Goon Pod

A podcast where we talk about classic comedy with particular focus on the work of Spike Milligan, Peter Sellers, Harry Secombe & Michael Bentine. You'll also hear us discuss the likes of Monty Python, Hancock, Blackadder, the Carry On films, Peter Cook, Steptoe & Son and countless other comedy figures & fixtures from the postwar era.

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246 episodes
Updated Wednesday

Episodes246

Newest first

Aug 3, 2022 · 1 hr 5 min
The String Robberies
Joining Tyler this week to discuss this very fine Series 8 show is Molly McDade, who explains why The Goons mean so much to her. We spend a fair chunk of the episode talking about the behind-the-scenes dramas getting this show aired and ask the question, why was someone who didn't like The Goon Show put in charge of producing it for a couple of weeks? And how many four-letter oaths did Milligan and Sellers give vent to during the rehearsals and recording of this show? It IS a classic but could it have been classicker? Who knows? In any case, Molly makes your host feel very elderly indeed, damn her eyes. But she's great. Have a listen.
Jul 27, 2022 · 1 hr 5 min
An Adult Entertainment: Spike Milligan With Jeremy Taylor Live At Cambridge University (LP, 1974)
Recorded at Cambridge University in December 1973 and issued as a double LP in Spring 1974, An Adult Entertainment brought together the inspired lunacy of Spike Milligan and the musical whimsy of Jeremy Taylor. Spike read extracts from some of his books, recited poetry, shared anecdotes and generally treated the audience to a cornucopia of classic Milligana. Jeremy Taylor played some of his songs, some satirical, others sweetly melancholy, all of them shrewd observations of the human condition. Not all of it worked but what resulted was an interesting confection which could have benefited from more structure and consideration of content - however, all in all it is a record to make you smile and occasionally laugh out loud. Joining Tyler this week is musician and podcaster Paul Abbott whose parents had the record in their collection when he was growing up and he explains its appeal. Paul's band Good Grief have recently released a new album, Shake Your Faith: https://goodgriefliverpool.bandcamp.com/album/shake-your-faith
Jul 20, 2022 · 1 hr 30 min
After The Fox (1966)
Who is The Fox? I am The Fox! In 1966 Peter Sellers made a film which this podcaster considers one of his top five despite it being commercially and critically underwhelming. It rarely gets spoken about in the same breath as some of the actor's other movies such as Dr Strangelove, Being There, The Pink Panther or The Ladykillers yet is a highly entertaining international romp featuring a standout performance from Sellers as Aldo Vanucci (AKA 'The Fox') and his co-star the wonderfully ebullient Victor Mature, who sends himself up something rotten as faded Hollywood star Tony Powell. Devised and written by Neil Simon and directed by Vittorio De Sica and also featuring Sellers' then-wife Britt Ekland as Gina, Vanucci's sister, After The Fox centres around an attempt by The Fox and his gang to smuggle stolen gold bullion into Italy by posing as a film crew. Naturally things do not go according to plan! Joining Tyler to discuss it is film lecturer and writer Graham Rinaldi and both struggle manfully to rid themselves of the catchy Hollies theme tune earworm.
