Milligan Preserved

In 1990 the airwaves were set alight with the arrival of Flywheel, Shyster & Flywheel to BBC radio. Based on material from a series of the same name broadcast on American radio in the early thirties, these modern adaptations benefited hugely from great production, excellent scripts and a highly talented cast, particularly the two lead performers Michael Roberts and Frank Lazarus, both of whom totally captured the energy and spirit of Groucho & Chico Marx, retaining their timeless character while giving them a contemporary tweak. The then up-and-coming BBC radio wunderkind Dirk Maggs (who later gained audio industry national treasure status via his collaborations with the likes of Neil Gaiman) directed the show and it ran for three series on BBC Radio 4, attracting huge listening figures and much popular acclaim. One of its biggest champions was a man who by this point in his life was critical about what he considered the state of modern comedy: Spike Milligan. Confessing to having been delighted and enchanted by the series – and coming from a huge Marx Brothers fan from whom he had drawn much inspiration this was high praise indeed – Spike was invited onto the show. The former Goon ended up appearing twice, and despite nerves seemed to relish every moment of it. This week Goon Pod has the rare honour of playing host to Dirk, Michael and Frank, who look back at the series and recall how it came about, sharing favourite moments and behind-the-scenes gossip and remembering the rather challenging circumstances in which they welcomed Spike onto the show. News of the remake was huge at the time and received international television coverage from the likes of CNN. We hear some rare clips and Frank talks about appearing on the Dick Cavett Show in an earlier iteration of Chico, while Michael explains about how ad-libbing was positively encouraged. There is also tribute paid to Mark Brisenden, the man behind the scripts, and the supporting cast including Lorelei King and Graham Hoadly, not to mention the great Dick Vosburgh, the accomplished comedy writer who did so much to revive the Marx Brothers in the seventies and eighties and who acted as consultant on FS&F. A must-listen for fans of the Marx Brothers, the Goons or great comedy in general!

It is June 1970. Ted Heath is days away from becoming British Prime Minister. Mungo Jerry are riding high at the top of the charts. And popular television personality Simon Dee's career is just about to collapse in a spectacular fashion. How ironic then that Dee should co-star in the film we're discussing this week, playing a popular television personality! Doctor In Trouble was the last of the Doctor film series, which by 1970 had fully committed to aping the Carry Ons. As well as Dee, Harry Secombe is one of the principle cast, and the star is Leslie Phillips playing Dr Tony Burke, who somehow manages to stow away on a luxury cruise liner and spends much of the voyage trying to evade the clutches of Master-At Arms-Freddie Jones! Oh, and Robert Morley's in it too. Secombe is brilliant, as you would expect, and Dee (although not given a huge amount to do) puts in a fairly creditable performance. Leslie Phillips is, well, Leslie Phillips and how did we forget to mention that the peerless Irene Handl pops up too? Joining Tyler this week is writer, director and actor John Hewer. John has been behind some tributes to and revivals of classic British comedy performers and shows, including The Bed Sitting Room, Tommy Cooper and Steptoe & Son. They talk about the history of the Doctor series, the sad decline of James Robertson-Justice, the rise and fall of Simon Dee, problematic gay stereotypes from around this period, seventies posh nosh and consider the prospect of a nude Welshman on the film set! You'll really dig it!

"All trams have been melted down and made into melted-down trams." In 1952 London's last tram rolled into the depot. Two years later the Goons decided to mark the occasion with a show - better late than never! At the London Pleasure Transport Board, Redundant Tram Department, Inspector Ned Seagoon receives a phone call informing him that there’s still a tram at large on the Highgate-Kingsway route, and, indeed, the tram map still has one flag pin stuck in it, for a number 33. Driver Henry Crun refuses to move the tram unless he is afforded a proper last tram ceremony. Seagoon has to negotiate with the corrupt Chairman of the Country & Town Planning Society who agrees to the ceremony, but on the cheap. Writing was credited to Spike Milligan & Eric Sykes but it seems fairly certain Eric took the lion's share of work that week. The Last Tram (from Clapham) is a real gem of a Goon Show - well structured, well-paced, with some interesting one-off characters, a nice pay-off and the odd unusual choice of sound effect (such as the otherworldly harp). Joining Tyler to talk about it is our Welsh-language correspondent from Down Under, Andy Bell! As well as chatting about the show they discuss Britain's Rudest Man, the length of Alan Ladd, the Telegoons version of the show, Spike in Australia, the history of London's tram network and... Menace Strain Bullshine? Andy can be found on Twitter/X: @obelloz

"In ye year of Grace, Mary and Uncle Fred, 1190, Wallace Greenslade, an itinerant announcer, was bounde for Nottingham when ye coach was stoppd inne Sherwood Forest by Robin Hood who did persuade himme to join hys bande as second sackbuttist and part-time dustman. Greenslade did don Lincoln Green and did assiste ye outlaws in their recklesse adventures." (Radio Times listing for 'Ye Bandit of Sherwood Forest', December 1954) This week Tyler and guest Chas Early look at the Robin Hood-themed episodes of The Goon Show - Ye Bandit of Sherwood Forest from Series 5 and the special from 1956, Robin Hood, as well as some brief chat about the earlier Christmas Pantomime of Robin Hood from Series 3 which only exists now in script form. All three shows share some similar dialogues and scenes and each featured special guests: Charlotte Mitchell in Ye Bandit; Dennis Price and Valentine Dyall in the 1956 Robin Hood; and Dick Emery & Carole Carr back in 1952. There's a lot to unpick so splug yourself on a gillikin spike and tune in!

