean in the sitcom '' dinnerladies'' (1998–2000); and her role ...
. Episodes of the radio series were included in 20 underground radio stations of the BBC's
Wartime Broadcasting Service The Wartime Broadcasting Service is a service of the BBC that is intended to broadcast in the United Kingdom either after a nuclear attack or if conventional bombing destroyed regular BBC facilities in a conventional war. It is unclear if the ...
(WTBS), designed to provide information and morale-boosting broadcasts for 100 days after a nuclear attack.


Radio series episodes

Most of the radio episodes were recorded between one day and three weeks in advance of broadcast, except for Series 6 which was mostly recorded during a three-week period in June 1959 in order to avoid clashing with the recording of Series 5 of the television show. Galton and Simpson never gave titles to any of their Hancock scripts, for radio or television; this was usually left to the girl who filed the scripts at their office, who gave them names that were a reminder of what the script was about. So when Roger Wilmut came to write his book ''Tony Hancock – Artiste'' (first published 1978) he took the liberty of inventing titles where necessary and these titles, a combination of the file names and Wilmut's own, have become the accepted ones ever since, with the approval of Galton and Simpson and the BBC. The regular cast members generally played "themselves", in that the characters were called by the actor's real name (although the English actress Andrée Melly – sister of
George George may refer to: People * George (given name) * George (surname) * George (singer), American-Canadian singer George Nozuka, known by the mononym George * George Washington, First President of the United States * George W. Bush, 43rd Presid ...
– played a French character). However, there were exceptions: * Kenneth Williams played a series of unnamed characters referred to in the scripts—but not on air—as "Snide". He also played the very occasional roles of Edwardian Fred (a criminal associate of Sid's) and Hancock's Vicar, as well as various other characters. In the episode "The Emigrant" he is allowed to break the
fourth wall The fourth wall is a performance convention in which an invisible, imaginary wall separates actors from the audience. While the audience can see through this ''wall'', the convention assumes the actors act as if they cannot. From the 16th cen ...
and refer to himself as "that bloke with the funny voice". * Hattie Jacques played Griselda Pugh, Hancock's secretary, with the exception of the episode ‘The East Cheam Drama Festival’ where she played herself. * Alan Simpson played an unnamed man in early episodes who listened patiently to Hancock's long-winded stories. His lines would frequently be restricted to simply "Yes", "Really?", "Mm-hmm", or "I see". These performers are present in the series as indicated below. Two lost episodes of the radio series—"The Blackboard Jungle" (series 3) and "The New Secretary" (series 4)—were recovered in 2002 from off-air home recordings made by listener Vic Rogers.


Series 1 (1954–1955)

