[Inspector Abberline]

Hancock's Half Hour Series Five
In the latest of re re-released Hancock radio series,we now reach number five in the radio show,which covers the period January 1958 to June 1958.And by now the cast is set in stone,Hattie Jacques as Griselda Pugh,Hancock's secretary and some time love interest of Sid James,the cockney Teddy boy who never misses a chance to swindle and rob Hancock of every last penny he ever earns.Then there is Bill Kerr,child like side kick,who started the series as a spiv but progressively gets stupider with with every episode.And not forgetting Kenneth Williams,who plays every thing from high court judges to faithful old butlers to Hancock's nemesis.Williams left the show at the beginning of the Sixth series.Series Five has twenty episodes spread over ten discs,with two episodes per disc.Considering the age of these recording,the quality is excellent,there does not seem to be any audio faults what so ever,well nothing that I could hear . Series Five also has some of Hancock's most famous episodes from the radio series.The Scandal Magazine,Hancock's life been turned up side down by magazine article.The Unexploded Bomb,something in the basement of Hancock towers is lurking.The Sleepless Night,The Americans Hit Town,Sunday Afternoon At Home and The Grappling Game which sees Hattie become a female wrestler.Galton and Simpsons scripts are pretty much spot on,with some great razor sharp dialogue from Tony Hancock and some equally great performances from the cast.its quite extraordinary to think that Hancock had a successful TV show and radio series simultaneously and that Ray Galton and Alan Simpson were continually writing some of there best sitcom scripts.



Hancock: Well well, look who it is. The Thing from Outer Kitchen. I gather from the clouds of blue smoke the sausages are ready?
Griselda Pugh: I'm employed as a secretary, not to provide breakfast for you two as soon as I get here. If you don't like my cooking, do it yourself. Here you are. [clatter]
Hancock: What are these then?
Griselda Pugh: Sausages!
Hancock: What, these little shrivelled up things with two black knobs on each end?
Griselda Pugh: They burst out of their skin.
Hancock: And pleased to get out, by the looks of things!