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Ray Galton and Alan Simpson have chosen another selection
of favourite episodes from the classic radio series, and written
an introductory sleeve note to explain just why they love
each one so much. Episodes include The Last of the McHancocks,
The East Cheam Drama Festival, Visiting Day
and The Threatening Letter...
This is the third in the Hancock's Half Hour: The Very
Best Episodes series of CD releases to be brought out
by the BBC.
First
up we have The Last of the McHancocks which was first
broadcast on 24 February 1957. This was the only recording
in this collection that I was already very familiar with -
having heard it quite a few times in a previous collection.
Hancock is left a Scottish castle, but finds he has to contend
with Bonnie Prince Sidney and Seamus McNasty who are both
determined to claim that the castle belongs to them.
The
second offering, and this collection's weakest episode, is
The East Cheam Drama Festival. This was first broadcast
on 8 April 1958. To be honest though there's hardly anything
here that will raise a smile. In fact I have to admit that
I had to listen to this more than once as my mind kept wandering.
The episode sees Hancock trying to organise a major literary
event. It's interesting purely because it's not your typical
Hancock episode, but it doesn't really work as well
as it could have. And the ending is so rushed that it seems
like the whole thing was written in a hurry.
Visiting
Day, which was first broadcast on 15 December 1959, takes
place in a hospital. Hancock has had no visitors since he
was admitted to hospital with a broken leg three weeks previously.
He can't get any peace - a woman who is visiting her husband
keeps annoying him; his leg starts to itch underneath the
plaster; and Sid and Bill finally turn up to see how he's
getting on, but drive Hancock to distraction. This is another
enjoyable episode that showcases Hancock at its finest.
The
final episode, The Threatening Letters, was originally
broadcast on 27 May 1958, and is the best of the bunch in
this collection. This sees Hancock receiving an item of post
from a nutter who plans to kill him and a number of others
people he has decided the world would be better without. Hancock
has to content with a police officer who has just switched
from night to day shift - and is having a problem adjusting
- who also keeps arresting Hancock's friends in relation to
the threat on his life.
As
with previous volumes there are some interesting sleeve notes
written by the show's original writers Ray Galton and Alan
Simpson. Another worthy addition to the Hancock stable
- even if one of the episodes is well below par.
Pete
Boomer
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