Very Nearly an Armful - A Tony Hancock Podcast Tony Hancock

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 the video and DVD releases of the episode.Don’t forget to rate and subscribe to the podcast. And, if you haven’t done so already, why not join the Tony Hancock Appreciation Society - full details of how to join are at www. tonyhancock.org.uk We have regular events for members and it would be great to welcome you along.  We’ll be back in a couple of weeks with our very first podcast recorded live at Riverside Studios where we’ll be reviewing the colourised version of The Blood Donor. Hope to see you then.

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 to the earlier vinyl and cassette release and their views on the final scene.  The four also discuss pyjama parties and how many they have been invited to and debate, in detail, how to cook a five course meal with just one saucepan.As always, the team get side tracked, this time by the Fawlty Towers vinyl box set, comedy records by Bernard Cribbins, Terry Scott, June Whitfield and Frankie Howerd and conclude with a look at the Hancock connection with The Wombles!Don’t forget to rate and subscribe to the podcast. And, if you haven’t done so already, why not join the Tony Hancock Appreciation Society - full details of how to join are at www. tonyhancock.org.uk We have an event planned to celebrate what would have Hancock’s 100th birthday in May 2024 and our annual reunion dinner in September; we’d love to welcome you as a member and see you at our events. We’ll be back in a couple of weeks with a review of The New Nose from the fourth television series. Hope to see you then.

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 during the episode.

The team consider how the episode is more variety and gag based than other Hancock’s Half Hours and how close to the mark many of the bawdy gags were. The episode was remade in the third series and the team consider the differences between the two versions. They also debate Hancock's actual shoe size.

 

The dynamic four get wildly distracted, as usual, this time by the 60th Anniversary of Doctor Who, the recent Dad’s Army animations and a review of other podcasts.  Most interestingly, the team reveal the replies to a post on social media about which episode contains Hancock’s best performance.

Don’t forget to rate and subscribe to the podcast. And, if you haven’t done so already, why not join the Tony Hancock Appreciation Society - full details of how to join are at www. tonyhancock.org.uk. We have an event planned to celebrate what would have Hancock’s 100th birthday in May 2024 and our annual reunion dinner in September; we’d love to welcome you as a member and see you at our events. This was our last podcast of 2023 but we’ll be back in the Spring with a new series and we are currently planning to start with the brilliant fourth series episode The Wild Man of the Woods.  May we wish all our listeners a merry Christmas and a Happy New Year – enjoy your turkey feet and chips.  We hope to see you when we return in the Spring.

In this episode of Very Nearly an Armful,  James, Jon, Tim and Martin review The Student Prince from the third radio series of Hancock’s Half Hour.  They consider how this episode is a riotous ride from start to finish and how unusual it is to see Sid get his comeuppance!The team look at the inspiration for the script, consider the three brilliant roles played by Alan Simpson, decipher the reference to Valentine tractors in this original longer version of the episode and finally spend some time trying to spot Bill in The Dam busters.The four get distracted as usual and this time consider the discovery of lost episodes of The Complete and Utter History of Britain, Hugh and I and Sykes and a…, wonder if the new AI technology used to create the latest Beatles track could be used to enhance the Hancock’s Half Hour episodes Sid James’s Dad and The Diet where only poor quality copies exist and finally discuss Will Hay films and family trees in some detail.Don’t forget to rate and subscribe to the podcast. And, if you haven’t done so already, why not join the Tony Hancock Appreciation Society - full details of how to join are at www. tonyhancock.org.uk We have an event planned to celebrate what would have Hancock’s 100th birthday in May 2024 and our annual reunion dinner in September; we’d love to welcome you as a member and see you at our events. We’ll be back in a couple of weeks with a review of the festive radio episode, Cinderella Hancock from the first radio series. Hope to see you then.

In this episode of Very Nearly an Armful,  James, Jon, Tim and Martin review Fred’s Pie Stall from the final radio series of Hancock’s Half Hour.  They consider how this episode, probably more than any other, provides a cultural commentary on societal changes in the late 1950s.The team review the contribution of the brilliant guest cast, each of which has to play more than one role, discuss, in detail, the extended ‘guess what’ sequence compared to previously available edited versions of the show and exhibit their culinary expertise in a mouth-watering review of pies and pease puddings.The Gang of Four discuss the recent amazing discovery of a lost Hancock’s Half Hour and reveal which would be their favourite lost episode that they would each like to see recovered.Don’t forget to rate and subscribe to the podcast. And, if you haven’t done so already, why not join the Tony Hancock Appreciation Society - full details of how to join are at www. tonyhancock.org.uk.

 We have an event planned to celebrate what would have Hancock’s 100th birthday in May 2024 and our annual reunion dinner in September; we’d love to welcome you as a member and see you at our events. We’ll be back in a couple of weeks with a review of the brilliant radio episode, The Student Prince from the third radio series. So, don your tin helmet, and hope to see you then.