The telly equivalent of a bumper Beano summer special, the 1995 BBC Arena documentary about Peter Sellers was stretched over three episodes and clocked in at nearly three and a half hours. Made up of extensive home movie footage and interviews with most of the key players in Sellers’ life, as well as clips from his career and some wonderfully atmospheric music, it was arguably the second-most important multi-episode popular culture TV retrospective of 1995, behind The Beatles Anthology series. Obvs.

And *speaking* of The Fab Four, this week’s guest is Joe Wisbey, a man who spends an awful lot of time chatting to authors of Beatles books (paperback writers, if you will) for his marvellous Beatles Books podcast – available here: https://beatlesbooks.podbean.com/

Joe has probably watched the Sellers documentary more times than is strictly seemly but it holds an enduring fascination for him and he spoke eloquently about how he came to discover it and what it means to him.

Corps blimey! Live from a stench packing factory is this week’s guest: writer and podcaster John Rain, the man behind the mighty Smersh Pod and author of the recently published Explodobook (available from all good Amazons)

John first heard The Goon Show as a young shaver and joins the pod this week to talk about an episode very dear to his heart: The Case of the Missing C.D. Plates from Series 6.

Among other things we discuss the irredeemable Denis Bloodnok, the irreproachable Peter Cushing, the irreverent Ruxton Hayward and the irreplaceable Wallace Greenslade (and I apologise in advance!) as well as the delightfulness of extended corpsing, The Man From Laramie, the problems with The Last Goon Show Of All, David Lodge in Cockleshell Heroes and Bill Maynard’s Crumpet Code of Ethics™.

All this and much much more!

It’s another general chat about the Goons and much else besides with podcaster Martin Holmes this week!

The conversation took so many twists and turns that I confess I got quite giddy but we managed to squeeze into an hour or so’s chat a lot of Goon-related nattering. Martin briefly adopted an Australian accent at one point during a conversation about British sitcoms Down Under and it was so convincing Tyler briefly thought that Paul Hogan himself had walked in the room. The poetry of Milligan has affected us both in different ways and we talk a bit about that as well as Tony Hancock, Associated London Scripts and even, briefly, the 1983 series The Black Adder.

Martin can be heard at Vision On Sound here https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/vision-on-sound/id1535571103 

yuf5dqZl6Rk7AbsKPwAy

In 1954 the Goons produced a special show without an audience which is considered by many to be an absolute classic, but by others as a rather muted curio. The Starlings preceded the start of the fifth series of the Goon Show by a month and in some ways showcased the direction the show was to take. A satire based on actual attempts by local councils across the country to rid their public buildings and spaces of starlings, it was presented as a radio play but lacked some of the wilder excesses that Goons fans would come to expect.

On the podcast this week is Jeremy Phillips, host of the Cinema Limbo podcast, who joined Tyler to discuss The Starlings. As well as asking if the show works without an audience (no spoilers), we look at some of the slight departures from character continuity and examine the ‘controversial’ scenes that had BBC executives at the time fanning their armpits with fury. Also: Ray Ellington on an errand of mercy, Seagoon vs Pureheart, Happy Holidays featuring Peter Sellers… and we almost come to blows over whether it was Secombe or Bentine who was touring with Sellers in late 1954.

Please follow Jeremy @cinema_limbo and Goon Pod @goonshowpod on the appropriately named Twitter

It’s Milligan and Bentine back together again! (sort of!)

Joining Tyler this episode it’s the welcome return of former guest, writer and film academic Dr Adrian Smith, who has written the viewing notes to accompany the recent release on blu ray of the 1972 British film Rentadick. A film which strains every sinew to be a sex comedy but never quite pulls it off, Rentadick qualifies for inclusion on this podcast because both Spike and Mike appear!

With the original concept devised by Cleese & Chapman we look back at the film’s protracted and difficult journey from script to screen and find out how an Oscar winner came to direct it; inevitably there is talk about Python, including their involvement with Birdseye peas; we also give three hearty cheers for the appearance of Richard Briers in the movie, who offers much in the way of comic relief; naturally we examine the two former Goons and where they fit in - plus we mull over the acting chops of your dad’s old favourite Julie Ege, scratch our heads over a grown man in a mouse costume and discover that one of the film’s stars is currently appearing in the latest Marvel movie!

