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PODCAST

Goon Pod

A podcast where we talk about classic comedy with particular focus on the work of Spike Milligan, Peter Sellers, Harry Secombe & Michael Bentine. You"ll also hear us discuss the likes of Monty Python, Hancock, Blackadder, the Carry On films, Peter Cook, Steptoe & Son and countless other comedy figures & fixtures from the postwar era. Please follow on Bluesky @goonpod.bsky.social and Twitter @goonshowpod

tv & film tv reviews

All Episodes

01:28:21

The Prisoner of Zenda (1979)

Goon Pod ·

2025/10/29

"It's the only time Sellers had to duplicate himself, at least physically." - Roger Lewis on The Prisoner Of Zenda. This 1979 film is an adaptation of the classic Anthony Hope adventure yarn with a screenplay by Dick Clement & Ian La Frenais. Peter Sellers plays both Rudolf V, the bumbling King of Ruritania, and his English look-alike, Sydney Frewin, who must impersonate the monarch after Rudolf is kidnapped by his villainous half-brother, Duke Michael (Jeremy Kemp). As Frewin

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01:23:15

The Policy

Goon Pod ·

2025/10/22

"My dear sir, without doubt you have done for the art of singing what Columbus did for the steam engine."Grytpype-Thynne and Moriarty plan to escape dire poverty by taking out a £10,000 life insurance policy on Neddie Seagoon. They tell him he can collect the money the moment he’s deceased, and give him an instruction book. After a number of stupid attempts to bring this about - which puts him into contact with Willium, Bluebottle, Eccles and Bloodnok - Seagoon finally discovers the

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01:32:08

The Adventures of Barry McKenzie (1972)

Goon Pod ·

2025/10/15

“Aw, don’t come the raw prawn!” (Barry McKenzie)“There’s too many Barrys!” (Tyler)Based on the character created for Private Eye, The Adventures of Barry McKenzie was a huge hit in Australia when it was released in 1972, surpassing $1m in box office receipts thus making it the first Australian film to do so. Starring Barry Crocker in the titular role, it tells the story of the misadventures of a lantern-jawed larrikin when he leaves Australia and travels to London with his aunt (Edna Everage, played

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01:18:41

The Man Who Tried To Destroy London's Monuments

Goon Pod ·

2025/10/08

This is the earliest Goon Show we've covered on the podcast so far - the second show of Series 4 and while not fully matured to the level of quality we've come to expect it is still a solid and amusing edition with both cast and audience on fine form. It begins with a short sketch about Handsome Harry trying to save an heiress from drowning in order to glom a large reward but the story proper begins following Max's number. London is gripped by terror as a madman is at large threatening

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01:26:13

Goon Pod Q&A

Goon Pod ·

2025/10/01

Goon Pod listeners were asked to send in their questions and comments about the show, the Goons or comedy in general and they didn't disappoint! Adam Leslie (Award-Winning Novelist) joined Tyler to work through the list of listener folderol and there was so much that they only managed to get through half of it! So - in a packed show you will hear us covering a wide range of topics and among many other things we discussed: PuckoonThe different Goon Show theme tunesAlexei Sayle's StuffAndrew

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01:25:12

It's Trad Dad (1962)

Goon Pod ·

2025/09/24

At first glance you may be forgiven for thinking this fairly obscure 1962 British film was one of those forgettable ‘let’s put the show on right here!’ teensploitation flicks full of popular music acts of the day, bland and generic enough to offend nobody other than crusty old colonel-types who objected to young people being seen to have fun. But this film, the feature directorial debut by Richard Lester, was something a little different, with an eye for visual flair to differentiate it from the

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01:08:17

The Nadger Plague

Goon Pod ·

2025/09/17

The year is 1656 in Ninfield, Sussex. Grytpype-Thynne and Moriarty arrive at the stately home of Lord Neddie Seagoon, seeking shelter for the night. As he shows them to their room, Lord Seagoon notices that the seats of their trousers are burned out... a ghastly indication of the dreaded Nadger Plague!This is definitely one of those Goon Shows where you have to ask yourself, how did they get away with it? This week Tyler and returning guest Sean Gaffney discuss all things nadgers - plagues and

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01:40:43

The Films Peter Sellers Never Made

Goon Pod ·

2025/09/10

Over the course of his relatively short film career Peter Sellers appeared in a lot of movies but this week we are looking at those film projects that he was at one stage attached to and were either never made or made withouthis involvement. Joining Tyler is actor Patrick Strain and the two of them consider such 'might have beens' as The Alien, God Ha Ha, Arigato, I'm All Right Jack 2 and The Phantom Vs The Fourth Reich. They also wonder how different 10, Topkapi and The Private Life of Sherlock

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01:14:00

Vic Reeves & Bob Mortimer

Goon Pod ·

2025/09/03

This week a bit of a diversion. MJ Price of Quite A Boast podcast - all things Reeves & Mortimer - joins Tyler to talk about his love of the Goons and considers what sort of influence or impact (or otherwise) they may have had on future comedians, specifically Vic Reeves & Bob Mortimer. Later the chat turns more generally towards R&M and their body of work, including Vic Reeves Big Night Out, Smell of Reeves & Mortimer, Bang Bang It's Reeves & Mortimer, Shooting Stars and

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01:22:31

Adolf Hitler - My Part In His Downfall (film, 1973)