Jul 13, 2022 · 1 hr 33 min
Dirk Maggs
The award-winning master of spoken word audio, this week's guest is the endlessly entertaining Dirk Maggs. Dirk has been overseeing the production of The Sandman: Act III, the latest in a long line of collaborations with Neil Gaiman. He was first introduced to Neil via a mutual friend at DC Comics, as Dirk had been involved in audio productions of The Adventures of Superman, Batman: The Lazarus Syndrome and other projects and it was also due to the DC connection that Dirk met Douglas Adams and so began the protracted process of bringing The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy 'back home to BBC Radio' as Adams put it. Dirk has also produced adaptations of Agatha Christie, Stephen King and Arthur C Clarke works. But it is for his work in comedy that we are focusing on this week - Dirk devised and produced At Last The Go On Show in 1991 to mark the 40th anniversary of The Goon Show; he later was the brains behind Goon Again in 2001, a special one-off restaging of The Goon Show starring Jeffrey Holland, Andrew Secombe, Jon Glover and Christopher Timothy ('a genetically-engineered tribute band' was how he described it). We also talk about his early break in BBC Radio comedy producing The News Huddlines and shows such as The Long Hot Satsuma starring Graeme Garden and Barry Cryer, and later programmes like Inside Sasha and Flywheel, Shyster & Flywheel which introduced The Marx Brothers to new generations. It's a terrific conversation about a wide-ranging and never-dull career. More on Dirk here: www.dirkmaggs.com
Jul 6, 2022 · 55 min
Al Murray
Recorded recently during his latest tour as The Pub Landlord – Gig For Victory – Al Murray joined Tyler to talk comedy and revealed how The Goon Show formed the foundations of his comic sensibilities. Al explained why he considers Spike Milligan’s war memoirs to be among the greatest of their kind – brutally honest while blisteringly funny and as fine a testament to the day-to-day life of soldiers during World War II as anything ever written. It’s a conversation which took in a lot of topics including Peter Cook, Denis Norden, Spitting Image, Monty Python, Al’s podcast We Have Ways Of Making You Talk, Vic & Bob, Britain’s satire tradition and even prog rock. There's also an impromptu book club as Tyler asked Al for some reading recommendations! https://thepublandlord.com/
Jun 29, 2022 · 1 hr 30 min
Inspector Clouseau and The Pink Panther Film Series
In all, Peter Sellers played Inspector Clouseau in five films (within his lifetime that is!) - The Pink Panther, A Shot In The Dark, The Return Of The Pink Panther, The Pink Panther Strikes Again and Revenge Of The Pink Panther. The Clouseau character was also portrayed on screen in a 1968 film starring Alan Arkin as the hapless Inspector. Gary Rodger from podcasts The Sitcom Club & Jaffa Cakes For Proust joins Tyler for a bumper-length chat about the character and the films. As might be expected, the conversation ranges far and wide and while the pair have a lot to say about Sellers and the franchise there are a handful of handbrake turns involving Hylda Baker, Dudley Moore, Yootha Joyce, Richard O'Sullivan and Talfryn Thomas, not to mention Never Say Never Again and The Melting Pot! Gary can be found @garyrodger @TheSitcomClub @jaffasforproust
Jun 22, 2022 · 1 hr 10 min
Wings Over Dagenham
Novelist and scriptwriter Eddie Robson is this week's guest and we discuss the stone cold classic from Series 7, "Wings Over Dagenham" in which Seagoon & McChisholm invent the aeroplane (at a stroke putting the horse-drawn zeppelin market out of business), Henry Crun builds an aerodrome at Croydon and a flat-earther from the Geographical Society sets up a classic Goon Show gag. The conversation, as ever, veers hither and yon and includes chat about Stanley Kubrick, Kenneth Connor, Die Hard (yes, really), George Martin, why the Coens remade The Ladykillers and we tip the hat to that top-notch trombonist and a man with a reasonable claim to the title of 'Fifth Goon': George Chisholm. We also talk about the positioning of characters in the show, the effective use of sound effects, underrated gags and a sequence recycled from Series 1. This all hopefully will provide you with a mental picture of a particularly fine podcast episode. Eddie's new novel 'Drunk On All Your Strange New Words' is published soon: Drunk on All Your Strange New Words: Amazon.co.uk: Robson, Eddie: 9781250807342: Books @EddieRobson @goonshowpod
Jun 15, 2022 · 58 min
Tales Of Montmartre
Sacré Fred! This week we're popping across the Channel to the Paris of 1880 and meeting Neddie Toulouse-Lautrec and his beloved Fifi in the classic Series 6 episode 'Tales Of Montmartre'. This was to be the last script collaboration between Spike Milligan and Eric Sykes on The Goon Show and that was not the only thing coming to an end - the following week there'd be a brand new theme tune and soon after a new producer too! Our guest this week is motorsport commentator and pundit Jake Sanson who confesses to a deep affection for this particular episode and over the course of an hour he explains what it is that makes it such a special listen for him. We also talked about actress Charlotte Mitchell those other rare sightings of actual women on the show, the story behind The Case of the Mukkinese Battlehorn and Tyler's uncle's fondness for the gee-gees. And was Toulouse-Lautrec the most parodied artist in comedy? Jake is on Twitter @JakeSanson @goonshowpod @TheGSPS