* 16 episodes, 2 November 1954 – 15 February 1955 * Regular cast: Tony Hancock, Bill Kerr, Moira Lister, Sid James, Alan Simpson (uncredited) * Guest Stars:
Gerald Campion Gerald Theron Campion (23 April 1921 – 9 July 2002) was an English actor. He is best remembered for his role as Billy Bunter in a 1950s television adaptation ('' Billy Bunter of Greyfriars School'') of books by Frank Richards (Charles Hamil ...
(episode 1),
Dora Bryan Dora May Broadbent, (7 February 1923 – 23 July 2014), known as Dora Bryan, was a British actress of stage, film and television.Paul Carpenter (episode 10), Brian Johnston (episode 12), Raymond Baxter (episode 12),
Peter Sellers Peter Sellers (born Richard Henry Sellers; 8 September 1925 – 24 July 1980) was an English actor and comedian. He first came to prominence performing in the BBC Radio comedy series ''The Goon Show'', featured on a number of hit comic songs ...
(episode 15). # The First Night Party # The Diamond Ring † # The Idol # The Boxing Champion # The Hancock Festival † # The New Car # The Department Store Santa † # Christmas at Aldershot † # The Christmas Eve Party † # Cinderella Hancock # A Trip To France # The Monte Carlo Rally # A House on the Cliff # The Sheikh # The Marriage Bureau # The End of the Series Episodes 2, 5, 7, 8 and 9 no longer exist. However, in April 2014 the BBC re-recorded "The Hancock Festival", selected by and recorded in the presence of Galton and Simpson, with
Kevin McNally Kevin Robert McNally (born 27 April 1956) is an English actor and writer. He is known for portraying Joshamee Gibbs in the ''Pirates of the Caribbean'' film series. Early life Born in Bristol, McNally spent his early years in Birmingham, atte ...
as Tony Hancock. The episode aired in November 2014, the sixtieth anniversary of its first airing. "The Marriage Bureau" was re-recorded in September 2015 and broadcast on 7 December 2015. "The Department Store Santa" was re-recorded on 3 September 2017 and broadcast in December 2018 as the first part of a fourth series of ''The Missing Hancocks''. On 24 September 2017 "Christmas at Aldershot" was re-recorded for broadcast on Christmas Day 2019 along with "The Christmas Eve Party" which was broadcast on 21 December 2021. "The Diamond Ring" was re-recorded on 11 January 2019 and broadcast (in keeping with its Guy Fawkes theme) on 5 November 2019. On 30 September 2022 it was announced that Richard Harrison of the Radio Circle (www.radiocircle.org.uk) had found the original recording of The Marriage Bureau, and Keith Wickham, also of the Radio Circle, had restored the edition. The Tony Hancock Appreciation Society announced it on social media despite not having any involvement with the recovery and later gave appropriate credits for the find and restoration; the episode aired on BBC Radio 4 for the first time since 1955 on 18 October 2022. This episode was particularly significant given it featured the only Hancock guest appearance by
Peter Sellers Peter Sellers (born Richard Henry Sellers; 8 September 1925 – 24 July 1980) was an English actor and comedian. He first came to prominence performing in the BBC Radio comedy series ''The Goon Show'', featured on a number of hit comic songs ...
. One no longer extant episode (5) features the only ''Hancock'' guest appearance by
Spike Milligan Terence Alan "Spike" Milligan (16 April 1918 – 27 February 2002) was an Irish actor, comedian, writer, musician, poet, and playwright. The son of an English mother and Irish father, he was born in British Colonial India, where he spent his ...
. Three of Hancock's co-stars in the first series were born in South Africa. Episode 10 features a reverse of the normal situation as Tony is living in a house owned by Bill rather than Bill living in Tony's House.


Series 2 (1955)

* 12 episodes, 17 April – 2 July 1955 * Regular cast:
Harry Secombe Sir Harold Donald Secombe (8 September 1921 – 11 April 2001) was a Welsh comedian, actor, singer and television presenter. Secombe was a member of the British radio comedy programme ''The Goon Show'' (1951–1960), playing many characters, m ...
(Episodes 1–4), Tony Hancock (Episodes 4–12),
Bill Kerr William Henry Kerr (10 June 1922 – 28 August 2014) was a British and Australian actor, comedian, and vaudevillian. Born in South Africa, he started his career as a child actor in Australia, before emigrating to Britain after the Second Wor ...
,
Sid James Sidney James (born Solomon Joel Cohen; 8 May 1913 – 26 April 1976) was a British actor and comedian whose career encompassed radio, television, stage and screen. He was best known for numerous roles in the Carry On film series. Born to a mi ...
,
Andrée Melly Andrée Melly (15 September 1932 – 31 January 2020) was an English actress. Career Born in Liverpool, Lancashire, she performed at the Old Vic in ''Romeo and Juliet'', ''The Merchant of Venice'' and T.S. Eliot’s '' Murder in the Cathedral ...
,
Kenneth Williams Kenneth Charles Williams (22 February 1926 – 15 April 1988) was an English actor of Welsh heritage. He was best known for his comedy roles and in later life as a raconteur and diarist. He was one of the main ensemble in 26 of the 31 '' ...
, Alan Simpson (uncredited) # A Holiday in France † # The Crown Jewels † # The Race Horse † # A Visit To Swansea † # The Holiday Camp # The Chef That Died of Shame # Prime Minister Hancock † # The Rail Strike # The Television Set # The Three Sons † # The Marrow Contest # The Matador † Episodes 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 10 and 12 (more than half the series, including all four of Harry Secombe's guest appearances) no longer exist. However, in April 2014 the BBC re-recorded "The Matador", selected by and recorded in the presence of Galton and Simpson with
Kevin McNally Kevin Robert McNally (born 27 April 1956) is an English actor and writer. He is known for portraying Joshamee Gibbs in the ''Pirates of the Caribbean'' film series. Early life Born in Bristol, McNally spent his early years in Birmingham, atte ...
as Tony Hancock, for broadcast around the sixtieth anniversary of its first airing. On 2 December 2016 the BBC re-recorded "A Holiday in France" followed by "The Race Horse" and "The Crown Jewels" with
Andy Secombe Andrew James Secombe (born 26 April 1953), is a Welsh actor and author. Early life, family and education Born in Mumbles, in south Wales, Secombe is son of comedian/singer Harry Secombe (whom he later impersonated in a ''Goon Show'' special) ...
as his late father Harry. On 13 January 2019 "Prime Minister Hancock" was re-recorded for broadcast on 18 December that year. Also re-recorded was "A Visit To Swansea" which featured Tony being forced to go and thank Harry Secombe who'd returned to Wales. The episode was littered with references to how good Secombe had been. Shortly before the series was due to be recorded Hancock walked out on a theatre performance suffering from "nervous exhaustion" and flew to Rome. Harry Secombe was brought in at short notice to replace Hancock and starred in the first three episodes, and made a guest appearance in the fourth. Hancock himself returned for the fourth episode and completed the series as scheduled. Had Hancock not returned for the 4th episode, then Galton and Simpson planned to continue with Harry Secombe replacing Tony Hancock with the series renamed Secombe's Half Hour.


