The Goodies is a British television comedy series shown in the 1970s and early 1980s, which starred Tim Brooke-Taylor, Graeme Garden and Bill Oddie. The series, which combines surreal sketches and situation comedy, was broadcast by the BBC, initially on BBC2 but soon repeated on BBC1,[1] from 1970 until 1980. The final seven-episode series was made by LWT and shown on ITV in 1981–1982.

During the course of the programme, 76 episodes of The Goodies aired, including two specials over nine series.

Since the death of Tim Brooke-Taylor from COVID-19 complications on 12 April 2020, Graeme Garden and Bill Oddie are the two surviving cast members.

Series overview

edit
SeriesEpisodesOriginally airedAverage viewers
(millions)[2]
First airedLast airedNetwork
178 November 1970 (1970-11-08)20 December 1970 (1970-12-20)BBC21.6
2131 October 1971 (1971-10-01)14 January 1972 (1972-01-14)2.3
Specials29 April 1972 (1972-04-09)24 September 1972 (1972-09-24)3.6
374 February 1973 (1973-02-04)12 July 1973 (1973-07-12)2.7
471 December 1973 (1973-12-01)12 January 1974 (1974-01-12)2.5
51410 February 1975 (1975-02-10)21 December 1975 (1975-12-21)8.8
6721 September 1976 (1976-09-21)2 November 1976 (1976-11-02)7.9
761 November 1977 (1977-11-01)22 December 1977 (1977-12-22)6.2
8614 January 1980 (1980-01-14)18 February 1980 (1980-02-18)TBA
9727 December 1981 (1981-12-27)13 February 1982 (1982-02-13)ITVTBA

Episodes

edit

Series 1 (1970)

edit
No.
overall
No. in
series
TitleOriginal air date
11"Tower of London"
"Beefeaters"
8 November 1970 (1970-11-08)
22"Snooze"15 November 1970 (1970-11-15)
33"Give Police a Chance"
"Love the Police" / "Police Public Image" / "Police Brutality"
22 November 1970 (1970-11-22)
44"Caught in the Act"
"The Playgirl Club" / "Compromising Photos"
29 November 1970 (1970-11-29)
55"The Greenies"
"Army Games"
6 December 1970 (1970-12-06)
66"Cecily"
"Servants" / "Haunted House"
13 December 1970 (1970-12-13)
77"Radio Goodies"
"Pirate Radio Station" / "Pirate Radio Goodies"
20 December 1970 (1970-12-20)

Series 2 (1971–72)

edit
No.
overall
No. in
series
TitleOriginal air date
81"Scotland"
"The Loch Ness Monster"
1 October 1971 (1971-10-01)
92"Commonwealth Games"
"Sporting Goodies" / "Goodies of Sport"
8 October 1971 (1971-10-08)
103"Pollution"
"The Ministry of Pollution"
15 October 1971 (1971-10-15)
114"The Lost Tribe"
"The Lost Tribe of the Orinoco" / "Safari with Hazel Nuts"
22 October 1971 (1971-10-22)
125"The Music Lovers"
"The Music Master" / "The Stolen Musicians"
29 October 1971 (1971-10-29)
136"Culture for the Masses"
"Art for Art's Sake" / "For Art's Sake" / "Antiques" / "Art Restoration"
5 November 1971 (1971-11-05)
147"Kitten Kong"12 November 1971 (1971-11-12)
158"Come Dancing"
"Wicked Waltzing" / "Dancing"
19 November 1971 (1971-11-19)
169"Farm Fresh Food"
"Health Farm" / "Uncle Tom's Farm"
10 December 1971 (1971-12-10)
1710"Women's Lib"
"Sexual Liberation" / "Free to Live"
17 December 1971 (1971-12-17)
1811"Gender Education"
"Sex and Violence"
31 December 1971 (1971-12-31)
1912"Charity Bounce"
"London to Brighton"
7 January 1972 (1972-01-07)
2013"The Baddies"
"The Nicest Person in the World" / "Double Trouble" / "Bad Copies"
14 January 1972 (1972-01-14)

Specials (1972)

edit
No.
overall
No.
special
TitleOriginal air date
211"Kitten Kong: Montreux '72 Edition"9 April 1972 (1972-04-09)
222"'A Collection of Goodies' – Special Tax Edition"24 September 1972 (1972-09-24)