Adrian is the co-host of two film podcasts, Second Thoughts and Wild Wild Podcast, details of which can be heard at the end of this week’s episode and he is on Twitter @retroramblings

Joining the pod this episode is Barnaby Eaton-Jones – celebrated writer, producer and actor – to talk about the much lauded and garlanded audio drama There Used To Be A Me, starring the mighty Alfred Molina as Peter Sellers, Peter Sellers and Peter Sellers (and, er, Peter Sellers). Written by Ian Billings and directed by Barnaby it is a rambunctious and at times moving reimagining of the life and inner thoughts of the former Goon as he contemplates his mortality.

Along the way Barnaby talks about his rather short-lived stint as an ersatz Harry Secombe, his triumphal revival of I’m Sorry I’ll Read That Again and audio releases including the return of The Goodies and some up-to-the-minute breaking news about Chelmsford 123! Plus much more besides!

There Used To Be A Me: Peter Sellers is available in most places you get audio books but maybe try these guys because I think they need the business: https://www.amazon.co.uk/There-Used-Be-Me-Sellers/dp/B095XHZ531

Have a gorilla!

Napoleon’s Piano is one of the most loved Goon Shows of all time and joining Tyler this week to talk about it is Angie Budd.

Angie has a lot to say about the show and among other things we discuss Wallace Greenslade’s ripe French accent, the art of piano leg sawing, Anthony Eden and the Cambridge Spies, the ubiquity of Maurice Ponk, Britain claiming ownership of a final piece of soil (well, rock), the launch of Associated-Rediffusion and the technical pitfalls of performing a Goon Show in a pub – not to mention the Goons getting nuked!

Please follow on @goonshowpod and rate & review in the right places!

Comedy writer, novelist and Goon Show fan David Quantick is Tyler’s guest this week. With Spike Milligan being one of David’s earliest influences as a writer he was keen to explain how, for him, the Goons had more of an impact than the Pythons and helped sharpen his comic sensibilities, along with the likes of absurdist playwright NF Simpson.

As well as general Goon chat there are conversational meanderings such as: Meeting Spike on Saturday Zoo; the brilliance of Barry Cryer; bringing back Dangermouse; Chris Morris on ‘aardvark comedy’; John Cleese; The Beatles (for a change); David freaking out his mother with his first typewritten script; Sabrina in Stoke Newington and noddin’ along to Val Doonican on Pam & Tony’s old Dansette record player.

Please follow the show on The Twitters @goonshowpod and rate & review on iTunes!

On the 8th September 1921 Harold Donald Secombe entered the world and the world was never quite the same again! To mark his centenary Tyler and comedy writer Mike Haskins present this special episode of Goon Pod as a tribute to the multi-talented Ned of Wales whose legendary voice, infectious giggling, kindness to others and unfailing good humour held him high in the public’s affection for over five decades.

We touch on pretty much every aspect of his career post-war and take a more detailed look at some of his seventies television appearances; along the way we find time to talk about his family and friends, contrast his life with his fellow Goons and there’s a fairly in-depth examination of his starring feature film debut Davy (1958).

It’s 70 minutes of Secombe and we hope you come away having maybe learned a few things about Harry you didn’t know before – if not then (raspberry)!

Please follow @goonshowpod and @MikeHaskins11

This week we remove our legs from the vulgar gaze of public and refuse to have a haircut as we pay tribute to the quite wonderful Michael Bentine’s Potty Time!

First there was the Goon Show, then The Bumblies, then It’s A Square World and then, erm, Rentadick, but after that there was Michael Bentine’s Potty Time which enchanted children and adults alike in the 1970s with Potty adaptations of classic works of literature and famous events from history.

Guesting on the show this week are Andrew Trowbridge and Lisa Parker, hosts of the ever-popular retro television podcast Round The Archives, who joined Tyler (who’s actually seen episodes of The Gnomes of Dulwich on New Zealand TV don’t you know) with tales to tell of Potty Time and the semi-Peruvian polymath.

Please follow on the Twitters @goonshowpod – Lisa and Andrew can be found @lisacartman and @Roundthearchiv1