Introduced by Ray Galton and Alan Simpson
ISBN: 056355844X H-H-H Happy Birthday Hancock "The only happiness I could achieve is to perfect the talent I have, however small it may be. . . if the time came when I found out that I had come to the end of what I could develop out of my own ability, I wouldn't want to do it anymore." Tony Hancock On 12th May we celebrate what would have been one of the funniest comedian's of this century, 75th birthday, if only he hadn't felt he'd 'come to the end of. . . his ability' on 24th June 1968. Pompous, petty and argumentative, the absurd adventures of Anthony Aloysius Hancock and the other motley residents of 23 Railway Cuttings hit a chord with the British public. With exceptional scripts that extended the boundaries of comedy writing by RAY GALTON and ALAN SIMPSON (Steptoe And Son), and also featuring the legendary SID JAMES (Carry On), the radio series ran from 1954 and then concurrently with the television series from 1956 to 1963 and has proved hugely influential.
BBC Radio Collection celebrates Tony Hancock's 75th birthday with a new release - Tony Hancock: A Celebration, produced by Richard Edis - a compilation of clips from the radio and tv show, introduced and linked by Ray Galton and Alan Simpson, the writers of Hancock's Half Hour. BBC Radio Collection also re-issues Volumes 1-8 of Hancock's Half Hour on audio in new packaging (£8.99 each).
Cat. Number: BBCV 6782
Born on the 12th May 1924, TONY HANCOCK became a national institution with the first radio broadcast of Hancock's Half Hour in 1954. BBC Worldwide celebrates 75 years of this comic genius and invites you to step back in time with the release of four new episodes to video. Pompous, petty and argumentative, the absurd adventures of Anthony Aloysius Hancock and the other motley residents of 23 Railway Cuttings hit a chord with the British public. With exceptional scripts that extended the boundaries of comedy writing by RAY GALTON and ALAN SIMPSON (Steptoe And Son), and also featuring the legendary SID JAMES (Carry On) as the roguish landlord, the television series ran from 1956 to 1963 and has proved hugely influential. The classic episodes featured in this video are The Train Journey, The Photographer, Sid In Love and The Ladies Man - originally transmitted 23/10/59, 22/4/60, 1/4/60 and 15/4/60 respectively. Also available in May from BBC Radio Collection is Tony Hancock: A Celebration (£8.99) on double cassette, with links by RAY GALTON and ALAN SIMPSON. In addition, Volumes 1-8 of Hancock's Half Hour on audio are being re-issued in new packaging (£8.99 each). ANDREW SACHS will also be presenting H-H-H Happy Birthday Hancock on 11 May on Radio 2.
 The original Tony Hancock website - since October 1995. |
At the height of his fame, so many people tuned into Hancock's Half Hour on television, that pub landlords and shopkeepers protested to the BBC because their pubs and shops were empty. His enduring popularity is clear from the recent Radio Times comedy poll in which Hancock's Half Hour was voted the most popular radio comedy series.