Series 3 (1973)

edit
No.
overall
No. in
series
TitleOriginal air date
231"The New Office"
"Monster Machines" / "Moving Day"
4 February 1973 (1973-02-04)
242"Hunting Pink"
"Where There's a Will..." / "A Hunting We Will Go" / "Tally-Ho"
11 February 1973 (1973-02-11)
253"Winter Olympics"18 February 1973 (1973-02-18)
264"That Old Black Magic"
"Black Magic" / "Which Witch is Which?"
25 February 1973 (1973-02-25)
275"For Those in Peril on the Sea"
"The Lost Island of Munga" / "A High-Sea Adventure"
4 March 1973 (1973-03-04)
286"Way Outward Bound"
"Outward Bounds" / "Baby Army"
11 March 1973 (1973-03-11)
297"Superstar"
"Rock Star"
12 July 1973 (1973-07-12)

Series 4 (1973–74)

edit
No.
overall
No. in
series
TitleOriginal air date
301"Camelot"1 December 1973 (1973-12-01)
312"Invasion of the Moon Creatures"
"Big Bunny" / "On the Moon with Big Bunny"
8 December 1973 (1973-12-08)
323"Hospital for Hire"
"The National Health Service" / "Doctors"
15 December 1973 (1973-12-15)
334"The Goodies and the Beanstalk"24 December 1973 (1973-12-24)
345"The Stone Age"
"Archaeologists" / "Tyrannosaurus Rex" / "Pot-Holing" / "Let's go Pot-Holing" / "Dinosaur"
29 December 1973 (1973-12-29)
356"Goodies in the Nick"
"The Great Goodies Bank Robbery" / "Bank Robbery"
5 January 1974 (1974-01-05)
367"The Race"12 January 1974 (1974-01-12)

Series 5 (1975)

edit
No.
overall
No. in
series
TitleOriginal air date
371"The Movies"
"The British Film Industry" / "The Black & White, Western, Epic Movie" / "BBC" / "The Choices of Film Creation"
10 February 1975 (1975-02-10)
382"Clown Virus"17 February 1975 (1975-02-17)
393"Chubbie Chumps"
"Radio 2" / "The Beauty Contest" / "Housewives" / "Radio Contest" / "Miss Housewife"
24 February 1975 (1975-02-24)
404"Wacky Wales"
"Welsh Rugby"
3 March 1975 (1975-03-03)
415"Frankenfido"10 March 1975 (1975-03-10)
426"Scatty Safari"
"The Existence of Rolf Harris" / "Pied Piper Goodies versus the Rolf Harris Plague"
17 March 1975 (1975-03-17)
437"Kung Fu Kapers"
"Ecky-Thump"
24 March 1975 (1975-03-24)
448"Lighthouse Keeping Loonies"
"The Lighthouse Men" / "A Little Light Housekeeping" / "Lighthouse Loonies"
31 March 1975 (1975-03-31)
459"Rome Antics"7 April 1975 (1975-04-07)
4610"Fleet Street Goodies"
"Cunning Stunts" / "The 'Goodies Clarion' Newspaper"
14 April 1975 (1975-04-14)
4711"South Africa"
"Apartheight" / "A South African Adventure"
21 April 1975 (1975-04-21)
4812"Bunfight at the O.K. Tea Rooms"
"Cream Cave" / "Cream Rush Fever"
28 April 1975 (1975-04-28)
4913"The End"
"Encased in Concrete" / "Concrete on the Outside" / "Entombed"
5 May 1975 (1975-05-05)
5014"The Goodies Rule – O.K.?"21 December 1975 (1975-12-21)

Series 6 (1976)

edit
No.
overall
No. in
series
TitleOriginal air date
511"Lips, or Almighty Cod"
"Cod"
21 September 1976 (1976-09-21)
522"Hype Pressure"
"The Rock and Roll Revival"
28 September 1976 (1976-09-28)
533"Daylight Robbery on the Orient Express"5 October 1976 (1976-10-05)
544"Black and White Beauty"12 October 1976 (1976-10-12)
555"It Might as Well Be String"19 October 1976 (1976-10-19)
566"2001 & A Bit"
"The Future of the Goodies"
26 October 1976 (1976-10-26)
577"The Goodies – Almost Live"
"The Goodies in Concert"
2 November 1976 (1976-11-02)

