Tony Hancock's 1968 Oz shows

[Derek Trucks]

Apologies if this is a bit self-indulgent....

I was lucky enough to find a video of these on a charity stall (titled Hancock's Last Hour and a Quarter).  Having watched the bulk of it I have to say it's one of the oddest things I've ever seen.  Not terrible as such, just like a extremely diluted version of Half Hour - imagine the cast of Seinfeld returning in 2005 to do a Season 1-style episode, that's what it feels like.

I had been led to believe that Hancock's performance in this was dire, but to me it seems like he's giving all he can with such underwritten material.  His character is essentialy in the same vein as the Galton & Simpson model, unfortunately there seems to be an inordinate amount of slapstick comedy that wasn't really his natural forte.  The supporting cast are dire, as is the editing, the production has something of a cut-and-paste feel - maybe this is something more typical amongst the mediocre 60s sitcoms?

Still very pleased that I found it  - am I right in thinking that this tape represents was what going to be 3 shows, but has now been put together?  Was it ever transmitted in this country?

[Morgan]

*bump* - not because I know the answer but because I'm sick and tired of threads drifting slowly down Comedy Chat simply because they're deemed not interesting enough to reply to.

[The Mumbler]

I think the director was Edward Joffe, who several years later was a producer of the ITV schools programme Finding Out.

Is it very obvious that I'm also trying to keep this thread bumped?

[jutl]

*bump* - not because I know the answer but because I'm sick and tired of threads drifting slowly down Comedy Chat simply because they're deemed not interesting enough to reply to.

You hate our freedom.

[JCBillington]

Still very pleased that I found it  - am I right in thinking that this tape represents was what going to be 3 shows, but has now been put together?  

Yes, that is correct. If you are very interested, there is a book by Joffe which details the whole depressing affair, called Hancock's Last Stand. It also includes the screenplays to the filmed episodes. I think the video is a fairly recent re-edit. It was not shown on UK TV - certainly, Lewisohn has no record.

[Gavin]

Yes, that is correct. If you are very interested, there is a book by Joffe which details the whole depressing affair, called Hancock's Last Stand. It also includes the screenplays to the filmed episodes. I think the video is a fairly recent re-edit. It was not shown on UK TV - certainly, Lewisohn has no record.

That picture's depressing enough.

[Bean Is A Carrot]

Who wrote the Hancock downunder scripts? I ask because Aussie versions of UK hits are always awful... Mind Your Language, Are You Being Served?, Greeks on the Roof (The Kumars at No. 42)... In the case of AYBS downunder they edited the original scripts a bit (renaming the characters and replacing British references with Australians ones) and hired John Inman as Mr Humphries (clearly, no Australian man could ever be that camp!). With Greeks on the Roof it was all new material and a cast with no talent for comedy improv. It was axed quite quickly. As was blokey "comedy" duo Merrick and Rosso in a version of Unplanned. Generally, most Aussie comedy is dire. Even in comparison to contemporary British comedy.

[oceanthroats]

Generally, most Aussie comedy is dire. Even in comparison to contemporary British comedy.

Ah come on Bean, what about 'Bullpit'? It looks bad, but listening to the directors commentary on the full series DVD's, you can kind of start to see the humour...a bit?

[Bean Is A Carrot]

Is the director by any chance attempting to justify their shoddy work on that commentary? "Yes, I'm very proud of the work I did on Bullpit. Here's an example of a sophisticated joke..." [SHOT OF TED BULLPIT CALLING HIS GREEK SON-IN-LAW A "WOG"]

[difbrook]

It's ten to two in the morning, and I've just nearly broken my neck by standing on a swivel chair to get that Edward Joffe book down from my highest bookshelf in order to check the writing credit on the Australian Hancock scripts. What is my life coming to?

anyway, it's written by Hugh Stuckey  He seems to have done a lot of work with Frankie Howerd in the past - "Frankie's On" from 1992 and "The Howerd Confessions" from 1976 are listed on his imdb credits. He's still writing too - something called "L'il Horrors", which I must confess to never having heard of.

there's not much else on his credits ( "Neighbours" and "A Country Practice" are in there though, so he must have kept himself busy. Staff writer, perhaps?)

as for the actual Hancock special,  it's grim viewing for me. I get a shiver when he appears for the first time on deck in episode 1 - the familiar silhouette is there, but when the camera trains on his face for the first time, those paralysed facial muscles and bulging eyes, so immobile... are just saddening.

there are bits in the edited together version that work quite well for me The bit with the automated kitchen shows sparks definitely, but large chunks of it play up the aggravating side of the Hancock persona (never my favourite side of him. As I've mentioned before, I always preferred Hancock when he had someone around to deflate the pomposity and abrasive bits - Bill Kerr particularly, Syd *obviously*, even Wilfred Lawson in the ATV stuff serves much the same purpose).... and the timing's shot to hell. Poor sod.

I think I'll have to watch "The Punch and Judy Man" tomorrow. The last truly great work we saw from him, I think (although I'm quite partial to those Egg Commercials he did with Patricia Hayes in her Mrs Cravat persona).  And there was such an awful lot of great work behind him, which is why the final series is such a depressing experience.

I do agree though that Hancock's doing all he can - just doesn't quite come off for me, alas.