Goon Show Episodes, Series 4

Series 4 (1953-54)

By the second half of this series, shows begin to have a single plot rather than short sketches. Cast includes Peter Sellers, Harry Secombe, Spike Milligan, The Ray Ellington Quartet and Max Geldray. Episodes 1-5 were annouced by Andrew Timothy and the rest by Wallace Greenslade. Only about 10 episodes from this series are known to exist. However, 14 scripts were re-used in the Vintage Goons Series.

Episode Details:

1 : The Dreaded Piano Clubber

First Broadcast: 1953-10-02
Recorded: 1953-09-27
Author: Spike Milligan and Larry Stephens
Producer: Peter Eton
Notes: The title given is that of the middle part of the show.

2 : The Man Who Tried to Destroy London's Monuments

First Broadcast: 1953-10-09
Recorded: 1953-10-04
Author: Spike Milligan and Larry Stephens
Producer: Peter Eton
Notes: The title given is that of parts 2 and 3 of the show.

3 : The Ghastly Experiments of Dr. Hans Eidelburger

First Broadcast: 1953-10-16
Recorded: 1953-10-11
Author: Spike Milligan and Larry Stephens
Producer: Peter Eton
Notes: The first part of the show is 'The Adventures of Fearless Harry Secombe', a 'serial' which appears at the start of several shows, the title given for the show is the subtitle of this first section. The remainder of the show is about the ascent of Mount Everest.

4 : The Building of Britain's First Atomic Cannon

First Broadcast: 1953-10-23
Recorded: 1953-10-18
Author: Spike Milligan and Larry Stephens
Producer: Peter Eton
Notes: Announced as title. This is the first show in series 4 to have single plot lasting through all three parts.

5 : The Gibraltar Story

First Broadcast: 1953-10-30
Recorded: 1953-10-25
Author: Spike Milligan and Larry Stephens
Producer: Peter Eton
Notes: The title given is that of parts 2 and 3 of the show.

6 : Through the Sound Barrier in an Airing Cupboard

First Broadcast: 1953-11-06
Recorded: 1953-11-01
Author: Spike Milligan and Larry Stephens
Producer: Peter Eton
Notes: Not coherently announced.

7 : The First Albert Memorial to the Moon

First Broadcast: 1953-11-13
Recorded: 1953-11-08
Author: Spike Milligan and Larry Stephens
Producer: Peter Eton

8 : The Missing Bureaucrat

First Broadcast: 1953-11-20
Recorded: 1953-11-15
Author: Spike Milligan and Larry Stephens
Producer: Peter Eton
Notes: The first part of the show is 'The Further Adventures of Fearless Harry Secombe - A Race to the Death'. 'The Missing Bureacrat' is parts 2 and 3.

9 : Operation Bagpipes

First Broadcast: 1953-11-27
Recorded: 1953-11-22
Author: Spike Milligan and Larry Stephens
Producer: Peter Eton

10 : The Flying Saucer Mystery

First Broadcast: 1953-12-04
Recorded: 1953-11-29
Author: Larry Stephens
Producer: Peter Eton
Notes: The first part of the show is again 'The Adventures of Fearless Harry Secombe' (the title given on the BBC Script Library copy), however, the main part of the show is about flying saucers, and as Spike Milligan's copy of the script is missing the given title has been invented.

11 : The Spanish Armada

First Broadcast: 1953-12-11
Recorded: 1953-12-06
Author: Spike Milligan and Larry Stephens
Producer: Peter Eton
Notes: In the first part of the show is 'Harry Proves he is Not a Dog', parts 2 and 3 are the story of the Armada.

12 : The British Way

First Broadcast: 1953-12-18
Recorded: 1953-12-13
Author: Spike Milligan and Larry Stephens
Producer: Peter Eton

13 : The Giant Bombardon

First Broadcast: 1953-12-26
Recorded: 1953-12-20
Author: Spike Milligan and Larry Stephens
Producer: Peter Eton
Notes: With Michael Bentine.

14 : Ten Thousand Fathoms Down in a Wardrobe

First Broadcast: 1954-01-01
Recorded: 1953-01-27
Author: Spike Milligan and Larry Stephens
Producer: Peter Eton

15 : The Missing Prime Minister

First Broadcast: 1954-01-08
Recorded: 1954-01-03
Author: Spike Milligan and Larry Stephens
Producer: Jacques Brown

16 : Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Crun

First Broadcast: 1954-01-15
Recorded: 1954-01-10
Author: Spike Milligan and Larry Stephens
Producer: Peter Eton
Notes: Announced as 'Crime Does Not Pay Income Tax'.

