Hancock's Half Hour
Hancock's Half Hour is a BBC radio comedy, and later television comedy, series of the 1950s and 60s written by Ray Galton and Alan Simpson. The series starred Tony Hancock, with Sid James; the radio version also co-starred, at various times, Moira Lister, Andrée Melly, Hattie Jacques, Bill Kerr and Kenneth Williams. The final television series, renamed simply Hancock, starred Hancock alone. Comedian Tony Hancock starred in the show, playing an exaggerated and much poorer version of his own character and lifestyle, Anthony Aloysius St John Hancock, a down-at-heel comedian living at the dilapidated 23 Railway Cuttings in East Cheam. The series was influential in the development of the situation comedy, with its move away from radio variety towards a focus on character development.
Seasons
1. The First TV Show
Air Date: 1956-07-06
Hancock has a broken leg but Sid insists that the show must go on and so the show is broadcast from Hancock's hospital bed.
2. The Artist
Air Date: 1956-07-20
Hancock decides to become an artist and buys up some old canvases to paint over. However, one is a stolen Rembrandt and one of Sid's cronies is forced to buy up all of Hancock's paintings to retrieve it.
3. The Dancer
Air Date: 1956-08-03
At last Hancock secures a film role... but only if he can dance. Sid provides lessons for Hancock and enters him into a local dancing Championship Contest, but is forced to become his partner in the competition (in drag)!
4. The Bequest
Air Date: 1956-08-17
This episode was based on the 3rd episode of the 3rd Radio series. Uncle Obadiah leaves Hancock a fortune provided that he gets married. Hancock starts to look for his future wife with the help of the Sid James Marriage Bureau.
5. The Radio Show
Air Date: 1956-08-31
Broadcast from the National Radio Show, Earl's Court, this episode comprised a number of sketches including the The Red Army Choir... British style!
6. The Chef That Died of Shame
Air Date: 1956-09-14
This episode was based on the 6th episode of the 2nd Radio series. The cast play the parts in the story of 'Iggins, a cook who becomes a well respected chef but subsequently fails and loses everything due to drink.
1. The Alpine Holiday
Air Date: 1957-04-01
Hancock upsets his fellow passengers on a flight to Switzerland and then discovers that he has to share his room at the hotel. Initially he thinks that he is sharing with an attractive French girl only to discover that it is really a yodeller and Alpine Horn player!
2. Lady Chatterley's Revenge
Air Date: 1957-04-15
Hancock is given a small part in the East Cheam Repertory Company's production of 'Moon Over Tahiti' but then they forget to tell him when the play is changed to 'Lady Chatterley's Revenge'!
3. The Russian Prince
Air Date: 1957-04-29
Hancock bumps his head and suffers from temporary amnesia. Whilst he is unable to remember who he is Sid persuades Hancock that he is Prince Nicolai, the last heir to the Russian Royal Family's fortune... but there are others making the same claim!
4. The New Neighbour
Air Date: 1957-05-13
This episode was based on the 4th episode of the 3rd Radio series. Hancock is worried by his new neighbour who seems to keep bringing in bodies and dumping them in an incinerator in the back garden. Hancock decides to investigate...
5. The Pianist
Air Date: 1957-05-27
Hancock dreams that he has a job as a night club pianist and he falls in love with a foreign baroness. But she is engaged and Hancock is challenged to a duel with her fiancé!
6. The Auction
Air Date: 1957-06-10
Sid and Hancock decide to auction off their property to pay for a trip to Monte Carlo to try out Sid's infallible roulette system. But they discover that Hancock's stuffed eagle had been stuffed with banknotes!
1. The Continental Holiday
Air Date: 1957-09-30
Hancock has been on holiday abroad and he tells Sid of his exploits in which he foiled an international gang of smugglers.
2. The Great Detective
Air Date: 1957-10-07
Hancock dreams of becoming the great detective 'Sexton Hancock' and proceeds to unravel a complicated murder plot.
3. The Amusement Arcade
Air Date: 1957-10-14
Sid has set up an amusement arcade, but when Hancock finds out he leads a campaign to have it closed down. Meanwhile, Hancock seeks election to the Council but when Sid's arcade is closed down he moves it... to Hancock's house!
