First ever episode of The Goon Show

Goon But Not Forgotten

If you’re a fan of incredibly, incredibly, incredibly stupid comedy, then this is an anniversary that you need to recognise. On the 28th of May 1951, an unsuspecting British public turned on their wireless sets and were confronted by the first ever episode of The Goon Show. This innovative, influential, groundbreaking and completely insane comedy show featured Peter Sellers, Spike Milligan and Harry Secombe. It was beloved by fans and disapproved of by the harrumphing.Initially the BBC top brass were completely bemused by the programme, thinking it was called ‘The Go On Show’. Which is delightful. But The Goons soon found their groove and became a massively popular enterprise, influencing the next generation of comedians such as the Monty Python crew, Marty Feldman, Peter Cook and even The Beatles. John Lennon reviewed the book The Goon Show Scripts for the New York Times in 1973.