White wine Army left. Five, five.
Six. That's that.
Then lets me blasted off the boat for the third game running
by the Allied Forces of mini crunch.
Father, Hello and welcome to goon pod.
Now Andy Warhol once said that in the future, everyone would be
famous for 15 minutes. Well the Futures here and his
prophecy is not yet quite come to pass my wife's uncle.
Ted is one of the least famous people you could ever meet.
But where he around today, mr. Warhol might have observed that
most middle-aged men would have a podcast raises hand.
Regular listeners will have noticed that this show has been
off the Pod waves for a few weeks and if you haven't why the
hell not, the fact is that my father suddenly passed away in
January and I had to return to the old country for a while.
It was a very reflective time for me and yeah, quite emotional
as well. And I've often talked about my
dad on this podcast, he was the person who really instilled
within me, a love of Comedy, especially British comedy.
And of course it was, it was through him.
That I first heard gags from the Goon show, as he would often,
you know Quote lines around the house when I was still in short,
trousers. And I want to dedicate this
episode to him. My guest is one of this
country's greatest comedy creators, who in a way
straddled, the worlds of so-called mainstream comedy and
New Wave or alternative, comedy, David Renwick was equally at
home writing for the likes of The Two Ronnies as he was
Alexei, sayle. But it was for the miniseries on
radio and television. He co-created in the 70s and 80s
with longtime collaborator Andrew Marshall, and
subsequently is a solar writer that he's better.
On shows such as the burkas way end of part one.
Whoops, apocalypse hot metal and of course, one foot in the grave
and Jonathan Craig I'm a massive fan of of one foot in the grave
and could easily have spent, I don't know.
Several days talking to David about that program alone.
But but this being goon pod. I first of all focused on the
brief period he and Andrew spent working with Spike Milligan in
the early 80s on the series. There's a lot of it about Q10
and all but name. David had a lot to say about
Spike as well as working with The Two Ronnies with people like
David Jason and even whisper, it Bill Cosby, And yes, we did talk
rather a lot about one foot because as I always say
listeners to this podcast, a comedy fans in general and and
don't expect me to stick a rigidly to the topic of the
goons when in conversation with such August talents.
So anyway, enough blathering enjoy the show.
Obviously, I want to talk about, you know, Spike but I appreciate
that was only a small part of your career working on.
There's a lot of it about. So I appreciate you won't
necessarily. I suppose have a huge amount to
talk about on that but well there's a mean there's always a
huge amount to talk about with Spike.
I mean, it, yes, of course, it was a tiny portion of Andrews
Andrew marvell's and my output, but A huge element in our lives.
I mean, you know how could work? It was Spike Milligan, not be,
you know, it wasn't something to be taken lightly.
Yes, you know, I mean spike it was a never not in the sort of
comedic firmament ever since I can remember from childhood and
I was born in 1951 and you know, just kind of on just just, just
post good, you know, for ideal for listening to begins on the
radio. Kind of really didn't start
start listening or watching Goonies tilt elegans came along
slightly dear to that'll give you nightmares.
Yeah, well, no, no because I'm you know, to this day I was kind
of still see them you know. See the characters a bit like
that. I didn't think they were a bad
realization, you know if you gonna try and you know,
introduce some physicality to what I basically abstract you
know, characters on the Audio. We can almost never want to see
what they look like, but I didn't think they did a bad job,
but it no. I mean, I was obviously, I was
aware of the radio versions and the width of a bit though I
think was one particular fellow pupil at school, who had had
several of the LPS, because that's the only way you'd, you
know, it's the only form of recorded version that you get at
anything in those days was a long-playing records and we used
to, quote, all the jokes to each other as a Scarlet capsule, I
remember was one of them. I think it was on it was on disk
that time and yeah that that was the that was the second question
asking you, was it? Yeah, I don't remember what the
others were from a long long while ago but you know and then
when I started organizing school trips to the radio and
television shows one of those was welded Beachcomber.
One that we went, we went went to I think was even before I
think we're their actual color monitors hanging around the
studio. You know, we've been seeing the
frost report or still exclusively black and white but
and seeing Milligan still to this day, just see him sitting
there in his sort of castled hat.
On the right hand side of the of the of the studio before us.
You know all these that's a magical environment is like
Aladdin's. Came to me all the light and
suspended and cameras and equipment.
Everything you think God wouldn't it be wonderful if you
know Jenner to work in the environment you know, and
getting paid for it, you know? So that was the first time I
ever saw him and but very well known to me by that stage
anyway. Sort of spool forward, a long
time into the presence of the very early 80s 18:1 or
something, Andrew Marshall and I have been writing for radio and
circled the burkas way and kind of semi spin offer, run the
weekend called end of part one. And I gather that these were
shows he had, you know, been interested in and obviously
heard appealed to him somewhere because we got the call one day
from our agents, we walk it will sitting working on which
apocalypse that he wanted to take us to dinner.
So that very night we were at the track to in Kensington and
having dinner with Spike and Neil sham who I didn't know that
I'd worked on and that was his favorite restaurant.
Yeah. Yeah.
Yes, it was. That was the legend, you know,
obviously, very well, know where and I mean I decided Andrew came
out and saying it being like a hallucinogenic experience.
The first time you've been able to break bread with Spike
Milligan. What are you gonna do?
You know, I mean, I wasn't certain whether we were there
meant to be auditioning, you know.
Let's see how funny we were, which we weren't or he was
trying to impress us or bit of both, but, I mean, nothing
whatsoever was said about the television series the next Q
Series, which we were supposedly there to talk about and he just
went off into his various flights of fantasy and God
Where's Martin was I would guess in sort of equal measure
hysterically. Funny and battling you know, but
more back, more baffling than funny probably as the wine went
home, you know that tended to be the case with oh it'd be like
two red wine. Very much.
Do you want it was with great. You know those are there was a
great sort of classiness to them in a sort of a Elegance to his
in a very refined. Just remember he wants
castigated me for picking the wine bottle up by its neck neck,
that was really not, you know, that was not the thing to do
right now and it's his taste will quite elevated and
sophisticated in that way. And so we came away with no, no
indication whether we were going to be recruited for this series
or not, but quickly found out that he didn't want us to write
for it. And that not only did one of the
right by that wanted. To write all of it, he didn't
want to do any more Lighting on this one.
So John, how David quite thankfully?
So well he wasn't going to be interested in that Milligan
series of people have minimum wasn't doing the bulk of the
writing. Thank God.
You know, them the idea of Neil and Andrew and myself writing
all the stuff was just remove stuff of nightmares.
But yeah. So that you know, that sort of
rumbled on this that we were expected to And to contribute to
the show, One Spike, knuckle down and agreed, right?
Yeah, I don't think there's ever any indication that ever
suggestion, should say that he was with not actually write
anymore anymore, the Q show himself and and as it happened
the contribution of a house that made it to the end was really
quite tiny in the end. And you know, we I mean we
actually challenged it 11 points, if you know, you You
keep saying all our stuff is wonderful and marvelous, but
you're not using any of it. We just rather we, you know,
just left you to it and he was, he was mortified and kite went
almost pale at the idea that we were, you know, going to quit
the show, not seeing any change shape.
So we you so you wrote sketches like you say, that it leveled
and maybe didn't end up hitting the screen.
But did you try to ape Milligan style?
Or we that that That was the idea.