Goon Pod ·

2025/08/27

Adolf Hitler: My Part in His Downfall is a 1973 British comedy film directed by Norman Cohen and starring Jim Dale, Arthur Lowe and Spike Milligan. It is based on Milligan's best-selling first volume of war memoir of the same name but differs markedly in several respects. It was adapted by Milligan, Cohen and Johnny Byrne; Byrne said of the film: “We want to get away from the idea that Milligan is a clown. He is a clown but first of all he is a human being. As this is a film about the early

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01:26:49

Roger Lewis on The Life & Death of Peter Sellers

Goon Pod ·

2025/08/20

The Life & Death of Peter Sellers caused something of a stir upon original publication in 1994. Rather than being a dispassionate account of the actor's life and work it leaned in quite heavily on his failings as a man and the author himself wasn't afraid to offer his personal views. That author, Roger Lewis, joins Tyler this week as the book is out in a brand new edition to coincide with Sellers' centenary this year. Roger has written a new afterword: The Centennial Sellers and Steve Coogan

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01:27:32

Pickwick - with Tim Worthington

Goon Pod ·

2025/08/13

“I like the Pickwick score, it’s robust and British. I’ve often been offered parts in American musicals but I’ve always turned them down. No matter how good they are, I always feel they are not part of us. That’s why I waited and thought of this idea of making a musical of ‘Pickwick.” - Harry Secombe, 1963.And so the idea was realised, based on the 1837 Charles Dickens novel The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club, better known simply as The Pickwick Papers. Harry got the idea for the musical

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01:11:09

The Fireball of Milton Street

Goon Pod ·

2025/08/06

"What's become of that crispy bacon we had before the war?"Yes, this is that episode. 'Fireball' doesn't perhaps get the love it deserves, as it contains a fairly strong plot (by Goon Show terms). Henry Crun believes the sun is on fire, ergo the world is coming to an end and soon his fellow villagers are drawn into the drama. Seagoon is dispatched to see the Queen, a dissenting lad climbs a 200-ft ladder with a bit of bread on the end of a toasting fork and a rocket is constructed out of wood, brown

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01:30:55

Gavin Sutherland on Goon Show Music

Goon Pod ·

2025/07/30

This week Goon Pod welcomes Gavin Sutherland, conductor, musician, composer, arranger and general music nut with a passion for both the high-brow and the not-so-high-brow. As well as all that he's involved in podcasts such as The Peggy Mount Calamity Hour and has just released an album of old TV tunes, idents and ephemera: 'The Next Programme Follows Shortly'.Gavin has long been a fan of the Goons and thanks to his job and connections has met a number of former musicians who have played on the Goon

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01:34:25

Alice In Wonderland (1966) - with Bob Fischer

Goon Pod ·

2025/07/23

In 1966 Jonathan Miller's BBC Television adaptation of Lewis Carroll's classic children's story caused something of a moral panic, even before it was broadcast. Amidst much foot-stamping, harrumphing and letters to the Editor the point was very much missed - yes, it was to be screened after nine o'clock in the evening and was not aimed at children but not because it contained questionable material (or, as some believed, 'X-rated filth'!). The writer and performer Bob Fischer

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01:28:06

At Last The Go On Show - with Dirk Maggs & Ted Kendall

Goon Pod ·

2025/07/16

In May 1991 At Last The Go On Show was broadcast on BBC Radio 2, designed to celebrate the Goon Show's 40th anniversary. It was a stunning documentary that still sounds fresh and relevant today and two of the three men behind it - Dirk Maggs and Ted Kendall - joined Tyler and Graeme Lindsay Foot to discuss how it all came about and the challenges they faced. Ted (who it turns out wanted to be a racing driving before getting into audio engineering) talks about bringing together the clips and

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01:31:44

John Antrobus

Goon Pod ·

2025/07/09

John Antrobus is 92 years old and still going strong! He is the last living link with the Goon Show inasmuch as he co-wrote (with Spike Milligan) two shows from the eighth series and would later go on to collaborate with Milligan on a regular basis - mostly notably on The Bed Sitting Room.Fifteen years Milligan's junior, young fresh-faced Antrobus joined Associated London Scripts soon after its formation and worked with all the older hands - including Johnny Speight, Galton & Simpson and Eric

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01:24:33

Curry & Chips

Goon Pod ·

2025/07/02

“At least 53 ‘bloodies’ in half-an-hour last night. This is definitely not British sir! I suggest you study the British working man more!"So thundered a disgruntled viewer in 1969 after watching an episode of the Johnny Speight & Spike Milligan sitcom Curry & Chips. One notes with interest it was the word 'bloody' which triggered him, as opposed to any of the other bad language with which the series as a whole was replete. Starring Spike Milligan in brownface as Kevin

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01:23:38

The Galton & Simpson Archive

Goon Pod ·

2025/06/25

Over a long and rightly celebrated career Ray Galton and Alan Simpson were careful to file away, log and generally archive much of their written output, correspondence, contracts and other ephemera. Now York University's Borthwick Institute for Archives is attempting to secure the collection for the nation and the Institute's Gary Brannan joins Tyler to talk about the G&S archive and the fund-raising campaign - appropriately titled 'Innit Marvellous'.More information here:

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01:23:33

Bonus! The Simpsons (with Lord Of Adders Black podcast)

Goon Pod ·

2025/06/23

There is absolutely no connection between the Goons and the Simpsons so what on earth is this special bonus episode all about? Well, my very good friends Ian and Michael over at the Lord Of Adders Black podcast - celebrating all things Blackadder - joined me to share our love for The Simpsons and talk through our favourite episodes! (Their podcast is really good - find it here: https://shows.acast.com/lord-of-adders-black )Great comedy is great comedy and while it's fair to say that few people could

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224 results

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