The Winter Holiday

Hancock's Half Hour (Radio) Third Series - Programme 5

Hancock is given a fortnight off from his job as a lift attendant. Accompanied by Bill and Andrée, he spends it on Brighton beach - in November!

Cast
Tony Hancock
Bill Kerr
Sidney James
Kenneth Williams
Andrée Melly
Alan Simpson

Programme Guide

For the people listening to Hancock's Half Hour each week in the 50's, the rule of thumb must have been: expect the unexpected, because Hancock's line of work was generally unexplained - so he could be up to anything. In fact, more often than not, we are left to assume that he is out of work, because he regularly wanders about - apparently a free spirit - at all hours of the day. However, in this show, Hancock is holding down a regular job. He is employed as a lift attendant - "Eight persons is eight persons and not nine ... you great big fat lump " etc.

Unexpectedly, Hancock is given two weeks holiday and eventually he solves the problem of where to go for the break. He takes Bill and Andrée along with him to Brighton beach. A good choice, except that it happens to be mid-November.

The third Radio series had, by now, established itself after the hiccups of the second series. With the benefit of hindsight (and Wilmut), it is fascinating to see that the six Hancock's Half Hour Radio series have a very clear and logical development. In fact, it is almost completely possible to ascertain which series any particular show comes from, after only five or ten minutes listening.

Given that all series have Hancock, Bill and Sid ever-present, the first series has Hancock with the slightly stilted delivery and the scripts have the odd joke or two and, of course, Moira Lister in support.

The second series has Andrée Melly with THAT French accent, while the third series has Andrée without the French accent.

By the time of the fourth series, Hancock is talking in the more familiar, lower register voice and, from the fifth show, Hattie Jacques is supporting as Miss Pugh and Kenneth Williams' 'Snide' is very much to the fore.

The fifth series has Hattie once again and more realism with Kenneth Williams no longer playing 'Snide' but taking other parts such as Policemen, Vicars and Army Officers.

The sixth series does not include Hattie at all and Kenneth Williams only appears in the first two shows. In this series, the team seems to be going for more and more realism, since, after Williams' departure, the other character parts are taken by a small group of actors, including Warren Mitchell, Hugh Morton and Wilfred Babbage.

The shows in this last radio series, excepting the fact that Bill Kerr was in them, were the closest that "Hancock's Half Hour" on Radio came to "Hancock's Half Hour" on Television. It is fairly easy to imagine shows such as "Fred's Pie Stall", "The Fete" and "The Poetry Society" working almost as well on TV.

There can be no doubt that the continual improvement of "Hancock's Half Hour" on Radio, series after series, is a major factor in it's continuing popularity.

The experience gained by all was ploughed back into the shows and the overall improvement is clearly discernible. If the form of "Hancock's Half Hour" on Radio had remained the same throughout it's life, it would not have become the comedy classic that it is. Indeed, there are other radio comedy shows which do remain, basically, the same year after year, but although they are popular, they are not in the same league as "H-H-Hancock's Half Hour".