I mean we went around I'm not long after the try to kneel, we
went to his house and Barnett and you know I just we sort of
mellowed out a bit limp because we've seen a little bit more
comfortable with them in the daytime with less alcohol
flowing. Yeah he said just go right away
and write anything you want to ride whatever makes you laugh
up. Your deists foot is basically
that's what he said. Yeah, we didn't And Van Gogh,
and his lifetime. So, I'm in good company, I'm
used to be fond of quoting Van Gogh, your, the van graffs of
chromodoris kind of stuff. So yeah, we did that, but with
an eye to, you know, trying out of the best, we could to
replicate the spike style. I mean being big fans of that,
it's the realest kind of Comedy, we were wasn't entirely foreign
to us but you know, spike is One off and and how the things and
just stay in his mind other than the evident time to just stay up
and it's just a flow of Consciousness, you know, all the
wonderful things that emerged. I mean, when we first went with
was a very another, very early meeting where you can't even the
in just read out all the stuff is written so far, which was
mostly in a just hysterical and just just mind-bogglingly
invented. Well, as you may have heard on
the news earlier this evening, the comedian and writer, Writers
Spike Milligan died at his home in Barnet aged 104.
Widely regarded as one of the country's true comic Geniuses
the late mr. Milligan had only just completed
recording a new series offers zany wacky, half-hour shows for
the BBC. That's BBC.
Two of course not BBC one who tended to regard him as
something of a light entertainment leper and though
Millions will mourn the tragic passing of mr.
Milligan's unique and eccentric Talent.
We have been asked by the trustee of his estate and Miss
Glenda plunge of latex dungeons, Soho to honor his memory.
In the way that he would surely have wished.
BBC Two is now proud to present, George Formby in spare a copper.
I go into cleaning. One of the great problems was
that it didn't stop there. And by the time we got to the
studio floor, we had been so many extra set of embellishment
Sara Lee helped, the original concept, which you thought, my
God, that's like, very, very startling call me by Dax come up
with their, but then you would have Vaughn was a joke.
There was a Sketchbook Joker NeNe.
I remember was one member ended up with David Lloyd.
You saw me dressed as Max, and maroon Spike manipulating, a
dummy of David dimbleby from underneath the desk and then the
Neal Schon. Those are standing with standing
next to each other and the skills.
I wish this wasn't happening in all of those sketches.
Actually, is it happened for that final C of N Things.
The patient with previous few shows were all rehearse record.
There's a lot of pre filming was done an evening and the studio
video sketches were all rehearse recording, you know, Nicole
Studio. Then the holes with all the
shows are taken away edited together and shown to an
audience to, right? So again while audience on those
shows at all quarters, which I think kind of suited him more
because of that you need to go off and moan about things.
You know, underrate the Cruller At the director and he had such
a caustic corrosion way with people who got on the wrong side
of him. Yeah.
Well thankfully and and I never did.
We were always we live this Charmed Life before being his
good book but you could be devastatingly abusive and to
dismiss of yeah. Yeah.
When people would come up to him and, you know, either and make
some whatever comment either ingest or in, it was part of an
old. That was just an instant reply
response of some sort without, you know, almost having to think
about, you know, which was, you know, what?
He was going to say. I think in his mind he knew what
he wanted and it was very difficult to translate what was
in his mind on to it, you know, the floor or radiant, I mean, he
Brooks no argument. This was the point, I mean, I
think on on several occasions He had that out came that staccato
declaration. I was right, and you were wrong.
I remember him say that in a, I think an animal rights rally in
Trafalgar Square in her work. Probably had more weight.
But, you know, if he was talking about some joke to do with a
Julia Breck's Breyer or you know, still really crap sort of
peanuts but he would still approach it as if it was
something of great. Wait, wait, yes.
And and and I won't have it. Try to make it out with.
I was wrong when I was right and everyone else was wrong and
there's total no discussion at the storm off in a half.
And go I have to be coaxed back into the studio, things like
that, that wouldn't have happened in front of a live
audience, but when we did show it to a live audience and he was
there in person, presumably to try and G them up and secures
his personality And with it came out because all the public
schedule, Justin shown on monitors and cooled, and so
thankful to recall their laughs, it's your hands up.
All those who dig my humor, you know, the voice that suggested
that anyone who dissented in might be injected from the
studio and very strange. And then he went on to say you
to talk about the that how easy it was to get people to love
jokes about women, with big tits and men's trousers falling.
Down. But we're above all that.
And and they proceeded to show them six shows, which were
packed with all of those elements.
And that sort of, that contradiction was always lost on
them. And here's the news with
Reginald, pieczonka there was a collision today on the M1
between a lorry load of marmalade and a Truck filled
with dancing Preserve. They accidentally used by the to
run these later tonight's when I joke about traffic jams and big
knockers, you know, overall he was there was so much in those
shows and movies body of work. Generally, work is just
Peerless, Li fun, but I guess you make those allowances.
I mean, we kept in touch with him for several years after
week, after week, you should switch on. accountably, he
decided to name, there's a lot of it about was never explain
why but I think I understand the BBC didn't like hadn't liked
the, the Q name for the longest time.
Well, this is Q 10 10. Yeah, no, I think as well, by
the, by the time there's a lot of about comes along, which is
the early 80s. The comedy landscape has changed
as altered quite significantly in the in the last, in the
previous sort of for five years and I don't and I think Spike
was looking askance at okay, A little large, but still
Primetime and and Cannonball, and all the rest of it, but
there was alternative, comedy creeping in there was not the
nine o'clock news, there was even end of part 1 and and stuff
that was Different to perhaps what Spike was used to, and, and
I think he was trying to stay relevant, but still doing the
same old stick because I've have you, have you seen any episodes
of? There's a lot of it about
recently, or we try to avoid. Well, I mean, it's not easy to
find the menu. I might have some recording on
VHS somewhere, but yeah, it's on YouTube on them.
Now there is all six episodes are available, but they're not
very good quality transfers and it's very difficult to make out.
It looks like this high production values then on
previous Q Series. And it looks like there's a lot
of knots there's VT but there's also a lot of film as well.
I'm always was filming. This was one of the reasons why
I'm doing, I always wanted to submit our projects to the BBC,
which we did. To the occasion, the return down
name of that, well-known TV. That the BBC was always had,
those Superior production quality and I remember the first
day that I went along to him Studios when they were filming
the first quick. It's, I mean, most of which were
mean, Mary even are time, but the BBC, It's So Gone to town on
the design. Requirement terms of sex that we
were building for, you know, some 10 second piece.
Of rubbish that that Spike will just come up with.
So it always look fantastic. And that was one of the things
about these are in those days before they sold off.
All their unit was also even assuming they spent.
Yeah. They spent a lot of money to
make something look quite cheap. Well, yeah.
I mean, I, well, I suppose it's, yes, it's arguable.
Whether it looked any cheaper than, I mean, I love the
weekend. Didn't do a bad job of design.
Warmth ends was of Korra. Smoke constantly changing
because I've re-watched, there's a lot of it about preparing for
this, and it's, there's some good stuff, of course.
There's there's a lot of, I mean, there's a hell of a lot of
as you touched upon before, there's a lot of female nudity.
And, and also black face, which by 1980, what 23, was that boat
has sailed. But there's a lot, just so much
going on, like, you say, This is quickies as lots of, lots of
extended sketches and it's very difficult to.
I tried, I tried to sort of pinpoint or try to sort of guess
what sketches were written by you and Andrew.
I tried work. I do.
Well, you would fail miserably on that because I mean the
things were kind of cannibalized.
And yeah, am I right in saying, you may not remember?
Of course, there was A sketch, a GLC sketch.
And there was someone in that sketch, like an extra sitting at
a table, and that looked like it could have been you.
