Hancock on Video and Laserdisc

To See Such Fun

This first Hancock related video release featured extracts from classic British comedy films. The Hancock extracts were from The Rebel and The Punch and Judy Man. These releases were in different formats for UK (PAL) and US (NTSC) both in the VHS format

Release Date: 1981
Catalog No:    RPTA Videospace (UK) Pacific Arts Video Records PAVR533

Hancock Volume 1

The very first video release of full epiosdes of Hancock’s Half Hour contained the following episodes: The Blood Donor, The Missing Page and Twelve Angry Men. This release occurred at a time whne no television half hours were available elsewhere and before the trendin later years for the release of full complete series. Having said that, the BBC did release 18 episodes on video in 1985 over 6 volumes. In addition to the VHS video, this title was also released on the short lived Betamax video format (a rival to the VHS format, which became standard) and also as a 2 sided 12 inch Video Laser Disc, the predecessor to the DVD. This was the only Hancock title to achieve a lser disc release although all of the 1985 video series was released on Betamax. Early versions of the video featured the logo ‘BBCTV’ on the box. For later releases, this was replaced with ‘BBC Classic Comedy’. Both types are ilustrated. The early Betamax and VHS boxes for these 6 volumes were identical other then having a sticker on the spine containing the number and stating either VHS or Betamax. The 6 volumes also featured the same cover with each volume in a different colour scheme. This release was deleted in 1994.

Release Date: 1985 
Catalog No:   BBCV7004 (VHS), 
              BBCB7004 (Betamax), 
              BBCL7004 (Videodisc) 1985 Subsequently renumbered BBCV4037

Hancock Volume 2

Released at the same time as Volume 1, this item was also originally made available on both VHS and Betamax formats. This release featured the following episodes: The Lift, The Ladies Man and Lord Byron Lived Here. Early versions of the video featured the logo ‘BBCTV’. For later releases this was replaced with ‘BBC Classic Comedy. This release was deleted in 1994

Release Date: 1985 
Catalog No:   BBCV7034 (VHS)  
              BBCB7034 (Betamax) Subsequently Renumbered BBCV4038

Hancock Volume 3

Released at the same time as volumes 1 and 2, this item was available on both VHS and Betamax. The release featured the following episodes: The Bowmans, The Two Murderers and The Lawyer. Early versions of the cover featured the logo ‘BBCTV’ (the Betamax version is illustrated). For later releases, this was replaced with ‘BBC Classic Comedy, and this version is also illustrated. This release was deleted in 1994

Release Date: 1985 
Catalog No:   BBCV7035 (VHS)
              BBCB7035 (Betamax) Subsequently renumbered BBCV4047

Hancock Volume 4

This release in the Hancock’s Half Hour video also occurred at the same time as Volumes 1 – 3 (1985) and contained the following episodes: The Radio Ham, The Economy Drive and The Cold. This release was available on both VHS and Betamax. Early versions of the video featured the logo ‘BBC TV’. For later releases, this was replaced with ‘BBC Classic Comedy. Both the early (Betmax) version and the later (VHS) versions are illustrated. This release was deleted in 1994.

Release Date: 1985 
Catalog No:   BBCV7036 (VHS)
              BBCB7036 (Betamax)  Subsequently renumbered BBCV4048

Hancock Volume 5

This release from 1985 contained the following episodes: The Bedsitter, The Reunion Party and The New Nose. The video was available in both VHS and Betamx formats. Early versions of the video featured the logo ‘BBCTV’. For later releases, this was replaced with ‘BBC Classic Comedy. Both the early (Betmax) version and the later (VHS) versions are illustrated. This release was deleted in 1994.

Release Date: 1985 
Catalog No:   BBCV7037 (VHS)
              BBCB7037 (Betamax) Subsequently renumbered BBCV4049

Hancock Volume 6

This final release in the initial series of videos contains the following episodes: The Posion Pen Letters, The Emigrant and The Big Night. In common with previous releases, it was also available on both VHS and Betamax formats. Early versions of the video featured the logo ‘BBCTV’ For later releases, this was replaced with ‘BBC Classic Comedy’. Both the early (Betmax) version and the later (VHS) versions are illustrated. This release was deleted in 1994.

Release Date: 1985
Catalog No:   BBCV7038 (VHS)
              BBCB7038 (Betamax) Subsequently renumbered BBCV4050

Golden Years of British Comedy

This video features extracts from Tony’s film, The Rebel.

Release Date: 
Catalog No:    0884783

Best of British Cinema

This video features extracts from The Punch and Judy Man

Release Date: 
Catalog No:     REB053 Tring Video

Best of BBC Comedy

This video was issued free with The People and includes an extract from The Train Journey. Also inlcuded are extracts from Only Fools and Horses, Red Dwarf, Fawlty Towers and eight others.

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100s of Smiles

This video was issued free with Benson and Hedges cigarettes. Featured artists include Tommy Cooper, Max Wall, Tony Hancock and Peter Sellers.

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Hancock's Last Hour (and a Quarter)

This video was the first official release of the three episodes Tony made in Australia in 1968. The release was a great opportunity to see Tony in his final TV role.

