INTRODUCTION The chaos which surrounds the fictional characters in `The Goon Show' has had a tendency to spill over into real life and affect anyone associated with the shows. The history of the programme is confused and often contradictory. The BBC's files have been thor- oughly complicated by last-minute changes of cast, changes of ti- tle, and other incidents; and people who were involved with the shows occasionally say things in interviews and articles which suggest that their memory is playing tricks on them - hardly sur- prising at this distance in time. It is with the hope of clearing up as much of this confusion as possible that this Goonography has been undertaken. Researching the details proved to be something of a Goon Show in itself, sorting through microfilmed files and scripts at the BBC, ploughing through the Radio Times, and, where possible, checking against recordings of the shows themselves. In research of this complexity there is always the chance that small details will go astray; the readers indulgence is asked for any errors which may have crept in. An explanation of the BBC's programme filing system is perhaps necessary. When the original recordings were made, they were kept for transmission and subsequent repeats in identification numbers which have been quoted in the chronological index. These are the numbers beginning SLO, TLO, and so on. None of the original recordings still exists under these numbers. Some were trans- ferred to 'Recorded Programmes Permanent Library' (better known as Sound Archives) under new numbers. Those preserved in this way are detailed in Appendix 3. It is a popular myth that the BBC keeps all its programmes. This would be impossible, as a building the area of W1 would be re- quired to house them all. Sound Archives exists to preserve a representative sample of programmes, and in fact 'The Goon Show' is fairly generously represented - 41 programmes out of 241 ('IT- MA' is represented by 44 out of 312, for example). However, 129 shows are preserved in the Transcription Services issues for use by overseas radio stations (and in fact the 1975 series of re- peats was drawn entirely from Transcription Services' library). The main part of this Goonography is a chronological index of all the shows, with their titles, transmission dates, cast changes, and other relevant information. It is preceded by an alphabetical index covering both official and announced titles (where these are different), and followed by appendices dealing with, among other things, the Transcription Services issues, the shows in Archives, and non-Goon-Show appearances by the Goons. It would have been impossible for me to have compiled all this information without the help I received. My colleagues Tim Smith and Peter Copeland acted as research assistants, Dennis Main Wil- son, Peter Eton, John Browell, Bobby Jaye, Ron Belchier, David Allen, Brian Willey, George Martin and Norma Farnes kindly an- swered silly questions over the telephone. BBC Sound Archives, Script Library, Registry (Radio and Television), Programme Index, Transcription Services and Written Archives Centre at Caversham, and many other departments, were most helpful in providing access to their files and in checking details, as was the British Film Institute. My thanks to all of them. R. F. Wilmut February, 1977 CAST LIST So many characters appeared in the Goon Shows that it is impossi- ble to list them all; all the major characters are included and many of the minor ones, but not those who appeared in one show only. A few minor characters were played by different people from time to time - they are listed under the artist who usually plays them. HARRY SECOMBE plays Neddie Seagoon Old Uncle Oscar Fred Bogg (cockney idiot) Mr. Nugent Dirt Big Chief Worri Guts PETER SELLERS plays Mr. Henry Crun Cynthia/'Breathy Kensington Dear' Hercules Grytpype-Thynne Hern (American Announcer) Major Dennis Bloodnok Babu Banerjee Bluebottle 'Dear Duchess' William ('Mate') Hairy Scot Lew/'Cash'/Judge Schnorrer 'Swede' (rustic voice) Gravely Headstone 'Geraldo' Flowerdew ('camp' voice) 'Cyril' ('I seen 'im') Dr. Justin Eidelburger 'Dimbleby' Reuben Croucher 'Churchlll' William J. MacGoonigal and the piano (very badly) (sometimes) SPIKE MILLIGAN plays Eccles 'Wolfit' (tragic actor) Miss Minnie Bannister Fred Fu-Manchu (and other fiendish Chincse gentlemen) Count Jim Moriarty Abdul/Singhiz Thingz Throat/Miss Throat Mr. Lalkaka Yakamoto Bowser (upper-class twit) Jim Spriggs Basil (upper-upper-class twit) Adolphus Spriggs (wandering William J. MacGoonigal (other singer) times) Little Jim Odium RAY ELLINGTON plays Big Chief Ellinga The Red Bladder Gladys ALPHABETIGAL INDEX Official titles are indexed to series and number, or date if out- of-series. Transcription Services (TS) and announced titles which differ from the official title are referred to that title. In the case of announced titles, only the announcement at the be- ginning of the show is considered, not that after the musical items (unless the show is episodic). Third series shows are in- dexed by their official title only. Some announced titles merely add 'Great' to the official title (e.g this index; if a title cannot be found, try removing 'Great' from it (or in some cases, adding it: 'The Tuscan Salami Scandal' is correctly * indicates announced title differing from official one. ** indicates TS title differing from official one. + indicates announcement for part of a show (other than 3rd series). V = 'Vintage Goons' (after 8th series in main list).