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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.

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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 These range from an unpublished play called The Snow Goose that Spike returned to again and again after it was rejected by the BBC; home movies of sunny afternoons in the paddling pool;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.”

As part of the BBC’s Centenary celebrations, several restored shows have been getting an airing.

We’ve already looked at Peter Sellers on Hancock’s Half Hour (here). Next up for Goon fans is The Spike Milligan Show, which will be on Radio 4 Extra at 1030 on Sunday 6th November 2022.
The original broadcast of this show, which was just called ‘Spike Milligan’, was on Sunday 29 July 1973 on BBC Radio 2. Click here for the programme info (and stream after the broadcast) on BBC Sounds.

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Another restored show which the BBC have played was an alternative and slightly longer version of The Dreaded Batter Pudding Hurler of Bexhill-on-Sea, (series 5, episode 3) which was played on Radio 4 Extra on Tuesday 18 October 2022. It’s available to stream here, for one month only.

While the play Spike is touring the UK’s theatres, the script has become available to buy. So, if you’re not going to catch a performance in the theatre, or even if you are, here’s the chance to enjoy Nick Newnam & Ian Hislop’s text from the comfort of your own easy chair.

The script is available in paperback or spiral-bound format from Concord Theatricals, who also have a digital version available to be read on their Concord Reader+ app.
A paperback is also available at Amazon.

Buy a copy at Concord Theatricals
Buy a copy at Amazon
Dates for the theatre tour

The 5^th of October this year is the 50^th anniversary of the original BBC Radio 4 broadcast of The Last Goon Show of All. As many of the original cast as possible had been gathered for the show, which itself was recorded to celebrate the BBCs 50^th anniversary.
It was after that show that enthusiasts came together to form the Goon Show Preservation Society.

To celebrate all these 50^th anniversaries, we’ve produced an anniversary edition of our newsletter, Goon Show News, which is on its way to our members. The magazine is full of stories and our members reminiscences of both the show and the fifty years the GSPS has been around.

LAST CALL
Tyler Adams is planning an episode of the Goon Pod podcast for later in the year, to feature a list of the top twenty Goon Shows. To help compile the list, he’s asking all Goon fans to send him a message with the titles of their three favourite shows. Not an easy choice…
Tyler can be contacted through GoonPod’s Facebook or Twitter page, or by email at tyler.adams1974@gmail.com.

A group of us gathered at Stephens House and Gardens in Finchley on 24th September for our 2022 AGM event.

As far as the formal business of the meeting went, a fierce and wide-ranging debate lasting several moments led to the re-election of the whole GSPS Committee.

Other business of the day included marking the 50th anniversary of The Last Goon Show of All and the approaching 100th birthday of Michael Bentine. This featured a particularly fine cake created by the stage Goon actor, Mark Earby.

The highlights of the day involved Spike Milligan’s daughters, Jane and Silé. They conducted us on a tour of the lodge building at Stephens House, which is becoming the nerve centre of Spike Milligan Productions Ltd, and housing a developing archive of Spike’s belongings. Some day in the future it will be open to visitors. We all took the opportunity to visit the Spike Milligan memorial bench, which is just a few paces away.

After that, Jane and Silé were interviewed by Mark Cousins. The discussion, which ranged from growing up as Milligan children to what they’d like Spike’s legacy to be, delighted everyone present.

Watch out for a full report, coming to a GSPS newsletter soon.

_{Photos courtesy of Duncan Gray, Darren Vidler and Richard Usher}

Since 1998, the Goon Show Preservation Society has been honoured and enjoyed the patronage which HRH Prince Charles bestowed on us. This reflected his personal support. Famously, he is a big fan of the show who was very disappointed to miss the Last Goon Show of All recording, fifty years ago.

Everyone is aware of Charles’ accession to the throne. The GSPS sent a message of condolence to him as the events unfolded. As our new King, we wish him the most heartfelt support for the years ahead.  Long may he reign.

There will undoubtedly be changes to the patronages which King Charles III maintains. We’ll wait to hear in the fulness of time whether the GSPS will continue to be honoured.

Spike, the play written by Ian Hislop and Nick Newman, has hit the road and is touring the country. Your humble website builder has his tickets for a Glasgow performance and is waiting in a state of severe excitement.

See the previous post for tour dates, or check the play’s website.

We rather liked this review from behindthearras.com, who were at the show’s appearance at Malvern Festival Theatre.

Don’t miss it folks.

BBC Radio 4 Xtra news / GSPS Archive news
Whichever… it’s news

The Beeb Beeb Ceeb has announced the closure of some broadcast services including Radio 4 Xtra, the current home of the weekly rebroadcast of The Goon Show (airs Tuesday at 08:00, 12:00 and 19:00).
Listeners of this station should not be too concerned, as it is strongly rumoured that Radio 4 Xtra will continue online as a digital service available via BBC Sounds.

Following the recent discovery that the BBC has been quietly cutting inappropriate things from programmes before rebroadcast, the highly-unpaid staff at Encyclopædia Goonicus Productions Unlimited have been capturing all episodes of The Goon Show from the latest series of rebroadcasts that commenced on Tuesday 21st December 2021, with an airing of series 6, episode 9: The International Christmas Pudding. These programmes will later be compared with previous broadcasts and recordings to determine the extent of the cuts.

Volunteers to participate in the exercise should submit their application forms together with the sizeable entrance fee to the editor of this publication. Our quest to preserve The Goon Show continues …

Hercules Grytpype-Thynne
aka someone else…
famed archivist protector and preserver

The September 2022 issue of our newsletter has been sent out to members – and it’s only mid-August!