Where Did Hancock’s Half-Hour Originate?

This 1950s comedy starring Tony Hancock began as a BBC radio series. When it was made into a TV show in 1956, it kept the same scriptwriters (Ray Galton and Alan Simpson) and the same supporting actors Sid James, Bill Kerr and Irene Handl. June Whitfield, Warren Mitchell and Patricia Hayes also appeared. The series was a huge success; the humour revolved around the gloomy, socially inept persona of Hancock and his dreary existence at 23 Railway Cuttings, East Cheam. Some episodes have become classics; perhaps the best known is "The Blood Donor" in which a terrified Hancock goes through the ordeal of giving blood ("A pint? That's nearly an armful!"). In later years, however, the series was plagued by difficulties, largely of Hancock's own making. He sacked his scriptwriters and tries to continue without Sid James; neither move improved the new (ITV) series, and the show's popularity declined. Hancock eventually committed suicide. He remains an inspiration to many comics, notably Paul Merton who remade some of the classic episodes in the mid-90s.

Add Comment

Report