The Beatles broke up in 1970, but another Fab Four were waiting in the wings to take their place - Tim Brooke-Taylor, Graeme Garden, Bill Oddie, and director Jim Franklin. They created some of the funniest and most memorable television comedy of the '70's.
It was not their first series for the B.B.C. 'Broaden Your Mind: An Encyclopaedia Of The Air' was. I never saw it ( my television set could not pick up B.B.C.-2 in those days ) so had to contend with odd clips on the viewers' request show 'Ask Aspel'. In 1969, 'Monty Python's Flying Circus' was launched on an unsuspecting world, so instead of continuing with 'Broaden Your Mind' the lads decided to create an entirely new show. The result was 'The Goodies'.
The idea behind the show was simplicity itself; an agency composed of three men ( ultra-patriotic Tim, hippie-like Bill, and brainy Graeme ) who rode about on a three-seater bike and who did 'anything, anytime'. That was all, but it allowed the writers freedoms they otherwise would not have enjoyed. The chief inspiration seems to have been the American series 'The Monkees'. The wacky plots, 'Tom & Jerry'-style chases, catchy pop music, and cartoon violence were elements common to both shows. There was satire involved too. A regular feature in the first three series were the spoof commercials.
In one episode, the Goodies tried to capture the Loch Ness Monster. In another, they went to the Moon where they encountered super-intelligent rabbits. In yet another, they set up a safari park whose main attractions were showbiz stars. In 'The Goodies & The Beanstalk', they spoofed the traditional British pantomime.
Because 'The Goodies' took the mickey out of '70's pop culture, some have mistakenly interpreted it as an attack on the decade itself. 'Star Wars', 'Close Encounters' and 'Jaws' were popular and thus ready-made targets for parody. 'The Goodies' soon became a part of that very same pop culture, especially when they started having Top Ten hits such as 'Black Pudding Bertha' and 'Funky Gibbon'.
The show boasted an impressive array of guest stars such as George Baker, Stanley Baxter, Bernard Bresslaw, Patrick Troughton, Beryl Reid, Liz Fraser, Mollie Sugden, Jon Pertwee, Joan Sims, June Whitfield, Ronnie Stevens, Jack Douglas, Alfie Bass, and Jane Asher. Celebrities of the calibre of Eddie Waring, Sue Lawley, Michael Aspel, Patrick Moore, Raymond Baxter, and most notably Tony Blackburn were happy to send themselves up.
Because children loved the show, the B.B.C. got uptight over the content, most notably 'Rock Goodies' in which they tackled punk rock, 'South Africa', and 'Royal Command' which was broadcast in the Queen's Silver Jubilee year, and predictably upset rabid monarchists.
'Monty Python' also featured near-naked girls, racial stereotypes, and bandied about words like 'poof'. So did Spike Milligan on his 'Q' series. The point is this - it was incredibly funny.
Yet adults preferred the more anarchic 'Python'. For my money, 'The Goodies' was the more consistently funny; 'Python' ran out of steam after three seasons, 'The Goodies' hit its stride with Season Five.
After a decade on the B.B.C., the Goodies defected to I.T.V. for a final ( disappointing ) run. They pedalled off into the sunset in 1982. Since then, repeats have been noticeable by their absence. Unlike 'Porridge', 'The Good Life', and 'Some Mothers Do Ave Em', 'The Goodies' was too much a product of its time period. But fond memories linger. Those of us who lived through the '70's will never forget 'those blokes and their bike'.
It was not their first series for the B.B.C. 'Broaden Your Mind: An Encyclopaedia Of The Air' was. I never saw it ( my television set could not pick up B.B.C.-2 in those days ) so had to contend with odd clips on the viewers' request show 'Ask Aspel'. In 1969, 'Monty Python's Flying Circus' was launched on an unsuspecting world, so instead of continuing with 'Broaden Your Mind' the lads decided to create an entirely new show. The result was 'The Goodies'.
The idea behind the show was simplicity itself; an agency composed of three men ( ultra-patriotic Tim, hippie-like Bill, and brainy Graeme ) who rode about on a three-seater bike and who did 'anything, anytime'. That was all, but it allowed the writers freedoms they otherwise would not have enjoyed. The chief inspiration seems to have been the American series 'The Monkees'. The wacky plots, 'Tom & Jerry'-style chases, catchy pop music, and cartoon violence were elements common to both shows. There was satire involved too. A regular feature in the first three series were the spoof commercials.
In one episode, the Goodies tried to capture the Loch Ness Monster. In another, they went to the Moon where they encountered super-intelligent rabbits. In yet another, they set up a safari park whose main attractions were showbiz stars. In 'The Goodies & The Beanstalk', they spoofed the traditional British pantomime.
Because 'The Goodies' took the mickey out of '70's pop culture, some have mistakenly interpreted it as an attack on the decade itself. 'Star Wars', 'Close Encounters' and 'Jaws' were popular and thus ready-made targets for parody. 'The Goodies' soon became a part of that very same pop culture, especially when they started having Top Ten hits such as 'Black Pudding Bertha' and 'Funky Gibbon'.
The show boasted an impressive array of guest stars such as George Baker, Stanley Baxter, Bernard Bresslaw, Patrick Troughton, Beryl Reid, Liz Fraser, Mollie Sugden, Jon Pertwee, Joan Sims, June Whitfield, Ronnie Stevens, Jack Douglas, Alfie Bass, and Jane Asher. Celebrities of the calibre of Eddie Waring, Sue Lawley, Michael Aspel, Patrick Moore, Raymond Baxter, and most notably Tony Blackburn were happy to send themselves up.
Because children loved the show, the B.B.C. got uptight over the content, most notably 'Rock Goodies' in which they tackled punk rock, 'South Africa', and 'Royal Command' which was broadcast in the Queen's Silver Jubilee year, and predictably upset rabid monarchists.
'Monty Python' also featured near-naked girls, racial stereotypes, and bandied about words like 'poof'. So did Spike Milligan on his 'Q' series. The point is this - it was incredibly funny.
Yet adults preferred the more anarchic 'Python'. For my money, 'The Goodies' was the more consistently funny; 'Python' ran out of steam after three seasons, 'The Goodies' hit its stride with Season Five.
After a decade on the B.B.C., the Goodies defected to I.T.V. for a final ( disappointing ) run. They pedalled off into the sunset in 1982. Since then, repeats have been noticeable by their absence. Unlike 'Porridge', 'The Good Life', and 'Some Mothers Do Ave Em', 'The Goodies' was too much a product of its time period. But fond memories linger. Those of us who lived through the '70's will never forget 'those blokes and their bike'.