No, I don't try the only time I remember actually sitting in on
Earth gets his sin, some his front room, I think it was a
quickie about then watching television and Spike is probably
sitting next to me or two away from me, controlling things.
The real with a remote control to remote control.
That was it that was it. I think that one is I think I
remember something naughty. We watching something new
musical. So we were sort of nodding our
heads away to that. And, but that's the only time I
remember actually stepping in front of the camera that the
Andrew do. With any reason, I thought it
was you and it look with the greatest respect David.
You know, you're a writer, you're not, you have appeared on
television, of course, but you're not household face.
So shall we say? But the reason I recognized the
reason I recognized or thought I recognized you was because I I'd
also watched don't know if you remember there was a 1982 81-82
documentary about Mikey our wood.
Hmm. And it's I think it's called
something like and this is me something like that and early on
in that documentary I just uh sitting John Adams in the yeah.
Chewing with Mike playing up the impersonations far more than you
would have done. Normally if we were actually
sitting discussing the show because obviously need the
cameras were on. Yeah.
Well as I do, I think I got, I think I am.
I was allowed to words in that sketch because that's a point or
something. I think I said well, he's
because you've got a sketch idea for top of the pops a proposed
top Of the pop sketch with members of the shadow shadow
cabinet. Yeah.
And that being a ball Pope, but yes, well, there's yes made
order. Hold little guest appearances
like that. And one way never very
comfortably admittedly. We just want the vehicle for
introducing what three Acts or four acts who are where they're
politicians Michael foot, or? Yeah, well it for yes, if you
don't, if we didn't do the video recording showcase or whatever,
couldn't you artist, you the We have the Bob Hope Cabaret.
Mmm. Come on Janice is so good.
But anyway, let's get all of got - good thought all the non
recently. A lot of trouble trying to get
show business people as extra. I got my little foot to
entertain you right here, but I'll come.
And he doesn't answer them. Great, that's nice sort of Hotel
situation. Yeah, we come back to spike in a
little bit. That's okay.
I just wanted to talk about a few other things in terms of
your earlier career. And also inevitably, I do want
to talk a little bit about one foot in the grave.
I gather you mentioned early on when you said about going to
watch Beachcomber and I gather that you'd been to see filming
of python. So was that quite early?
It was that what was that? What series 2 Series 3?
Can remember what was the first year?
Is it was The Lumberjack episode?
Oh okay, I mean, you know python when it first came to the
English was not something unusual to myself, and mind,
circle of Comedy, loving friends, because we kind of
weed, all discovered. I'm sorry that game that was the
very first thing. I think I might claim to be some
sort of the Oxbridge review, Jean and I will shows like
completing of history of Britain.
Yep, piece of three twice a fortnight and I All those that
do not adjust your set principle, which contain
various. But so when they were all,
brought our or permutation of those performers working
together to, to do python, that was just the latest in that line
that whole lineage of review performance and well TV work.
So when it started out Didn't think what this is going to be
the real ground breaker, and I think we'd watched maybe three
or four because that in those days it was more 13 weeks of
years or something. Yeah.
As the first ones are going out. So we are going to struggle for
tickets and got coach parties, mask or went up there and
sacking. I mean, you know, the audience
laughter was not great, you know, we weren't it wasn't
having become the cult and it may be because we were about, I
can choose to Weeks later, I wrote office.
If we get some more and they would you just couldn't get a
number like them. But I think that was probably
about maybe about whole way through the was.
It wasn't? It wasn't the first few episodes
of Flying Circus was some the audience sort of must in groups
of women's Institute members and the like that all applaud was
that shot? They always show them clapping.
Yes, it was certainly, I mean, as a legendary, everything's in
the very first thought. Details.
Wasn't it where they felt we did?
Not wonder why they weren't laughing.
They're actually a group of poles or something.
It was sitting in the front row but no, I know who did that.
Like, I'm trying to mend the weather Barry.
Cryer Barry took was doing a warm-up then he might have been
either things. I think we both didn't like very
took was the sort of sort of Midwife to the series, which
right? Yeah so I can remember that but
it wasn't what I mean we were laughing.
Couple more slim Shore. But that was that was the nature
of the BBC ticket unit, which we kind of had our own ups and
downs with over the years. And that they would send out
invitations to people who had shown interest in TV shows and
radio shows and offer them tickets for this for that.
It wasn't always. There's a cerebral is something
that was I love well suited to the to the audience arrival or
the audience wasn't most senior vice versa but they seem very
often in that with I guess while the quiet mystified Coach Park
is turning up and it was only really when something got going
on in the air and people were specifically requested tickets
for that show that you even got loan will sort of compliments of
sense of Thinking of humor and we have that on the burgers
where you work, the first verse 7 of the series, the first half
dozen of us second series where we just got this.
You say, struggles regulation, I think when coach parties with
people who would come along just get out of the cold but when you
sit down in the past and there's only one John Lloyd thought.
Hang on. Why don't we put out an
announcement at the end of the program.
When it goes out on the are saying, if you would like to
gets to see this and blah blah blah, and the next week there
were queues around the block, we suddenly found the was actually
an audience out there listening. You know, once they knew that
they were entitled to come along and watch the recording, so
we're all so will flock flock to us do.
But, you know, you have to ticket unit.
We're not terribly proactive. In that respect soap, Python
have to find its own audience. And as I say, then, you know,
once once it had taken off you, and put the book tickets for
love nor money, but but at that point, it was, there was, as,
you know, the first, those First episodes do have a slightly
colder feel too in terms of the reaction and I know that you
were working as a journalist on a local newspaper, in the early
70s, the Luton news. Is that right?
Yes. At the time when I joined the
loop, 1970. There was a while Thompson paper
called The Evening Post which was a name suggest came out
every evening. We were a weekly and so they
kind of got first dibs on all stories and we had to try and
find a new angle. By the time, our paper came out
on a Thursday, the identity. I don't ask me why, but in the
years as the years went by that paper folded but that was, you
know, I kind of joined that on the mistaken assumption that
because I quite enjoyed Writing. That would be the career for me
that, you know, you soon find out.
It's about ringing people up and trying to talk to people don't
want to talk to you soon. Yeah.
Have streets and knocking on doors.
And, um, so at simultaneously I was getting my first sketches on
radio and in my spare time. So after four years of that, I
decided it was, it was now or never true to see if I can make
a living doing what I really wanted to do.
And you'd met Andrew Marshall on was at week ending.
Yes, we were doing that both both contributing beginning, so
we, we all met up in the conference room, in those days,
in ionian Hall, which was a new Bond Street, which is the
headquarters of in d.c. Ellie and little people, like
John Lloyd and Douglas Adams or combo.
Stop smoking. Trust me.
I did spend soon they were writing far more the shown.
We just kind of just just contributing on bits and pieces
where I wasn't getting very much on a talk that I had a full-time
job obviously. But um, but you know that's
where you just the camera dries kind of kicked in.
And we went around to Yates his wine bar for lunch time to get
some shepherd's pie or something.
So, you know, you kind of just muck I mean there's I just went
there on my My one day off, you know, but whenever I got any
time off at all, from from the job, I would very keen to go
there and get my face known. I'm just mixing with them all,
go to the studio recording in pp1 on Friday morning.
Week ending this. It will talk about.
Yeah. So yeah, that's that's sort of
Where it All Began on there. And by the time I left the
newspaper, I had actually got to the stage where they were
commissioned. You need to A certain number of
minutes material week myself and Colleen and I masturbate and so
that means of course that they keep me know when you get them
scheduled on or not, you still get paid.
