Written by Matthew K. Sharp,
kirseval@werple.mira.net.au
Version 1.1
Revised 1 August 1995
Following Series Eight, the Goodies split with the BBC, and took their services to London Weekend Television (LWT), one of the franchises of ITV. The reasons for the "defection" are slightly unclear, but appear to be involved with money, and that there was a feeling that the BBC were being less than supportive, and beginning to infringe on the freedoms previously allowed. This may have been partially due to Mary Whitehouse (self appointed media watchdog), who had once held up The Goodies as an example of clean TV (hence the parody of her in "Sex And Violence"), coming down hard (excuse the pun) on Series Eight, in particular complaining about the picture of a carrot on Tim's underpants in "Saturday Night Grease" being an obvious phallic symbol (well spotted!).
(As a side note, the BBC had already allocated money for a 1981 series of The Goodies, and, after the "defection", re-allocated it to a TV version of "The Hitch-Hiker's Guide To The Galaxy".)
Much like the legendary Tony Hancock some twenty years earlier, the Goodies found that commercial television was, if anything, more restrictive and penny-pinching than the BBC. It's not that there's anything you can put your finger on as being especially bad about the LWT series, but there is a discernable drop in the quality of the shows.
Perhaps it's the feeling of deja vu caused by many of the ideas being recycled and presented with a new twist. "Animals" is very reminiscent of the Series Eight episode of the same title; "Holidays" is an attempt to regain the atmosphere of "The End" or "Earthanasia". Perhaps it's just that age has finally caught up with our heroes, as noted in "Change Of Life". It's hard to say, but the last word must be that this was the final series.
Note: All these episodes, including the special, run to around 25 minutes, the remainder of the half-hour slot being commercials (of the non-mock variety). Australian screenings (on the Seven Network) have been further trimmed to around 23 minutes.
Special
To kick off the new series on a new channel, the Goodies revived the idea of the all-film Christmas special. This time it's a romp through pantomime, with barbs at panto dames and the inevitable talentless xylophone player.
#69 Snow White 2
AKA Pantomime
Christmas Special 1981
1st LWT Tranmission: 27 December 1981
The Goodies are thrown out of the seven dwarves for being too tall, and are subjugated in a castle by eleven wicked princesses.
"Snow White 2" Technical Crew
#70 Robot
AKA Automation (g)
Series Nine, Programme One
1st LWT Transmission: 9 January 1982
Tim and Graeme replace Bill with a robot to save money, but the baby robot gets a strange bearded nanny and begins to go astray.
#71 Football Crazy
Series Nine, Programme Two
1st LWT Transmission: 16 January 1982
Tim heads a taskforce to stamp out soccer hooliganism, but the crowds don't give up so easily and move over to ballet to barrack for their teams of dancers.
Note: This episode is based on an idea from a sketch from "At Last The 1948 Show", made in 1967 and starring Tim Brooke-Taylor, John Cleese, Graham Chapman and Marty Feldman.
#72 Bigfoot
AKA In Search Of Bigfoot (g)
AKA In Search Of... Arthur C. Clarke
Series Nine, Programme Three
1st LWT Transmission: 23 January 1982
Tim sets out to prove once and for all that Arthur C. Clarke really does exist, but the Goodies find something more, much more - the leg-end-ary bigfoot. (Sorry)
#73 Change of Life
Series Nine, Programme Four
1st LWT Transmission: 30 January 1982
As Bill's birthday arrives, the Goodies think they may be past it and almost pack it in before discovering they would be upstaged by the robot. A test ensues to see who is the fittest to be Goodies.
#74 Holidays
AKA The Holiday (g)
Series Nine, Programme Five
1st LWT Transmission: 6 February 1982
With tension mounting in the office, the Goodies go on a holiday to a small chalet in Dunsquabblin, but find that holidays can be even more stressful.
#75 Animals Are People Too
AKA Animals
AKA Pets (g)
Series Nine, Programme Six
1st LWT Transmission: 13 February 1982
Having run out of pets for his petshop, Graeme stocks a new line - people. But as real animals become even scarcer, people are more and more in demand to fill the place of animals, including culinary applications.
Series Nine Technical Crew
Note: There is no film in programme 5.
As early as 1976, it was announced that there was to be a film version of "The Goodies". It apparently would show the three meeting for the first time. However, due to the large budgets required for films in general, and a Goodies film in particular, the idea was shelved. One wonders whether the book "The Making Of The Goodies' Disaster Movie" is based on experiences trying to get a film underway.
As recently as this year (1995) rumours were circulating that none other than Steven Speilberg (noted for his FX filled movies, like "Jurassic Park") was interested in making a Goodies movie. This, however, was mentioned as early as 1992, and nothing seems to have come of it, which is a shame, since one gets the feeling that if anyone could do it right, Speilberg could.
