#073 Comedy on Air: Hysterical History from The Co-Optimists to Bottom

The British Broadcasting Century with Paul Kerensa

Episode 73: Comedy tonight! And comedy back then, particularly 26 April 1923...

It's a royal wedding so the BBC celebrate in style, with a gala concert, sponsored by Harrods (yes, sponsorship on the BBC!), given by The Co-Optimists, the legendary interwar comedy troupe. The cast includes Stanley Holloway (later of My Fair Lady) and, weirdly, the ex of the prince getting married. Whoops.

We also explore a landmark pre-BBC broadcast by The Co-Optimists, in the summer of 1921. It's London's first broadcast, and pretty much the only legal broadcast of 1921. We'll explain why, and you'll hear them in full flow.

Plus, for those who prefer their comedy more recent, we've got comedy writers James Cary and Simon Dunn, as well as Hi-De-Hi's Jeffrey Holland, telling us about later BBC comedy from The Goons to Bottom, via Steptoe, Dad's Army and Roy Clarke's ovens.

It's a lot to pack in, so it's a longer episode than we usually go for, but we trust you'll be entertained, or at least informed about being entertained, or educated about being informed about being entertained...

SHOWNOTES:

• Simon Dunn's books include Proctology: A Bottom Examination.
• James Cary's books include The Gospel According to a Sitcom Writer.
• Paul Kerensa's books include Hark! The Biography of Christmas - also available as an audiobook.
• Hear The Co-Optimists via this Youtube channel.
• Alan Stafford's article on John Henry and the first BBC topical comedy.
• A photo of 'Listening to the Gala Concert at Harrods' (thanks Andrew Barker!) - 26 April 1923.
• A photo of the Beaver Hut, Strand (the site of the later Bush House) - Summer 1921.
• Sidney Nicholson's wedding anthem - Beloved Let Us Love One Another - hosted by the English Heritage Music Series at University of Minnesota.
• We are nothing to do with the BBC - this is a solo independent operation.
• Support us at Patreon.com/paulkerensa - £5/mth gets you videos galore.
• Paul's on tour this Sept/Oct with An Evening of (Very) Old Radio - paulkerensa.com/tour.
• Music by Will Farmer.
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NEXT TIME: Music! With Percy Pitt in 1923 and ex Radio 1 boss Johnny Beerling in the present day, reflecting on 1967+.

paulkerensa.com/oldradio