Series 7 (1977)

edit
No.
overall
No. in
series
TitleOriginal air date
581"Alternative Roots"
"The Goodies Find Their Roots" / "Hoots, Toots and Froots"
1 November 1977 (1977-11-01)
592"Dodonuts"8 November 1977 (1977-11-08)
603"Scoutrageous"
"Scouting Adventures" / "Boy Scouts"
22 November 1977 (1977-11-22)
614"Punky Business"
"Punkerella" / "Rock Goodies"
29 November 1977 (1977-11-29)
625"Royal Command"
"Royal Command Performance"
6 December 1977 (1977-12-06)
636"Earthanasia"
"The End of the World Show" / "The End of the World"
22 December 1977 (1977-12-22)

Series 8 (1980)

edit
No.
overall
No. in
series
TitleOriginal air date
641"Goodies and Politics"
"Politics" / "Timita"
14 January 1980 (1980-01-14)
652"Saturday Night Grease"
"Discotheque"
21 January 1980 (1980-01-21)
663"A Kick in the Arts"
"Summer Olympics"
28 January 1980 (1980-01-28)
674"U-Friend or UFO?"
"Close Encounters"
4 February 1980 (1980-02-04)
685"Animals"
"Animal Liberation" / "Animal Lib" / "Watership Down"
11 February 1980 (1980-02-11)
696"War Babies"
"World War 2"
18 February 1980 (1980-02-18)

Series 9 (1981–82)

edit
No.
overall
No. in
series
TitleOriginal air date
701"Snow White 2"
"Pantomime" / "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs"
27 December 1981 (1981-12-27)
712"Robot"
"Automation"
9 January 1982 (1982-01-09)
723"Football Crazy"16 January 1982 (1982-01-16)
734"Big Foot"
"Bigfoot" / "In Search of Bigfoot" / "Arthur C. Clarke" / "In Search of Arthur C. Clarke"
23 January 1982 (1982-01-23)
745"Change of Life"
"Bill's 75th Birthday"
30 January 1982 (1982-01-30)
756"Holiday"
"Holidays" / "The Holiday" / "Holiday in Dunsquabbling"
6 February 1982 (1982-02-06)
767"Animals Are People Too"
"Pets" / "Tim's Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to People"
13 February 1982 (1982-02-13)

The Goodies episodes in DVD format

edit

DVD and pre-recorded VHS releases of episodes

edit

Series One

edit
No. Prod. Episode titles DVD
releases
VHS
pre-recorded
releases
Original TV
broadcast dates
101 11/5/0/2521 Tower of London
DVD
VHS
8 November 1970
102 11/5/0/2524 Snooze
DVD
-
15 November 1970
103 11/5/0/2523 Give Police a Chance
DVD
-
22 November 1970
104 11/5/0/2522 Caught in the Act
DVD
-
29 November 1970
105 11/5/0/2526 The Greenies
DVD
-
6 December 1970
106 11/5/0/2525 Cecily
DVD
-
13 December 1970
107 11/5/0/2527 Radio Goodies
DVD
-
20 December 1970

Series Two

edit

BBC title "The Goodies B"

No. Prod. Episode titles DVD
releases
VHS
pre-recorded
releases
Original TV
broadcast dates
201 11/5/1/2151 Scotland
DVD
-
1 October 1971
202 11/5/1/2152 Commonwealth Games
DVD
-
8 October 1971
203 11/5/1/2154 Pollution
DVD
-
15 October 1971
204 11/5/1/2153 The Lost Tribe
DVD
-
22 October 1971
205 11/5/1/2155 The Music Lovers
DVD
-
29 October 1971
206 11/5/1/2156 Culture for the Masses
DVD
-
5 November 1971
207 11/5/1/2157 Kitten Kong
-
-
12 November 1971
208 11/5/1/2158 Come Dancing
DVD
-
19 November 1971
209 11/5/1/2159 Farm Fresh Food
DVD
-
10 December 1971
210 11/5/1/2160 Women's Lib
DVD
-
17 December 1971
211 11/5/1/2161 Gender Education
DVD
VHS
31 December 1971
212 11/5/1/2162 Charity Bounce
DVD
-
7 January 1972
213 11/5/1/2163 The Baddies
DVD
-
14 January 1972
214 Special Kitten Kong ('72 Montreux)
DVD
VHS
9 April 1972
215 Special A Collection of Goodies
(Special Tax Edition)


