The Goodies
The Goodies (DVD cover)
Genre	Sketch comedy (extended half-hour sketch comedy format)
Running time	Varied between 30minutes and 50minutes
Creator(s)	Tim Brooke-Taylor Graeme Garden & Bill Oddie
Starring	Tim Brooke-Taylor Graeme Garden & Bill Oddie
Country of origin	UK
Original network/channel	BBC
Original run	8 November 1970 – 13 February 1982
No. of episodes	73 + 3 specials

The Goodies was a surreal British television comedy series of the 1970s and early 1980s combining sketches and situation comedy and starring Graeme Garden, Tim Brooke-Taylor and Bill Oddie. Image File history File links The-Goodies-DVD-1. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Tim Brooke-Taylor (April 2000) Tim Brooke-Taylor (born July 17, 1940 in Buxton, Derbyshire, England) is a British comic actor most well known in Britain as a member of The Goodies comedy trio and as one of the panel members of the comedy radio show Im Sorry I... David Graeme Garden (born February 18, 1943 in Aberdeen, Scotland) is a British comedy writer and performer. ... Bill Oddie William Edgar (Bill) Oddie, OBE, BA, MA (Cantab. ... Tim Brooke-Taylor (April 2000) Tim Brooke-Taylor (born July 17, 1940 in Buxton, Derbyshire, England) is a British comic actor most well known in Britain as a member of The Goodies comedy trio and as one of the panel members of the comedy radio show Im Sorry I... David Graeme Garden (born February 18, 1943 in Aberdeen, Scotland) is a British comedy writer and performer. ... Bill Oddie William Edgar (Bill) Oddie, OBE, BA, MA (Cantab. ... The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is the largest publicly-funded radio and television broadcasting corporation of the United Kingdom (see British television) and the world. ... November 8 is the 312th day of the year (313th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 53 days remaining. ... 1970 (MCMLXX) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1970 calendar). ... February 13 is the 44th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1982 (MCMLXXXII) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Kay Sage. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... A sitcom or situation comedy is a genre of comedy performance originally devised for radio but today typically found on television. ... David Graeme Garden (born February 18, 1943 in Aberdeen, Scotland) is a British comedy writer and performer. ... Tim Brooke-Taylor (April 2000) Tim Brooke-Taylor (born July 17, 1940 in Buxton, Derbyshire, England) is a British comic actor most well known in Britain as a member of The Goodies comedy trio and as one of the panel members of the comedy radio show Im Sorry I... Bill Oddie William Edgar (Bill) Oddie, OBE, BA, MA (Cantab. ...

The series' basic structure revolved around the trio offering themselves for hire — with the tagline "We Do Anything, Anytime, Anywhere" — to perform all sorts of ridiculous but benevolent tasks. This pretext allowed the show to explore all sorts of off-the-wall scenarios for comedic potential. Sometimes these were thinly-disguised comments on current events, such as a show where the South African government gave up on Apartheid and implemented "apart-height", where short people were separated from the rest of society. Others were more abstractly philosophical, such as an episode in which the trio spend Christmas Eve together waiting for the Earth to be blown up by arrangement of the world's governments. The Christmas Eve (1904-05), watercolor painting by the Swedish painter Carl Larsson (1853-1919) Christmas Eve, December 24, the day before Christmas Day, is treated to a greater or a lesser extent in most Christian societies as part of the Christmas festivities. ... Earth is the third planet in the solar system. ...

The "Christmas Eve" episode was one of the episodes which took place entirely in one room. This type of episode was usually made when the entire location budget for the season had been spent, forcing the trio to come up with a script that relied entirely on character interaction. These "claustrophobic" episodes often worked surprisingly well.

Characters and production techniques

The show featured extensive use of slapstick (often performed using sped-up photography and clever, though low-budget, visual effects), such as when they built a railway station together, and awoke the next morning to discover that the construction equipment outside (steam shovel, bulldozer, backhoe) had come to life, and were lumbering, growling, and battling like dinosaurs. Categories: Stub | Industrial equipment ... A bulldozer is a powerful crawler (caterpillar tracked tractor) equipped with a blade. ... Picture 1:Backhoe used for work on the street Picture 2:Skid loader with bucket replaced by backhoe attachment A backhoe, also called a rear actor or back actor, is a piece of excavating equipment consisting of a digging bucket on the end of an articulated arm (also called a... Orders Saurischia    Sauropodomorpha    Theropoda Ornithischia Dinosaurs are giant reptiles that dominated the terrestrial ecosystem for most of their 165-million year existence. ...

