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http://www.goodiesruleok.com
E-MAIL ADDRESSES
Newsletter enquiries: clarion@goodiesruleok.com
General enquiries: enquiries@goodiesruleok.com
POSTAL ADDRESS
'The Goodies Rule - OK!'
P.O. Box 413
Croydon VIC 3136, AUSTRALIA
THE LADS AND LASSES OF THE C&G
EDITOR
- Brett Allender <clarion@goodiesruleok.com>
ACE REPORTERS:
- Lisa Manekofsky
- David Piper-Balston
COR!! COMICS REVIEWER:
- Linda Kay
C&G CONTRIBUTORS:
Karen Upton, Jeremy Le Roux, Daniel Bowen,
Vanessa Pusey, Fiona Mikiel
CONTENTS
1. QUIZ & QUOTE - Goodies brainteasers for you and you and you
2. BOFFO IDEAS – The latest club news and happenings
3. SPOTTED!!! - The latest Goodies sightings.
4. 2001 AND A BIT - Tim, Graeme and Bill sightings post-Goodies.
5. YOU KNOW THAT YOU'RE A MAD GOODIES FAN WHEN YOU ...
6. GOODIES COR!! COMICS SYNOPSIS #52 (final edition)
7. A BIRTHDAY TREAT - Happy Birthday to Tim.
8. QUIZ & QUOTE ANSWERS
1. QUIZ & QUOTE
(by "Magnus Magnesium")
QUOTE: "I've found the recipe - 500 gallons of pigs blood, three gross of calves stomachs, 400 ... ohh ... poor little tom kittens, monosodium glutamate ... ugghh, rats brains, dung... hey, get out of that ... you'll absolutely ruin the flavour!"
(a) Which Goodie says this quote?
(b) What is this supposedly the recipe for?
(c) Which episode is this quote from?
QUIZ: This month's questions are from the episode: "Food"
(d) What colour are all of the food items that Bill has cooked for the other two Goodies?
(e) Which restaurant do the Goodies go to for a feed of fine British cuisine?
(f) What sort of pies does Bill herd along in a flock?
(g) What do the Goodies feed to the hens after changing the wiring?
(h) What is the name of Uncle Tom's favourite hen?
The answers are listed at the end of this newsletter.
2. BOFFO IDEAS
You can make it happen here. Liven up the club with a boffo idea for bob-a-job week. E-mail <enquiries@goodiesruleok.com> with your comments, ideas or suggestions - meanwhile these are the boffo ideas which our club has been working on this month:
GOT A GOODY QUESTION?
Our "Officially Amazing" resident Goodies, Tim Brooke-Taylor and Graeme Garden have very kindly agreed to answer some further questions from Goodies fans for another Q&A interview in the August edition of the C&G.
So if there is a question or two that you've been longing to ask to a Goodie but never had the chance before, well here's your chance now! Please send your questions to <clarion@goodiesruleok.com> before July 31st and you just might be able to read a Goodie answer to it in next month's newsletter.
HOOKED ON THE GOODIES
(Lisa Manekofsky – Goodies-l – 29th June)
Some of you may have already seen Linda Kay's "Hooked on a Can Can and the Goodies" video (which has been available on the club's downloads page for a few years). She's created several other Goodies videos as well - all four can now be seen on YouTube at the following links:
Hooked on a Can Can and the Goodies:
Tim's Video:
Bill's Video:
Graeme's Video:
GOODIES ARTICLES ON GROK WEBSITE
(Brett Allender)
Over the past ten years the C&G has contained stacks of interesting articles which have been either contributed from media "spottings", written by our club members or, in the case of the Goodies Q&A sessions, penned by one or more of the Goodies themselves.
All of the C&G back issues are able to be viewed on the club website, however with 128 editions to choose from, a question like: "I remember that there was a really interesting article on T'Lancastrian's Guide To Ecky Thump a few years ago. Now which edition was it in?" is likely to be answered with a frustrated curse and an "I can't be bothered going through 128 newsletters to find it!" response.
And of course, new members to the website and fan club are unlikely to be aware of such feature articles unless they have been keen / devoted / loony (select appropriate option!) enough to trawl right through all of the C&G back issues in a bid to "seek t' true enlightenment!"
Therefore I'm currently working on streamlining an index of contents of past C&Gs for posting on the website which should make the search for past newsletter information a lot easier, though it won't be ready for a little while yet. However, if you select the "Articles" option from the left-hand menu of the Goodies Rule OK website, you'll find that I've recently posted a dozen or so of the feature articles up on the site for viewing in their own right.
These include all of the past Goodies Question & Answer sessions that Tim, Graeme and Bill have generously done for us, the abovementioned Ecky Thump article and a review of "The Goodies Still Alive On Stage" from Tim & Graeme's second Australian tour last year, among other things, and I plan to keep adding more past C&G articles at regular intervals.
