The Goon Show

For other uses, see Goon.
Not to be confused with The Gong Show.

The Goon Show
Peter Sellers (top), Spike Milligan (left) and Harry Secombe (right) in a 1950s BBC publicity shot
Other namesCrazy People (series 1)
GenreComedy
Running time30 minutes
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Language(s)English
Home stationBBC Home Service
Syndicates
Starring
Announcer
Created bySpike Milligan
Produced by
Recording studioCamden Theatre, London
Original release28 May 1951 (1951-05-28) –
28 January 1960 (1960-01-28)
No. of series10
No. of episodes238 plus 12 specials (list of episodes)
Audio formatMono
Other themes
Ending theme"Crazy Rhythm" or "Stompin' at the Savoy", performed by Max Geldray and the Ray Ellington Quartet
Websitewww.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0072vdz

The Goon Show is a British radio comedy programme, originally produced and broadcast by the BBC Home Service from 1951 to 1960, with occasional repeats on the BBC Light Programme. The first series, broadcast from 28 May to 20 September 1951, was titled Crazy People; subsequent series had the title The Goon Show.

The show's chief creator and main writer was Spike Milligan, who performed the series alongside Harry Secombe, Peter Sellers and (for the first two series) Michael Bentine. The scripts mixed ludicrous plots with surreal humour, puns, catchphrases and an array of bizarre sound effects. There were also light music interludes. Some of the later episodes feature electronic effects devised by the fledgling BBC Radiophonic Workshop, many of which were reused by other shows for decades. Elements of the show satirised contemporary life in 1950s Britain, parodying aspects of show business, commerce, industry, art, politics, diplomacy, the police, the military, education, class structure, literature and film.

The show was released internationally through the BBC Transcription Services (TS).[1]: 54  It aired regularly from the 1950s in Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, India, and Canada, although these TS versions were frequently edited to avoid controversial subjects.[1]: 54  In the United States, NBC began broadcasting the programme on its radio network from the mid-1950s.[2]

Subversive and absurdist, The Goon Show exercised a considerable influence on the development of British and American comedy and popular culture. It was cited as a major influence by the Beatles, the American comedy troupe the Firesign Theatre,[3]:4,5,61 and the British comedy troupe Monty Python.[4][5][6][7]

  1. ^ a b Wilmut, Roger; Jimmy Grafton (1976). The Goon Show Companion - A History and Goonography. London: Robson Books. ISBN 0-903895-64-1.
  2. ^ "FIREZINE #4: Under the Influence of the Goons". Firezine.net. Winter 1997–1998. Archived from the original on 27 June 2006. Retrieved 28 October 2012.
  3. ^ McCann, Graham (2006). Spike & Co. London: Hodder & Stoughton. ISBN 0-340-89809-7.
  4. ^ Scudamore, Pauline (1985). Spike Milligan: A Biography. London: Granada. ISBN 0-246-12275-7.
  5. ^ Ventham, Maxine (2002). Spike Milligan: His Part In Our Lives. London: Robson. ISBN 1-86105-530-7. Retrieved 23 August 2010.
  6. ^ Chapman, G., Cleese, J., Gilliam, T., Idle, E., Jones, T., & Palin, M. (2004). Edited by Bob McCabe. The Pythons Autobiography by The Pythons. London: Orion. Chapman's posthumous input via collateral sources. ISBN 0-7528-6425-4
  7. ^ Chapman, Graham (2006). Jim Yoakum (ed.). Calcium Made Interesting: Sketches, Letters, Essays & Gondolas. London: Pan Books. ISBN 978-0-330-43543-7; ISBN 0-330-43543-4