Other episodes featured parodies of contemporary pop music (in the loosest sense of the term) composed by Oddie (some of which went on to commercial success in the British charts, among them the hit single "Funky Gibbon", a staple of scout-hut discos of the period) as well as character-based comedy. Some early episodes were interrupted by spoofs of contemporary commercials.

The group also acknowledges their debt to the usage of music in silent movies. In one episode, they inherit an old movie studio, and attempt to make their own epic film: MacBeth Meets Truffaut The Wonder Dog. After several 'takes,' they argue, and each begins to make their own style of movie. The episode finished with an extended silent movie segment, in which each one's movie comically interferes with the others. François Roland Truffaut (February 6, 1932–October 21, 1984) was one of the founders of the French New Wave in filmmaking, and remains an icon of the French film industry. ...

The characters are based around the personae of Garden (a "mad scientist"), Brooke-Taylor (a conservative, sexually-repressed, Tory-voting royalist), and Oddie (a scruffy, occasionally violent, left-leaning anarchist from Lancashire). The group have suggested that the characters of Graeme, Tim, and Bill represent the Liberal, Conservative and Labour wings of British politics or middle-class, upper-class, and working-class stereotypes respectively. The characters played up to their stereotypes, but were not necessarily based on the actor playing the character. This is not immediately obvious as they were called by their own names, and had some minor characteristics in common. In reality, Garden is a medical doctor, Brooke-Taylor is not really conservative ("But I had the double-barrelled name so I was always going to play the Tory" [1]) and Oddie is a pacifist, ornithologist and active environmentalist. Monarchism is the advocacy of the establishment, preservation, or restoration of a monarchy. ... Lancashire is a county and duchy palatine in the North of England, bounded to the west by the Irish Sea. ... The Liberal Party was one of the two major British political parties from the early 19th century until the 1920s, and a third party of varying strength and importance up to 1988, when it merged with the Social Democratic Party (the SDP) to form a new party which would become... The Conservative Party is the largest political party on the right-of-centre in the United Kingdom and the most successful party in political history based on election victories. ... The Labour Party has since its formation in the early 20th century been the principal left wing political party of the United Kingdom (see British politics). ... The examples and perspective in this article may not represent a worldwide view. ... The term upper class refers to a group of people at the top of a social hierarchy. ... The working class is a social class often contrasted with middle class and upper class in terms of the nature of work undertaken (manual labor or skilled), the level of remuneration (typically low hourly rates although there are exceptions) and access to resources (limited access to capital, education and land). ... Ornithology (from the Greek ornitha = chicken and logos = word/science) is the branch of biology concerned with the scientific study of birds. ...

The show benefited greatly from the input of director Bob Spiers, who later directed Absolutely Fabulous, Press Gang, some episodes of Fawlty Towers and the film Spiceworld. Bob Spiers is a British television director, who is best known for his work on various sitcoms and other comedy programmes. ... Patsy and Eddie Absolutely Fabulous (popularly referred to as Ab Fab) is a British sitcom written by Jennifer Saunders and starring Saunders and Joanna Lumley. ... Press Gang was a British childrens television comedy-drama, which ran for forty-three episodes in five series from 1989 to 1993. ... Fawlty Towers on the cover of Radio Times magazine. ... Spiceworld is the second album by British pop group the Spice Girls, released in 1997 (see 1997 in music). ...

Seasons and episode titles

British DVD cover

British DVD cover

Image File history File links The-Goodies-DVD-2. ... Image File history File links The-Goodies-DVD-2. ... The Tower of London was the pilot episode of the British comedy televison series The Goodies. ... Snooze is an episode of the British comedy televison series The Goodies. ... Love the Police is an episode of the British comedy televison series The Goodies. ... Cecily is an episode of the British comedy televison series The Goodies. ... Radio Goodies is an episode of the British comedy televison series The Goodies. ... The Stolen Musicians is an episode of the British comedy televison series The Goodies. ... Camelot is an episode of the British comedy televison series The Goodies. ... The Goodies — Bill Oddie, Tim Brooke-Taylor, Graeme Garden The Race is an episode of the British comedy televison series The Goodies. ... Clown Virus is an episode of the British comedy televison series The Goodies. ... Wacky Wales is an episode of the British comedy televison series The Goodies. ...

