Goon Show Episodes, Series 3

Series 3 (1952-53)

From now on billed as 'THE GOON SHOW'. The shows have 3 parts with the title given usually being that of the middle section. Cast includes Peter Sellers, Harry Secombe, Spike Milligan, The Ray Ellington Quartet, Max Geldray, Andrew Timothy as announcer and The BBC Dance Orchestra conducted by Wally Stott. Michael Bentine has now left. At the start of this series Spike Milligan suffered a major nervous breakdown and missed 12 performances. However, he soon resumed writing in colaboration with Larry Stephens. No episodes from this series are known to exist.

Episode Details:

1 : Fred of the Islands

First Broadcast: 1952-11-11
Recorded: 1952-11-09
Author: Spike Milligan and Larry Stephens, edited by Jimmy Grafton
Producer: Peter Eton
Notes: The title given is that of the middle part of the show.

2 : The Egg of the Great Auk

First Broadcast: 1952-11-18
Recorded: 1952-11-16
Author: Spike Milligan and Larry Stephens, edited by Jimmy Grafton
Producer: Peter Eton
Notes: The title given is that of parts 2 and 3 of the show.

3 : I Was a Male Fan Dancer

First Broadcast: 1952-11-25
Recorded: 1952-11-23
Author: Spike Milligan and Larry Stephens, edited by Jimmy Grafton
Producer: Peter Eton
Notes: The title given is that of the middle part of the show.

4 : The Saga of HMS Aldgate

First Broadcast: 1952-12-02
Recorded: 1952-11-30
Author: Spike Milligan and Larry Stephens, edited by Jimmy Grafton
Producer: Peter Eton
Notes: The title given is that of the middle part of the show.

5 : The Expedition for Toothpaste

First Broadcast: 1952-12-09
Recorded: 1952-12-07
Author: Spike Milligan and Larry Stephens, edited by Jimmy Grafton
Producer: Peter Eton
Notes: Without Spike Milligan. At this point Milligan went into hospital suffering from a nervous breakdown. This show and the next had already been written. After a few weeks Milligan resumed writing the shows in collaboration with Larry Stephens. The title given is of the middle sketch, which later re-appeared in the 20th of the 4th series.

6 : The Archers

First Broadcast: 1952-12-16
Recorded: 1952-12-14
Author: Spike Milligan and Larry Stephens, edited by Jimmy Grafton
Producer: Peter Eton
Notes: Without Spike Milligan.

7 : Robin Hood

First Broadcast: 1952-12-26
Recorded: 1952-12-21
Author: Spike Milligan and Larry Stephens, edited by Jimmy Grafton
Producer: Peter Eton
Notes: Christmas Pantomime (45 minutes long). Without Spike Milligan, with Dick Emery and Carole Carr.

8 : Where Does Santa Claus Go in the Summer?

First Broadcast: 1952-12-30
Recorded: 1952-12-28
Author: Spike Milligan and Larry Stephens, edited by Jimmy Grafton
Producer: Peter Eton
Notes: Without Spike Milligan, with Ellis Powell. In the absence of an official title, the title of the final sketch has been adopted (the answer being that he stays in Greenland on account of Eskimo Nell). The middle sketch is a re-make, with a few additions, of 'The Archers' (middle part of no. 6 of this series). Ellis Powell, who makes a brief appearance, was the current Mrs. Dale of 'Mrs. Dale's Diary'.

9 : The Navy, Army, and Air Force

First Broadcast: 1953-01-06
Recorded: 1953-01-04
Author: Spike Milligan and Larry Stephens, edited by Jimmy Grafton
Producer: Peter Eton
Notes: Without Spike Milligan, with Dick Emery. The title given is that of the middle part of the show.

10 : The British Way of Life

First Broadcast: 1953-01-13
Recorded: 1953-01-11
Author: Spike Milligan and Larry Stephens, edited by Jimmy Grafton
Producer: Peter Eton
Notes: Without Spike Milligan, with Graham Stark. The title given is that of the middle part of the show.

11 : A Survey of Britain

First Broadcast: 1953-01-20
Recorded: 1953-01-18
Author: Spike Milligan and Larry Stephens, edited by Jimmy Grafton
Producer: Peter Eton
Notes: Without Spike Milligan, with Dick Emery. The title given is that of the middle part of the show.

12 : Flint of the Flying Squad

First Broadcast: 1953-01-27
Recorded: 1953-01-25
Author: Spike Milligan and Larry Stephens, edited by Jimmy Grafton
Producer: Peter Eton
Notes: Without Spike Milligan, with Graham Stark. The title given is that of the middle part of the show.

