The Goon Show

Crazy People, the first programme of what became The Goon Show, aired on 28 May 1951. The stars - Spike Milligan, Peter Sellers, Harry Secombe and Michael Bentine - were billed in the Radio Times as "Radio's own Crazy Gang 'The Goons'".

Producer Dennis Main Wilson wrote "the series is based upon a crazy type of fun evolved by four of our younger laughter-makers". As it developed, The Goon Show became an enduring hit that stretched the boundaries of radio comedy in new and influential directions.

The first Crazy People episode included many features that became typical of the Goons, such as ridiculous sound effects and extravagantly named characters. These included Ernie Splutmuscle, Sir Harold Porridge and Harold Vest. Spike Milligan was responsible for the script. The Goons were assisted by the Ray Ellington Quartet, The Stargazers, Max Geldray and announcer Andrew Timothy.

The last regular episode was broadcast in 1960, but the cast reunited for a final show in 1972. All of The Goons went on to have solo success. The impact of the Goon Show is hard to overstate, and although all four Goons are no longer alive, their absurd sense of humour can be seen to have influenced many comedians who followed them, not least the Monty Python cast.