Bernard67Arnold
master brummie
Hi Big Gee, My only claim to fame, I was their paperboy in 1943, cheers
Bernard
Bernard
It's not the first time that the BBC has tried to reconstruct shows from old scripts. The one I remember most was the Marx Brothers "Flywheel, Shyster and Flywheel". If the same idea is followed, they're trying to resurrect the script not the actors that played the parts. If any of the actors sound like the originals, it'll be from coincidence not intent. I don't think Hancock would be hard to do but it's years since I heard anyone really try a Kenneth Williams impression and it's quite likely they'd ignore Bill Kerr's Australian accent.News about Tony Hancock
I have read today in The Guardian (internet) that BBC Radio 4 is to recreate the lost episodes of 1950s radio sitcom Hancock's Half Hour, with a new cast including Pirates of the Caribbean actor Kevin McNally in the title role originally taken by the late Tony Hancock.
https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2014/apr/07/hancocks-half-hour-recreated-for-bbc-radio-4
Does any one think this is a good or bad thing?
The Captain
I'm surprised that anyone ever listened to a ventriloquist on the radio.Wam
Totally agree with your comments, people tastes have moved forward and so has the way events/films/tv is communicated. I dont think todays generation would listen to a ventriloquist on the radio. I also believe the type of comedy that Hancock had produced would not be accepted by todays audiences.
The Captain
I think there is still a radio audience for this sort of thing. Chances are this is less to do with "reviving Hancock" as filling out the back catalogue. They're not writing new material just putting together readings of existing material they have lost the recordings of. That said, it's more of a Radio 4 Extra show (generally old reruns) than actual Radio 4.I believe now that people who listen to radio show's are dwindling year by year and BBC radio 4 is trying to appeal to their audiences by regenerating Hancock (A bit like BBC do with Doctor Who).
The Captain
I'm surprised that anyone ever listened to a ventriloquist on the radio.
As to Hancock, it's not an issue about the type of comedy so much as the actual material. Old comedy generally loses something in translation between periods of time. Something that worked in a 60s setting would have large parts of the background material changed to fit with either the present day or people's idea of the period.