Release Date: 1968
Catalog No:   WEL0130

The Very Best of Hancock

Released at the sames time as the previous six BBC volumes were deleted, this release contains the following episodes: The Bedsitter, The Bowmans, The Radio Ham, The Lift and The Blood Donor. In other words, all of the final series entitled Hancock except the final episode (Son and Heir) which was never to receive a video release. All of these episodes had previously been released in Volumes 1 – 6. By the time of this BBC release, the Betamax format had disappeared and so this was the first Hancock BBC release to just appear on VHS.

Release Date: 1994
Catalog No:   BBCV5343

British Comedy Classics

This was the Australian release of To See Such Fun from 1981. We do not currently have an image of this release. Please let our archivst know if you have a copy.

Release Date: 1994 
Catalog No:   Reel Entertainment Pty Ltd 14049

The Tony Hancock Collector's Classic

Despite the name of the distributors, this release was only available in Australia and featured the three episodes Tony made in Australia in 1968.

Release Date: 1992
Catalog No:   Video Distributors International VD155225

hhhancock's half hour

This release was only available for about 18 months and is now quite difficult to track down. In common with the earlier BBC releases, this video contained three episodes as follows: How to Win Money an Influence People, Air Steward Hancock and The Alpine Holiday. All of these episodes were previously unreleased. The front cover style was individual to this release.

Release Date: 1996
Catalog No:   BBCV5850

Hancock: The Australian TV Series

This video was a re-release of Hancock’s Last Hour (and a Quarter) and features Tony’s last TV appearance in Australia.

Release Date: 1996
Catalog No:   Labyrinth Media Ltd LML0152

Sid! The Very Best of Sid James

This video was a tribute to Sid James and was part of the British Comedy Legends series. Featuring extracts from George and The Dragan, Bless This House and, of course, the Carry On films, the release would not have been complete without extracts from Hancock’s Half Hour. The shows featured were: The New Car, Sid in Love, The Cold and Twelve Angry Men.

Release Date: 1996
Catalog No:   PNE Video PNV1019

Stop Messin' About! The Very Best of Kenneth Williams

This video was also part of the British Comedy Legends series. Featuring extracts from Rambling Syd Rumpo, Julian and Sandy and the Carry On films, the release also features extracts from Kenneth’s only surviving appearance in the television Hancock’s Half Hour: The Alpine Holiday.

Release Date: 1996
Catalog No:   PNE Video PNV1021

Hancock's Half Hour

This release contained the episodes: The Cruise, The Tycoon and The Babysitter, all previously unreleased. The front cover was of a new styling that was to be repeated with subsequent releases.

Release Date: 1997
Catalog No:   BBCV5961

Hancock's Half Hour

This release contained the episodes The Emigrant, The Big Night and The Poison Pen Letters and was effectively a re-release of Volume 6 (BBCV4050). The front cover style was similar to the other BBC release in 1997. Although this was the second volume in the new series, no volume number was used.

Release Date: 1997
Catalog No:   BBCV6234

Hancock's Half Hour

This final release in the new series broke with tradition and featured four episodes rather than the usual three. The episodes featured were: The Train Journey, The Photographer, Sid in Love and The Ladies Man. At the end of these releases some 27 of the surviving 37 Hancock’s Half Hour episodes had been made commercially available. It would not be until the advent of the DVD that the complete archive would be released. The following episodes never received a video release:

There’s an Airfield at the Bottom of the Garden, Hancock’s 43 Minutes, Erikson the Viking, The Set That Failed, The Oak Tree, The Knighthood, Spanish Interlude, The Football Pools, The East Cheam Centenary and Son and Heir.

Release Date: 1999 
Catalog No:   BBCV6782

Comedy Greats

The final BBC video release of complete episodes was a revised version of the previously released The Very Best of Hancock. It was part of a series called Comedy Greats which featured other artists such as Morecambe and Wise and Ronnie Barker. This release featured the following episodes: The Bedsitter, The Bowmans, The Radio Ham, The Lift and The Blood Donor. The box for this release was not the usual plastic video box but, instead, was in a white cardboard box and was accompanied by 6 photo postcards.

Release Date: 1999 
Catalog No:   BBCV5343

Great Comedy Moments

This release was also available on DVD and featured 43 extracts from a variety of BBC comedy programmes. The release featured three Hancock sequences, all from the Very Best of Hancock (released on DVD in 2001) and the Comedy Greats video detailed above. The sequences were as follows: i) ‘A Pint’: this is a two minute extraxt from The Blood Donor, where Hancock wants his tea and biscuits after giving his drop of blood; ii) ‘Bedsits and Bertrand’: This is a two and a half minute extract from The Bedsitter and features the sequence where Hanock decides to read Bertrand Russell but keeps referring to his dictionary; iii) ‘A Ham on the Radio’: This three minute sequence is not from The Radio Ham but from The Bowmans and features the delightful Joshua acting out his death scene. This superb DVD release served as an introduction to many archive BBC programmes, some of which had not been commercially released elsewhere.

Release Date: 2001
Catalog No:   BBCV7031

Films

Although Tony Hancock only appeared in a few films, there have been a significant number of video releases over the years. These have been listed by order of film below and does not include any DVD releases. If you have a video copy of one of these films that isn’t listed, please let us know.