Series 3 (1955–1956)

* 20 episodes, 19 October 1955 – 29 February 1956 * Regular cast: Tony Hancock, Bill Kerr, Sid James, Andrée Melly, Kenneth Williams, Alan Simpson (uncredited). # The Pet Dog # The Jewel Robbery # The Bequest # The New Neighbour † # The Winter Holiday † # The Blackboard Jungle # The Red Planet † # The Diet # A Visit To Russia † # The Trial of Father Christmas † # Cinderella Hancock (a new production of the 10th of the 1st series) † # The New Year Resolutions # Hancock's Hair # The Student Prince # The Breakfast Cereal † # How Hancock Won The War # The Newspaper † # The Greyhound Track # The Conjurer # The Test Match Episodes 4, 5, 7, 9, 10, 11, 15 and 17 no longer exist. Only a short extract from episode 12 survives; this plus episodes 8 and 16 only survive in poor sound quality. However, in April 2014 the BBC re-recorded "The New Neighbour", "The Breakfast Cereal" and "The Newspaper", selected by and recorded in the presence of Galton and Simpson, with
Kevin McNally Kevin Robert McNally (born 27 April 1956) is an English actor and writer. He is known for portraying Joshamee Gibbs in the ''Pirates of the Caribbean'' film series. Early life Born in Bristol, McNally spent his early years in Birmingham, atte ...
as Tony Hancock. The episodes were broadcast in October & November 2014 to celebrate the sixtieth anniversary of their first airing. Episode 4 was rerecorded in August 2016. On 21 July 2015 the BBC re-recorded "The Red Planet" and "How Hancock Won The War" for broadcast in November as part of the second series of "The Missing Hancocks" on Radio 4. "A Visit To Russia" and "The Trial of Father Christmas" were re-recorded in September 2015 for broadcast in December. It was also announced by producer Neil Pearson that the Missing Hancocks will run for four series and re-record all of the missing episodes. On 3 September 2017 the BBC re-recorded "The Winter Holiday" for broadcast in the fourth series. Episode 11 of the third series was supposed to be a new episode called "The Counterfeiter", about Bill Kerr being forced to get a job, but the script went unused and a new version of "Cinderella Hancock" was recorded in its place. On 11 January 2019, the cast of ''The Missing Hancocks'' recorded the episode for the first time at the BBC Radio Theatre. It was broadcast as an episode of ''The Missing Hancocks'' on 1 January 2020. "The New Year Resolutions" was re-recorded on 13 January 2019 for broadcast on 31 December 2020.


Series 4 (1956–1957)

* 20 episodes, 14 October 1956 – 24 February 1957 * Regular cast: Tony Hancock, Sid James, Hattie Jacques (debut in Episode 5), Bill Kerr, Kenneth Williams. # Back From Holiday # The Bolshoi Ballet # Sid James's Dad # The Income Tax Demand # The New Secretary # Michelangelo 'Ancock # Anna and the King of Siam # Cyrano De Hancock # The Stolen Petrol # The Espresso Bar # Hancock's Happy Christmas # The Diary # The 13th of the Series # Almost A Gentleman # The Old School Reunion # The Wild Man of the Woods # Agricultural 'Ancock # Hancock in the Police # The Emigrant # The Last of the McHancocks - with
James Robertson Justice James Robertson Justice (15 June 1907 – 2 July 1975) was a British actor. He is best remembered for portraying pompous authority figures in comedies including each of the seven films in the '' Doctor'' series. He also co-starred with Greg ...
All episodes still exist.


