Very Nearly an Armful - A Tony Hancock Podcast

In this podcast, we look at The Publicity Photograph from the fifth radio series. The sepia-tinted triumvirate consider how this is another episode starting round the breakfast table and discuss Kenneth Williams’s brilliant portrayal of Hillary St. Clair.     The team discuss the rest of the cast and, in particular, Bill’s excellent portrayal of his more witless character.  The guys revel how much...

In this podcast, we look at The Lawyer, from the third television series. 'Rumpole', 'Kavanagh' and 'Perry Mason’ don their wigs and discuss the brilliant supporting cast with a special call out for Bill Fraser in his role as the police sergeant. enjoy the fluffs from the cast that come with this programme being broadcast live and consider how many different ‘jobs’ Hancock had...

In this podcast, we look at The Idol, the third episode of the very first radio series. The three Bobby-soxer’s consider the quality of this early script, which is more like a three-act play, discuss the brilliant support provided by both Moira and Bill and reflect on how Hancock’s previous series Star Bill provided the genesis for this episode.     The team review a number of sequences in the ori...

In this first podcast of our Spring series, we look at Sid’s Mystery Tours from the 6th and final radio series. The three amigos discuss the level of realism in this final radio series, look at the brilliant supporting cast, and the added depth that these additional cast members provide. and consider the number of episodes which commence with a scene around the breakfast table.  Finally, the team...

In this podcast, we are delighted to chat with our special guest Ted Kendall.  Ted is a sound restorer and a mastering engineer who worked for BBC Transcription services before going freelance and setting up his own mastering studio.  Ted was instrumental in the production of the original box sets of the radio Hancock’s Half Hour and in the four volumes of Hancock’s Half Hour Collectibles.  Ted al...

In this podcast, we look at Hancock’s first television Christmas special from the third series, Hancock’s 43 Minutes.   The three musketeers discuss this unusual variety style episode and consider the similarity between the show and much of Hancock’s stage act, look at how Hancock has the audience in stitches whilst doing nothing other than reacting to everything going on around him and consider w...

In this third podcast of our series, we look at The Scandal Magazine from the 5th radio series.   The three amigos consider this to be one of the finest of the radio half hours, discuss the unusual appearance of guest star John Vere in this fifth series episode and consider the brilliant voices provided by Hattie Jacques who is in top form in this episode as both Miss Pugh and ‘Mabel under the tab...

In this episode, we look at the brilliant parody episode The Blackboard Jungle from the third radio series.   Lost for decades and only recovered as recently as 2005, the triumvirate of Hancock fans consider how fortunate we are to be able to review an original recording of this episode.  The team review how closely the episode follows the plotline of the film on which it is based, look at the bri...

In this first podcast of the new series, we look at The Radio Ham from Hancock’s final series for the BBC.   The three amigos discuss how this is almost a Hancock solo episode, look at the brilliant supporting cast and compare the various versions of the programme, including the TV show, the LP version, the Fleksnes and Paul Merton re-makes. Finally, the gang of three consider, in detail, how best...

In this Summer Special, the three amigos are delighted to welcome comedy historian Robert Ross, following the publication of his book 'Best Sellers – Peter Sellers A Life in Comedy', to chat about all things Peter Sellers and his close connection with Tony Hancock.  In particular, we look at the films Orders are Orders and The Wrong Box and the Hancock’s Half Hour radio episode The Marriag...

In the last podcast for this series, we look at the final television episode of Hancock’s Half Hour: The Poison Pen Letters.   The gang of three look at the poignancy of this episode, being the final one with Tony and Sid, consider the brilliant supporting cast and, debate in detail, how froate should really be spelt.  The team discuss how good the lighting is in this episode and what inspired Ray...

In this podcast we look at the radio episode The Chef That Died of Shame from the second radio series.   The team consider how much of a departure from the usual format this episode represents, look at how, with hindsight, the episode can be seen as a reflection of Tony’s own life story and discuss the recurring character of Higgins in Hancock’s Half Hour. The gang of three go on to consider how b...

