Gransnet forums

TV, radio, film, Arts

Hancocks half hour..

(36 Posts)
Shinamae Sun 12-May-24 10:59:56

BBC Four 7 o’clock tonight
(Found this by accident, but so pleased I did!)

ExDancer Sun 12-May-24 11:05:36

I used to laugh my socks off over Hancocks Half Hour, I wonder if the humour has stood the lapse of time.

Chardy Sun 12-May-24 11:08:06

I think Tony Hancock's genius went over my head a bit as a kid. But I used to really like the Bill Kerr and Sid James parts.

Anniebach Sun 12-May-24 11:12:08

Thank you so much

Katek Sun 12-May-24 11:54:47

A pint? That's very nearly an armful! gringrin

sodapop Sun 12-May-24 12:39:58

Love the blood donor sketch Katek grin

Labradora Sun 12-May-24 12:43:18

Comedy genius . Modern , delightful, fanatastical , hilarious nonsense.
I have listened again with unalloyed joy to the whole series.

Its totally un-PC with e.g. unkind fun being made of the Hattie Jacques character for her size but it is "of its time" so, for me, that doesn't detract from the overall humour.

annsixty Sun 12-May-24 12:56:59

And.. at least my mother’s gravy moved… to Hattie’s Sunday dinner.

Aveline Sun 12-May-24 13:13:43

I just never found him in the least bit funny. I did try.

Katek Sun 12-May-24 17:41:35

Then there was Round the Horne...........Rambling Syd Rumpo et al!

Kate1949 Sun 12-May-24 18:05:32

Me neither Aveline.

Visgir1 Sun 12-May-24 18:08:50

I once found in the library published copies of the scripts for Hancocks Half hour, everything he did was written by Galton and Simpson. Don't think he was particularly funny without a scrip.

Not sure what exactly happened with Tony Hancock but they ended up leaving him and wrote Steptoe and Son.

Greyduster Sun 12-May-24 18:21:22

I was never really taken with Hancock. Round the Horne was comedy genius. We used to take the CDs in the car and we laughed so much it was dangerous. Thankfully no CD players in cars now, but I still play them from time to time.

Katek Sun 12-May-24 19:12:07

"I'm Julian, and this is my friend Sandy......" Loved it! Think they only got away with a lot of it because they used palare (polare?) which concealed some of the double entendre.

zakouma66 Sun 12-May-24 19:14:37

Aveline

I just never found him in the least bit funny. I did try.

me too along with The Goons and Monty Python.

flappergirl Sun 12-May-24 20:19:18

I used to love Tony Hancock with Sid James when I was a child, I giggled my socks off. I watched some a few years back and it didn't have the same effect. I do love one of his films though, The Rebel. I believe he wrote it.

Devorgilla Sun 12-May-24 20:22:58

Thanks for flagging this up. Loved this programme. Will defo be tuning in.

Anniebach Sun 12-May-24 21:39:38

Tony Hancock took his life, age 44

Labradora Tue 14-May-24 11:30:57

Anniebach,

Yes, tragically, he did , he seemed to have lived quite a troubled life. I often wonder if artistic people feel things more deeply than "ordinary" people ?
To bring it up to date, obviously we all only know what is reported in the Press but I was astonished to hear that the late Caroline Flack had killed herself because she feared a possible police conviction for striking her then boyfriend would ruin her career. If I recall correctly this beautiful, vital , popular , talented young woman with an apparently loving family hung herself........????

62dg Tue 14-May-24 11:32:19

You’ve mad me think of the clitheroe kid which I absolutely loved listening too. I am going to see if I can find it anywhere now! Thank you for the prompt.

Nano14 Tue 14-May-24 11:36:46

Loved Hancock's half hour on the radio (1954-1959) but not that keen when it transferred to television.
Other 50s radio shows, that I really enjoyed, were The Clitheroe kid, The Navy Lark, The Al Read Show, Beyond Our Ken and Take It From Here, featuring The Glums. Lovely memories.

mabon1 Tue 14-May-24 11:48:32

I thought he was really funny, no smut. I do not find today's comedians funny at all, swearing and sex.

Labradora Tue 14-May-24 11:58:04

Nanol 14

It was the radio show that I really liked and have just re-listened on BBC Sounds.

knspol Tue 14-May-24 12:15:39

I've been listening to repeats of Hancock's Half Hour lately on Radio 4 in the mornings and love them! Remember them from days of old and always thought them incredibly funny. A great blast from the past.

Shinamae Tue 14-May-24 12:31:17

Jimmy Clitheroe , I had forgotten all about him..
Whacko with Jimmy Edward’s ..
Billy Bunter (totally cringeworthy now)