13 : Seaside Resorts in Winter

First Broadcast: 1953-02-03
Recorded: 1953-02-01
Author: Spike Milligan and Larry Stephens, edited by Jimmy Grafton
Producer: Peter Eton
Notes: Without Spike Milligan, with Dick Emery. The title given is that of the middle part of the show.

14 : The Tragedy of Oxley Tower

First Broadcast: 1953-02-10
Recorded: 1953-02-08
Author: Spike Milligan and Larry Stephens, edited by Jimmy Grafton
Producer: Peter Eton
Notes: Without Spike Milligan, with Graham Stark and Valentine Dyall. The title given is that of parts 2 and 3 of the show.

15 : The Story of Civilization

First Broadcast: 1953-02-17
Recorded: 1953-02-15
Author: Spike Milligan and Larry Stephens, edited by Jimmy Grafton
Producer: Peter Eton
Notes: Without Spike Milligan, with Dick Emery. 'The Story of Civilization', which is the middle episode, is a re-make of part of the 6th episode of the 1st series.

16 : The Search for the Bearded Vulture

First Broadcast: 1953-02-24
Recorded: 1953-02-22
Author: Spike Milligan and Larry Stephens, edited by Jimmy Grafton
Producer: Peter Eton
Notes: Without Spike Milligan, with Graham Stark. The title given is that of parts 2 and 3 of the show.

17 : The Mystery of the Monkey's Paw

First Broadcast: 1953-03-03
Recorded: 1953-03-01
Author: Spike Milligan and Larry Stephens, edited by Jimmy Grafton
Producer: Peter Eton
Notes: With Dick Emery. The title given is that of the first sketch; the remainder of the show is 'The Search for Brigadier Winchmold'.

18 : The Mystery of the Cow on the Hill

First Broadcast: 1953-03-10
Recorded: 1953-03-08
Author: Spike Milligan and Larry Stephens, edited by Jimmy Grafton
Producer: Charles Chilton
Notes: The title given is that of the first sketch; the remainder of the show is 'The Siege of Khartoum', used again in episode 18 of the 4th series.

19 : Where Do Socks Come From?

First Broadcast: 1953-03-17
Recorded: 1953-03-15
Author: Spike Milligan and Larry Stephens, edited by Jimmy Grafton
Producer: Charles Chilton
Notes: The title given is that of parts 2 and 3 of the show.

20 : The Man Who Never Was

First Broadcast: 1953-03-31
Recorded: 1953-03-22
Author: Spike Milligan and Larry Stephens, edited by Jimmy Grafton
Producer: Peter Eton
Notes: The title given is that of parts 2 and 3. This story appears again, in expanded form, as the episode 27 of the 6th series, and then again as episode 21 of the 8th series.

21 : The Building of the Suez Canal

First Broadcast: 1953-04-07
Recorded: 1953-03-29
Author: Spike Milligan and Larry Stephens, edited by Jimmy Grafton
Producer: Peter Eton
Notes: The title given is that of parts 2 and 3 of the show.

22 : The De Goonlies

First Broadcast: 1953-04-14
Recorded: 1953-04-05
Author: Spike Milligan and Larry Stephens, edited by Jimmy Grafton
Producer: Peter Eton
Notes: The title given is that of parts 2 and 3 of the show.

23 : The Conquest of Space

First Broadcast: 1953-04-21
Recorded: 1953-04-19
Author: Spike Milligan and Larry Stephens, edited by Jimmy Grafton
Producer: Peter Eton
Notes: The title given is that of the middle part of the show.

24 : The Ascent of Mount Everest

First Broadcast: 1953-04-28
Recorded: 1953-04-26
Author: Spike Milligan and Larry Stephens, edited by Jimmy Grafton
Producer: Peter Eton
Notes: The title given is that of parts 2 and 3 of the show.

25 : The Story of the Plymouth Hoe Armada

First Broadcast: 1953-05-05
Recorded: 1953-05-03
Author: Spike Milligan and Larry Stephens, edited by Jimmy Grafton
Producer: Peter Eton
Notes: The title given is that of parts 2 and 3 of the show.

Special : Coronation edition

First Broadcast: 1953-06-03
Recorded: 1953-06-01
Author: Spike Milligan and Larry Stephens, edited by Jimmy Grafton
Producer: Peter Eton
Notes: Without Max Geldray, with Graham Stark. This 40 minute show, which sticks to one plot the whole way through, purports to present a recorded commentary on the Coronation procession.