Also coming to the website very soon will be the collection of Goodies Music Reviews from past C&Gs (written by Alison Bean, Linda Kay and myself) – a unique combination of sick puns and twisted Goodies scenarios, but with one important new addition: the song lyrics! So if you're stuck for the words of a particular Goodies song and it's one of the 23 that we've reviewed so far in the C&G then you'll soon be bopping along to the tune like a Funky Gibbon, Two Gun Pierre, Teapot or whatever. The Goodies Music Reviews are coming – any minute now. (Well, within the next few days at any rate!)
3. SPOTTED!!!
More exciting than getting your wig-spotters badge! If you've seen the Goodies recently, e-mail <clarion@goodiesruleok.com>with the details. Here's where we've Spotted!!! the Goodies this month ... and in the U.K. too!:
.
THAT WAS A UNIQUE EXPERIENCE!
(Lisa Manekofsky – Goodies-l – 15th June)
The following appears at
Edinburgh Nights, Mornings and Afternoons
Posted By Zorga (14 June, 2006)
Details of the line-up for the 60th Edinburgh Festival Fringe have been released at their official site.
There are 1,867 shows to be chosen from between the 6th and 28th August. Apparently, to watch them back-to-back would take just under six years (not including toilet breaks).
Amongst all those are some Funny.co.uk faves :
Rebecca Carrington: Many Ways To Play Your Lover
Del Strain: The Truth The Whole Truth And Nothing But The Truth - his first Edinburgh appearance
Stephen K Amos: All Of Me
Glenn Wool: You Don't Go To Hell For Eating Elephants
Henning Wehn: Four World Cups and One World Pope!
Hils Barker: In the Wrong Place
Ian Stone: Embrace the Chaos
Mark Thomas
Josie Long: Kindness and Exuberance
. and so on.
Some of the 'bigger' hitters attending are:
Paul Merton: With his Impro Chums and also Silent Clowns following from his Channel 4 show on the classic silent comedians.
Harry Shearer: This is So Not About the Simpsons - dissecting American democracy and cosmetic surgery with music, incisive humour and derisive video.
Tim Brooke-Taylor & Graeme Garden: The Goodies Still Rule OK! – talking about their part in the history of British comedy.
Bill Bailey.
Jimmy Carr.
And Mel Smith playing Winston Churchill having a few drinks with Michael Collins.
There's even a two-day course on stand-up comedy held by Kevin McCarron and Jay Sodagar
Tickets can be booked online at http://www.edfringe.com/ or from The Times Fringe Box Office on 0131 226 0000.
Programmes are also available from the site with details of stockists.
IT'S GOODIES, GRACIOUS ME
As a taste of what the UK audiences can expect from the Goodies in Edinburgh, the following article is from one of the Adelaide newspapers prior to Tim and Graeme touring there in November 2005 and has been contributed by Vanessa Pusey.
The continual spelling of Graeme as "Graham" appears throughout the original article.
It's Goodies, Gracious Me
British TV cult comics The Goodies are bringing their "favourite bits" to the stage, says MATT BYRNE.
Tim Brooke-Taylor was once asked in a BBC retrospective program why he had never played a macho character.
The goodiest Goodie immediately replied that he had: former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher!
Brooke-Taylor, currently on tour with "The Goodies: Still Live On Stage" with Graham Garden, and Bill Oddie (live via a big screen in England), said he sensed Australia was heading down the same path as Britain with the current climate of fear and iron-fisted response.
"Unfortunately, Australia seems to be catching up with the Thatcher period right now," Brooke-Taylor said. "Laughter is a great weapon too, and I am delighted to report Australians are finding the show a much-needed laugh."
Brooke-Taylor said everyone imagined he was "quite a conservative type" of character.
"I was chosen to play all those characters because I had a double-barrelled surname," he said.
"The reality is quite the opposite; I am definitely from the Loony Left of comedy. Although I think Prince Charles does a good job in the circumstances."
Brooke-Taylor said he had never imagined a life in comedy.
"It was just something fun to do at the time when we were studying," he said. "I mean, John Cleese was supposed to be a lawyer, and Graham was going to be a doctor. None of us knew in those Footlights days that it would last more than a few sketches!"
"I think of all those coming through that generation, Bill was the only one who probably would have ended up in showbusiness.
"He is actually a very good composer and always surrounded himself with other good musos.
"His passions were wildlife and music, so with that beard he managed to contribute to both."
Brooke-Taylor said the touring show was really a collection of "our favourite bits".
"Graham and I talk about our favourite episodes and cyber Bill joins in from a video screen," he said. "It's the first time we've been able to control him," he said. "But he still manages a few surprises of his own – no surprises there!"
Brooke-Taylor said that the original "The Goodies" TV show had been packaged for ABC-TV in Australia, "basically as a kids' show, along with cult favourite "Doctor Who"
"We found that highly amusing, but it has actually worked in our favour in the long run," he said. "Because people grew up with the show and now they love it more than ever, which suits us entirely."
Brooke-Taylor said the major comic influences on The Goodies' humour were quite diverse. "We all loved Bugs Bunny and Buster Keaton and, of course, Peter Cook," he said.
"I remember going to the pictures as a child and, while there were two features and a newsreel, it was the cartoons I loved.
