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CHRONOLOGICAL INDEX
This index comprises a complete chronological listing of the ten
broadcast series, together with the 'Vintage Goons' series recorded for:
Transcription Services concurrently with the 8th series, and the
specials such as 'Cinderella', 'The Starlings', 'The Reason Why' and
'Archie in Goonland'. Short contributions to other programmes are
also included if they were recorded during Goon Show sessions, but
appearances by the Goons in other programmes and on television are
listed in Appendix 4, which also includes 'The Last Goon Show of
All', and other appearances since the Goon Shows proper finished in
1960.
The Chronological Index is laid out as follows:
PAGE HEADINGS: Producer, script credits, day of broadcast and
pre-recording, and changes of cast applicable to the whole series.
The script credits are given as in the official documentation; in
fact it seems likely that Larry Stephens made at least some contri-
bution to many of the scripts credited to Milligan alone, and that
some of the scripts listed as collaborations were largely Milligan's
work. In general, Stephens's plots tend to have a beginning, a
middle, and an end; whereas Milligan's tend to have a middle....
SHOW-BY-SHOW DETAILS
SERIES NUMBER: Straight numerical listing within each series.
Some BBC files list cumulative numbers; these get progressively
more inaccurate.
TRANSMISSION DATE: Date of first transmission only. All first
transmissions were on Home Service except 'The Goons Hit
Wales' (Light Programme 1-3-56), and 'Operation Christmas
Duff' (General Overseas Service, 24-12-56). Most in-series shows
were repeated a few days after the first placing, usually on Light
Programme. Many shows also went out on the General Overseas
Service. None of these repeats has been listed. There were also a
number of repeats between series, and since the shows ended; for
details of these see Appendix 1. To facilitate the repeats on Light
Programme, most shows from the 6th series on had separate Light
Programme announcements pre-recorded and cut into the tape
after the first transmission to replace the Home Service identifica-
tions.
RECORDING NUMBER: Reference number of the original record-
ing - made over landline, usually at Broadcasting House, from the
outside studio (the Playhouse Theatre, the Camden Theatre, etc.).
SLO = 33 r.p.m. coarse groove 16" disk recorded at Broad-
casting House.
SBU = ditto recorded at Bush House.
TNC = ditto recorded in Newcastle (!)
TITLE: The title given here is the official BBC title; references are
given to the notes following. Transcription Services have adopted
different tides for several shows; these have been shown adjacent
to the original title. The first two series do not have titles, as the
shows are episodic.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Changes of cast for individual
shows (mostly the addition of guest artists) and recording dates
other than the previous Sunday are also shown. Except where
noted, the shows are nominally half an hour long, usually with
about a minute and a half of playout to bring the duration to just
over thirty minutes.
NOTES
Notes to each series (except the first two, which do not require
detailed notes) follow each series listing. Announced titles which differ
from the official have been detailed, together with any other relevant
information.
NOTE 1 indicates throughout that the show is not announced by any
coherent tide (except, of course, as 'The Goon Show'); for the pur-
poses of these notes, only announcements at or near the beginnings of
the show are being considered, not those after the musical items.
The 3rd series shows are not included in this, as the tides given do
not usually apply to the first sketch, which often does not have a title
in any case. Those 4th series shows which are episodic have been
detailed in the notes; there is usually no very coherent tide given to
the first episode in these shows.
TECHNICAL CREDITS
The technical work in the studio is divided as follows; 'Panel' Studio
Manager (balance and control - the term derives from 'mixing panel',
the old-fashioned name for the studio desk); 'Grams' SM (playing
pre-recorded effects on disk and tape, as well as gramophone records);
and 'Spot Effects' SM (live effects in the studio).
It has not been possible to assemble full show-by-show credits for
the technical staff who worked on the Goon Shows over the years,
as no official records have been kept (apart from occasional credits
on the fronts of scripts, and in a few closing announcements at the
ends of series); and at this remove those involved cannot remember
accurately which shows they worked on. The information which follows
lists the main team of Studio Managers for each series, but in some
cases members of this team were replaced owing to leave, sickness, etc.
1st series - no details available; it appears that there was
no regular team.
2nd series - 'technical supervision' of the series (i.e. panel
SM) is credited to Keith Fell in the closing
announcement of the last show.
3rd, 4th & 5th series - Panel - John Browell (who later produced
the 9th and lOth series)
Grams - Ian Cook
Spot - John Hamilton (David Allen on some shows)
'The Starlings' - Panel - Harry Green
Grams- Barry Wilson, assisted by Ron
Belchier
6th, 7th & 8th series - Panel - Bobby Jaye
Grams - Ian Cook
Spot - Ron Belchier
9th series - Panel - Brian Willey
Gram- Ian Cook
Spot - Harry Morriss
1st Series
Billed as: 'CRAZY PEOPLE, featuring Radio's own Crazy Gang-
'The Goons".'
with Peter Sellers, Harry Secombe, Spike Milligan, Michael Bentine,
The Ray Ellington Quartet, The Stargazers, Max Geldray, and
except where stated) the BBC Dance Orchestra, conducted by
Stanley Black. Announcer Andrew Timothy, except nos. 8-10,
announcer Denys Drower.