So it's showed me degree of confidence in my abilities.
So and I'm still living at home at that time, my parents.
It was no big wrists, you know, Financial Risk for me too.
But I mean, as it happened, I manage digital.
Keep my head above water room and bits and pieces.
Yeah, because I know there's a few, there's a couple of things.
I've trusted names of shows, I've dropped jotted down here,
which for example, Bruce Forsyth big night, which was a bit of a
disaster, not for you but what will it was like most disasters
that were gone. It was huge fun to do because
big night out with Bruce tonight.
Procedural thinking stop the middle of Jimmy Edwards is live
at Patricia. Break is the return of the Glam
surprises and prizes. And we played tennis with Rod
home and be with our whole fancy dresses.
Bruce was wonderful to work with in a you had the experience of
sitting in the conference room with Bruce and all these other
writers. You know, every every day we
used to go in there and do some work on the jokes and the ideas
and most of us are fell flat on their face.
But but it was then, you know, got to the restaurant about
lunches together and meet all these stars that come on,
doggie, more and people. You know, and it was just great
fun that was at the show land about fourteen episodes.
I think, I mean, it began as this great sprawling entity over
about three hours or something. This Saturday night was after he
left the BBC in generation going, seven years and they had
all these inserts of Charlie Drake and the glum Zorba
clumsier Is what and it was gradually.
As the series progressed, David Belle's had Department that
stained and Michael Graves controlling realized that really
what they need to do is trim it right back to what was its basic
strength, which was Bruce and who are acting in the public
and, and that song and dancing some comedy.
And, you know, getting rid of all those other extreme in
Seminole. So that's what happened.
But I don't and I guess We have meaning that for another live
report of being a success. But but what was bizarre was
that Larry Grayson who just appeared to be completely
hopeless. On the generation game was taken
to the country's heart and you know that ratings back to
Skyrocket. They won't ya.
Yes. Yeah.
And also another show which you worked on not Andrew.
I believe it was you working on The Two?
Ronnies that At. Kept you busy for what, what was
the best part of 78 years? Something like that.
And when I wrote One sketch together on that, but the rest
was me. Yes.
I mean, I still was just like this built.
Built my contributions up from newsdesk lines and it was a bit
like week ending, really? I just made a point of going in
to the studio, every Sunday afternoon, and just, you know,
make up these sounds, you know, quite Quite quite courageous
Army. Not in the, how I had the nerve
to do it. Considering our unknown and
putting significant, I was as a person in writer that I kind of
got on quite well, with Peter Vincent who was the script
everything. And so I just used to go in and
meet everybody and and I'd take in news lines with me very often
and They would obviously give the new signs and dry run, you
know, afternoon and they felt little one or two, or two or
three, that weren't as funny as they thought, they were getting
the elbow at the last minute and look for Alternatives.
Yeah, I'd come in with a sheet. Maybe there was something on
there that was completely fresh and it made them laugh.
It would go straight into that night show.
So so that happened several times and then I got
commissioned for some sketches. And I don't know why was at one
particular point. So I think I kind of barely met
to on his during that time. I've said hello Tony but then
one day I got a 1976, I just out of the blue waffle maker from
the one called it saying, would I like to be the script
associate on his next varieties here?
Which, of course, I jumped at that chance, of course and
ground. So, that was the beginning of my
closer relationship with the Corbett and when spiking without
Mullins stopped biting each other spots right up over.
So yeah. So all in all it was 1974, I
think began on used as going last show of think with mine.
Tony thinking. Okay, your mom but didn't
realize it was it was that length of time a couple of years
where they took time out from its, you know, but they neither
a lot of shows that I wrote about 50 monologues for
wheelchair thing and yet of course you get you had the honor
of as part of the rate of obviously you wrote Raiders of
the last talk and was it runny? Be that included the line or the
the piece that said it's a David O Renwick production?
Well, I've been through this before but my script as
submitted began with the voiceover which said 1860
whatever. The last known, example of the
great auk was found dead in March and neutrons and whatever,
whatever the Local Natives, believing it to have special
powers fashioned of golden. Effigy Of it, turned its
Believed to have magical powers, men have died trying to seek it
and harness its power by the story.
Then up comes this terrible pun in Indiana Jones, writing letter
e. Yep.
It was in the last orc, you know.
So at the very least, you think you would get ingrown instead of
when I went to the studio that day and I think it was marked as
planting who was a director and producer them, so they'll wait
till you see the opening of your film tonight.
Right. And I assume that he did you
know with a sort of an unoriginal wink as if it was
good it's going to be something really, really going to blow my
socks off. In terms of action values, he
was alluding to the fact, this book open with my name, you
know, the daily dosing. You have to know David Selznick?
Yeah, I used to get that reference.
Yeah. And then up comes ready to the
last all and then you get to the voiceover.
So you've got No joke and pay off completely changes proposed.
Yeah, I wasn't best pleased by the, by the way, that that that
sketch started really. It was curse of discontent.
I'm sorry to reopen that wound. Oh no, beeping wound in the
clutches of the Nazis. There is only one man in England
equipped to rescuer. Littlehampton Jones, famous
troubleshooter, and the only man owned were failed.
The medical for the oval teams. I was a big fan of Alexei
sayles, stuff, and in you, and Andre would very much the
driving force forces behind the writing on that.
When you. Yeah, but we did make some
appearances in that one or two occasions.
They were actually sitting there as the Riders within the ones.
Get yes, well that all that began began life in Miami.
Actually, when we had a part in groups apocalypse, television
series and then subsequently in the film, And we're all sitting
on sitting on the beach there. One day, we said we should get
together and try and submit something for telling and so and
we got that we did because get together one.
And submitted it to Jim Moya. Yep.
If you come across. Yeah, it's a peculiar sense of
humor. And then when we went in to talk
to him about it, if I wasn't sitting on the other side of
this, yes, the me over there with my tongue down, the back of
your throat saying that he thought it was a good idea.
Yes, it took a long while to get through the system.
These channels are feeling and do and then that me, it's always
about money and I think they recognize that Lexie was all he
was entitled to his own vehicle. That's going to end up doing
three shows of that. And then of course he went on to
do some more Without us great grandma in her mouth and I feel
sore throat. Yeah.
Because well, it wasn't on whoops apocalypse because Alexi
played that soldier in its in its character relation the
relation. But wasn't it on the set of
whoops apocalypse. That Lenny Henry met Dawn,
French. They started going out.
That's the story. Yes.
That first step is so good. So he did he knew Lenny from
what was it Ott was? Yeah.
And he invited me along and of course Tony knew from the
Thunder From The Comedy Store. And I think I think that's where
they both but you're not actually let me see told me that
once I don't know why I'm saying.
I think because he said it was due to you on that my wife.
That's not apply when she was completely one.
Yes. Yeah just on spot getting back
to spike. So he approached you.
Is that right? He approached you and Andrew. do
not say we we got that call to say from I guess Norma farms and
rung up our agents showing them and said you know can you make
it to the track to deny that was that was really we had had some
it we'd heard Rumblings earlier that he might be coming along to
a Berkus recording which obviously okay because down our
spine I gathered or not entirely certain of the sort of the
chronology of it that it was at a time when His previous wife.
Patti was was done. Yes, it was a very difficult
time in partly. Why he didn't get a longer term?
Yeah, it was. So we've had some indications,
was some suggestion in the air that teak.
Spike Milligan likes your work. You know, which is a great sort
of Accolade wasn't 100% out of the blue but it was still
pretty. Pretty surprising.