Series 5 (1958)

* 20 episodes, 21 January – 3 June 1958 * Regular cast: Tony Hancock, Sid James, Hattie Jacques, Bill Kerr, Kenneth Williams. # The New Radio Series - includes reference to series 3 of the TV series which had just finished. # The Scandal Magazine - with John Vere # The Male Suffragettes # The Insurance Policy # The Publicity Photograph # The Unexploded Bomb # Hancock's School # Around the World in Eighty Days # The Americans Hit Town # The Election Candidate # Hancock's Car # The East Cheam Drama Festival # The Foreign Legion # Sunday Afternoon at Home # The Grappling Game # The Junkman # Hancock's War # The Prize Money # The Threatening Letters # The Sleepless Night All episodes still exist. ''Welcome to London'' was broadcast live on 3 August 1958 on the BBC Light Programme from the London Coliseum to commemorate the Cardiff British Empire and Commonwealth Games. It features a nine-minute sketch with Hancock, James and Kerr. A recording of the whole 90-minute programme was discovered in the collection of
Bob Monkhouse Robert Alan Monkhouse (1 June 1928 – 29 December 2003) was an English comedian, writer and actor. He was the host of television game shows including ''The Golden Shot'', '' Celebrity Squares'', '' Family Fortunes'' and '' ''Wipeout'. Ear ...
after his death. The Hancock sketch has been broadcast on BBC Radio 4 Extra.


Christmas Special

"Bill and Father Christmas" * Cast: Tony Hancock, Sid James, Hattie Jacques, Bill Kerr,
Warren Mitchell Warren Mitchell (born Warren Misell; 14 January 1926 – 14 November 2015) was a British actor. He was a BAFTA TV Award winner and twice a Laurence Olivier Award winner. In the 1950s, Mitchell appeared on the radio programmes ''Educatin ...


Special remake series for BBC Transcription Services (1958)

* 4 episodes, recorded 23–30 November 1958 * Regular cast: Tony Hancock, Sid James, Hattie Jacques, Bill Kerr, Kenneth Williams. # The 13th of the Month (remake of 'The 13th of the series', 13th of 4th series) The script was re-written so that the plot did not hinge on it being the 13th of a series as broadcast. # The New Secretary (remake of 5th of 4th series) Hattie Jacques's arrival is presented in flashback, so the show can be placed anywhere in a series. # The Ballet Visit (remake of 'The Bolshoi Ballet' 2nd of 4th series) Ballet company changed to The Covent Garden Ballet, to avoid topical reference to 1956 visit to London by the Bolshoi Ballet. # The Election Candidate (remake of 10th of 5th series) Hancock now stands for the local Independent party instead of the East Cheam Liberal party as he did in the original. These episodes are remakes for overseas sales, rewritten to remove any topical or UK-specific references. All episodes still exist, for many years the TS version of "The New Secretary" was the only version known to exist until an off-air audio recording of the original version was found in 2002.


Series 6 (1959)

