The Telegoons

The telegoons were a puppet version of the BBC radio comedy programme "The Goon Show". Search on "Goons" for more info. The original radio scripts were simply rehashed to create telegoon episodes. The puppets looks were based on the actors doodles in their original scripts. While Harry Seacombe only provided the voice for Neddy Seagoon, Spike Millegan and Peter Sellars played numerous characters between them including Eccles, Minnie Bannister and Jim Moriarty (Spike), and Bluebottle, Henry Crun, Hercules Gridtype-Thynne and Major Dennis Bloodnock (Peter). Each episode placed the characters into new and often surreal situations, sometimes topical and normally stemming from the brain of Spike Milligan who went through several nervous breakdowns during the course of the original radio show.

I searched Ebay and found that this is now available on DVD on both sides of the Atlantic. 5 quid in the UK & 25 bucks in the USA. Some bright spark bought the copyright and transferred it from cine to DVD. Can't speak about the quality, but will soon find out. Vendor admits to hiss on the quiet bits but claims that there is no rolling or sticking of the film. Looking forward to seeing this for the first time in over 40 years. I hope it's all I remember from so long ago. Anyone else bought this product? Any good? Has to be better than nothing at all. Anyone any idea when this was last shown on UK TV? I would have been 6 when this was first shown and can't believe that I remember it from way back then. Was Michael Bentine involved with the puppetry ? A forerunner to the other puppet shows he did in the 1970's?

Yes, I remember it, too, on ABC Television in Australia on a Monday night (in the slot now occupied by Media Watch.) Having loved the radio series, I was thrilled to actually SEE what the characters looked like. Bluebottle, especially, was exactly as I visualised. I also have an old EP record of Goon songs with the TV characters on the sleeve.

Favourite exchange:

Neddy: Eccles, who do you think you are?

Eccles: I'm Napoleon.

Neddy: If you're Napoleon, I'm the Duke of Wellington.

Eccles: Wanna fight?

Quick nurse, the screens.

The Goons came to TV in the form of absurd and lovable puppets. I will never forget the sight of Eccles wearing a patched potato sack, it was just as I had pictured him... As a youngster I never missed an episode of this wonderful show, it was madly funny and was one for the few shows that made everyone laugh, with few dissenters. There was no social commentary, barely a plot, yet the cast was so strong that the interaction between them and the humor that was generated was endless. I wish that some of these episodes (any) were available on video, but I believe that all have been destroyed. This was TV comedy at its very best, its like will never be seen again. If there are any episodes still out there, please post that info to this page.

Check his pockets Min...

I thought they were called the Telly Goons, but it's so long ago that my memories of them are very vague. Even though I must have been only nine or ten I can still see the puppets very cleary, and the warning "Don't go near the canal, Neddy" stays with me. I'm sure they made a strong impression on many of us Torchy and Twizzel fans as they were the first intentionally funny puppet series I can remember. I wonder if all the episodes went the same way as many Dr. Who series of the period, or if the BBC still have archive copies. I'd love to see them again.