Did you keeping kind of keeping contact I suppose working
Within? The BBC in comedy in general you
would probably meet him at parties whatever over the years.
But did you keep in direct contact with Spike?
You know? Yes.
Okay, we well we were various
other Ventures that we were going to, I mean there's going
to be another Q series for one thing with that was nixed by the
BBC in the end. Hmm.
And which we would have been involved in.
I mean he always every time he had some new idea for something
you know, he was on the phone to her.
He's wanting us to get involved. And then we have meetings, you
know, it's really never got anywhere.
I'm just became social occasions, and we just ended up
going for careers in Barnet or two with local Italian.
And the number of times we'd come call around his house and
being, you know, this sort of Aging shrunken, man would come
to the door. You know, just so sad and like
an invalid. And by the end of In the
intervening but usually within an hour or so.
He would begin a just curled up with Mother Earth, you know.
And it was one of the one of the great greatest Pleasures in life
was to see spike in in for full flow of laughter to either
something weird said, but which probably didn't amuse us
remotely or something. He'd said he was the only person
I think I've ever just cause me to be in pain from laughing, you
know. I can't even tell you.
You why a lot of the time? I mean, there was one occasion
when he she said he was working on the latest volume of his War
Memoirs. And he said that he just
discovered that he one of his oldest friends from the military
at told him, that he was actually quite offended by all
the jokes. That fight was writing is
expense in these books. Yeah.
So I rang around and ran around all the other, my other mates
and they said they were all offended by it.
I can tell this is a joke. It was used obviously quite
wounded by it, but of course we were, is he has a lot of I mean,
that's the sort of mean he just could make you laugh even for
even in his suffering, you know, you couldn't help but sort of
loving, even though, you know, you saw the sort of darker side
of it because he knew that he was still just beset by all
these demons insecurities and you know, that's all a part.
What about, you know, cause obviously over the mental pain
that he went through and, and mental health problems that he
had over the years, you know, taking their toll plus and I
mean no one of our generation and possibly understand what it
would have been like to go through those War experiences.
Know. Exactly.
Absolutely. And I believe correct me if I'm
wrong but my understanding is that for the final ever
on-screen appearance of Victim algae.
Which was the comic relief special in 2001 called visiting
Uncle dick. You wanted you wanted Spike to
play Uncle dick and realize. Yeah, well, not long before
that, I think maybe it was when we were making the last series
of somewhere around. Probably the late 90s after he
knew that to rise. So I kind of a kind of lost
touch a bit by that stage. I mean prior to that, when you
stand in Barnet, we should always be winning UPS.
Sometimes about 1:00 in the morning or something.
That's the idea, is that the late David Renwick?
I mean, there was a, there was a, there was a play that my,
well, I ended up writing on my own but but to begin with, I was
discussing it with Andrew Marshall, which is called angry
old men. And it was about four characters
who were kind of Base to her sort of meant to be a
fictitious. Seminole comedy troupe, who are
sort of an amalgam of Goons Beyond The Fringe python had
these sort of for archetypes, who, hopefully sort of
recognizable, cannibalization Zone these different characters,
one of whom was the spike stroke Peter Cook.
And to the sort of way with genius, who never became quite
as successful as all the others. The the one who kind of lost his
Commerce through through too much, self-analysis who's had a
kind of Jonathan Miller John. Yeah and there was it was an
obvious parallel between Dudley Moore and Peter Sellers.
You know, personally I'm still in this sort of London you know,
roots and and went off to become an international major movie
star sex symbol more question. And it was, it was quite an
interesting concept, but of course the it's and the fourth
one. So I say, well, then there was
actually the only one. Yes, that was the David Frost
character. Who was just basically in it for
the money. But and they.
So we're talking a lot about the, this character who we named
Felix, folks, who was a spike million.
Carats and I came home from Andrew's house a day in the
first message on my art. And also phone was.
All I do is talk to fucking machines.
I'm this is Spike ring, it just seemed almost unknown and but,
you know, you'd be bringing out that day.
Yeah, this was what he did. Anyway, I'm kind of rambling all
around the your answer to your question because he He had rung
me up in the late 90s towards the end of one point.
We're great. When in order to ask me if I
have a part for you, for God's sake.
I'm very good actor, David. You know, I'm not doing
anything. You think?
Well, yeah, he died thinking just gonna pop.
I Just Wanna Party. I'm going downstairs.
Yes. Yeah.
And it's around that time and I didn't have anything.
There was nothing that I couldn't you know, so well, yes,
absolutely keep you in mind. So we had a chat and talked
about old times And then fast forward to the when the series
had finished and we dig that hospital bed seeing I thought.
Well here now is the fight is the ideal thing for Spike to,
you know, come and do. It's not going to be very
demanding because I knew he wasn't that well by then but
word came back that he was. He was too ill even to lie in a
bed and, you know, on camera heart.
So there we've got Eric site. Okay.
And I mean that was the client with you mean, it's parallels.
Of course, that keep going don't need between yes, like, Eric
Sykes. I mean, I was another parallel
or just parenthetically on the angry old men project which was
one time it was going to be directed by dick.
Lester. You know, I had a lot of
meetings with dick which are in he was kind of bumped off the
project in the end I think because of the use of thought I
was going to make it too expensive, but he was seen and I
had a great time. He's a chance of things but and
he had Uncle Dick, had one line. I think in it.
Know how did it go? It was something like it was
something to do with some soup or something.
Wasn't because of that, I think Margaret has a line that she was
too cold or some. She says something like that.
Imagine having to drink this and Uncle dick says I did.
And that was the line. And of course, Eric sites cannot
hear couldn't hear this, right? Yeah.
Really death. And he's lying with his eyes
closed because the whole point was there wondering who's dead
or not. And so how are excites managed
to come in on cue at that point? I was didn't Motors David in a
minute. So so that was quite sweet.
Yes, but yes, I'm as I say we just it with our contact with
With spikes for them, dribbled away into 1916, which was a
great shame, because obviously he's the most wonderful company.
And so verse those evenings that we'd be sick by observing
roaring fire in his house. And I've often teen There was an
occasion where he was just really so fired up.
And I've had one award in this business over all my years, one,
single award, I'm going, I'm going to show it to you and he
went off in the universe or chuckling in anticipation of his
going to come down and show us. So we kind of made conversation
between that sells because you seem to be a way.
Wait, longer than we were expecting and when he came back
into their rooms. Now he's suddenly his face was
Ashen and all the humored evaporated.
He says, great and go out of the room, you have to show some
change. Some funny and everything up to
tell me, Diana dors is dead. And so this was the, you know,
some journalist and running up. Do we then so this the whole
mood of the, of the meaning of changed as we've discussed Those
with whom we worked on the sound Bruce Forsyth and he obviously
knew very well. He said he'd been to visit only
recently and okay, I didn't realize, I didn't realize he had
a friendship with her, right? How are you?
And she said, well Spike, you know, and she says she knew.
She knew, of course that and there was a long silence and
Andrew said, So did you give the pressure quote?
Yes, four pounds, 10, many probably just dissolves into
larger, going to happen to that, fetal position.
But that was spiked, you know, that sort of summed up Spike to
me, the net comedy was never far away from them, you know?
Absolutely, absolutely. Do you mind if we just I just
want to want to know, I've got your, I would like just to talk
a little bit about one foot in the grave if you've gone, hmm.
Five ten minutes because it is genuinely, one of my favorite
sitcoms of all time, and it just terms of the so tiny plotted.
