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Hancock's Half Hour: Hancock's War/The Christmas Club/The Lift/Twelve Angry Men No.3 (BBC Radio Collection) | 
 enlarge | Authors: Ray Galton, Alan Simpson
Creators: Tony Hancock, Sid James, Hattie Jacques, Kenneth Williams
Publisher: BBC Audiobooks Ltd
Category: Book
List Price: £11.00
Buy Used: £5.00
You Save: £6.00 (55%)
Used (6) Collectible (1) from £5.00
Avg. Customer Rating:  30 reviews
Sales Rank: 630542
Format: Audiobook
Media: Audio Cassette
Number Of Items: 2
Discs: 2
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.3
Dimensions (in): 5.3 x 4.2 x 0.7
ISBN: 0563406291
Dewey Decimal Number: 817
EAN: 9780563406297
ASIN: 0563406291
Publication Date: November 2, 1992
Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
Condition: different cover to that shown but same episodes
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.co.uk Review
When Ray Galton and Alan Simpson created Hancock's Half Hour--their first big hit before Steptoe and Son--they needed a supporting cast, and their choices were inspired. Sid James became the quintessential shifty crook, Bill Kerr played Tony Hancock's best friend while Moira Lister became his girlfriend, and as Kenneth Williams intoned a variety of authority-voices--police, magistrates, etc.--another comic star was born. Out of the 16 original programmes from the period under review, the BBC managed to lose six--culpable carelessness--but among the extant 10 there are outright gems, some of which will be unfamiliar even to fans, and many of which would today be banned as hopelessly un-PC. Viz Hancock's cheery greeting: "Morning Charlie. Working? Oh, of course you don't need to, with 28 children!" Or his observation--of some sluggish British workmen building a house--that he's glad they've been provided with shovels complete with arm-rests. Asked for his own address, he replies "I've just moved. They pulled down my house to build a slum". Relayed cold, such comments may not even raise a smile: Hancock's magic was all in the telling, and in the momentum he built up, as in his Monte Carlo rally programme, in which signposts were turned round and bridges blown up. One of the nicest sketches evolves out of him being left to do the housework like Cinderella, while everyone else troops off to the ball. When he died, a victim of depression, in Australia in 1968, Britain lost something irreplaceable: this five-CD set, with its accompanying booklet, makes a splendid memento. The next batch of releases is eagerly awaited. --Betty Tadman
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| Customer Reviews: Read 25 more reviews...
 Hancock's Half Hour - The Collector's Edition - Series 1,2,3 & 5 August 28, 2007
7 out of 8 found this review helpful
I was introduced to Hancock by my Grandparents many years ago when I the first heard The Blood Donor, being the most famous (but not in my opinion the best) show - from there on I was hooked and the collector's edition box sets that were eventually released were a dream come true!
Supporting Hancock throughout the first series were Sid James, Bill Kerr, Kenneth Williams & Moira Lista.
16 episodes were recorded by the BBC for the first series, broadcast between November 1954 & February 1955, however, only 10 survived at the time the box set was produced. 5 CD's in individual sleeves include two shows per CD, and contain the following episodes in chronological order:
The First Night Party
The Idol
The Boxing Champion
The New Car
Cinderella Hancock
A Trip To France
The Monte Carlo Rally
A House On The Cliff
The Sheikh
The End Of The Series
Standout episodes for me are The First Night Party, A Trip To France & The End Of the Series, but all are thoroughly enjoyable and the whole package is well worthy of a 5 star rating.
Supporting Hancock throughout the second series were Sid James, Bill Kerr, Kenneth Williams & Andree Melly.
12 episodes were recorded by the BBC for the second series, broadcast between April 1955 & July 1955, however, only 5 survived at the time the box set was produced. 3 CD's in individual sleeves include two shows per CD, and contain the following episodes in chronological order:
The Holiday Camp
The Chef That Dies of Shame
The Rail Strike
The Television Set
The Marrow Contest
Only The Rail Strike really stands out for me, and interestingly the first 4 lost episodes starred Harry Secombe in Hancock's lead role, as Hancock `disappeared' with what apparently was diagnosed as a minor nervous breakdown.
Supporting Hancock throughout the third series, were Sid James, Bill Kerr, Kenneth Williams & Andree Melly.
20 episodes were recorded by the BBC for the third series, broadcast between October 1955 & February 1956, and only 8 survive. 10 CD's in individual sleeves include two shows per CD, and contain the following episodes in chronological order:
The Pet Dog
The Jewel Robbery
The Bequest
Hancock's Hair
The Student Prince
The Greyhound Track
The Conjuror
The Test Match
The shows improved considerably from the second series, and The Jewel Robbery, The Bequest, Hancock's Hair, The Student Prince & The Conjuror are all standout episodes.
