Thursday, March 20, 2008

The Goons

The start of modern off-the-wall comedy, the acknowledged basis for just about every comic act that followed, the Goons were broadcast on BBC radio in the 1950s. Peter Sellers (later world-famous for films like Being There and Dr Strangelove), Harry Secombe (Mr Bumble in the film of the musical Oliver!) and Spike Milligan, the mad genius behind the scripts, prodiced some of the funniest comedy characters and sketches of all time.

From my youngest days I have loved The Ying Tong Song, and offer it for your pleasure.



I challenge anyone to better this sketch between Eccles and Bluebottle (Milligan and Sellers) for sheer wacky brilliance.

10 comments:

  1. Anonymous9:27 pm

    Pure genius and you can still catch them on Radio 7 from time to time.

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  2. Anonymous10:01 pm

    Absolutely great Val, I have always loved Peter Sellers. Don't know a lot about the others but this was so funny!!!!! Thanks for sharing Jean

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  3. I remember Mr. Bumble from Oliver. He scared the hell out of me!

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  4. Anonymous1:50 am

    Bobby's Girl here, Great fun Val!

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  5. They really are brilliant, and what a most unusual song! LOL

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  6. Anonymous4:19 am

    At first I thought you were talking about "The Goonies." Apparently I don't read very well.

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  7. These bring back memories..my grandfather was a big fan of The Goon Show and would dissolve into giggles every time he heard them on the radio.Our local radio station used to play sketches from them on Sundays right up to the 80's so I got used to hearing them too

    Thank You!!

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  8. I loved the Goons - and then it was a natural step to Monty Python and then, eventually, The Young Ones (Lozzie ducks to avoid barrage of rotten fruit and vegetables.)

    We need to persuade Vincent D'Onofrio to do more comedy. That, and dancing.

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  9. Anonymous12:31 pm

    I was always very fond of the classic 'I'm walking backwards for Christmas' although I'm quite glad there are others out there who would fall about laughing with me at the words 'He's fallen in da water'. Sorry US friends, it's probably a 'Brit' thing :0)

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  10. Thanks Val, I needed that little chuckle today. I don't get some Brit humor but the stuff I do, I love. Eccles and Bluebottle were very funny.

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