DVD
-
24 September 1972

Series Three

edit

BBC title "The Goodies Series Three A"

No. Prod. Episode titles DVD
releases
VHS
pre-recorded
releases
Original TV
broadcast dates
301 11/5/2/2271 The New Office
DVD
-
3 February 1973
302 11/5/2/2272 Hunting Pink
DVD
-
10 February 1973
303 11/5/2/2273 Winter Olympics
DVD
-
17 February 1973
304 11/5/2/2274 That Old Black Magic
DVD
-
24 February 1973
305 11/5/2/2275 For Those in Peril on the Sea
DVD
-
3 March 1973
306 11/5/2/2276 Way Outward Bound
DVD
-
10 March 1973
307 11/5/2/2277 Superstar
DVD
-
12 July 1973

Series Four

edit

BBC title "The Goodies Series Three B"

No. Prod. Episode titles DVD
releases
VHS
pre-recorded
releases
Original TV
broadcast dates
401 11/5/2/2280 Camelot
DVD
-
1 December 1973
402 11/5/2/2281 Invasion of the Moon Creatures
DVD
-
8 December 1973
403 11/5/2/2278 Hospital for Hire
DVD
-
15 December 1973
404 Special The Goodies and the Beanstalk
DVD
VHS
22 December 1973
405 11/5/2/2283 The Stone Age
DVD
-
29 December 1973
406 11/5/2/2282 Goodies in the Nick
DVD
-
5 January 1974
407 11/5/2/2279 The Race
DVD
-
12 January 1974

Series Five

edit

BBC title "The Goodies 1974 / The Goodies Autumn 1974 (last six episodes)"

No. Prod. Episode titles DVD
releases
VHS
pre-recorded
releases
Original TV
broadcast dates
501 11/5/4/2042 The Movies
DVD
-
10 February 1975
502 11/5/4/2041 Clown Virus
DVD
-
17 February 1975
503 11/5/4/2044 Chubbie Chumps
DVD
-
24 February 1975
504 11/5/4/2045 Wacky Wales
DVD
-
3 March 1975
505 11/5/4/2046 Frankenfido
DVD
-
10 March 1975
506 11/5/4/2049 Scatty Safari
DVD
VHS
17 March 1975
507 11/5/4/2048 Kung Fu Kapers
DVD
VHS
24 March 1975
508 11/5/4/2047 Lighthouse Keeping Loonies
DVD
VHS
31 March 1975
509 11/5/4/2050 Rome Antics
DVD
-
7 April 1975
510 11/5/4/2051 Fleet Street Goodies
DVD
-
14 April 1975
511 11/5/4/2043 South Africa
DVD
-
21 April 1975
512 11/5/4/2052 Bunfight at the O.K. Tea Rooms
DVD
VHS
28 April 1975
513 11/5/4/2053 The End
DVD
VHS
5 May 1975
514 Special Goodies Rule – O.K.?
DVD
-
21 December 1975

Series Six

edit

BBC title "The Goodies: Series Five / Series V"

No. Prod. Episode titles DVD
releases
VHS
pre-recorded
releases
Original TV
broadcast dates
601 11/5/6/2001 Lips, or Almighty Cod
DVD
-
21 September 1976
602 11/5/6/2002 Hype Pressure
DVD
-
28 September 1976
603 11/5/6/2005 Daylight Robbery on the Orient Express
DVD
-
5 October 1976
604 11/5/6/2006 Black and White Beauty
DVD
-
12 October 1976
605 11/5/6/2003 It Might as Well Be String
DVD
-
19 October 1976
606 11/5/6/2004 2001 & A Bit
DVD
-
26 October 1976
607 11/5/6/2007 The Goodies Almost Live
DVD
-
2 November 1976

Series Seven

edit

BBC title "The Goodies: Autumn 1977"