Famous guest stars

The guest stars are listed in alphabetical order within their category:

Actors and actresses

• Jane Asher, George Baker, Alfie Bass, Stanley Baxter, John Bluthal, Bernard Bresslaw, Richard Briers, Erik Chitty, John Cleese, Harry H. Corbett, Barry Cryer, Jack Douglas, Bill Fraser, Liz Fraser, Tommy Godfrey, Patricia Hayes, Peter Jones, Jo Kendall, Roy Kinnear, Philip Madoc, Henry McGee, Roland McLeod, John Le Mesurier, Norman Mitchell, Julian Orchard, Geoffrey Palmer, Jon Pertwee, David Rappaport, Beryl Reid, Joan Sims, Mel Smith, Ronnie Stevens, Mollie Sugden, Frank Thornton, Patrick Troughton, Richard Wattis, June Whitfield, Frank Windsor, Tessa Wyatt

TV presenters and announcers Jane Asher Jane Asher (born April 5, 1946) is a British film and television actress and the author of several full-length novels. ... There have been a number of people named George Baker: George Pierce Baker - US drama professor George Fisher Baker - US philanthropist George Baker (politician) - a Canadian Senator George Baker (cartoonist) - Sad Sack comic strip George Baker (actor) - a British actor George Baker (Dutch singer and songwriter) - Dutch recording artist, best... Alfie Bass as Mr. ... Stanley Baxter, (born 1926 May 24 in Glasgow, Scotland), is a comic actor and impressionist, most well known for his UK TV shows. ... John Bluthal (born 1929) is a film and television actor, mostly in comedy. ... Bernard Bresslaw (February 25, 1934 - June 11, 1993) was an English actor who was trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. ... Richard Briers CBE (born on January 14, 1934 in Raynes Park, London), is an English actor whose career encompasses the theatre, television, film and radio. ... John Cleese as Q in Die Another Day. ... Harry H. Corbett (February 28, 1925 - March 21, 1982) Harry H. Corbett was a British actor, who was best known for his starring role in the hugely popular and long-running BBC Television sitcom Steptoe and Son in the 1960s and 70s. ... Barry Cryer (born March 23, 1935 in Leeds, Yorkshire, UK) is a writer and comedian. ... Jack Douglas is a British actor most famous for his roles in the Carry On films. ... Bill Fraser in Doctor Who in 1980. ... Liz Fraser (born August 14, 1933) is a British actress, from London. ... Patricia Hayes, CBE (born Patricia Lawlor Hayes on December 22, 1909 in Camberwell; died September 19, 1998 in London) was a British-born comedy actress of Irish Catholic extraction. ... Peter Jones in an episode of Rumpole of the Bailey Peter Jones (June 12, 1920 – April 10, 2000) was an English actor, born at Wem in Shropshire. ... Jo Kendall is a British actress. ... Roy Kinnear (January 8, 1934 – September 20, 1988) was a prolific British character actor. ... Philip Madoc (born 5 July 1934 Merthyr Tydfil) is a British actor who has had many television and film roles. ... Henry McGee (born 14 May 1929, London) is an actor who is best known for acting as a straight man to Benny Hill for many years. ... John Le Mesurier (5th April 1912 – 15th November, 1983), born John Charles Elton Le Mesurier De Somerys Halliley, was a British actor. ... Julian Orchard (born 3 March 1930, in Wheatley, England — died 21 June 1979, in London, England, was a British comedy actor. ... Geoffrey Palmer, OBE (born in London, England on June 4, 1927) is a British comedy actor, noted mostly for his extensive career in situation comedies. ... John Devon Roland Pertwee (July 7, 1919–May 20, 1996), better known as Jon Pertwee, was a British actor. ... David Rappaport David Stephen Rappaport (November 23, 1951 - May 2, 1990) was a diminutive British actor, probably one of the most well-known little people in television and film, standing at 3 11. Rappaport was born in London, and soon developed talents in both music and theatre. ... Beryl Reid was the daughter of Scottish parents and grew up in industrial Manchester, England. ... Irene Joan Marian Sims (May 9, 1930, Laindon, Essex - June 28, 2001) was a British actress. ... Mel Smith Mel Smith is an English actor, film director, writer, producer born in London on December 3, 1952) He attended New College, Oxford. ... Ronnie Stevens is a British actor. ... Mollie Sugden (born Mary Isobel Sugden on 21 July 1922, in Keighley, Yorkshire) is an English comedy actress who found fame as saleswoman Betty Slocombe in the popular British sitcom Are You Being Served? (1972 - 1985). ... Frank Thornton was born Frank Thornton Ball on January 15, 1921 at Dulwich, London, England, United Kingdom. ... Patrick Troughton as the Second Doctor Patrick George Troughton (March 25, 1920–March 28, 1987) was a versatile and prolific British actor best known in his role as the second incarnation of the Doctor in the long running British sci-fi TV series Doctor Who, which he played from 1966... Richard Wattis (born February 25, 1912 in Staffordshire, England — died February 1, 1975), was an English actor. ... June Whitfield CBE (born 11 November 1925 in London) is a highly-respected veteran English actress who has worked constantly for more than 60 years. ... Frank Windsor is a popular television actor, born in 1927. ... Tessa Wyatt is a British actress. ...