It's so funny. And it's got such, we watch
ability about it. And, and then, you know,
obviously the phrase, you know, he's a victim Elder, it's become
part of The character has become part of the countries like
cultural fabric although a lot of people I think unfairly just
denote anybody who moans or complains as a Victor meldrew
character, where where's the characters?
A lot more nuanced than that. And and I just wondered, was he
was, was Victor. I know that you'd said, after
you've said elsewhere, that he was partly influenced by Walter
Matthau hmm, drum, Neil Simon's, plaza suite.
But what other info? What?
Other sort of influences did you bring into the creation of that
character? Yes.
Like what you put that over a succinctly and obviously done
your research. Yeah, I think well, that, that
was the, the Walter Matthau mr. Hubley character was was,
certainly, the was probably the closest sort of paralyzed.
I also said that the new Neil Simon Jewish angst, which is
really what I suppose I've tried to capture in British form.
Hmm. So it was another hit.
That was a huge influence. I made up my mind, the minute, I
get my hands on her. I'm gonna kill her.
Once I show them the wedding bills.
No jewelry on. It, will convict me.
No, no, no. I changed my mind.
Killings too good for her. She can go into a Convent, let
it become a librarian with thick glasses and a pencil in her
hair. Let her become the first
spinster on the moon. I'm not paying for any more
cancelled weddings. Tell her, go ahead, tell her
never mind, I'll tell him myself, watching The Prisoner of
Second Avenue, back many years later and indeed seeing on
stage, I think Richard Dreyfuss paint in the film's gentlemen.
Yeah, it's almost verged on plagiarism or think like when it
hits the character's name was even now.
There's no bill no connection there between now and meldrew
but I, you know, it was so that was that was yes.
A big influence but, you know I've I've stumbled recently on
odd Snippets of Afghan it and realized yes.
There's a lot in this sort of dynamic between him and dandy
Nichols and And these together and all of those sort of shows
and characters. And yeah which I grew up with
and got to be in there somewhere.
I drew a parallel with The characters who live opposite
Samantha on Bewitched, who I think what in the what was it?
The wife who's always looking through the portals and seeing
something strange going on? Oh yeah, you know, I've grown up
with them, they're in whether consciously or not.
I know. I know that they will have, they
will have colored the Patrick and paper either reacting to the
strangeness that we understand. We know why it's happening.
Yes. They put a different spin on it
and Patrick in particular. That's the most malevolent
Spirit, man, possible. Possibly, so that, you know, I'm
sure if you went through the fine tooth comb, you could find
on everybody's I would guess comedy.
Is is influenced by you know some precursor or rather.
I'm not quite sure where all of spikes come came from but
probably quite a bit from the Marx Brothers and think.
Yes. He would be prone to saying
things like than that. I remember him saying that Jack
Benny was never funny and you sort of sit there, they both
might be out on a limb there, spiked with that one.
But, you know, that wasn't. But then the next day, he might
say, was the funniest man alive because he was so full of those
contradictions. But anyway, getting back to,
yes, Victor, I had written a pilot for Tim's back in the 70s,
which Which again, Drew on that characterization.
Think quite heavily and that never got anywhere.
That was stored sort of still stalled in my Consciousness.
When I came to do have a go at this Sons, one thing the great
pile up to ended in 1989. When everyone's, I mean, I guess
you're right in your earlier premise though that Victor tends
to be so too. Nationalized in that respect
tongue and that's what's made it seem dear during during.
And I think I think didn't Conan Doyle's there once about
Sherlock Holmes. I mean Watson is by far were
richer character in many ways and cousins real, but the homes.
You know is just it's like a lot of the dickensian characters.
You know, the really strange eccentric ones that are in many
ways. Kind of cartoons are the ones
everybody remembers and like it's sort of The same that's
it's for the same reason that people remember victim because
they don't really have the time or inclination to sort of probe
any deeper than that. And you got even even though in
the BBC one day there was a an inquiry came in.
From some one of the things he's many departments, they making a
promo about encouraging people to pay their license fee and
wanted a clip that showed Victor being mean.
In order to weigh in the straight, to the point that you
know, you've got to try not be mean and pay your do BBC,
license fee and and to which our response was how do you know?
He's mean, you might be a big supporter of Public Service
television. I think he would be, I think it
would be. Yeah.
So you know, you're the whole premise is, is, is is judged in
the first place, go away. There aren't any Clips are in
being mean, we can show you a clip of him helping out at a
soup kitchen Christmas day, you know, just do your research
fellows, and but that's how people sort of semen people.
The number of people that are just like my dad, just like my
thought. I'd never say just like me now,
you know, which is going, how icily, of course was and he
responds. You know, he's a responded to
react or reactive character to all stuff that I, because, God
knows every week. Like I had to sit in there and
try and think of the thing not work on the basis that he would
start each day, feeling cheerful.
And I have to devise all of the various elements that conspire
to reduce into a gibbering wreck, you know, which one hopes
the laughs will flow, but absolutely, you're talking about
the Great British public last and And look, I haven't, this
resentment hasn't been simmering for 30 years and I didn't invite
you on to criticize your work at all, David lat.
But I've had a, there's a, there's a, there's something,
there's a little thing in one foot in the grave.
That is always slightly annoyed me and and it's totally
irrational, okay? But I want to are it now, that's
okay. The episode.
I think it's the episode who's listening.
So we're talking 1991. Was that some And that where
Victor is playing. I think it's battleships and
Margaret's mum is on the phone, she's playing along and she's
always just hidden, throw two fives and she'd throw two sixes
or whatever. And at one point he refers to
her as many crumb. Oh, yeah.
And that was just didn't want because the character was mini
Banister in the Goon show, but she was like, well she wasn't.
She was the she was The companion of henrique run.
Yeah. Well well spotted but well
defensively. One can argue that Victor, got
it wrong, you know true human like the rest of us.
Obviously if I mean many Banister in any case it's got a
better Rhythm to. It will be why it was minivans
doing Henry Grand. But so Needless to say, if you
know, that I've been pointed out to me before we recorded it, I
would have changed it, but you're absolutely right here
Henry kind of mini Venison and as we know there's plenty of
course, but and people and cause people laughing.
You get the laugh of and make most of our audience, probably
dare I say wouldn't know who chronicled Banners To Wear
anyway, but but but Victor's. We know that Victor is more of a
python fan anyway. Well, I yeah.
I mean I get knows, it's does it occur in any other episode?
I want that one. Spam spam.
Hmm. Don't know that.
She's it's just an indication of his sense of humor.
I suppose. Yes.
Who knows?
What was on that sitcom script that he was knighted.
Oh, yeah, absolutely. The one, the one that Margaret.
Just she crushed him. Yeah.
Time tears in them. Yeah.
Well, those are the moments of poignancy.
I mean Victor lat. Should laughing.
It's always young people go and let you know when he's
fulminating and exploding and you know, grouchiness and that's
kind of what with characters all about.
But some of the funniest seems to be a when Richard is doing
his laughter. Like, for instance, when he's
watching the, the all the chaos in the theater, which he think
I'm a fast. Yes.
And he's sitting there in the audience and all of which was,
as you would guess recorded filmed Without anything going on
on the stage of those say. I mean Suzi.
K was just talking him through the action so you're just
reacting to nothing. And then he gets his M&M's out
of his pocket. I mean just but those reactions
are just Priceless and the way then all spliced into it.
Yeah, is one of my favorite ever sequences but also when you,
when he's just reading to himself that, you really believe
he's reading something that he's just written ship conscripting
bed. Then just Was it?
