There’s more Spike Milligan due to appear in the media very soon. The latest programme, to be shown on the Sky Arts channel, is a new documentary made by the Welsh independent company Yeti Television. It will feature never-before aired: film, interviews and scripts from the inimitable comedian and poet.
Its first broadcast will be on Wednesday 7th December at 9pm. There will be a repeat on Tuesday 13th December at 11pm, and hopefully it will continue to be available.
NOTE – Sky Arts is available on Freeview TV, Channel 11. A Sky subscription isn’t necessary.
There is also going to be a preview showing at the BFI in Southbank, London, on Saturday 3rd Decenber, details here.
Phil Edgar-Jones, Director, Sky Arts, commented: “Spike’s work has been pivotal in shaping British comedy and now we have the opportunity to showcase these brilliant, unearthed works on Sky Arts. Through letters, home videos and those who knew him well, we’ve gained a new insight into who this comedy legend was. We’re thrilled to be working alongside Yeti Television to bring this previously untold story to life.”
The programme description reads:
In this documentary, we delve into a treasure trove of recently unearthed archive to tell a brand new story of Spike Milligan. Film, scripts, letters, objects, photographs, recordings, art – they all come together to paint a portrait of a comic genius. But one plagued by crippling mental illness, insecurity, and an enduring lifetime struggle to reinvent what comedy could be.
The archive takes us on a surreal and revelatory journey into Spike Milligan’s brain. Key pieces of archive will be jumping off points to explore a part of his character or specific chapter in his life. These range from an unpublished play called The Snow Goose that Spike returned to again and again after it was rejected by the BBC; home movies of sunny afternoons in the paddling pool; through to a simple annotated envelope that read:
“I went into the now overgrown garden in 127 Holden Rd. I found this little toy… I broke down and cried. I feel I wanted those yesterdays with the children to come back.”
The Goon Show Preservation Society 