The Goons first came together in a pub called Grafton's in London's Victoria. The pub was a popular meeting place for actors, comics and writers in the early post-war years, with landlord and scriptwriter Jimmy Grafton serving up advice and encouragement along with the beer. Spike Milligan was renting a room above the pub and working on comedy scripts with Grafton - who became known as KOGVOS, King of the Goons and Voice of Sanity - when his wartime friend Harry Secombe, introduced him to Peter Sellers and Michael Bentine.

There then began a terrible rasping, squealing, giggling, snorting period of lunacy which continued unabated until 1960. The Goons first went on air at the BBC as The Crazy People on 28 May 1951. It wasn't until the second series in January 1952 that the BBC agreed to changing the name of the show to The Goon Show. Spike Milligan, of course, became the driving force behind The Goons, writing the scripts and devising the characters which became part of our comedy heritage.

The cast of the first series (Crazy People) were:

Peter Sellers, Harry Secombe, Spike Milligan, Michael Bentine, The Ray Ellington Quartet, The Stargazers, Max Geldray and The BBC Dance Orchestra conducted by Stanley Black. Announcer Andrew Timothy. Produced by Dennis Main Wilson. Wallace Greenslade announced from series 5 onwards.