* 14 episodes, 29 September – 29 December 1959 * Regular cast: Tony Hancock, Sid James, Bill Kerr (except episode 13), Kenneth Williams (episodes 1 and 2 only) * Regular guest stars:
Patricia Hayes Patricia Lawlor Hayes (22 December 1909 – 19 September 1998) was an English character actress. Early life Patricia Hayes OBE was born in Streatham,Dennis Barker, "Hayes, Patricia Lawlor (1909–1998)", ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biogra ...
(episodes 1, 2, 4 and 12);
Warren Mitchell Warren Mitchell (born Warren Misell; 14 January 1926 – 14 November 2015) was a British actor. He was a BAFTA TV Award winner and twice a Laurence Olivier Award winner. In the 1950s, Mitchell appeared on the radio programmes ''Educatin ...
(episodes 3, 5, 8, 9 and 11); Hugh Morton (episodes 3, 5, 7, 10, 13); Wilfred Babbage (episodes 4, 6, 7, 10, 13); * Other guest stars: Noel Dryden (episode 1); Anne Lancaster (episode 4, 14);
Liz Fraser Elizabeth Joan Winch (14 August 1930 – 6 September 2018), known professionally as Liz Fraser, was a British film actress, best known for being cast in provocative comedy roles. Early life Fraser was born in Southwark, London. Her year of bi ...
(episode 4);
Raymond Glendenning Raymond Carl Glendenning (25 September 1907 – 23 February 1974) was a BBC radio sports commentator and occasional character actor. Early years He was born in Newport, Monmouthshire, Wales, and was educated at Newport High School and the Unive ...
(episode 5); Lillian Grasson (episode 6); Fraser Kerr (episodes 6, 11); Lee Crutchley (episode 6);
Harry Towb Harry Towb (27 July 1925 – 24 July 2009) was an actor from Northern Ireland. Early life and career Towb was born in Larne, County Antrim, to a Russian-Jewish father and an Irish-Jewish mother; he once claimed he was the only Jew ever born ...
(episode 7); Mavis Villiers (episode 9); Errol McKinnon (episode 9); Jack Watson (episode 10, 14);
Fenella Fielding Fenella Fielding, OBE (born Fenella Marion Feldman; 17 November 1927 – 11 September 2018) was an English stage, film and television actress who rose to prominence in the 1950s and 1960s, and was often referred to as "England's first lad ...
(episode 11); Joan Frank (episode 12); Frank Partington (episode 13); impressionist
Peter Goodwright Peter Goodwright (12 May 1936 – 2 November 2020) was an English comedic impressionist. He appeared on the ITV impressions show ''Who Do You Do?'' in the 1970s. Goodwright was born in Haslington, Cheshire. Career Goodwright has been referred t ...
(episode 14); Jerry Stovin (episode 14); Ronald Wilson (episode 14); # The Smugglers # The Childhood Sweetheart # The Last Bus Home # The Picnic # The Gourmet # The Elopement # Fred's Pie Stall # The Waxwork # Sid's Mystery Tours # The Fete # The Poetry Society # Hancock in Hospital (a.k.a. Visiting Day) # The Christmas Club # The Impersonator (a.k.a. The Impressionist) All episodes still exist.


