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Round the Horne: The Complete Series Two

15 episodes of the groundbreaking BBC radio comedy

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Round the Horne: The Complete Series Two

By: Barry Took, Marty Feldman
Narrated by: Full Cast, Kenneth Horne, Kenneth Williams
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Summary

Kenneth Horne, Kenneth Williams, Betty Marsden and Hugh Paddick star in 15 episodes of the anarchic 1960s radio comedy.

Round the Horne arrived on BBC radio in 1965, bringing laughter to Sunday lunchtimes throughout the land. Over the course of sixteen weekly episodes it carved a niche in the history of broadcast comedy, a sketch show which prodded the boundaries of propriety and innuendo. At its heart was the suave and upstanding Kenneth Horne, around which revolved the multiple naughty personas of Kenneth Williams, Betty Marsden, Hugh Paddick and Bill Pertwee.

Among the parade of regular characters were ulian and Sandy, the camp couple of resting thespians happy to turn their hands to anything; Rambling Syd Rumbo, the musical cordwangler; Fiona and Charles, the passionate duo; and J. Peasemold Gruntfuttock, the world's dirtiest man. Meanwhile regular film parodies, spoof sagas and musical interludes peppered the mix.

Round the Horne earned its place in the annals of comedy history, and is fondly remembered today as a groundbreaking series that influenced many more to come. Here the entire second series can be enjoyed once again, plus the 1966 Christmas episode, 'The Hunchback of Notre Dame' and a special Transcription Services episode 'The Man With The Golden Thunderball'.

Content warning: the humour in this programme reflects the era in which it was broadcast and may not reflect current attitudes.

©2015 BBC Worldwide Ltd (P)2015 BBC Worldwide Ltd

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with a stellar cast including Kenneth Williams, Hugh Paddick, and Betty Marsden, Round the Horne is one of the best classic comedies shows this side of the twilight sanctum!

One of the best classic comedies.

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What can you say. Timeless classic that fills the void in life. Such a boast for someone who suffers from Mental Illness.

Such a brilliant programme. Luv Kenny Williams. xx

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The best radio sketch show ever. Its excellence is across three domains (1) excellence in script (2) excellence in performance and (3) excellence in ensemble. It is perhaps true to a certain extent that we overrate Round The Horne and underrate Beyond our Ken, but while there is plenty to enjoy in the latter it is more fitfully great whereas Round The Horne is consistently brilliant. At one point Kenneth Williams in a Julian and Sandy sketch is setting out some songs that will be sung, including "It's all over, it's all over, my friend" except Williams drops the second comma, conjuring up something very different from what the lyricist had in mind. What is so clever is how Williams does this, how fast he takes the line and his total seeming obliviousness to what he has just said (which if it had been said in any sort of a knowing way would have killed the humour dead). RTH is full of such moments. The worst of the "filth" is in the Rambin' Syd Rumpo and Charles and Fiona Sketches. Especially wicked as it exists only in the imagination of the listener as you try and imagine someone "nadgering their cordwangle" or what exactly has happened when Charles explains that "it has dropped orf". Also from Fiona and Charles is an exchange in what is supposed to an old war movie about things being bad as The Front. We soon learn that "things are not very good at The Back either" but that "he has done the sides quite well". I'm sorry, but even all these years later it is still very funny stuff.

Peerless

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Doesn't date.A treat.Incidentally,each episode has extended variations of the theme tune at the end.Probably filling in time,but interesting nonetheless.

R T H Series 2

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Great to have all these shows available. thought I'd never listen to them all, but here they are. Decent quality sound as well, given the age of the recording.

I had copies of two of these shows on vinyl

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