Hancock

By 1961, Tony Hancock was one of the most recognisable British comedians on radio and television and rightly so. He played a considerable role in creating what would be known as the sitcom. The comedian made a final series for British television and the episodes are a testament to his comic genius. It has been stated that Hancock could be quite ruthless in matters of business. A case in point: Hancock decided to axe Sid James from the series as he felt they were becoming a double act and this wasn't what Hancock was striving for in his career. Sid James was reported as feeling rather upset and disappointed by this decision. I could understand his feelings on this as he provided exceptional support for Hancock. Comedy-wise, they suited each other brilliantly. It could be argued that it was the wrong move by Hancock in dispensing with James's services. Be that as it may, Hancock proved he could adapt to some change. For the 1961 series, the opening episode is Hancock entirely on his own for 25 minutes. All he needed was a damn good script, a few basic props, a streamlined set and his performance. The results are outstanding. Titled "The Bedsitter," Hancock is spending his afternoon in his flat (now based in Earl's Court) and is bored stiff. The ways and means in which he attempts to occupy himself are very funny. "The Lift" has Hancock being stuck inside a lift at the BBC along with other people. He has some right nasty characters to deal with here! "The Blood Donor" is the episode from this series that everyone talks about and I agree. Everything came together seamlessly. It was a shame that the comedian suffered that head injury after a car accident as his reading his lines tended to interfere with the timing of the other actors. However, this doesn't turn out to be a problem. Heaven only knows why Hancock chose not to have Ray Galton and Alan Simpson write for him any more or to dispense with the services of the BBC altogether. It seems to be that he was trying to achieve or obtain the unachievable or that he had grown tired of playing "The Lad Himself." He didn't know a good thing when he had it. Tony Hancock has long been acknowledged as being one of the greatest comedians of all time in British comedy. His legacy has long been assured and I shall always enjoy his work.

I wouldn't presume to offer a review of this TV series, except that nobody else has done so and the series deserves at least one positive comment.

The earlier Hancock's Half Hour may be more recognizable to people who have never seen his work before. Sid James was a regular supporting character in those shows, and for a while other characters included Kenneth Williams and Hattie Jacques -- all three went on to greater fame in the Carry On films.

However, Hancock never liked the gags and funny voices that came with them, and this TV series marks the point where he left them behind (somewhat cruelly in the case of Sid James, I understand). Alas, a later step was to ditch the script-writers, Galton and Simpson, and it was all downhill from there.

Although IMDb pretends that there's no DVD, in fact The Very Best of Hancock DVD (region-2) contains five episodes from this series. There are some absolute crackers, where almost the only character is Hancock, or almost the only set is a single confined space, or both. The language of the episodes is also purer and more easily understood by a modern viewer (Galton and Simpson's wild excesses were put on hold for a time).

The Blood Donor is a famous episode, and also highly recommended are The Lift and The Radio Ham, which display the virtues of Hancock's comedy at their best. They all bear re-watching.

For people of my generation and nationality, Hancock is the master of comedy. It may be, however, that really he's a rare wine that doesn't travel well. If any of his work actually translates to younger audiences, this series will be it.