Television series

The
television Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of television transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertisin ...
version began in 1956 under the same name and with the same writers, produced for the BBC by Duncan Wood. The television and radio versions alternated until 1959, when the final radio series and the fifth television series were both broadcast during the autumn season. Only Sid James transferred from the radio series, although Kenneth Williams and Hattie Jacques each made a couple of appearances. The television version drew on a stock company of actors, who played different supporting characters in each episode. Semi-regulars included
Liz Fraser Elizabeth Joan Winch (14 August 1930 – 6 September 2018), known professionally as Liz Fraser, was a British film actress, best known for being cast in provocative comedy roles. Early life Fraser was born in Southwark, London. Her year of bi ...
,
John Le Mesurier John Le Mesurier (, born John Elton Le Mesurier Halliley; 5 April 191215 November 1983) was an English actor. He is perhaps best remembered for his comedic role as Sergeant Arthur Wilson in the BBC television situation c ...
,
Hugh Lloyd Hugh Lewis Lloyd (22 April 1923 – 14 July 2008) was an English actor who made his name in film and television comedy from the 1960s to the 1980s. He was best known for appearances in ''Hancock's Half Hour'', ''Hugh and I'' and other sit ...
,
Arthur Mullard Arthur Ernest Mullard (né Mullord; 19 September 1910His obituary in ''The Times'' gives his date of birth as 10 November 1910 but conflicts with the birthdate given in his death registration. His year of birth appears as 1908, 1910, 1912 and 1 ...
and John Vyvyan. The final television series, broadcast in 1961, was retitled ''Hancock'', as it was shortened from a half-hour to 25 minutes. For this final series Sid James was no longer in the cast, as Hancock had become frustrated with the format. Some of the most celebrated episodes of the TV series were produced in this final series, including " The Blood Donor", "
The Radio Ham "The Radio Ham" is an episode from the comedy series ''Hancock'', the final BBC series featuring British comedian Tony Hancock. First transmitted on 9 June 1961, the show was written by Ray Galton and Alan Simpson, and was produced by Duncan Woo ...
", "The Bedsitter" and " The Bowmans". Hancock's character was relocated to
Earl's Court Earl's Court is a district of Kensington in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in West London, bordering the rail tracks of the West London line and District line that separate it from the ancient borough of Fulham to the west, the ...
for this series. Some episodes of the radio series and telerecordings of some episodes from the third and fourth television series were destroyed. No episodes are known to survive from the first series of the TV show. The surviving radio episodes, which often exist only in edited versions that have been cut for overseas sale to commercial radio stations, were released as CD box sets between 2000 and 2003 (see below). In a list of the 100 Greatest British Television Programmes drawn up by the
British Film Institute The British Film Institute (BFI) is a film and television charitable organisation which promotes and preserves film-making and television in the United Kingdom. The BFI uses funds provided by the National Lottery (United Kingdom), National Lot ...
in 2000, voted for by industry professionals, ''Hancock's Half Hour'' was placed 24th. In 1962, the show became the first imported programme to win a Jacob's Award following its transmission on Telefís Éireann, the
Republic of Ireland Ireland ( ga, Éire ), also known as the Republic of Ireland (), is a country in north-western Europe consisting of 26 of the 32 Counties of Ireland, counties of the island of Ireland. The capital and largest city is Dublin, on the eastern ...
's national TV station.''The Irish Times'', "BBC wins award for Hancock series in first T.E. critic's selection", 5 December 1962 In 1956 and 1957 Hancock had starred in two series of a sketch show made by
Associated-Rediffusion Associated-Rediffusion, later Rediffusion London, was the British ITV franchise holder for London and parts of the surrounding counties, on weekdays between 22 September 1955 and 29 July 1968. It was the first ITA franchisee to go on air, ...
for ITV television, which were broadcast either side of his first television series on the BBC. In 1972 a Norwegian TV show called ''
Fleksnes Fataliteter ''Fleksnes Fataliteter'', better known by its shortened title ''Fleksnes'', was a Norwegian- Swedish-Danish television comedy series produced between 1972 and 2002, created by Swedish writer Bo Hermansson and based on Galton and Simpson's scripts ...
'' aired for the first time. It was based on scripts from ''Hancock's Half Hour''. The show became trilingual, as it usually starred both Swedish and Norwegian actors, and was broadcast in Sweden and Norway as well as Denmark. In 2016, "The New Neighbour" was restaged as part of the BBC's Landmark Sitcom Season commemorating the 60th anniversary of the television sitcom.


Television series cast

*
Sid James Sidney James (born Solomon Joel Cohen; 8 May 1913 – 26 April 1976) was a British actor and comedian whose career encompassed radio, television, stage and screen. He was best known for numerous roles in the Carry On film series. Born to a mi ...
was a regular in series 1–6. (He does not appear in episodes 1 and 2 of series 2.) *
Kenneth Williams Kenneth Charles Williams (22 February 1926 – 15 April 1988) was an English actor of Welsh heritage. He was best known for his comedy roles and in later life as a raconteur and diarist. He was one of the main ensemble in 26 of the 31 '' ...
appeared in every episode of series 2, playing a variety of characters. *
Hattie Jacques Hattie Jacques (; born Josephine Edwina Jaques; 7 February 1922 – 6 October 1980) was an English comedy actress of stage, radio and screen. She is best known as a regular of the ''Carry On'' films, where she typically played strict, no-non ...
appeared throughout series 2, in all episodes except the first, playing a variety of characters. *
Patricia Hayes Patricia Lawlor Hayes (22 December 1909 – 19 September 1998) was an English character actress. Early life Patricia Hayes OBE was born in Streatham,Dennis Barker, "Hayes, Patricia Lawlor (1909–1998)", ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biogra ...
appeared very occasionally in series 4–6 as Mrs Cravatte, Hancock's maid.


Television series episodes


Series 1 (1956)

6 episodes, broadcast live, every 2 weeks, 7 July – 14 September 1956. No recordings exist.


Series 2 (1957)

6 episodes, broadcast live, every 2 weeks, 1 April – 10 June 1957. "The Alpine Holiday" exists on a telerecording.


Series 3 (1957)

12 regular episodes, broadcast live, 9 September – 23 December 1957. Episodes 5, 9, 10, 11 and 12 exist on telerecordings.