4. A Holiday in Scotland
Air Date: 1957-10-21
Hancock is told by the doctor he must get fit. But when Hancock takes an unwilling Sid on a hunting holiday to Scotland, they get snowed in.
5. Air Steward Hancock - The Last of the Many
Air Date: 1957-10-28
Hancock takes on a new job as an air steward. But when one of the passengers on his first flight is Sid who is on the run from the police, and the other passengers include four police officers looking for a bank robber, Hancock's first landing doesn't go quite as expected!
6. The Regimental Reunion
Air Date: 1957-11-04
Hancock, a junior clerk in a City office for 19 years, receives a promotion when his army friends, who met at a reunion, place large orders with the firm. However, they are all fraudulent orders and Sid has the takings!
7. The Adopted Family
Air Date: 1957-11-11
Hancock needs to get to the top of the waiting list for a Council House but to do this he needs a wife and four children. So he adopts Sid and four of his mates, but then he can't get rid of them!
8. The Elocution Teacher
Air Date: 1957-11-25
Famous actor Jack Hawkins takes elocution lessons with Hancock and is reduced to being the leader of a rock-and-roll group.
9. The Lawyer - The Crown vs Sidney James
Air Date: 1957-12-02
Hancock becomes a lawyer but when he defends an obviously guilty Sid James in court he finds himself the subject of a guilty verdict!
10. Competitions - How to Win Money and Influence People
Air Date: 1957-12-09
Hancock takes up entering newspaper competitions as a full time job. When he wins a few competitions, he is foolish enough to trust Sid to look after the money.
11. There's An Airfield At the Bottom of My Garden
Air Date: 1957-12-16
Hancock buys a house from Sid but discovers that there's an airfield at the bottom of his garden! Returning to Sid dissatisfied, he is forced to try to sell the house himself but he has considerable difficulties, some of them unscripted! This is because the set was designed to fall apart at a given point in the script but unfortunately, the set starts to fall apart too early and Hancock is forced to improvise!
12. Hancock's 43 Minutes - The East Cheam Repertory Company
Air Date: 1957-12-23
A complete departure from the usual show. Hancock presents his own variety show from the Television Theatre - but he has asked Sid to provide all the acts!
1. Ericsson the Viking
Air Date: 1958-12-26
Sid has persuaded Hancock to make a dramatic film which the BBC have agreed to broadcast. But Hancock is worried; after all, when shooting started Sid's production company didn't even have a movie camera!
2. Underpaid! or Grandad's SOS
Air Date: 1959-01-02
Hancock discovers that his extremely rich grandfather is very ill in hospital in Australia. Sid, expecting a large bequest, hurries to Australia masquerading as Hancock... but the old man has no money left. Meanwhile, back in the UK, Sid's grandfather falls dangerously ill in prison...
3. The Set That Failed
Air Date: 1959-01-09
Hancock doesn't know what to do: his television set has broken down. He sets off on a quest to find a working TV and joins a family who are so focused on their TV that they don't notice that they have additional guests!
4. The New Nose
Air Date: 1959-01-16
After a particularly unsuccessful date, Hancock puts his lack of success with the girls down to his nose. After refusing to come out from his home, Sid arranges for a friend who has had plastic surgery to visit Hancock. Hancock has the surgery so success with the ladies is now guaranteed... or is it?
5. The Flight of the Red Shadow
Air Date: 1959-01-23
Hancock has been in a production of 'The Desert Song' but when it closes prematurely Hancock and Sid escape with only their costumes. Dressed as an Indian Maharajah, Hancock is mistaken for a genuine visiting Maharajah and ends up addressing a meeting but has to flee again.
6. The Horror Serial
Air Date: 1959-01-30
Hancock has been watching the last episode of the horror serial 'Quatermass & The Pit' and is now in a very nervous state. When he discovers an unknown object in his garden, Sid thinks it's an unexploded bomb and calls in the Bomb Squad. But Hancock is convinced it's an extra-terrestrial craft.
7. The Italian Maid
Air Date: 1959-02-06
Hancock hires a domestic help who turns out to be an Italian beauty. An immediate rivalry develops between Hancock and Sid for her attentions, with Hancock ending up doing all the housework... but then her family arrives.