Scripts written by Spike Milligan and Larry Stephens, edited by
Jimmy Grafton. Produced by Dennis Main Wilson, except 11-14
Produced by Leslie Bridgmont. Nos. 1-9 broadcast on Mondays, nos.
10-17 on Thursdays. All pre-recorded the previous Sunday.
The shows consist of four or five short sketches separated by musical
items.
1 28-5-51 SLO 90268
2 4-6-51 SLO 90269
3 11-6-51 SLO 90452
4 18-6-51 SLO 90366
5 25-6-51 SOX 59949
6 2-7-51 SLO 91295(with the BBC Revue Orch. cond. by
Robert Busby)
7 9-7-51 SLO 91565(with the BBC Revue Orch. cond. by
Robert Busby)
8 16-7-51 SLO 92262
9 23-7-51 SLO 92468
10 2-8-51 SLO 92867
11 9-8-51 SOX 61088*
12 16-8-51 SLO 93368
13 23-8-51 SOX 61088*
14 30-8-51 SLO 93400
15 6-9-51 SBU 71149
16 13-9-51 SLO 94892(with the BBC Revue Orch. cond. by
Robert Busby)
17 20-9-51 SLO 95143(without Geldray, with Marie Benson
(vocalist) and the Skyrockets Orch.
cond. by Woolf Phillips)
SP 26-12-51 SLO 99928CINDERELLA (pantomime)
with Lizbeth Webb as Cinderella,
Graham Stark as Prince Charming: The
Goons: The Stargazers: The Ray
Ellington Quartet: Max Geldray and
the Augmented Dance Orchestra con-
ducted by Stanley Black.
Produced by Dennis Main Wilson.
Recorded 16-12-51
* obviously these shows can't both have had the same number, but it has
not been possible to cross-check any further the information given in
those official files which still exist.
2nd Series
Billed as 'THE GOON SHOW, featuring those crazy peop!e . . .'
Cast and musicians as for the previous series for the first SIX shows
after which the Stargazers left.
Scripts by Spike Milligan and Larry Stephens, edited by Jimmy
Grafton (who also wrote special lyrics for some shows).
Produced by Dennis Main Wilson.
Broadcast Tuesdays, pre-recorded the previous Sunday (except nos
24 & 25).
1 22-1-52 SLO 1768
2 29-1-52 SLO 2147
3 5-2-52 SLO 2519
12-2-52 No transmission owing to the death of
King George VI
4 19-2-52 SLO 3334(BBC Dance Orch. cond. by Stanley
Andrews)
5 26-2-52 SLO 3627
6 4-3-52 SLO 4021
7 11-3-52 SLO 4179
8 18-3-52 SLO 5112The Goons' version of Rider Haggard's
'She' - entitled 'Her'*
9 25-3-52 SLO 5277
10 1-4-52 SLO 5380
11 8-4-52 SLO 5684(without Milligan)
12 15-4-52 SLO 6306
13 22-4-52 SLO 6737
14 29-4-52 SLO 6959
15 6-5-52 SBU 83555
16 13-5-52 SLO 7761
17 20-5-52 SLO 8202
18 27-5-52 SLO 8179
19 3-6-52 SLO 9302(with the BBC Revue Orch. cond. by
Robert Busby)
20 10-6-52 SLO 9307(with the BBC Dance Orch. cond. by
Wally Stott)
21 17-6-52 SLO 9638(without Bentine)
22 24-6-52 SLO 9955
23 1-7-52 SLO 10474
24 8-7-52 SLO 11378(recorded 29-6-52)
25 15-7-52 SLO 10808 (recorded 6-7-52)
* this is the first in-series show to have a single plot lasting right
through the programme.
3rd Series
From now on billed as 'THE GOON SHOW'
Basic cast - Sellers, Secombe, Milligan, with Geldray, Ellington and
orchestra conducted by Wally Stott. Announcer Andrew Timothy.
Bentine has now left.
Produced by Peter Eton, except 18 & 19 produced by Charles Chilton
Scripts by Spike Milligan and Larry Stephens, edited by Jimmy
Grafton.
All except 7 broadcast Tuesdays: pre-recorded the previous Sunday
(except 2-22).
The shows have 3 parts; the title given is usually that of the middle
episode.