Series 4 (1958–1959)

13 episodes; episodes 1–4 pre-recorded as telerecordings, 5–13 live, broadcast 26 December 1958 – 27 March 1959 (skipping 27 February). Episodes 1, 3, 4, 11 and 12 exist as telerecordings. Episodes 2, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 exist as off-air audio recordings of variable quality. Episode 13 remains missing.


Series 5 (1959)

10 episodes, pre-recorded on videotape, broadcast 25 September – 27 November 1959. The entire series exists on telerecordings.


Series 6 (1960)

10 episodes, pre-recorded on videotape, broadcast 19 February – 6 May 1960. The entire series exists as telerecordings. Also a trailer made for Australian TX of this series exists.


Series 7 (1961)

6 episodes, pre-recorded on videotape, broadcast 26 May – 30 June 1961. Shortened to 25 minutes per episode and retitled ''Hancock''. This is the only series Sid James does not appear in. The entire series exists on telerecordings. One script for ''Hancock's Half Hour''/''Hancock'' was not used: "The Diplomat" (but it was instead published in Richard Webbers' book ''50 years of Hancock's Half Hour'' in 2004).


Chronological listing of Hancock's radio and television broadcasts, 1954–1961

* ''Hancock's Half Hour'', radio Series 1: 2 November 1954 – 15 February 1955 * ''Hancock's Half Hour'', radio Series 2: 17 April – 2 July 1955 * ''Hancock's Half Hour'', radio Series 3: 10 October 1955 – 29 February 1956 * '' The Tony Hancock Show'', Series 1 (
Associated-Rediffusion Associated-Rediffusion, later Rediffusion London, was the British ITV franchise holder for London and parts of the surrounding counties, on weekdays between 22 September 1955 and 29 July 1968. It was the first ITA franchisee to go on air, ...
for ITV): 4 April – 1 June 1956 * ''Hancock's Half Hour'', television Series 1: 7 July – 14 September 1956 * ''Hancock's Half Hour'', radio Series 4: 14 October 1956 – 24 February 1957 * ''The Tony Hancock Show'', Series 2: 16 November 1956 – 25 January 1957 * ''Hancock's Half Hour'', television Series 2: 1 April – 10 June 1957 * ''Hancock's Half Hour'', television Series 3: 9 September – 23 December 1957 * ''Hancock's Half Hour'', radio Series 5: 1 January – 3 June 1958 * ''Hancock's Half Hour'', television Series 4: 26 December 1958 – 27 March 1959 * ''Hancock's Half Hour'', television Series 5: 25 September – 27 November 1959 * ''Hancock's Half Hour'', radio Series 6: 29 September – 29 December 1959 * ''Hancock's Half Hour'', television Series 6: 19 February – 6 May 1960 * ''Hancock'', television Series 7: 26 May – 30 June 1961 Information on series dates taken from the book ''Tony Hancock: Artiste'' (1978) by Roger Wilmut, Eyre Methuen (subsequent reprints in 1983 and 1986 contain additional details). Information on lost radio episodes taken from the CD box sets (BBC Worldwide, 2000–2003).