• Michael Aspel, Michael Barratt, David Dimbleby, Sue Lawley, Magnus Magnusson, Patrick Moore, Eddie Waring, Robyn Williams, Kenneth Wolstenholme, Terry Wogan, Corbett Woodall

Singers and dancers Michael Aspel (b. ... Michael Barratt (born January 3, 1928 in Yorkshire, England), is a British television presenter and announcer. ... David Dimbleby (born October 28, 1938) is a BBC TV commentator and presenter of current affairs and political programmes. ... Sue Lawley (born July 14, 1946) is a English broadcaster. ... Magnús Magnússon KBE (born 12 October 1929) is a British television presenter, journalist, translator and writer, of Icelandic origin. ... Sir Patrick Moore presenting The Sky at Night, October 2005 Sir Patrick Alfred Caldwell-Moore, CBE, FRS, FRAS (born March 4, 1923) is an amateur astronomer who has attained an important position in British astronomy as a writer, organizer and presenter of the subject. ... Edward Marsden Waring (Eddie Waring) (February 21, 1910 - October 28, 1986) was a British sports commentator and television presenter. ... Robyn Williams is an Australian science journalist and radio broadcaster who has been interviewer and host of the Science Show on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation since 1975, Ockhams Razor (created 1984) and In Conversation (created 1997). ... Kenneth Wolstenholme, DFC (born Worsley, Lancashire,. July 17, 1920; died March 25, 2002) was the original football commentator for BBC television in the 1950s and 1960s, responsible for the games most famous commentary phrase. ... Sir Michael Terence Wogan, KBE (born 3 August 1938), generally known as Terry Wogan, is an Irish radio and television broadcaster who works for the BBC in the United Kingdom. ... Corbett Woodall (born ? - died 1982), was a British Newsreader for the BBC. As well as being a genuine newsreader, Corbett Woodall appeared in many television series, and also in some films. ...

• Cilla Black, Tony Blackburn, The Fred Tomlinson Singers, Wayne Sleep, The Frank and Peggy Spencer Penge Formation Team

Cilla Black, in a still from an interview done in 2000. ... Tony Blackburn (born January 29, 1943 in Guildford, Surrey, England) is an award winning British disc jockey. ... Wayne Sleep (born 1948) is an English dancer. ...

External links

• The Goodies — BBC Guide to Comedy
• The Goodies at IMDb
• The Goodies — Nostalgia Central
• The Goodies — British TV Comedy
• The Goodies — BeebFun
• The Goodies DVD — information and review
• Street map showing Cricklewood station on streetmap.co.uk - Cricklewood is the location for "The Goodies" office

The Goodies — Tim Brooke-Taylor, Bill Oddie and Graeme Garden The Goodies was a surreal British television comedy series of the 1970s and early 1980s combining sketches and situation comedy and starring Graeme Garden, Tim Brooke-Taylor and Bill Oddie. ... Tim Brooke-Taylor (April 2000) Tim Brooke-Taylor (born July 17, 1940 in Buxton, Derbyshire, England) is a British comic actor most well known in Britain as a member of The Goodies comedy trio and as one of the panel members of the comedy radio show Im Sorry I... David Graeme Garden (born February 18, 1943 in Aberdeen, Scotland) is a British comedy writer and performer. ... Bill Oddie William Edgar (Bill) Oddie, OBE, BA, MA (Cantab. ...