The Official Goodies Rule - OK! Fan Club Website

Sir Patrick Alfred Caldwell-Moore was born in 1923 in Middlesex and is an amateur astronomer who has been a prolific writer and presenter of astronomy books and TV programs since the 1950s. A World War II veteran and former President of the British Astronomical Association, he was particularly keen on studying the Moon in his early years and it became his specialist subject throughout his career.

Moore began presenting 'The Sky At Night' on the BBC in 1957 and has continued to do so for more than 50 years; making him the world's longest-serving TV presenter, and he even had an asteroid named in his honour in 1982. A man of conservative political leanings (being the Chairman of the United Country Party during the 1970s), with forthright views on a range of topics, Moore has been happy to appear in many different TV and radio shows (including Just A Minute, Morecambe & Wise, Blankety Blanks and Doctor Who); often sending himself up or playing a rather eccentric character.

This is particularly the case in his six guest appearances in The Goodies between 1973 and 1980 where Moore appears as himself, but in rather quirky astronomical or scientific situations where he very much fits in with the Goodies-style mayhem that is invariably going on around him.

Moore's first guest appearance in The Goodies comes in Series 4 episode 'Invasion of the Moon Creatures', where James Burke (played by Roland Macleod) gives an update from the BBC Space Studio on the Goodies' space mission two hours after Tim and Bill have returned to Earth: "... and there seems to be some evidence that their physical condition has been in some way affected by their journey. In fact, to be perfectly honest, they've turned into rabbits." Shortly afterwards, Burke announces "And now, over to Patrick Moore for his views" and a stern-looking Moore appears against a starry backdrop and grumbles "Well it seems to me that the whole suggestion is absolutely ludi …" before two big buck rabbit's teeth suddenly appear in his mouth, pressing against his bottom lip to the extent that he can only mutter the remainder of his sentence. Moore then uses a carrot as a telescope to look to the sky before he starts to nibble away at it, as the camera cuts back to Burke; who says "Sorry to cut you off like that …" as he also starts to morph into a rabbit himself.

In Series 5 episode 'Lighthouse Keeping Loonies', BBC newsreader Corbet Woodall reports that a new comet has been discovered; which in reality is the Jolly Rock Lighthouse flying through the air with a lengthy trail of flames behind it after Bill has been silly enough to light a match to have a better look at the oil deposit that he has discovered underground. Woodall crosses to an enthusiastic and delighted Moore, who operates an impressive-looking telescope while commenting "This is extremely exciting. You should be able to see the comet, which appears as a bright red light in the northern sky if you look out your window right about now. Find the Sun and then up a bit … down a bit … across a bit … left a bit … right a bit …" A sheepish Woodall is then sprung trying to follow Moore's rapidly-changing directions with a small hand-held magnifying glass when the camera pans back to him,

The special 'Goodies Rule OK' sees Moore seated in the Goodies underground joke-easy along with a group of other entertainers (including Eddie Waring, Rolf Harris and Telly Savalas) who are now in power following the toppling of the Standing Party. Unfortunately though, the entertainers have been out of work for so long that they have forgotten how to do their old acts and a frustrated Graeme is charged with the responsibility of reminding the performers of what they should sound like with his brilliant mimicry skills. When it comes to Moore's turn, he starts off "If you train your telescope on the western sky tonight …" but he has the voice of 'Tonight' host Sue Lawley instead of his own, so with a surprised look, he coughs and repeats himself, only for it to still come out the same way, much to Graeme's dismay. Lawley then has Moore's voice as she deeply intones "In tonight's 'Tonight' we'll be taking a look at …", before she stops with a perplexed expression on her face. A little later after Graeme has caused Ernie Wise's wig to land on Savalas' head, he hears a northern-accented voice pipe up off-screen with "Ey'up, hang on a minute … "I've remembered how to do it." A relieved Graeme yells: "At last! One of you has actually got it right.", only to find that it is Moore speaking in Waring's voice: "If you train your telescope on the western sky tonight, you'll see ... Hull Kingston Rovers who had a terrific win over Rochdale Hornets with a couple of magnificent tries … not a bad lot there, Rochdale, but a few early baths for some of the lads after a little bit of nonsense!" Graeme walks away disgusted as Moore continues chattering away in the background.

'Punky Business' in Series 7 features a news report on Tim's lone campaign to 'Keep Britain's Shoes Shiny', which draws the wrath of politicians and the police force who have all joined the growing punk phenomenon. At the end of the bulletin, the BBC newsreader, who has also sunk to punk, picks his nose and thunders "That's the end of the [%^&$] news, so [#$%&]'s to the lotta ya! And now, The Sky At Night." At this point, the camera pans to a ferocious-looking, punked-up Moore (with piercings, chains and rumpled clothing), who obnoxiously swings his arm as if to motion for everyone to "sod off", then thumbs his nose and blows raspberries at the camera. Tim, who is watching this spectacle on TV in the office, is left to huff "Well at least I do my bit."

Series 8 episode 'U-Friend or UFO' also features a BBC News report which has been corrupted by the trombone-playing aliens that are in the process of taking over the Earth. Moore appears in the studio and gasps "Extraordinary! I've just had an enormous …!" before he stops and gapes in bewilderment as his hair has been spiked up into a shuttle shape by the aliens just like several other objects (such as a clay pot and the BBC News logo itself) that feature in the bulletin.

Moore's final Goodies appearance comes in the next episode, 'Animals', where he firstly has two brief cameos as part of Graeme's 'David Rabbitborough' documentary from the Galapagos Archipelago on fellow wildlife presenters. The first of these shows him as a nocturnal owl-like creature peering through his telescope with the commentary that he is "perfectly adapted to living at night", while the second one has him stumbling towards the camera with an eyepatch on (as Graeme comments "So specialised that he has almost lost the use of his neglected eye. Cover up the good eye and he's helpless") and running headlong into the camera. Later the Goodies and the various presenters need to quickly flee the BBC Studio before they are captured and killed (after Bill has caused an animal rebellion by cooking and eating a rabbit guest on the Rabid Frost Show) and disguise themselves as rabbits in the hope that the irate animals won't harm their own kind. The Goodies and the presenters all escape through a trapdoor and into a series of burrows, as Graeme says "Moore, you go first. You can see in the dark!" and motions for him to take the lead. When the rabbits are outside on a grassy hill, Moore is observing the sky through his telescope when there is a call from Tim of "Look out Patrick!" and a hawk swoops and snaffles his telescope from out of his hands. This brazen theft causes Moore to go ballistic with lots of cursing and leaping about until Graeme tells him "Quiet. They'll hear us."

While I'm unable to source any direct comments from Moore about his guest roles in The Goodies; the following quotes sourced from Andrew Pixleys recent book 'The Goodies – Super Chaps Three' are a neat summation of what those involved with The Goodies thought of his efforts on the show. Tim Brooke-Taylor remarked of Moore: "Always very good …Always a sport.", while director Bob Spiers said of Moore's performance in 'Punky Business': "Patrick used to come in like a raging bull. He loved every single second of it. I think the boys had him in so many times that they were really good friends by then," Goodies fans would no doubt echo those sentiments as it was great to have such a well-known and much-respected guest star who was happy to appear on the show on multiple occasions and have fun fully immersing himself in the Goodies' sense of humour and silliness in the bargain.