Meanwhile, rumours began early in 1994 that there was to be a TV reunion (in issue 51 of "TV Zone" magazine). No further details were printed, and it was several months later before hopes were raised again. This time, there was to be a Christmas special for 1994, to tie in with the recent video releases, and a possible series should the special prove popular. It was not announced who it was being made for, but I think the BBC is a fair bet. However, Christmas 1994 came and went, with the only sign of the Goodies being a few all-too-brief clips in "A Christmas Night With The Stars".
No further news has yet come to light on these matters; I can't help getting the nagging feeling at the back of my mind that although, like many others, I would love to see new episodes of The Goodies, I think the principals may be looking too old for the roles, and that times have changed and any re-hash could leave the general public cold. However, I'm sure that TBT, GG and BO have enough talent to make a revival series interesting at the very least, and side-splittingly hilarious at their best. Oh, to hell with it. Let's have more Goodies - now!
BBCV 7008 "The Goodies And The Beanstalk"
The 1973 Christmas Special was one of the first video releases by the BBC, in 1983. This 44 minute video did not sell very well, however, and was deleted.
Video Collection VC 6008 "The Goodies" (Aust: Thorn/EMI ZL 4 031)
A tape containing the first four episodes of Series Nine: "Football Crazy", "Robot", "Bigfoot" and "Change Of Life". The catalogue number quoted above is, I suspect, valid only for the Australian release.
I believe that this tape has also been issued in the USA, but with only three episodes. I have been unable to confirm this.
BBCV 5370 "The Goodies - And The Beanstalk"
The first of two recent (1994) BBC releases contains "The Goodies And The Beanstalk", "The End" and "Bunfight At The OK Tearooms".
BBCV 5391 "The Goodies - Kitten Kong"
The second of the two BBC Videos contains "Montreux '72", "Scatty Safari", and "Scoutrageous". The episode titles have been superimposed on the picture (and were not on the original transmission. Sadly, the BBC have seen fit to edit "Scatty Safari", and although I have not undertaken a detailed comparison of tapes, the following cuts are evident:
This is, in my opinion, shoddy treatment from the BBC, and if this sort of thing keeps on, I see no point in bothering to release the tapes in the first place.
The Goodies Sing Songs From The Goodies
Decca SKL 5175
Reissued as: The World Of The Goodies
Decca SPA 416.
All Things Bright And Beautiful / Ride My Pony / Stuff That Gibbon / Mummy I Don't Like My Meat / Show Me The Way / Goodies Theme / Sparrow Song / Taking You Back / Sunny Morning / Winter Sportsman / Spacehopper
A selection of songs which have appeared in various episodes.
All Things Bright And Beautiful / Winter Sportsman
Decca single F 13449
Stuff That Gibbon / Goodies Theme
Decca single F 13578
The New Goodies LP
Bradley's BRADL 1010
Goodies Theme / Please Let Us Play / Custard Pie / Cricklewood / Good Ole Country Music / Black Samba / Rock With A Policeman / The Cricklewood Shakedown / Nappy Love / I'm A Teapot / Working The Line / Funky Gibbon / Wild Thing
A further selection of songs, some of which later turned up in "The Goodies - Almost Live."
The Goodies' Greatest
Bradley's BRADL 1012
Goodies Theme / Funky Gibbon / The Inbetweenies / Nappy Love / Last Chance Dance / Father Christmas Do Not Touch Me / Black Pudding Bertha / Bounce / Panic / Make A Daft Noise For Christmas / Charles Aznovoice / Wild Thing
More songs, including their hit single "Funky Gibbon" (look for the chalkings on the set during series 5 - "It's Gibbon Time", "It's still Gibbon time" etc.).
The Inbetweenies / Father Christmas Do Not Touch Me
Bradley's single BRAD 7421
Funky Gibbon / Sick Man Blues
Bradley's single BRAD 7504
Black Pudding Bertha / Panic
Bradley's single BRAD 7517
Nappy Love / Wild Thing
Bradley's single BRAD 7524
Make A Daft Noise For Christmas / Last Chance Dance
Bradley's single BRAD 7533
Bounce / Good Ole Country Music
Bradley's single BRAD 7612
Nothing To Do With Us
Island ILPS 9452
The Policeman's Opera / Cactus in My Y-Fronts / Elizabeth Rules - UK / Blowing Off / I Wish I Could Get High / Synthesizer Man / She Wouldn't Understand / I Wish I Had Something To Say
A selection of songs, notable for being more "adult" (ie dirty) than previous efforts. "She Wouldn't Understand" is the tale of a man who'll have sex with anyone; and "I Wish I Could Get High" contains not only the word "shit" but also "fuck". Perhaps not for the younger children.