Jun 8, 2022 · 1 hr 19 min
The Magnificent Seven Deadly Sins (1971)
Joining Tyler this week is Jon Auty from Behind the Stunts to talk about a 1971 British comedy film featuring some of the biggest names in comedy and light entertainment at the time. The Magnificent Seven Deadly Sins was conceived, directed and produced by Graham Stark and he managed to bring together the likes of Bruce Forsyth, Harry H Corbett, Leslie Phillips, Alfie Bass, June Whitfield, Ronnie Barker and others to appear in a series of interlinked sketches illustrating the titular sins. Notably, it also featured two Goons - Spike Milligan and Harry Secombe - the former writing and appearing in a standout sequence called 'Sloth' while his erstwhile colleague adopts a series of desperate disguises to hoodwink Geoffrey Bayldon in 'Envy'. Things discussed include: On The Buses, recasting with Terry Scott, Paul Hardcastle's The Wizard, walnuts, Keith Flint from The Prodigy, 'Boob Coverage', Bert Kwouk's stunt double, the extremely talented Madeline Smith, the mystery of DB Cooper and much much more! Check out Jon's work: linktr.ee/behindthestunts
Jun 1, 2022 · 58 min
Laura Grimshaw
Laura Grimshaw is this week's guest, the producer behind some of BBC Radio 4 Extra's landmark deep-dives into legendary figures from the world of comedy, including Les Dawson, the Bonzos, Barry Humphries and, notably, Neil Innes. She is also a regular host on Podcast Radio Hour, showcasing the wide world of podcasts, and contributor to 4 Extra's Comedy Club. From an early age she developed a love of comedy, thanks to her mum and grandparents exposing her to such classics as The Goon Show, Monty Python and Round the Horne and this has informed her career ever since. Laura joined Tyler to talk about the Goons, Python, Neil Innes and much more, including how older comedy is received by modern audiences and why sometimes compromises have to be made, the proliferation of podcasts and how important they can be in giving a platform to talent, and how she feels blessed to have been able to meet and share with so many astonishing figures from the worlds of comedy and popular entertainment. *** NOTE: This episode was recorded in mid-May 2022, shortly before the announcement that Radio 4 Extra was to be moved to BBC Sounds, with its future after that uncertain as of the time of writing.
May 25, 2022 · 1 hr 1 min
The Case of the Missing Heir
We revolt tonight! High treachery abounds as Neddie Seagoon, on a walking tour of Austria, attends a Grand Ball in honour of the Emperor’s son, Kron Printz Arnold. Fooled into believing he is the rightful heir to the throne (although somebody's in there) by those two unspeakable traitors Colonel Grytpype and Count Moriarty, Neddie is soon embroiled in a plot to plant a bomb in the Kron Printz's bed... but things naturally do not quite go according to plan. This week joining Tyler is Anthony Mudge to talk about The Case of the Missing Heir from Series 5. With the aid of a copy of producer Peter Eton's original script the two compare how closely the broadcast show stuck to the words on the page and examine those instances where it departed. Anthony is on Twitter @awmudge
May 18, 2022 · 1 hr 1 min
Jane Milligan
This week Tyler is in conversation with actor & musician Jane Milligan who very kindly agreed to talk about her father Spike. Among things discussed: * Pixies, Fairy Kings and Badjelly! * Harry, Peter & Mike! * Spike's opinion of 'newer' comedy and his love for the greats! * On the set of The Muppet Show! * Wine, Wossy and THAT comment! * The misconception that Spike was truly mad And much much more, including poetry, Milligan Preserved, The Bed Sitting Room, jazz, Larry Stephens, Dallas (yes, really) and why Spike in later years referred to himself as a 'parcel'! (Oh, and Jim McDonald from Corrie WAS in Puckoon, so he was.) Plus, Jane talks about her close involvement in projects which are keeping the memory of Spike alive. Jane is on Twitter @goonchild4
May 11, 2022 · 55 min
The £1,000,000 Penny
Two stories for the price of one with The Sock Jelly Murders and Ned the Miser in a show called The £1,000,000 Penny? All rather confusing really. Harking back to earlier series formats, this excellent show from Series 9 begins with a mystery crime caper which then makes way for the episode's 'proper' drama, involving Miser Ned, a certain penny, two perfect scoundrels on a stagecoach pulled by chickens, a troop of boy scouts, some old jokes, Granny Min from Eastbourne, a cup of coffee with a bomb in it and Eccles giving Major Bloodnok the glad-eye, as well as some knotty dialogue for Peter Sellers to deliver which he manages to do with aplomb. Our guest this time round is Nick Reeve, the brain behind the excellent Goon Show blog The Seagoon Memoirs - Home | The Seagoon Memoirs - which is helping to keep the Goons' flame burning and well worth an intense scrute. He's very good you know. Very good indeed.