1 11-11-52 SLO 17297Fred of the Islands(2)
2 18-11-52 SOX 82948 The Egg of the Great Auk(3)
3 25-11-52 SLO 18332 I Was a Male Fan Dancer(2)
4 2-12-52 SLO 18613 The Saga of HMS AldQate(2)
5 9-12-52 SLO 18848 The Expedition for Toothpaste(4)
(without Milligan)
6 16-12-52 SLO 19414 The Archers(2) (without Milligan)
7 26-12-52 SLO 19526 Robin Hood(6) (Christmas Pantomime-
45 minutes: without Milligan; with
Dick Emery & Carole Carr)
8 30-12-52 SLO 19783 Where Does Santa Claus Go in the
Summer?(6) (without Milligan, with
Ellis Powell)
9 6-1-53 SLO 20338 The Navy, Army, and Air Force(2)
(without Milligan, with Dick Emery)
10 13-1-53 SLO 20695 The British Way of Lif(2) (without
Milligan, with Graham Stark)
11 20-1-53 SLO 20948 A Survey of Britain(2)(without Milligan,
with Dick Emery)
12 27-1-53 SLO 21647 Flint of the Flying Squad(2) (without
Milligan, with Graham Stark)
13 3-2-53 SOX 86757 Seaside Resorts in Winter(2) (without
Milligan, with Dick Emery)
14 10-2-53 SLO 22493 The Tragedy of Oxley Tower(3)
(without Milligan, with Graham
Stark & Valentine Dyall)
15 17-2-53 SLO 22860 The Story of Civilization(7) (without
Milligan, with Dick Emery)
16 24-2-53 SLO 22973 The Search for the Bearded Vulture(3)
(without Milligan, with Graham Stark)
17 3-3-53 SLO 23540 The Mystery of the Monkey's Paw(8)
(Milligan returns; with Dick Emery)
18 10-3-53 SLO 24224 The Mystery of the Cow on the Hill(9)
19 17-3-53 SLO 24432 Where Do Socks Come From?(3)
24-3-53No transmission owing to the death of
Queen Mary
20 31-3-53 SLO 24764 The Man Who Never Was(10)
(recorded 22-3-53)
21 7-4-53 SLO 25520 The Building of the Suez Canal(3)
(recorded 29-3-53)
22 14-4-53 SLO 25873 The De Goonlies(3) (recorded 5-4-53)
23 21-4-53 SLO 26517 The Conquest of Space(2)
24 28-4-53 SLO 26797 The Ascent of Mount Everest(3)
25 5-5-53 SLO 27952 The Story of the Plymouth Hoe Armada(3)
SP 3-6-53 SLO 29390 Coronation edition(11) (40 minutes;
recorded 1-6-53; without Geldray,
with Graham Stark)
Notes to 3rd series
The titles given (with one exception) are taken from the fronts of the
scripts in BBC Script Library, where they have been pencilled in. In
most cases the title is applicable to the middle section of the show
(details are given below). As these shows are episodic any titling is
bound to be somewhat arbitrary, but it should be emphasized that,
from the point of view of the listener, this series would not be regarded
as having titles, still being in the traditional variety format.
2. Title given is that of middle part of show.
3. Title given is that of parts 2 and 3 of show.
4. At this point Milligan went into hospital suffering from a nervous
breakdown. This show and the next bad already been written;
after a few weeks Milligan resumed writing the shows in collab-
oration with Larry Stephens. The title given here is of the middle
sketch, which later re-appeared in the 20th of the 4th series.
5. This show, which has a straight-through plot, is credited on the
front of the script to 'Thomas Alcock & William Bull (from the
original Alcock and Bull story)'. It was in fact mostly written by
Jimmy Grafton (working for 36 hours continuously!), Milligan
being in hospital and Larry Stephens unwell. The opening
few pages were re-used in the 14th of the 5th series.
6. In the absence of an official title, the title of the final sketch has
been adopted (the answer being that he stays in Greenland on
account of Eskimo Nell). The middle sketch is a re-make, with a
few additions, of 'The Archers' (middle part of no. 6 of this
series). Ellis Powell, who makes a brief appearance, was the
current Mrs. Dale of 'Mrs. Dale's Diary'.
7. 'The Story of Civilization', which is the middle episode, is a
re-make of part of the 6th of the 1st series.
8. The title given here is of the first sketch; the remainder of the
show is 'The Search for Brigadier Winchmold'.
9. The title given here is that of the first sketch; the remainder of
the show is 'The Siege of Khartoum', used again in no. 18 of the
4th series.
10. The title given is parts 2 and 3; this story appears again, in
expanded form, as the 27th of the 6th series, and then again as
the 21st of the 8th series.
11. This show, which sticks to one plot the whole way through,
purports to present a recorded commentary on the Coronation
procession.
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