Commercial releases

Four episodes of the TV series were re-recorded before studio audiences, in the style of radio programmes, and released on LP format, two by Pye on the 1961 album ''Hancock'' ("The Blood Donor" and "The Radio Ham") and two by Decca on the 1965 album ''It's Hancock'' ("The Missing Page" and "The Reunion Party"), which was reissued as ''The World of Tony Hancock'' in 1975. The re-recordings entailed the rewriting of a number of visual gags; for instance, at the end of the TV version of "The Radio Ham", Hancock smashes his radio equipment, whereas in the LP version he holds an on-air auction for it. These recordings have been reissued several times on LP, cassette and CD, and have also appeared on comedy compilation CDs. BBC Records released an LP titled ''Hancock'' featuring the original TV soundtracks of two episodes, "The Lift" and "Twelve Angry Men." The episode "The Lift" was taken from the separate magnetic soundtrack of the telerecording, with the opening non-dialogue sequence omitted and one extra line of dialogue added: "Watch that door button... Oh my God!" as recorded by Hugh Lloyd on 24/08/76 and edited in. "Twelve Angry Men" was from the optical soundtrack of the telerecording, with theme and incidental music omitted, a few lines of dialogue edited out and pauses shortened. The LP credits the theme music to
Angela Morley Angela Morley (10 March 192414 January 2009) was an English composer and conductor who became a familiar household name to BBC Radio listeners in the 1950s. She attributed her entry into composing and arranging largely to the influence and en ...
, even though the music was omitted, and the episodes were recorded when she was still called Wally Stott. There have been six LPs released of substantially complete radio episodes. The first was by Pye Records in 1960 entitled ''This is Hancock'' containing "The Wild Man of The Woods" and "Sunday Afternoon At Home." The other five were by BBC Records, released as ''Hancock's Half Hour'': "The Poetry Society" and "Sid's Mystery Tours", released in 1980; "The Americans Hit Town" and "The Unexploded Bomb" in 1981; "The Scandal Magazine" and "The Last of the McHancocks" in 1982; "The Sleepless Night" and "Fred's Pie Stall" in 1983; and finally "Hancocks War" and "The Christmas Club" in 1984. These five LPs were also released on audio cassette at the same time. Also, a number of comedy-themed LPs, EPs and 7-inch singles have been released over the years which have featured short extracts from various radio episodes. The radio series of ''Hancock's Half Hour'' was first released on cassette by the BBC as part of their Radio Collection series of audio cassettes in the late 1980s. The first three volumes were re-issues of the five LPs from the 1980s plus the LP of television soundtracks from 1976. Because only 10 volumes were made with four episodes each, and because a number of episodes were later returned from homemade off-air recordings by listeners, a release of the radio series was never completed on cassette. In 2000, the episodes still remaining from Series 1 of the radio series were released as a box set on CD. Series 2–6 followed throughout the next three years. The series has also been given three compilation CDs. The television series of ''Hancock's Half Hour'' was first released on VHS/Betamax in 1985 under BBC Enterprises (now Worldwide) in an incomplete form. A Laserdisc of Volume One was also issued under catalogue number BBCL 7004. Six videos were released, each containing three episodes and were mainly drawn from the last three series. The next video release was not to be for another nine years, and that was "The Very Best of Hancock," a compilation including all episodes from the final series but excluding the last, "The Succession: Son and Heir." In 1996, a video was released containing the first three remaining episodes. Two later videos were released in 1997, and another featuring "The Train Journey" was released in 1999. In 1992 "Hancock: The Australian TV Series in Colour" was released, compiled from the three episodes of the 1968 Australian series completed before Hancock's death. This was released on VHS in both the UK and Australia. The first DVD to be released was in 2001, which was a re-release of "The Very Best of Hancock" video. The next DVD was to be released in 2004, containing the first five episodes and the rarely seen "Hancock's Forty-Three Minutes." However,
2 Entertain 2 Entertain (stylized as 2 , entertain) is a British video and music publisher founded in September 2004 by the merger of BBC Video and Video Collection International in 2004. Under CEO Richard Green, the company operated as a joint venture b ...
released a box set in 2007 called ''The Tony Hancock Collection'', containing every existing episode and new bonus features, including Hancock's interview in the '' Face to Face'' from 1960. In June and August 2009, six off-air audio recordings of lost TV episodes from Series 4 were unearthed, though they had been knocking around the bootleg market for some time; however, two of them are very poor quality. The six episodes were: "Underpaid or Grandad's S.O.S.", "The Flight of the Red Shadow", "The Horror Serial", "Matrimony – Almost", "The Beauty Contest" and "The Wrong Man". In 2009, the surviving radio episodes were repeated weekly on the digital network
BBC Radio 7 BBC Radio 4 Extra (formerly BBC Radio 7) is a British Digital radio in the United Kingdom, digital radio broadcasting, radio station from the BBC, broadcasting archived repeats of comedy, drama and documentary programmes nationally, 24 hours a ...
, chronologically sequenced.


References


External links

* * *
The Tony Hancock Appreciation Society


*


Old Time Radio Network with 78 Hancock Episodes
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hancocks Half Hour 1956 British television series debuts 1961 British television series endings 1950s British sitcoms 1960s British sitcoms BBC Radio comedy programmes BBC television sitcoms Jacob's Award winners Lost BBC episodes Television shows set in London Black-and-white British television shows English-language television shows Radio programs adapted into television shows Television series based on radio series Television series created by Ray Galton Television series created by Alan Simpson BBC Light Programme programmes