Blowing Off / Elizabeth Rules - UK
Island WIP 6360
The Goodies Beastly Record
Columbia SCX 9596
Melody Farm / Taking My Oyster For Walkies / Spring Spring Spring / Terrapins / A Man's Best Friend Is His Duck / Spank That Hamster / Rastashany / Ironing My Goldfish / Funky Farm / There's A Walrus In My Soup / Why Doesn't An Elephant Go Tweet Tweet / I Am A Carnivore / Elephant Joke Song
A selection of songs drawn mainly from the radio series "I'm Sorry I'll Read That Again."
A Man's Best Friend Is His Duck / Taking My Oyster
For Walkies / Rastashanty
Columbia DB 9053
The Goodies' Greatest Hits
E.M.I./Note NTS 233
Funky Gibbon / Black Pudding Bertha / Father Christmas Do Not Touch Me / Nappy Love / Rock With A Policeman / I'm A Teapot / Spring Spring Spring / Good Ole Country Music / Wild Thing / Inbetweenies / Cricklewood / M.I.C.K.E.Y. M.O.U.S.E. / A Man's Best Friend Is His Duck / Melody Park / Last Chance Dance / Charles Aznovoice / Taking My Oyster For Walkies / Make A Daft Noise For Christmas / Baby Samba / Rastashanty
A re-issue of material from the Columbia & Bradley's albums.
M.I.C.K.E.Y. M.O.U.S.E. / Funky Farm
E.M.I. EMI 2784
A Poke In The Eye With A Sharp Stick
Transatlantic TRA 331
A recording of the 1976 Amnesty Concert, which includes the Goodies' live recording of Funky Gibbon.
The Complete A Poke In The Eye With A Sharp Stick
Castle ESDCD 153 (Double CD)
ESDMC 153 (Double cassette)
Castle Australia ACSCD 020 (Double CD)
A re-issue of the above with an extra CD's worth of material. Includes live versions of:
Funky Gibbon / Cactus In My Y Fronts / Mummy Mummy Mummy / Sick Man's Blues
The Goodies Annual 1974
HC - World Distributors
A selection of text stories, comic strips and articles, aimed at a young audience. Produced during the filming of series 3, and copyright 1972.
The Goodies File
HC - Weidenfeld & Nicholson, ISBN 0-297-76816-6
PB - Sphere, ISBN 0-722-11886-4
Copyright 1974
Mrs. Edna Tole, ex charlady to The Goodies, has gathered together documents revealing the full details of the Goodies' dastardly exploits. Includes their secret sex life, their brochure, The Goodies Garden Of Verse, blueprints for the trandem, The Rise And Fall (And Rise) Of The Goodies Feb 1st - Feb 12th 1974, and The Case Of The Royal Command.
The Goodies' Book Of Criminal Records
HC - Weidenfeld & Nicholson, ISBN 0-297-77027-6
PB - Sphere, ISBN 0-722-13960-8
Copyright 1975
The Goodies are suing the publishers of "The Goodies File" for portraying them as "a right load of loonies, thick as three short planks, behind the times, disreputable, clapped out, irresponsible, artful, stingy, self-centred, poofy, fat, and soppy (and West Indian)." However, they have to prove each of the allegations is unjustified, and bring forth the following exhibits:
Exhibit A - The Loony File
Exhibit B - All About Computers
Exhibit C - The Case Of "Cricklewood Man"
Exhibit D - their Visitor's Book
Exhibit E - Auto Test on the Trandem
Exhibit F - The Political File
Exhibit G - The Goodies Book Of Art
Exhibit H - Goody Green Stamps Catalogue
Exhibit I - The Tim Brooke-Taylor Song Book
Exhibit J - Old Maid Only magazine
Exhibit K - Goody Goody magazine / Was God An English Astronaut?
Exhibit L - The Crisis File
The Making Of The Goodies' Disaster Movie
HC - Weidenfeld & Nicholson, ISBN 0-297-77338-0
PB - Sphere, ISBN 0-722-18805-X
Copyright 1977
At the 6th AGM of The Goodies, it is decided to bring forward one of their objectives and make a international socko-boffo-record-breaking Goodies film blockbuster.
This book charts their attempts and tribulations with crooked producers, raising the budget, finding a director and cast, equipment, costumes, the start of filming, the script, and the eventual (if somewhat disjointed) product - All Quiet On The Weston Front (filmed in Weston Super Mare [birthplace of the famous J. Cleese]).
One suspects part of the inspiration for this book were the attempts in 1976/7 to get a Goodies film made.
Contents / Introduction / Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3 / Part 4 / Part 5
Last updated April 6, 1996 by
Melinda Casino.
melinda@badger.idiscover.co.uk