Hancock's Half Hour Page 17

I don't know, Sid, I can't help feeling I'm not getting the most out of my life.
That was my Tony Hancock impression. It's good, isn't it?

I'm glad you remembered the last three words.
Shout out for The Bowmans and Twelve Angry Men. When the BBC repeated the latter, they broadcast the film it was parodying the night before. Sychophants.
PS 'Oooh maaatron.' I do Kenneth Williams too.

'Er yerse, thank you. Yes, thank you Wilkins! When I - or rather if I - feel the need for your contributons, I shall no doubt ask for them. In the meantime, will you kindly belt up?' That was my impression of Mr Ross, my old physics teacher.
The Sunday radio episode is the only one I remember. The TV shows came out on VHS in dribs and drabs and I lost interest after the classics. The nose job one was a bit silly and sexist.

This day in 1956 Hancock's Half Hour first appeared on British TV.

Around the World in 80 Days on Radio 4+ this week. I'd forgotten this. SO very, very funny.

Kenneth Williams showing his incredible versatility with voices, with Hattie doing accents from around the world and at that point you could hear the giggles, and then Bill also having go at which point they all collapsed in hysterics, which is wonderful to hear and hilarious. The audience in hysterics too.

The whole programme sounds as though they had great fun making it - OH, to have been in that audience............................

Hello there. Wondering if you kind and knowledgeable fellas might be able to help. I'm trying to identify a particular episode of Hancock's Half Hour. Radio episode, and at some point Tony asks what's on the television, and Bill says on one side there's a western, and on the other side there's... a western. I could have sworn it was in A Sunday Afternoon at Home, but it isn't. Does anyone know where it is? I want to quote it in something I'm writing, but I need to be able to cite it properly. Thank you!

Yes, you're correct - it's definitely not in Sunday Afternoon, but it does ring a vague bell. I'll give it a good thunk, and in the meantime someone might come up with it.

Owwwww, thank you, Grytpype. I'm about to check The Television Set as a sort of obvious contender, but I don't think it'll be that either. I think it's a much later episode.

You're welcome :)

I've been listening to the re-runs religiously on Radio 4 + since February (total 25 so far), but don't recollect it in any of those............................

Just checked - The Television Set hasn't been broadcast yet, though I seem to remember that was more about the set being broken, but you never know! Impossible to remember every line in every show. :D

You're right - definitely not The Television Set.

I have an inkling that it was something to do with Hancock deciding, after hearing what was on the box, that what they all needed was a bit of culture........................not much, but it might ring a bell with someone.

It's The Impersonator, which is the very last radio episode, broadcast on 29 December 1959, in which Tony sues an advertising company for impersonating his voice in a cornflake advert. This episode itself, out of interest, lampoons the court case the previous year in which Alastair Sim sued Heinz for the very same reason. He lost.

The actual wording is:

"I'm feeling rather cultural. what's on?
Let's see. BBC - a Western
Oh dear. What's on ITA then?
ITA... A Western
Oh put the BBC on. It might be a cultural Western"

Absolute star. Thank you VERY much, sir. You've saved me a long trawl - enjoyable as that would have been.