Hancock's Half Hour
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| Hancock's Half Hour | |
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| Genre | Comedy |
| Running time | 30 minutes |
| Country |  United Kingdom |
| Language(s) | English |
| Home station | BBC |
| Television adaptation(s) | Hancock's Half Hour (1956-1960) Hancock (1961) |
| Starring | Tony Hancock |
| Writer(s) | Ray Galton and Alan Simpson |
| Producer(s) | Dennis Main Wilson Tom Ronald |
| Air dates | 2 November 1954 – 30 June 1961 |
| No. of series | 7 |
Hancock's Half Hour was a ground-breaking and influential BBC radio comedy series of the 1950s, starring Tony Hancock, with Sid James, Hattie Jacques, Bill Kerr and Kenneth Williams. From 1956 it also became a television comedy series.
The show was written by Ray Galton and Alan Simpson, and produced by Dennis Main Wilson, although, after Main-Wilson departed for his television career, this role was later taken by Tom Ronald. The distinctive tuba-based theme tune was composed by Wally Stott.
Contents |
[edit] Radio series
Tony Hancock starred as what was essentially an exaggerated version of his own character, usually portrayed as a down-at-heel comedian living at the dilapidated "23 Railway Cuttings" in East Cheam. Sid James played a criminally-inclined confidante who would usually manage to con Hancock in some way, while Bill Kerr appeared as Hancock's dim-witted Australian lodger. Moira Lister also appeared in the first series, before being replaced by Andrée Melly for the next two series, both playing love interests for Hancock's character. In the fourth and fifth series, Hattie Jacques played Griselda Pugh, live-in secretary to Hancock and the occasional girlfriend of Sid James.
The series broke with the variety tradition dominant in British radio comedy at that time, into the sitcom or Situation comedy genre. Instead of sketches, guest-stars and musical interludes, the humour developed from the characters and their situations.
Hancock's experiences were based in reality and on observation. From the playlet "Look Back In Hunger" in The East Cheam Drama Festival episode, Galton and Simpson showed they were in touch with developments in the British theatre, the use of sighs and silent pauses predating the works of Harold Pinter by several years. The measured pacing of these episodes must have been groundbreaking in the days of fast-talking Ted Ray, where every second of airtime had to be filled, and 'dead air' was a cardinal sin.
With Galton and Simpson cranking out scripts at the rate they did, it is little wonder that continuity was not given top priority, with details changed to suit the episode. The domestic situation varied, with Hancock usually portrayed as unemployed or as a hopeless, down-at-heel comedian. Sid was always on the fiddle in some way. Bill was dim and virtually unemployable (though he started as a fast-talking American-type Australian). Miss Pugh, Hancock's secretary, apparently has such a loose job description that she cooks Sunday lunch.
Initially Hancock had a few different addresses, but by the third radio series he was established at 23 Railway Cuttings, East Cheam. The ownership changed to suit the story, sometimes it was a council house and sometimes there was a private landlord. In a few of the earlier episodes Hancock owned the house, and later this became the norm. The house itself changed to accommodate the cast. In later episodes Railway Cuttings appears to be a two-bedroomed terrace house, yet presumably has at least three bedrooms, since Miss Pugh is also resident. In other episodes she 'comes round' presumably from her own domicile. Incidentally Railway Cuttings is mythical, but East Cheam is real; it is next to Sutton.
The ephemeral and non-commercial nature of the radio at the time meant recordings were not available and the audience had to rely solely on their memory of who lived where or who did what in each episode. There were not numerous repeats and re-runs on other channels, cassette tapes were in the future and only a minuscule, but devoted audience could record them on expensive reel-to-reel tape recorders. Records (vinyl long players) were issued later and somewhat irregularly.
Episodes of the radio series were included in the package of programs held in 20 underground radio stations of the BBC's Wartime Broadcasting Service (WTBS), designed to provide public information and morale-boosting broadcasts for 100 days after a nuclear attack[1].
