The Goon Show facts for kids
| Other names | Crazy People (series 1) |
|---|---|
| Genre | Comedy |
| Running time | 30 minutes |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Language(s) | English |
| Home station | BBC Home Service |
| Syndicates |
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| Starring |
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| Announcer |
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| Created by | Spike Milligan |
| Produced by |
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| Recording studio | Camden Theatre, London |
| No. of episodes | 238 plus 12 specials |
| Audio format | Mono |
| Other themes |
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| Ending theme | "Crazy Rhythm", played by Max Geldray and the Ray Ellington Quartet |
The Goon Show was a very popular British radio comedy programme. It was made and broadcast by the BBC Home Service from 1951 to 1960. Sometimes, old episodes were played again on the BBC Light Programme. The first series was called Crazy People. It aired from May 28 to September 20, 1951. Later series were all known as The Goon Show.
Contents
What Was The Goon Show?
The Goon Show was a groundbreaking comedy show that changed radio forever. It was known for its silly stories and unique humor. The show often made fun of everyday life in Britain. It also parodied (made fun of in a funny way) things like movies, politics, and even the police.
Who Were The Goons?
The main person behind The Goon Show was Spike Milligan. He was the show's chief creator and main writer. The show was performed by three amazing actors: Spike Milligan, Harry Secombe, and Peter Sellers.
- Each actor played many different characters.
- These were called "stock characters."
- Stock characters have special habits or voices that listeners know well.
- This was a common way to do comedy in radio and theatre back then.
What Made It Funny?
The scripts for The Goon Show were very unusual and funny. They mixed really silly plots with surreal humor. Surreal humor means it's dreamlike and doesn't always make sense, but it's still funny. The show also used lots of puns, which are jokes using words that sound alike but have different meanings.
- Listeners loved the show's special catchphrases.
- It also had many bizarre (very strange) sound effects.
- Some later episodes used electronic sounds.
- These sounds were made by the new BBC Radiophonic Workshop.
- Many of these funny ideas were later used by other comedy shows.
How Did It Influence Comedy?
Before The Goon Show, Ted Ray's Ray's a Laugh was the main comedy show on BBC radio. The Goon Show became even more popular. It had a huge impact on future comedy. For example, the famous BBC television series Monty Python was influenced by The Goon Show. Both shows were known for their absurdist comedy. This means they used humor that was illogical and often silly.
Images for kids
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The blue plaque from the old Camden Theatre, now Koko, the site of the recording of The Last Goon Show of All.
See also
In Spanish: The Goon Show para niños