This is just can't stop chuckling away at it.
What's it about? I'll tell you when I've
finished, that's Richie that is equal best.
I think when the sun is going on some stuff but yes, well thank
you for pointing out the many crimes actually risk.
They were playing risk them, but all these years and that's never
been pointed out. Well, I'm glad that I have this
would be the podcast to do that. And before we started recording,
for various reasons, we mentioned, Ryan Murphy.
Yes. Yes, staring at me.
Yes. Because he is my zoom Avatar
picture at the moment. And, and just for the record,
the man who blew away is my favorite one foot in the grave
episode with Brian. Murphy is mr.
Foskett. Ya.
Miserable Christmas Day? Of a trend, but the story behind
that, of course, if anyone wants to hear it is that it wasn't
written. I'm probably won't surprise you
to know. It wasn't written as a Christmas
special in Unwritten six episodes and they wanted a
Christmas special. Again that's why I tell, you
know, haven't got it in my room got time, you know?
No, I don't think it's possible. And in the end, after a lot of
arm-twisting, I just decide agreed to extend the first
episode. To 40 minutes and we've make
sure was a lot of snow in it and the Christmas episode, which
then went out on Christmas day, but I think that well I'm I know
that writing specifically the Christmas Day.
I didn't think he would have had a man committing suicide but
anyway on to your question which was well no just that step.
That was my favorite app. That's my favorite episode.
Although there's many many that I love I Realized quite recently
that I haven't given series 1 enough, attention of watched
Series 2 onwards, multiple times many, many, many times, but I'm
not watch series one very much. And I don't know why that is,
but I guess it's slightly. It's finding its way, isn't it?
It's a bit more muted. It seems to be as well.
I mean, the scene, it's can't make the assumption that having
watched. You know what, one foot in the
grave became over the course of episode.
Series 2, 3 4 5 6 and specials that you know series one would
therefore need to be consistent with all of that because none of
that had existed. Now when we were I was writing
we were making serious one. Yeah, by the time I was writing
episode 3, you know, for I was probably still had Les Dawson in
my head is the character you know, because we shouldn't turn
this down that and so things were very very different than
the yes course with We're under a lot of Margaret's dialogue in
the I don't think we would have ever appeared in nature shows.
I mean I I was really it was all Insurance just trying to write
as much cram in as many silly lines and jackknife Nivea tanker
and just stuff like that. They're just there for Pure
silliness and you know if you try and be strictly a bit more
naturalistic of I did, Did later on for all of the madness and
surrealism markers. I'm trying to kind of keep the
dialogue and little bit more less gratuitous than that.
So, there's bits of that. And indeed, and its performance
in that first series is is still finding its way as you say, I
think Richard is he kind of Springs into it, fully formed.
I mean, you look at him in episode 1 and there's not very
much tonight. That's right.
Became but she's Keys playing it bigger.
Yeah confession she thought it was very, very uncomfortable
experience. You never done it before
performing in front of. And also, I don't know who I'm
going on with, for me to the audience, they are to the
cameras. He before into the camera,
always performing to the cameras but you are aware of the
audience and obviously there's big laughs coming in but the sun
now trying to resolve that long way.
The wrong is did to Perfection with their sort of pretending to
take. A sip from a glass and then, you
know, oh yes, absolutely not. I mean they were Masters all
that. Yes.
You know, and that is an art in itself, which she was only
gradually sort of come to terms with and learning that she never
found these. Going to pretend she found that
a comfortable experience that use, always felt better doing
stuff on film. Yeah.
Which as she mentioned him current or before the series, 1
episode Return of the Speckled Band.
And yes, did you get any grief at all?
Because surely to God you must have from the Athens tourism
board. The amount of Athens taught so
happens, we were talking about I thought you thought there was,
this was a question about about Sherlock, Holmes copyright,
because also the value of Thiele was another one which, of
course, yes, and then it moved on doing realm and later and
later. So, but no.
And in fact that cutting, Being that This Is War boys reads out.
I think there's actual cutting from a color supplement at the
time business because that phrase is extremely dangerous
overrun. I know is something, I don't
think would ever have come from my brain from something, right?
Well, the report was accurate is another matter.
But excuse, if they had done, I suppose, they will take it up
with the Observer or whoever printed that.
But that was, I mean, I've had a today's special, I thought it
was quite a nice So the twist that, you know, people go on
holiday to Greece, there's no way that wouldn't be seen
traditionally in a comedy or any drama as an exciting, you know,
nice thing to be doing, so to have it as, you know, your
prayers are asked, for they on a fortnight sort of agrees.
Was I thought was quite a nice. So, yeah, I'm going to take on
and those were things. I was always searching for you.
Let's see. Oh yes, Athens airport is a
particularly hazardous one do too slippery.
Runway poor markings, extremely bad air, traffic, control and a
highly dangerous overrun. Thank you.
Give us something to read on the plane.
No, we never had anyone ever had, but I mean we had we had an
objection to book title in episode 2.
I remember Is it coping with all danger?
Think it was cool. It was occurrence.
Of course something else before that I can't remember but I know
the was that it needs to say a book with that title.
Someone's concerned that lemur. Using laughs.
Right? Yeah it wasn't a simple search
online. You know these things could be
missed not going on of course. Yeah yeah.
Yeah. When these days our mobile
phones no one needs to remember phone numbers anymore but you
know, but there's this these three numbers that I burned into
my memory. One is my childhood childhood
phone number when I was growing up my Uncle's phone number in
Belfast and 4291 which, which is the military's number.
How did you did you take ages of agonizing over?
No, I mean, it's such an unnatural number anyway.
I mean, who has a four digit number anymore, I do and even
then who had a boy's eyes, I had three digits.
I treated you because I was in New Zealand.
Yeah. But all right, well yes, well,
he wasn't music, it's no excuse there.
But yeah, I suppose. In some, some Quirk of the Don
River dining dining code or something.
I don't know. I mean obviously you had to get
get there was a different number in the first series and it is to
this day. I don't know why that has become
such a thing as 49 ones. Obviously something to do with
the river moment and there was a day on a kind of John critical
of suit when we when The Clapper loader came. up to me with much
joy and really the point out that this was taped, this was
taped, but this plate number 49 one, you know, it's what you do
wasn't this amusing, even as I'm talking to you now I'm sort of
conflating various other Using my head one of which is the
story. Another story.
I've always told about when I'm on swallows of the Douglas
Adams. Back in the seventies, we did a
review to go and he was quoting an interview that he had seen
with John Cleese with John Cleese.
Will ask what's the funniest number young?
And he said without thinking, 42 can buy this.
Year or two before he started liking mmm-hmm.
There's no there's no linkage between the fact that your lips
first. Two digits of 4291 record of
never never even occurred to me before.
Is this something quite sort of transitioned anything?
Yeah. I don't know.
Possibly look. We haven't got tagged.
You mentioned touching on. Then Jonathan, we haven't got
time to talk about Jonathan Creek or hot metal.
Which I loved as well with Twiggy Rathbone.
And yes and Richard of course which was quite a good
relationship with him, but a lot of that were obviously was
spawned by my well, the, the accuracy of it, I would hope so.
We some accuracy because it was quite a broad show that and what
get stem from And newspaper background, but that the plots
were more, just picking up the Sun every morning, and just
adding a slight twist to it. And that was, that was another
episode, that was in the kennel, in the kings of the universe.
Yes. Yeah.
Did you ever meet Bill Cosby? I certainly did.