"One small brown pot containing... another small brown pot." With its memorable cover, photographed by Angus McBean and voted Number 25 in the NME's list of Genuinely Disturbing Record Sleeves, Milligan Preserved was released in late 1961 and featured a series of songs and sketches written and performed by Spike Milligan, with assistance from the likes of Valentine Dyall and Graham Stark. It was produced by George Martin and as such our guest this week is Jason Kruppa, host of Producing The Beatles podcast. Jason is a big fan of the record and shares a lot of interesting background information. The LP includes three tunes which were originally featured in Goon Show episodes – interestingly, all were shows from Series 8 and all were broadcast between January & February 1958. There's also some joyful flights of nonsense such as Another Lot, Word Power and Underneath It All (coming to you live from a nudist colony) and aside from the occasional jarring note (we're looking at YOU, Hit Parade!) the album stands the test of time. All together now! "Sideways, through the sewers of the Strand..."

This week's guest is a man more used to asking the questions - the writer and broadcaster Clive Anderson. A former barrister, Clive turned to comedy and wrote for the likes of Mel Smith and Griff Rhys Jones before gaining radio & television fame as the host of top improvisational comedy series Whose Line Is It Anyway? He then went on to present a series of chat shows and interviewed some of the biggest stars on the planet, including Spike Milligan, and it's this that we take as our starting point. Clive talks about his career and many of the shows and people he's been involved with, including WLIIA, Loose Ends, If I Ruled The World, Peter Cook, Tony Slattery, John Sessions, Graeme Garden and Keith Allen. He also talks about his reaction to the Brass Eye segment claiming he'd been shot dead by Noel Edmonds, remembers seeing Harry Secombe miming on stage and shudders as he recalls *that* interview with the Bee Gees.

"Excuse me, what is the price of sliced ham per portion?" And so this enigmatic enquiry opens the first episode of Series 7 of The Goon Show - and to launch the new series of Goon Pod Graeme Lindsay-Foot returns to talk about it! Broadcast in October 1956 as the situation in Suez was worsening, it was a busy period for the Goons - The Ying Tong Song was riding high in the Hit Parade, Son Of Fred was showing on ITV and Harry had a song in the charts. Producer Pat Dixon was too busy to helm the first couple of episodes of the new series so former producer Peter Eton agreed to briefly return. There were also tensions between co-writer Larry Stephens and the BBC. As well as discussing this and the show itself, Graeme & Tyler touch on Morecambe & Wise, Bob Dylan, Little & Large, George Harrison, Anita West and others! Plus: Goons in rehearsal, Bentine vs Dawson and the best Goons theme tune!

Comedian Rory McGrath is this week's guest and he freely admits that it was the Goons that got him into comedy. The conversation ranges hither and yon and among other topics we talk about: The creation of Chelmsford 123 Peter Cook The genius of Phil Pope Rory's falling out and eventual reconciliation with Jimmy Mulville Who Dares Wins and Tony Robinson letting it all hang out Barry Cryer - aka 'Lord Crap' They Think It's All Over and Lee Hurst's departure Three Men In A Boat with a reluctant Griff Rhys Jones Frankie Howerd being inappropriate Clive Anderson in a kilt ... plus much more! (Caution: contains some content which some listeners may find offensive)

Mark Cousins, Mike Haskins & Sean Gaffney join Tyler for a very special New Years Eve bonus episode! Earlier this year listeners to Goon Pod were asked to nominate their favourite Peter Sellers films and they didn't disappoint - hundreds of people responded and thus a Top Twenty list emerged. The chaps count down the list and although most of Sellers' more notable movies appear there are a few surprises! The maddening suspense as our guests await Ghost In The Noonday Sun is palpable! They also consider those that just failed to make the Top 20, any notable omissions and find out which actors appeared alongside Sellers the most. Tune in to see if your favourite made the chart!

As it's Christmas this week we wanted to shake things up and try something a little different... so we decided to talk about a British comedy film which doesn't feature a Goon! A change is as good as a rest and anyway, the film is a cracker. In 1986 John Cleese starred in a Michael Frayn-scripted comic farce called Clockwise, in which he plays headmaster Brian Stimpson who needs to get to far-flung Norwich in order to deliver a speech. Having missed the train, Stimpson enlists the help of one of his pupils to drive him and what follows is a series of hilarious mishaps and misunderstandings with countless laws being broken along the way. It was the film that inspired Cleese to embark upon A Fish Called Wanda and is one of the greatest - if sometimes overlooked - British comedy films of the eighties. Chris Diamond of TV Cream returns for a fourth time and finally gets the key to the executive washroom. Having not seen the film since it was released he had a lot to say and props are given to the supporting cast including Stephen Moore, Joan Hickson, Tony Haygarth and Penelope Wilton. As for Stimpson: is he, as Tyler suggests, a 'less Tory' Basil Fawlty? This and many more questions are asked, and some of them are even answered!