8. Matrimony - Almost
Air Date: 1959-02-13
Hancock meets a girl at an upper class party. He believes that she has money and Sid tells her that Hancock has money, so a marriage is rapidly arranged. But all is not as it seems!
9. The Beauty Contest
Air Date: 1959-02-20
The local council decide not to hold a Miss East Cheam contest because of the low standard of entrants the previous year. Instead they decide to hold a Mr East Cheam contest - Hancock and Sid enter and both expect to win!
10. The Wrong Man
Air Date: 1959-03-06
Hancock agrees to attend an identity parade at the local Police station. But when he is mistakenly picked out by 3 witnesses he decides to prove his innocence by recreating the crime!
11. The Oak Tree
Air Date: 1959-03-13
The tree in Hancock's garden is threatened with felling to make way for a lamp-post and because it is a danger to passing buses. He is incensed and organises a protest march to Downing Street to try to save it!
12. The Knighthood
Air Date: 1959-03-20
Hancock is determined to receive a Knighthood and decides that classical theatre is the only answer. Surely a stint at Stratford interpreting Shakespeare as Long John Silver will be all that's required?
13. The Servants
Air Date: 1959-03-27
The TV Series is finally over so Hancock and Sid need to get jobs. They take on the role of servants dressed as an elderly couple, but when they take it in turns to be the woman suspicions are aroused!
1. The Economy Drive
Air Date: 1959-09-25
Hancock and Sid return from holiday to discover that Sid has failed to cancel any deliveries and has left every electrical appliance in the house on. Hancock decides that in order to make ends meet he and Sid must go on an economy drive. But Hancock soon encounters difficulties in the local self service café, and the stairs at home prove problematic as well!
2. The Two Murderers
Air Date: 1959-10-02
Sid asks Hancock to lend him the money to open a fish and chip shop but Hancock refuses. Sid tells Hancock that he'll get the money somehow, but how will he do it? Hancock believes that Sid is planning to murder him, but Sid is convinced that his own life is in danger.
3. Lord Byron Lived Here
Air Date: 1959-10-09
Hancock's house is falling down and needs a lot of work. In order for the National Trust to renovate it for him he needs to convince them that someone famous lived there. Sid shows Hancock evidence that Byron lived at Railway Cuttings. But is the poet Byron or someone more recent?
4. Twelve Angry Men
Air Date: 1959-10-16
Hancock is the foreman of the Jury and stands alone in declaring the petty criminal innocent. But when Sid discovers how much he is earning a day as a juror, he joins Hancock's side and sets about trying to convince the others.
5. The Train Journey
Air Date: 1959-10-23
Hancock is faced with a very long train journey to Giggleswick and decides to liven up the journey, but only succeeds in irritating all his fellow passengers.
6. The Cruise
Air Date: 1959-10-30
Hancock goes on a cruise but quickly becomes fed up when the only woman interested in him is large and over-amorous. However, when he becomes convinced that the ship is sinking he soon has other things on his mind. But how to convince the Captain...
7. The Big Night
Air Date: 1959-11-06
Hancock is really looking forward to a big night out with Sid and two girls. But his preparations turn to disaster when his shirt is ruined at the launderette and his barber doesn't have a steady hand with his razor. What will the girls think?
8. The Tycoon
Air Date: 1959-11-13
Hancock is on the verge of ruin because his shares have plummeted in value. He attends a shareholder meeting but falls asleep and dreams of Sid who once again twists him!
9. Spanish Interlude
Air Date: 1959-11-20
Sid is struggling to find work for Hancock and the latest roles he has secured involve Hancock standing in national dress outside Indian restaurants. Hancock decides to try new locations and goes to Spain where he is unsuccessful as a nightclub comic. Penniless and unable to return home, Sid manages to find a new job for Hancock. The question is: how successful will he be as a bullfighter?
10. Football Pools
Air Date: 1959-11-27
Hancock only needs one more draw to secure the top payout on the Football Pools. As the match is a local one with a late kick-off, Hancock and Sid go along to cheer on each team equally!