17 : The Mummified Priest

First Broadcast: 1954-01-22
Recorded: 1954-01-17
Author: Spike Milligan and Larry Stephens
Producer: Peter Eton

18 : The History of Communications

First Broadcast: 1954-01-29
Recorded: 1954-01-24
Author: Spike Milligan and Larry Stephens
Producer: Peter Eton
Notes: Part one of the script is 'The History of Communications', originally part of the 7th episode of the 1st series and later re-worked into 'The GPO Show'. Parts 2 and 3 are 'The Siege of Khartoum', originally part of the 18th episode of the 3rd series.

19 : The Kippered Herring Gang

First Broadcast: 1954-02-05
Recorded: 1954-01-31
Author: Spike Milligan and Larry Stephens
Producer: Peter Eton

20 : The Toothpaste Expedition

First Broadcast: 1954-02-12
Recorded: 1954-02-07
Author: Spike Milligan and Larry Stephens
Producer: Peter Eton
Notes: The first part of the script was originally used in the 2nd episode of the 2nd series. 'The Toothpaste Expedition' was originally used in the 5th episode of the 3rd series.

21 : The Case of the Vanishing Room

First Broadcast: 1954-02-15
Recorded: 1954-02-14
Author: Spike Milligan
Producer: Peter Eton

22 : The Great Ink Drought of 1902

First Broadcast: 1954-02-22
Recorded: 1954-02-21
Author: Spike Milligan
Producer: Peter Eton
Notes: Announced as 'Hansard Unexpurgated'.

23 : The Greatest Mountain in the World

First Broadcast: 1954-03-01
Recorded: 1954-02-28
Author: Spike Milligan
Producer: Peter Eton

24 : The Collapse of the British Railway Sandwich System

First Broadcast: 1954-03-08
Recorded: 1954-03-07
Author: Spike Milligan
Producer: Peter Eton
Available on: [CD] [Download]

25 : The Silent Bugler

First Broadcast: 1954-03-15
Recorded: 1954-03-14
Author: Spike Milligan
Producer: Peter Eton
Notes: The nearest to an announcement is 'Take the case of Agent X2...'

26 : Western Story

First Broadcast: 1954-03-22
Recorded: 1954-03-21
Author: Spike Milligan
Producer: Peter Eton
Notes: Announced as 'Brain!' (inspired by the film, 'Shane').

27 : The Saga of the Internal Mountain

First Broadcast: 1954-03-29
Recorded: 1954-03-28
Author: Spike Milligan
Producer: Peter Eton

28 : The Invisible Acrobat

First Broadcast: 1954-04-05
Recorded: 1954-04-04
Author: Spike Milligan
Producer: Peter Eton
Notes: Announced as 'Bulletto'. Ray Ellington was pre-recorded.

29 : The Great Bank of England Robbery

First Broadcast: 1954-04-12
Recorded: 1954-04-11
Author: Spike Milligan
Producer: Peter Eton
Notes: Ray Ellington was pre-recorded.

30 : The Siege of Fort Knight

First Broadcast: 1954-04-19
Recorded: 1954-04-18
Author: Spike Milligan
Producer: Peter Eton
Notes: Ray Ellington was pre-recorded.

Special : Short insert in 'Christmas Crackers'

First Broadcast: 1953-12-25
Recorded: 1953-12-20
Notes: Also contained contributions from other Variety shows.

Special : Archie in Goonland

First Broadcast: 1954-06-11
Recorded: 1954-05-06
Author: Spike Milligan and Eric Sykes
Producer: Roy Speer
Notes: With Peter Brough and Archie Andrews, Peter Sellers, Spike Milligan, Harry Secombe, Hattie Jacques and the BBC Variety Orchestra conducted by Paul Fenoulhet.

Special : The Starlings

First Broadcast: 1954-08-31
Recorded: 1954-08-12
Author: Spike Milligan
Producer: Peter Eton
Notes: With Peter Sellers, Harry Secombe, Spike Milligan and Andrew Timothy. The show was unusual as it was performed without musicians or an audience, making it more of a radio play than a Goon Show. It was written as a satire on the efforts of the Ministry of Works to get rid of starlings on public buildings.