Mmm Eli's. Another whole story?
Yes. I mean that was another cause a
bit in very similar to the spike story actually because that was
normal The these things you get inquiries and then you know,
they sort of Peter out gradually over a long period of time.
This was a call from my agent again saying Cassie werner's an
American production company are interested in American rights to
a in the grave. They like to fly you out to New
York to have a meeting about it. So next thing, I almost a day
later on the plane to New York, meet them at the Carlyle Hotel,
which was As intimidating as you can imagine, it would be three
Hotshot bigger users and they said, how do you feel about Bill
Cosby in this role? And I remembered not to the
plaza suite by the California Suite.
Which one of the segment's in that involved, I think it would
cause me, and he was quite a quite a grouchy character in
that. And I said, yes, sir, yes, sir.
Are you going to be quite good? So good.
Because we're having dinner with him tonight.
So, without having time to catch my breath or his house in Upper
East Side, and it's sort of Cosby Cosby caught, and he, I
think he'd watched a few episodes.
I don't quite know how how into the show he was, but it had that
as a premise, it was obviously something that he felt could
tempt him back into. Into the TV sitcom land and
which it did. So, it's just bizarre, really?
When you think how much of an idea one thing, the baby is
which is nothing, you know. Yeah, man.
Really, we can throw all these strange events at every week and
yet I in managed to sell it, you know, Besides the sum of money
and get an executive producers the each week for nice.
Yeah, nothing. I mean, they wanted me to be
over there, running the show, the show running outside of
being a lunatic asylum room or can't get more going into so but
we did go over and my wife and I and went to the last week of the
first soon as you sat in on the writers room, which was all of
which was Far funnier than anything in that one screen and
And it was the very week that five start the week before cause
with something murder wouldn't be God.
Because we shop the day of recording was the day that was
the news, which is completely full of the fact that they had
caught this guy and arrested him and we were sitting in the
Stalls at the Catherine story Studios over in Queens and just
The morning seemed to be no sense of urgency or anything
going on because we just wandered over and made some
comment to the effect. That would soon as you guys come
over here from England, so they catch him and they didn't think
they thought he might be in some way preoccupied or, you know, I
mean clearly I mean his love for his son was unquestionable but
he was it was more a case of just real relief and Delight
that they got this guy so I don't think he's going to
survive in prison. And I remember him saying that I
don't know what meant by but but that wasn't here.
And then either then went on into his usual performance on
the night which was almost entirely improvised and you
think what his anyone providing him with a script because he
just makes it up because the long and then they have to
struggle in the edit to pull something together.
Nevertheless it ran for about 90 90 episodes and fair to say
bought me this House. I don't get it.
Um so thank God, it all happened when he did not.
So 20 years later I probably wouldn't be sitting here I guess
it. I'm guessing you don't still
exchange Christmas cards with Bill Cosby a couple of times
live and just wonderfully wonderfully funny I mean that
much can't be taken away. But it was just the most curious
thing that, that should have should have taken off the way it
did, you know, with with with him in the role because it had
bore no resemblance to my show whatsoever but terms such as the
way. Absolutely.
And and look David, thank you so much.
We've been talking for so long, I've taken up so much of your
time, I really do appreciate, but we've covered a lot of
things I wanted to cover particularly Spike obviously,
and I did want to talk about one foot of course.
Look, I'm going to gloss over the mini crumb blunder.
I wanted to also just, it just didn't give a plug to my soon.
I won't even come across that the Desolation jest, which was a
radio series. I wrote for David Jason in 2016,
the last thing I didn't know, I'm retired.
Okay. Which was about as the name
suggests, it was a, it was a kind of Pastiche of desert
island discs. And the premise was that each
week of Tional. Fictitious guests came on and
chose a number of Comedy skits that they would take with them
if they were the last person on Earth after some apocalyptic
event and wiped out civilization.
So that was the premise own each week.
John Bird would be the sort of way Plumlee character
interviewing these different characters.
Played by David Jason and into that mix were all these
different sketches. One of it was I was quite
pleased with it was a gun show parody which I had Fungi to a
group that I referred to, as the D mod, and, and it is called the
intercontinental ballistic, non sequitur.
And so, if anyone puts the scratched, I think, I think,
definitely congestion still on BBC sounds.
So we had Rory Bremner in, they're doing and with another
nice little nod to the original crystal of Timothy.
Played the mountain, very nice. Carpet bomb, London.
Great companies, Great staring organ chords who are done for
well fear. Not Gentlemen, We has a plan.
Hello me to present this Bakelite.
Replica of dr. Robert Oppenheimer to explain to
you the details of the nerd at a project.
Sadly, I couldn't be here in person tonight at due to a prior
engagement. Real copy.
It goes to our prior, there are settlement Enough cast your eyes
gentleman over this. Multiple re-entry missile.
As you see. It carries 10 Warheads each one
armed with a deadly, non-sequitur of truly.
Frightening power are non sequitur, I don't follow then
allow me to demonstrate. Does anyone have a small
Expendable half-wit about their person?
I never leave home without one here.
Gonna be nothing, he climbs out at the end of mr.
Bucket. Then salute Superior officer.
If you're looking for a guinea pig, look no further nidhi.
And before we go on, I would like to know what Shams of do
shame to be paid for this highly Dangerous Mission.
For what I am about to be older than volunteer.
Of course, how does a tennis sound thinks there is very
obvious payoff to that joke, which are not falling.
Before my turns are five. Liquorice allsorts, plus
expenses, purely recreational shops, and a Burial at Sea with
full, military honors, Dan. And, of course, David yet, David
Jason was a huge. Goons is a futurist that
totally. Yes.
Well, I think it go to goon record.
Some goon recordings in his little bit older than me is day.
Yeah, and I've got a nice blue bottle.
I think we already did the nickels and but anyway, it was
that was so that was a lot of fun.
And I had some fun, so putting that together but I just thought
I'd know, appreciate your listeners might be.
Absolutely, I was going to ask you if there was anything, he
wanted to plug anything you working on but you just enjoying
retirement then you know. Yes.
Yes I am and also there's a series Andrew and idea called
the steam video company which was not one of our best.
Every member that was us that was a bit of an attempt to sort
of merge I suppose some sort of Goonies humor with with Benny.
Well I suppose because it was picked, I'm 10 That was a bit of
a bit of a strange mix really. But there were, you know, titles
like the Seeker that plank that the mystery of Plankton launch.
And I was Hitler's a bookie. And things are obviously really
influence events titles and 70s it has.
It's been, you know, it's never really left my system.
I suppose I do thanks again to David just a quick word for I
go, this podcast will in a couple of months have reached
its 100th episode. Their God and friend of the
show, Mark cousins had previously suggested that I do a
special mailbag show to mark this Milestone.
This would be where listeners sending questions about the Goon
show or the goons individually and myself and perhaps people
like Mark like Andrew Pixley we'll try to answer some of them
or you could simply message me with suggestions on how to
improve the podcast what you like.
And even what you don't like, go easy about the podcast or maybe
questions about about the making of the podcast, basically.
Anything to do with goon pod, which you feel is relevant, or
you can just send a voice note about pretty much anything you
like no filth please. I'd like to ask people to start
thinking about this, and please do start sending in questions,
comments and whatnot, which I can read out and or play on the
show. I can be emailed at Tyler dot
Adams, 1974, at gmail.com or via Twitter at goon show pod or
indeed seek out the gun pod, Facebook group, simply search
for goon pod and follow anyway. Everything let me know.
I look forward to receiving your feedback and until next week.
Bye.