BBC TV Series 1
Broadcast between July 6 and September 14, 1956, this series comprised six episodes, all of which were broadcast live with no recordings of the transmissions being made by the BBC. Consequently, none of these episodes survive. The series was broadcast fortnightly on Fridays at 9.30pm (except episode one at 8.45pm). There were no repeats.
Regular cast comprised Tony Hancock and Sid James, with the main cast members detailed under each individual episode below.
First Broadcast July 6, 1956
(with Harold Goodwin, Margaret Flint, Irene Handl, Peter Haigh, Iain MacNaughton, Graham Leaman, Chris Dreaper, Kim Corcoran, James Bulloch, Ivor Raymonde, Frank Pemberton, Patrick Milner and Fraser White)
Hancock has a broken leg but Sid insists that the show must go on and so the show is broadcast from Hancock’s hospital bed.
First broadcast July 20, 1956
(with Valentine Dyall, Irene Handl, Warren Mitchell, Desmond Rayner, Ivor Raymonde, James Bulloch, Eleanor Fazan and Leslie Cooper)
Hancock decides to become an artist and buys up some old canvases to paint over. However, one is a stolen Rembrandt and one of Sid’s cronies is forced to buy up all of Hancock’s paintings to retrieve it.
First broadcast August 3, 1956
(with Warren Mitchell, Hermione Baddeley, Lorrae Desmond, Frank Lonergan, Elizabeth Fraser, Eleanor Fazan, Jessica Dent, Michael Boudot, Philip Casson, Roslyn Ellis, Kay Rose, Alan Simpson, Harry Smith-Hampshire, Doreen Casey, Nina Hunt Melville E. Noelly and Desmond Rayner.)
At last Hancock secures a film role… but only if he can dance. Sid provides lessons for Hancock and enters him into a local dancing contest but is is forced to become his partner in the competition (in drag)!
First broadcast August 17, 1956
(with Reginald Beckwith, Irene Handl, Rose Howlett, Claude Bonser, Tottie Truman Taylor, Gordon Philpott, Fraser White, Ivor Raymonde and Elizabeth Fraser)
This episode was based on the third episode of the third radio series. Uncle Obadiah leaves Hancock a fortune provided that he gets married. Hancock starts to look for his future wife with the help of the Sid James Marriage Bureau.
First broadcast August 31, 1956
(with Warren Mitchell, Eric Sykes, Manville Tarrant, Alan Simpson, Ray Galton, Iain MacNaughton, George Crowther, Roy Patrick, Desmond Rayner, John Vyvyan, Graham Stark, Fraser White, Kim Corcoran, Mario Fabrizi, Frank Lonergan, Peter Emms, Elizabeth Fraser, Terry Gilbert, Leonard Martin, Peter Brownlee, David Hyme and Spike Milligan)
Broadcast from the National Radio Show, Earl’s Court, this episode comprised a number of sketches including the The Red Army Choir.. British style!
First broadcast September 14, 1956
(with Warren Mitchell, Constance Wake, Peter Haigh, Raymond Rollett, Dennis Chinnery and John Vere)
This episode was based on the sixth episode of the second radio series. The cast play the parts in the story of ‘Iggins, a cook, who becomes a well respected chef but subsequently fails and looses everything due to drink.