[edit] Television version
The television version appeared in 1956 under the same name and with the same writers, and produced by Duncan Wood. The television and radio versions alternated until 1959, when the sixth radio and fifth television series were both broadcast during the autumn season. Only Sid James transferred from the radio series, although Kenneth Williams and Hattie Jacques made guest appearances during the television series' run. The television version did, however, draw on a stock company of actors to play different supporting characters in each episode. Semi-regulars included Liz Fraser, John Le Mesurier, Hugh Lloyd and Arthur Mullard.
The final television series in 1961 was retitled Hancock and shortened to 25 minutes. Sid James was dropped from the cast as Hancock apparently feared the two were coming to be seen as a double-act. Some of the most celebrated episodes of the TV series were produced during this final series, including "The Blood Donor", "The Bedsitter" and "The Radio Ham".
Some episodes of the radio series were wiped, and telerecordings of episodes from the third and fourth television series destroyed. No episodes survive from the first season of the TV series. The remaining radio episodes, which sometimes only exist in a version (principally) cut for overseas sales to commercial radio stations, have been released on CD box sets from 2000 to 2003. See below for details.
In a list of the 100 Greatest British Television Programmes drawn up by the British Film Institute in 2000, voted for by industry professionals, Hancock's Half Hour was placed 24th.
In 1956 and 1957 Hancock starred in two series of a sketch show made by Associated-Rediffusion for ITV which was broadcast either side of the first BBC series.
[edit] Radio series
Most radio episodes were recorded between one day and three weeks in advance, except in the case of Series 6 which was mostly recorded over a three-week period in June, 1959 to avoid clashing with the pre-recording of Series 5 of the television show.
All of the regular cast members played "themselves", except Kenneth Williams (who played a series of unnamed characters referred to in the scripts -- but not on air -- as "Snide"); Alan Simpson (who played an unnamed man who would listen patiently to Hancock's long-winded stories); and Hattie Jacques (who played Hancock's secretary Griselda Pugh).
An episode of the radio series — "The Blackboard Jungle" (series 3) — was rediscovered in 2005.
[edit] Series 1
- 16 episodes, November 2, 1954–February 15, 1955
- Regular cast: Tony Hancock, Bill Kerr, Moira Lister, Sid James, Alan Simpson
Episodes 5, 7, 8, 9 and 15 no longer exist.
The loss of Episodes 5 and 15 is particularly unfortunate since they feature the only "Hancock" guest appearances by Spike Milligan and Peter Sellers respectively.
[edit] Series 2
- 12 episodes, April 17–July 2, 1955
- Regular cast: Harry Secombe (Episodes 1–4), Tony Hancock (Episodes 4–12), Bill Kerr, Sid James, Andrée Melly, Kenneth Williams, Alan Simpson
Episodes 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 10 and 12 (more than half the series, including all of Harry Secombe's guest appearances) no longer exist.
Shortly before the series was due to be recorded Hancock walked out on a theatre performance suffering from "nervous exhaustion" and flew to Rome. Harry Secombe was brought in at short notice to replace Hancock and starred in the first three episodes, and made a guest appearance in the fourth. Hancock himself returned for the fourth episode and completed the series as scheduled.
[edit] Series 3
- 20 episodes, October 10, 1955–February 29, 1956
- Regular cast: Tony Hancock, Bill Kerr, Sid James, Kenneth Williams, Andrée Melly, Alan Simpson
Episodes 4,5,9,10,11,12 and 15 no longer exist. Only a short extract from episode 7 survives; this plus episodes 8 and 16 only survive in poor sound quality.
[edit] Series 4
- 20 episodes, October 14, 1956–February 24, 1957
- Regular cast: Tony Hancock, Bill Kerr, Sid James, Kenneth Williams, Hattie Jacques (debut in Episode 5)
All episodes still exist.
[edit] Series 5
- 20 episodes, January 1–June 3, 1958
- Regular cast: Tony Hancock, Bill Kerr, Sid James, Kenneth Williams, Hattie Jacques
All episodes still exist.
