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Hancock's Half Hour

30min

Comedy

Hancock's Half Hour is a BBC television comedy series of the 1950s and 60s written by Ray Galton and Alan Simpson. The series starred Tony Hancock with Sid James. The final series, renamed simply Hancock, starred Hancock alone. Comedian Tony Hancock starred in the show, playing an exaggerated and much poorer version of his own character and lifestyle, Anthony Aloysius St John Hancock, a down-at-heel comedian living at the dilapidated 23 Railway Cuttings in East Cheam. The series was influential in the development of the situation comedy, with its move away from radio variety towards a focus on character development.

Episodes

Cast

Season 1

The First TV Show

1. The First TV Show

30min

6th Jul 1956

Hancock has a broken leg but Sid insists that the show must go on and so the show is broadcast from Hancock's hospital bed.

The Artist

2. The Artist

30min

20th Jul 1956

Hancock decides to become an artist and buys up some old canvases to paint over. However, one is a stolen Rembrandt and one of Sid's cronies is forced to buy up all of Hancock's paintings to retrieve it.

The Dancer

3. The Dancer

30min

3rd Aug 1956

At last Hancock secures a film role... but only if he can dance. Sid provides lessons for Hancock and enters him into a local dancing Championship Contest, but is forced to become his partner in the competition (in drag)!

The Bequest

4. The Bequest

30min

17th Aug 1956

Uncle Obadiah leaves Hancock a fortune provided that he gets married. Hancock starts to look for his future wife with the help of the Sid James Marriage Bureau.

The Radio Show

5. The Radio Show

30min

31st Aug 1956

Broadcast from the National Radio Show, Earl's Court, this episode comprised a number of sketches including the The Red Army Choir... British style!

The Chef That Died of Shame

6. The Chef That Died of Shame

30min

14th Sep 1956

The cast play the parts in the story of 'Iggins, a cook who becomes a well respected chef but subsequently fails and loses everything due to drink.

First air date

6th Jul 1956

Last air date

30th Jun 1961

Status

Ended

Type

Scripted

Original language

en

Networks