1. The Cold
Air Date: 1960-03-04
Hancock has suffered from cold after cold during the winter and has tried all of the various medicines on the market. In desperation, he tries the local witch-doctor but she fails to 'draw out' the cold. Sid persuades Hancock that a keep-fit course is required, but with unexpected results.
2. The Missing Page
Air Date: 1960-03-11
Hancock takes out a murder mystery book from the library. When he discovers that the last page is missing he is determined to deduce who the killer is. But when he finds that it's too complicated to decipher he decides to track down a copy of the complete book.
3. The Emigrant
Air Date: 1960-03-18
Hancock decides that he will emigrate, but no-one will take him. Knowing Sid's past he asks for his assistance, but the 'luxury cruise liner' Sid arranges has a very short gang plank and a very unusual crew!
4. The Reunion Party
Air Date: 1960-03-25
Hancock decides to hold a reunion with his wartime pals. But a lot of time has elapsed since he last saw them and people do change!
5. Sid in Love
Air Date: 1960-04-01
Sid has fallen in love with the conductress of a 93 bus but he doesn't know how to approach her. Seeking Hancock's advice, Sid travels on the bus but his attempts cause chaos both with the conductress and the driver... who is her husband!
6. The Baby-Sitters
Air Date: 1960-04-08
Hancock and Sid decide to earn some extra cash by signing on as babysitters. The pleasant evening is spoiled when they start arguing over the TV and the baby starts crying. But who are those two extra visitors?
7. The Ladies Man
Air Date: 1960-04-15
Hancock has had no success with the ladies so he decides to enrol in a charm school course, and he dreams about the outcome. But when he leaves the school the reality is a little different!
8. The Photographer
Air Date: 1960-04-22
Hancock has broken his ancient camera so he decides to invest in the latest technology. His attempts to take shots of diners in a restaurant end up with him being thrown out. With the first payment on the equipment due, he needs a photo of an incident to sell to the local papers... but Sid's idea involving Hancock as the subject goes badly wrong!
9. The East Cheam Centenary
Air Date: 1960-04-29
It's the centenary of the Borough of East Cheam and Hancock has arranged for the BBC to have exclusive TV rights to the celebratory procession. Unfortunately, the Mayor has sold exclusive rights to ITV and the route of the procession doesn't go past Hancock's house where the BBC have set up. Hancock is forced to take drastic steps and provide his own procession at short notice!
10. The Poison Pen Letters
Air Date: 1960-05-06
Hancock is upset by a steady stream of unpleasant letters. But when the police keep a watch on the post box where the letters are being posted, Sid discovers that Hancock has been writing the letters to himself... in his sleep!
1. The Bedsitter
Air Date: 1961-05-26
Hancock is alone in his Earl's Court bed-sit and tries to master a Bertrand Russell book, fails to get the TV to work and almost gets invited to a party.
2. The Bowmans
Air Date: 1961-06-02
Hancock plays the part of Old Joshua Merryweather in the radio show The Bowmans (which sounds rather similar to The Archers). But his behaviour and the number of different dialects that he uses causes him to be thrown off the show. However public opinion demands his return - but he in turn demands a few changes!
3. The Radio Ham
Air Date: 1961-06-09
Hancock has bought himself a radio transmitter / receiver and he is able to converse with remote parts of the world, discussing the weather and playing games of Snakes & Ladders and Chess. But when he receives a 'Mayday' call he has to contend with the landlady's husband and uncooperative electricity meters!
4. The Lift
Air Date: 1961-06-16
Hancock is the ninth passenger in a lift designed to take eight. When the lift sticks he tries to raise everybody's spirits, but only manages to annoy all of the other occupants.
5. The Blood Donor
Air Date: 1961-06-23
Hancock decides to give a pint of blood. But he is alarmed when he discovers he has to give very nearly an armful... and he is determined to find out who it goes to!
6. The Succession - Son and Heir
Air Date: 1961-06-30
Hancock decides that it's time to have children to 'carry on the line'. He selects three eligible girls and proposes to them all but is refused. Whilst he is still arguing with the third, the other two return having changed their minds.
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Rating
7.5/10
Release Date
1956-07-06
Episodes
63 (7 seasons)
Status
Ended
Cast
Production Companies
BBC