May 4, 2022 · 1 hr 15 min
The Last Goon Show Of All
Recorded as part of the BBC's anniversary celebrations 50 years ago this week, The Last Goon Show Of All brought together Harry Secombe, Spike Milligan and Peter Sellers along with Max Geldray, Ray Ellington, announcer Andrew Timothy, producer John Browell and many of the original musicians from the show's heyday in the fifties for a ripsnorting rambunctious reunion! On 30th April 1972 at the Camden Theatre in London the Goons recorded a special show which perhaps lacked the spark of the classic series but still served as a kind of aural comfort blanket, resurrecting such well-loved characters as Bluebottle, Eccles, Seagoon and Bloodnok. Joining Tyler to discuss it is author, playwright and stand-up Ian Billings (who has penned audio plays about Milligan and Sellers) and here's a bunch of questions thrown up during the conversation: * Why was Little Jim originally referred to as 'Lenin' in the script? * Would the show have been better without Royal patronage? * When exactly was that famous Michael Caine catchphrase coined? * Just how peevish was Andrew Timothy? * How might Michael Bentine have fitted into the reunion show? * Did the absence of Angela Morley significantly impact upon the show's sound? * Was the final 'freak out' better in rehearsal? * Can you tell the difference between a lump on the head and margarine? Plus much much more! Ian is on Twitter @mrianbillings and check his work out on ianbillings.com
Apr 27, 2022 · 1 hr 8 min
The Wrong Box (1966)
Recipe for a riotous sixties romp? Take two aging thespians, mix in a dozen dependable character actors, add three or four comic geniuses to bind it all together and season with a generous pinch of psychedelic Victoriana. Top it off with a rising young star and the director's wife and the result is a complex confection full of surprises which the whole family can enjoy! Joining Tyler this week is writer, podcaster and occasional broadcaster Tim Worthington to talk about a film which he (rightly) argues is unfairly underappreciated: Bryan Forbes' 1966 ensemble comedy The Wrong Box. It qualifies for this podcast owing to a film-stealing turn by Peter Sellers as Doctor Pratt, but he is only one of many delights - it also features Peter Cook & Dudley Moore as a pair of hissable villains, Wilfrid Lawson as a butler on the verge of collapse, Michael Caine as the dashing, if naive, romantic lead, Tony Hancock as a rheumy-eyed troubled 'tec and Ralph Richardson as an increasingly erratic epistemophilic uncle! Also in 'blink-and-you'll-miss-'em' terms, Valentine Dyall, John Junkin, Leonard Rossiter and Graham Stark! (Graham Stark appears by kind permission of Mr Sellers). And, of course, the Lovely Nanette Newman as Miss Julia Finsbury. It's a fun, rambling conversation which, like the film itself, takes a lot of surprising turns! Tim is on Twitter @outonbluesix Mesel': @goonshowpod
Apr 20, 2022 · 1 hr 32 min
Talking Goons (with Chris Diamond)
Chris Diamond of TV Cream joins Tyler to talk all things Goon-related as well as a whole heap'o'other stuff. Having been aware of the Goons for as long as he can remember, Chris shares stories of discovering things like Q, The Last Goon Show Of All and The Great McGonagall (the latter of which he expounds upon at length) and there is a brief digression on the genius of Ken Campbell. Plus: Spike on chat shows and Sellers as Clouseau. Those with weak bladders are advised that as Chris and Tyler spoke for so long this is a longer than usual edition of the podcast. Chris can be found on Twitter @wheeltappers https://www.tvcream.co.uk/ @goonshowpod