In this podcast, we look at the episode Around the World in Eighty Days from the fifth radio series   The episode, which was lost for many years, is a brilliant parody of Jules Verne’s 1872 novel.  The gang of three consider how the show encapsulates the atmosphere of 1950s Britain in the middle of the Cold War, discuss Kenneth Williams’s incredible nine different roles and Hattie Jacques’s six ro...

In the first of our new series of podcasts, we look at the radio episode The Wild Man of the Woods from the fourth radio series.   The episode, which was released on Hancock’s first LP This is Hancock, is considered by the Team as one of best of the radio episodes.  The gang look at the number of roles played by Kenneth Williams, discuss the great performances from all of the cast, consider the be...

In our Christmas podcast this year we look at the radio episode Bill and Father Christmas which was broadcast between the fifth and sixth radio series.   The gang consider the roles of Hattie, Sid and Hancock in this episode and how they all appear in a role reversal of their usual characterisations.  They discuss the fantastic performance from Hattie Jacques in this, her final Hancock’s Half Hour...

In this episode, Tim, Jon and Martin look at the fifth television series episode The Two Murderers. The team consider how this episode takes on the feel of a film noir, especially with regards to the lighting, look at the quality of Sid and Tony’s acting throughout this episode and discuss the palpable sense of fear that both Hancock and James manage to portray. In a moment of light relief, the ga...

In this episode, Tim, Jon, James and Martin review the fourth series radio episode The Expresso Bar. The team consider how coffee shops provided a theme for many of the radio episodes and how this theme reflected contemporary developments in the High Street. The Gang of Four explore all of the many topical references in this episode, debate how the episode title should be spelt and consider the br...

In this episode, Tim, James, Jon and Martin celebrate the 70th anniversary of Hancock’s Half Hour with a look at the first series episode The New Car. The team consider how lucky we are that many of the first series survive because they were made available to overseas radio stations and how good a foil for Hancock Moira Lister was. The Gang of Four discuss how the episode provides a fascinating in...

In this special Summer edition of our podcast, we are delighted to welcome John Hewer, star of the upcoming theatre tour of lost television episodes to discuss his upcoming tour and what the audience can expect to see.   Most excitingly, the shows selected have not been seen or heard since first broadcast and it will be amazing to see these shows recreated with a full supporting cast and lovingly...

In the final episode of this series Tim, Jon, James and Martin look at the recently found and rebroadcast series two episode A Visit to Swansea, from 1955. The episode features a cameo from Harry Secombe. The podcast team also hear from young member David Twydell at a recent THAS event and producer Dennis Main Wilson, recorded in the 1990s by Dave Miles. They also look at some of the differences b...

Tim, Jon, James and Martin have been on the road and this episode was recorded live at the Riverside Studios, Hammersmith.  In it, the team look at the colourised version of The Blood Donor in the company of their special guests Adam McLean and Clayton Hickman, producer, and colourisation lead for the episode.    The gang of four look at the excellent supporting cast in this episode and consider h...

In this episode Tim, Jon, James and Martin look at the fourth television series episode The New Nose.  The four look at the fantastic supporting cast, many of them regulars on the television series and hear from Anabelle Lee, recorded at a Society event around 1996. The team also discuss how the episode was one of the earliest to be recorded in segments and take a look at the scenes deleted from t...

In this episode we look at the brilliant fifth radio series episode The Unexploded Bomb.  Tim, James, Jon and Martin consider how brilliant Kenneth Williams is in this episode with his two contrasting voices of the vicar and the bomb disposal expert and also look at the excellent contribution from Hattie Jacques. The Gang of Four discuss the great characters played by Alan Simpson, the edits made...

Tim,  Jon, James and Martin have come out of hibernation and, fortified with lots of black wine gums, have been getting ready to bring you the new series of Very Nearly an Armful. In this trailer the team give details of a special podcast being recorded at London’s Riverside Studios on the 6th April alongside a colourised version of The Blood Donor.

In the final episode of this series of Very Nearly an Armful,  James, Jon, Tim and Martin review Cinderella Hancock from the first radio series of Hancock’s Half Hour.  They review the contribution of the enlarged cast, which included Dora Bryan and Paul Carpenter (as well as a role for the announcer Adrian Waller), and look at the huge number of stars of screen and TV that were name-checked durin...