No. Prod. Episode titles DVD
releases
VHS
pre-recorded
releases
Original TV
broadcast dates
701 01157/2001 Alternative Roots
DVD
-
1 November 1977
702 01157/2002 Dodonuts
DVD
-
8 November 1977
703 01157/2004 Scoutrageous
DVD
VHS
22 November 1977
704 01157/2005 Punky Business
DVD
-
29 November 1977
705 01157/2003 Royal Command
DVD
-
6 December 1977
706 01157/2006 Earthanasia
DVD
VHS
22 December 1977

Series Eight

edit
No. Prod. Episode titles DVD
releases
VHS
pre-recorded
releases
Original TV
broadcast dates
801 1158/9671 Goodies and Politics
DVD
-
14 January 1980
802 1158/9672 Saturday Night Grease
DVD
VHS
21 January 1980
803 1158/9673 A Kick in the Arts
DVD
-
28 January 1980
804 1158/9674 U-Friend or UFO?
DVD
-
4 February 1980
805 1158/9675 Animals
DVD
-
11 February 1980
806 1158/9676 War Babies
DVD
-
18 February 1980

Series Nine

edit
No. Prod. Episode titles DVD
releases
VHS
pre-recorded
releases
Original TV
broadcast dates
901 90329 Snow White 2
DVD
-
27 December 1981
902 90327 Robot
DVD
VHS
9 January 1982
903 90325 Football Crazy
DVD
VHS
16 January 1982
904 90328 Big Foot
DVD
VHS
23 January 1982
905 90326 Change of Life
DVD
VHS
30 January 1982
906 90330 Holiday
DVD
-
6 February 1982
907 90331 Animals Are People Too
DVD
-
13 February 1982

VHS releases

edit

1980s

edit

"The Goodies (1982)" — Thorn EMI Video

Football Crazy
Robot
Big Foot
Change of Life

"The Goodies and the Beanstalk (1983)" — BBC Enterprises Limited

The Goodies and the Beanstalk

"The Goodies (1986)" — Thorn EMI Video

Football Crazy
Change of Life

1990s

edit

"Look out! It's ... The Goodies: Kitten Kong (1994)" — BBC Enterprises Limited

Kitten Kong (72' Montreux)
Scatty Safari
Scoutrageous

"Look out! It's ... The Goodies: The Goodies and the Beanstalk (1994)" — BBC Enterprises Limited

The Goodies and the Beanstalk
The End
Bunfight at the O.K. Tea Rooms

2000s

edit

"The Goodies ...At Last (2003)" — Network DVD

Tower of London
Gender Education
Kitten Kong (72' Montreux)
The Goodies and the Beanstalk
Kung Fu Kapers
Lighthouse Keeping Loonies
Earthanasia
Saturday Night Grease

"The Goodies ...At Last a Second Helping (2005)" — Network DVD

Radio Goodies
Come Dancing
The Movies
South Africa
Bunfight at the O.K. Tea Rooms
The End
Scoutrageous
Punky Business

"The Goodies: The Complete LWT Series (2007)" — Network DVD

Snow White 2
Robot
Football Crazy
Big Foot
Change of Life
Holiday
Animals

2010s

edit

"The Goodies ...At Last - Back for More, Again (2010)" — Network DVD

Cecily
The Music Lovers
The New Office
The Goodies Rule - O.K.?
Camelot
It Might as Well Be String
2001 & A Bit
Royal Command

"The Goodies: The Complete BBC Collection (2018)" — Network DVD

Contains all 69 episodes of the BBC series.

"The Goodies: The Complete Collection (2019)"[3] — Network DVD

Contains all 76 episodes of the series, plus extras from The Complete BBC Collection and The Complete LWT Series.

See also

edit

Sources

edit
  • The Complete Goodies — Robert Ross, B T Batsford, London, 2000
  • The Goodies Rule OK — Robert Ross, Carlton Books Ltd, Sydney, 2006
  • From Fringe to Flying Circus — Celebrating a Unique Generation of Comedy 1960–1980 — Roger Wilmut, Eyre Methuen Ltd, 1980
  • The Goodies Episode Summaries — Brett Allender
  • The Goodies — Fact File — Matthew K. Sharp

References

edit
  1. ^ The Penguin TV Companion (2nd Edition) — Jeff Evans, Penguin Books Ltd., London, 2003
  2. ^ "The Official Goodies Rule - OK! Fan Club Website - Articles/Guides".
  3. ^ "The Goodies [DVD]". Amazon UK. Network. Retrieved 5 September 2023.
edit