Apr 13, 2022 · 1 hr 1 min
Christopher Douglas on Radio Comedy
The co-creator and star of hit Radio 4 comedy series Ed Reardon’s Week - Christopher Douglas - is this week’s special guest! Christopher talks about radio comedy and its impact and influence on postwar Britain and his own involvement in the medium. Apart from the Goons we talked about Muir & Norden’s writing partnership, June Whitfield working with Peter Sellers, Stars In Battledress, Tony Hancock, the importance of spot FX in radio comedy and the infamous (and highly proscriptive!) BBC Green Book. As well as playing Ed Reardon and the hapless cricketer Dave Podmore, Christopher has been involved in radio series such as Beauty of Britain, Mastering The Universe and the recent Tinniswood Award-winning adaptation of Tristram Shandy. If you include the bonus shows this is Goon Pod’s 50th episode folks, with plenty more fun to come, and my thanks to Christopher and everyone else who has contributed to the podcast’s success since it launched in May 2021 – here’s to loads more!
Apr 6, 2022 · 1 hr 10 min
A Show Called Fred
This episode is sponsored by Muc™ - it cuts down trees! Actor, musician and comedian Jeremy Limb is this week's special guest as we discuss the Goons' foray into television in the mid-fifties, specifically A Show Called Fred. Although few of the Fred shows survive (and none of its immediate predecessor Idiot Weekly Price 2d) Tyler and Jeremy worked with what they could get and what results is (we hope) an enjoyable and informative conversation about something the like of which which had never been seen on television up to that point, and which shows a clear line to future Python material (coconuts standing in as horses etc). We also celebrate Kenneth Connor, The Alberts and the ubiquitous (for this podcast in any case) Valentine Dyall. Jeremy also talks about his dad who was a notable figure within the BBC Radiophonic Workshop and composer of music for the likes of Box of Delights and Doctor Who. Jeremy is on Twitter @jeremylimb @goonshowpod
Mar 30, 2022 · 1 hr 10 min
Peter Sellers on the Radio (1948-1951)
Mark Cousins makes a welcome return to the podcast this week to talk in some detail about the early wireless career of Peter Sellers leading up to the launch of the Goon Show (or Crazy People) in 1951. Following his famous episode of chutzpah telephoning Roy Speer, Sellers was within a very short space of time one of the hardest working performers on British radio and in huge demand by producers owing to his facility for voices. Mark and Tyler touch on most of the shows he was involved in during this period including Ray's A Laugh, Petticoat Lane, Third Division (where he first worked with Secombe and Bentine and Pat Dixon), Tempo For Today and Workers Playtime. Tune in now! *** Mark will return in the future to discuss Sellers' fifties radio output once he was established firmly as a Goon.
Mar 23, 2022 · 58 min
The Canal
Everyone’s favourite Goon Show character Reuben Croucher is discussed in this week’s episode, alongside other such heavyweights of the show: Justin Eidelberger and Flowerdew. Yes, this week we’re talking about Series 5’s The Canal and once again we find Mr Valentine Dyall in fine form and at his villainous best, chewing it up something rotten! Joining Tyler to talk about the show is Singapore-based illustrator and reviewer Jonathan Roberts and among other topics they discuss Hancock’s Half Hour and a mooted Goon Show/Hancock crossover which never happened, the Telegoons, Appointment With Fear and a missing Bloodnok scene. Jonathan is on Twitter & Instagram @jonrob5000