Supporting Hancock throughout the fifth series, were Sid James, Bill Kerr, Kenneth Williams & Hattie Jacques.
20 episodes were recorded by the BBC for the fifth series, broadcast between January 1958 & June 1958, and all 20 survive. 10 CD's in individual sleeves include two shows per CD, and contain the following episodes in chronological order:
The New Radio series
The Scandal Magazine
The Male Suffragettes
The Insurance Policy
The Publicity Photograph
The Unexploded Bomb
Hancock's School
Around The World In Eighty Days
The Americans Hit Town
The Election Candidate
Hancock's Car
The East Cheam Drama Festival
The Foreign Legion
Sunday Afternoon At Home
The Grappling Game
The Junk Man
Hancock's War
The Prize Money
The Threatening Letters
The Sleepless Night
There are some top drawer episodes in this series, notably The Scandal Magazine, The Publicity Photograph, The Unexploded Bomb, The Americans Hit Town, The East Cheam Drama Festival, Sunday Afternoon At Home, The Grappling Game, Hancock's War, The Threatening Letters & The Sleepless Night.
Each set includes a CD sized 15 page booklet, which includes a synopsis of each episode, and biographies of the stars & writers.
I also recommend the book `Fifty Years of Hancock's Half Hour' by Richard Webber, ISBN 1-8441-3389-3, which tells the story of how the show was conceived, with detailed synopsis & information of every show produced.
 Hancock's Half Hour Foursome April 21, 2007
0 out of 8 found this review helpful
I was disappointed with this, to some degree. Hancock's War, & the Christmas Club, were poor quality episodes. The latter, was done on the cheap probably, as it had so few characters. I think, that the reason for there being 4 together, was because the first two, would not sell seperately.
The Lift & Twelve Angry Men, though funny, were obviously transferred, straight from the TV Episodes, judging by the amount of silences, punctuated by 'Canned Laughter,' seemingly.the Radio Versions, of these two, are, to me, funner, than the TV ones. I would have purchased only the latter two episodes, if possible, but the BBC Shop, offered even less choice oddly, as he was 'Their Star.'
I, and I suspect others, could empathize, with Hancock's feelings, about the smug producer, in 'The Lift. One thing, that struck me though, about all the Hancock Episodes, was the lack of any non white characters, even in The Blood Donor, set in a London Hospital, which must have had some non whites. This episode,although funny, sees Tony become craven, when it is his turn It has become hackneyed, though through over exposure.
First outing for classic scripts January 6, 2006
This book was first published in 1974 and was the first appearance of the scripts in print. This was just when the Hancock series were first being recognised as comedy art rather than throwaway TV, and Galton & Simpson were beginning to be regarded as great playwrights rather than just hack comedy scriptwriters. A long interview with them is included with this collection, which is well illustrated with stills. The episodes included are The Missing Page & The Reunion Party, which was from the last series of 'Hancock's Half Hour', and included Sid James, and Hancock Alone, The Bowmans and The Blood Donor from 'Hancock', the last series he did for the BBC.
Great but designed for TV not radio March 7, 2004
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
This is vintage Hancock but be aware that the programmes were designed for TV broadcast and therefore some of the sequences don't work without the visuals, in particular the "Grimsby Pilchards" advertisement sequence in the marvellous "Bowmans" episode, one of the very greatest of Hancock's shows. "The Bedsitter" also suffers in this respect.
The "Blood Donor" and "Radio Ham" were subsequently remade for broadcast (in slightly more polished performances, also available on CD) but what we have here are the TV transmissions.
The comparatively short interview "Bonus disc" with Galton and Simpson consists of material that will be largely familiar for anyone who knows much about Hancock.
All the same this is highly recommended notwithstanding the reservations stated above and it is great to have Hancock's last great performance as "Old Joshua" in "The Bowmans" available on CD.
hancocks half hour season 4 May 23, 2003
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
The Genius of Hancock is bought to life in this boxset as the Hancock team are well into their stide by now. hancock's best shows are evident here such as The school reunion the bolshoi ballet and the thirteenth of the series. Hancock's blend of timing and Galton and Simpsons brilliant writing are complemented by sid James Bill Kerr and the regular team. Hancock has blended truth and fiction and this collection takes you on a vivid journey to the world of tony Hancock which is locked away firmly in the more innocent 1950's, The scripts and performances still however stand true today as they did then more than 50 years ago.Utter genius that will bring tears of joy and sadness to your eyes in equal measures as you laugh at the masters work while trying not to remember that there will never be another new hancock's Half Hour.
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