Hancock's Half Hour (1956)
Hancock's Half Hour is a BBC radio comedy, and later television comedy, series of the 1950s and 60s written by Ray Galton and Alan Simpson. The series starred Tony Hancock, with Sid James; the radio version also co-starred, at various times, Moira Lister, Andrée Melly, Hattie Jacques, Bill Kerr and Kenneth Williams. The final television series, renamed simply Hancock, starred Hancock alone. Comedian Tony Hancock starred in the show, playing an exaggerated and much poorer version of his own character and lifestyle, Anthony Aloysius St John Hancock, a down-at-heel comedian living at the dilapidated 23 Railway Cuttings in East Cheam. The series was influential in the development of the situation comedy, with its move away from radio variety towards a focus on character development.
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Episode 1 - The Bedsitter
Release Date: 1961-05-26Hancock is alone in his Earl's Court bed-sit and tries to master a Bertrand Russell book, fails to get the TV to work and almost gets invited to a party.
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Episode 2 - The Bowmans
Release Date: 1961-06-02Hancock plays the part of Old Joshua Merryweather in the radio show The Bowmans (which sounds rather similar to The Archers). But his behaviour and the number of different dialects that he uses causes him to be thrown off the show. However public opinion demands his return - but he in turn demands a few changes!
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Episode 3 - The Radio Ham
Release Date: 1961-06-09Hancock has bought himself a radio transmitter / receiver and he is able to converse with remote parts of the world, discussing the weather and playing games of Snakes & Ladders and Chess. But when he receives a 'Mayday' call he has to contend with the landlady's husband and uncooperative electricity meters!
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Episode 4 - The Lift
Release Date: 1961-06-16Hancock is the ninth passenger in a lift designed to take eight. When the lift sticks he tries to raise everybody's spirits, but only manages to annoy all of the other occupants.
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Episode 5 - The Blood Donor
Release Date: 1961-06-23Hancock decides to give a pint of blood. But he is alarmed when he discovers he has to give very nearly an armful... and he is determined to find out who it goes to!
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Episode 6 - The Succession - Son and Heir
Release Date: 1961-06-30Hancock decides that it's time to have children to 'carry on the line'. He selects three eligible girls and proposes to them all but is refused. Whilst he is still arguing with the third, the other two return having changed their minds.