[edit] Christmas Special
"Bill and Father Christmas"
- Cast: Tony Hancock, Bill Kerr, Sid James, Hattie Jacques, Warren Mitchell
This episode still exists.
[edit] Special remake series for BBC Transcription Services
- 4 episodes, recorded November 23–November 30, 1958
- Regular cast: Tony Hancock, Bill Kerr, Sid James, Kenneth Williams, Hattie Jacques
These episodes are remakes for overseas sales, rewritten to remove any topical or UK-specific references.
All episodes still exist.
[edit] Series 6
- 14 episodes, September 29–December 29, 1959
- Regular cast: Tony Hancock, Bill Kerr, Sid James
All episodes still exist.
[edit] Television Series
- Tony Hancock was a regular in all series.
- Sid James was a regular in series 1-6.
- Kenneth Williams appeared in every episode of series 2, playing a variety of characters.
- Patricia Hayes appeared very occasionally in series 4-6 as "Mrs. Cravatte", Hancock's landlady.
[edit] Series 1
- 6 episodes, broadcast live, every 2 weeks, July 7–September 14, 1956
No recordings exist.
[edit] Series 2
Episode 1 exists on a telerecording.
[edit] Series 3
- 11 regular episodes plus Christmas special, "Hancock's 43 Minutes", broadcast live, September 9–December 23, 1957
Episodes 5, 9, 10, 11 and "Hancock's 43 Minutes" exist on telerecordings.
[edit] Series 4
- 13 episodes; episodes 1–4 pre-recorded on telerecordings, 5–13 live, broadcast December 26, 1958–March 27, 1959 (skipping February 27)
Episodes 1, 3, 4, 11 and 12 exist on telerecordings.
[edit] Series 5
- 10 episodes, pre-recorded on videotape, broadcast September 25–November 27, 1959
The entire series exists on telerecordings.
[edit] Series 6
- 10 episodes, pre-recorded on videotape, broadcast February 19–May 6, 1960
The entire series exists
[edit] Series 7
- Shortened to 25 minutes per episode and retitled "Hancock"
- 6 episodes, pre-recorded on videotape, broadcast May 26–June 30, 1961
The entire series exists on telerecordings.
[edit] Chronological listing of Hancock's radio and television broadcasts, 1954–1961
- Hancock's Half Hour, radio Series 1: November 2, 1954–February 15, 1955
- Hancock's Half Hour, radio Series 2: April 17–July 2, 1955
- Hancock's Half Hour, radio Series 3: October 10, 1955–February 29, 1956
- The Tony Hancock Show, Series 1 (Associated-Rediffusion for ITV): April 4–June 1, 1956
- Hancock's Half Hour, television Series 1: July 7–September 14, 1956
- Hancock's Half Hour, radio Series 4: October 14, 1956–February 24, 1957
- The Tony Hancock Show, Series 2: November 16, 1956- January 25, 1957
- Hancock's Half Hour, television Series 2: April 1–June 10, 1957
- Hancock's Half Hour, television Series 3: September 9–December 23, 1957
- Hancock's Half Hour, radio Series 5: January 1–June 3, 1958
- Hancock's Half Hour, television Series 4: December 26, 1958–March 27, 1959
- Hancock's Half Hour, television Series 5: September 25–November 27, 1959
- Hancock's Half Hour, radio Series 6: September 29–December 29, 1959
- Hancock's Half Hour, television Series 6: February 19–May 6, 1960
- Hancock, television Series 7: May 26–June 30, 1961
Information on series dates taken from the book Tony Hancock: Artiste (1978) by Roger Wilmut, Eyre Methuen ISBN 0-413-38680-5 (subsequent reprints in 1983 and 1986 contain additional details) Information on wiped radio episodes taken from the CD box sets (BBC Worldwide, 2000–2003).
[edit] References
- ^ Hellen, Nicholas. "Julie Andrews to sing to Brits during nuclear attack", Sunday Times, 1999-07-11.