"Every Goodies episode was based on a different comedic idea, from Ecky-Thump to Big Bunny and we just took it as far as we could ... and then a little bit further."
Brooke-Taylor said the audience also got to make a contribution.
"We reveal what are our favourite episodes and explain how the shows are created," he said.
"And then the audience gets to grill us relentlessly with questions about their favourite bits.
"It's all Goodie!"
The comic said they managed to not mention England's Ashes Test cricket win over Australia. "It barely gets a mention, " he said. "I'm as proud as the next Englishman, but I'm not as stupid!
"Although I must admit my son, who is in his 30s, has suddenly discovered a great passion for the game.
"I think it's because he's actually found something England can win!"
Brooke-Taylor said the reaction from Australian audiences to the tour, produced by Sydney's The Big Laugh Comedy Festival, was tremendous.
"The response has really been quite incredible," he said. "We're including bits the BBC banned, the bits they liked and the Funky Gibbon live!"
The Goodies: Still Alive On Stage will be at Her Majesty's Theatre on November 25 and November 26. Bookings: BASS.
(With a large photo of the three Goodies from their first Australian Tour plus a small photo of the Goodies on the trandem in the 1970s.)
TOP OF THE POPS CHOPPED
(Daniel Bowen – Goodies-l – 21st June)
Indirectly Goodies-related (due to their appearances on the show in the mid-1970's), so I thought people might be interested in this.
The world's longest-running weekly television music program, the BBC's Top of the Pops chart show, is to be axed after 42 years.
ALL THINGS BRIGHTON BEAUTIFUL
(Lisa Manekofsky – Goodies-l – 7th July)
According to the Brighton Dome's website, Tim & Graeme will be bringing their "The Goodies Still Rule OK!" tour to that venue on October 4th & 5th.
Tickets are currently on sale from
LEFT A BIT, WRIGHT A BIT ...
(from information by Lisa Manekofsky – Goodies-l – 11th & 12th July)
Tim & Graeme are scheduled to be interviewed on BBC Radio 2's Steve Wright Show today (11th July). The interview will air between 2:00-5:00pm. It can be heard online from http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio2/shows/wright/ . The show will also be available via Listen Again.
__________________________________________
Tim & Graeme's interview on The Steve Wright Show from earlier today is available via Listen Again from http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio2/shows/wright/ (just click on "Tue" in the purple "Listen Again" section under the photo at the top of the page).
There's an option to listen to a podcast or to download a portion of today's show but, as far as I can tell, this will just give you the 15 min interview with Martina Navratilova that was also part of today's show.
NEW GOODIES FROM ROBERT ROSS
(David Piper-Balston – Goodies-l – 11th July)
The new Robert Ross Goodies book 'The "Goodies" Rule Ok: The Official Story of the Cult Comedy Collective' is up for preorder on Amazon. A bargain at £11.21.
4. 2001 AND A BIT
If you've sighted Tim, Bill or Graeme in a post-Goodies role, e-mail <clarion@goodiesruleok.com> so that we can tell everyone where to spot a Goodie nowadays. Those of you seeking radio & tv alerts between issues of the C&G should consider signing up for the Goodies-L mailing list (more details available on the club website),as our crack (cracked?!) team of reporters attempt to post alerts as the information becomes available.
BILL SPOTTINGS
* The BBC website for Bill's Springwatch series can be found at:
(from information by Jeremy Le Roux)
press releases
TV personality Bill Oddie Goes Waterwise...: 25 May 2006. 31/05/2006
The former Goodie and conservationist - known for programmes such as "Bill Oddie Goes Wild" and "Bill Oddie Goes Really Wild" - has joined an Anglian Water advertising campaign in which he goes really waterwise.
Adverts will be broadcast on radio and appear on buses in the region over the coming weeks. Bill said: "Everyone knows I'm passionate about the environment. So I am pleased to support Anglian Water's campaign for all of us to do our bit to help save water.
Anglian Water spokesman Collette Nicholls said: "As we live in the driest region in the country it is important for us all to conserve water and so we are delighted that Bill Oddie has helped with our advertising campaign."
(Lisa Manekofsky – Goodies-l – 22nd June)
* July 10 - Bill's episode of "Who Do You Think You Are?" on UKTV Documentary at various times.
(Lisa Manekofsky – Goodies-l – 28th June)
* Nightly - "Bill Oddie's Animal House" on The Baby Channel (Sky channel 285) nightly at 8pm (thanks for Fiona Mikiel for this info)
(Lisa Manekofsky – Goodies-l – 28th June)
* July 18th - "Top 50 Greatest Celebrity Animals" (repeat), includes an appearance by Bill. Sky Three at 21:00. Also July 22nd at 00:00.
(Lisa Manekofsky – Goodies-l – 8th July)
GRAEME SPOTTINGS
* A new series of Giles Wemmbley-Hogg, with additional material written by Graeme Garden, started this past Thursday.
"Giles Wemmbley Hogg Geht Zum Fussball Weltmeisterschaft Weg" airs on BBC Radio 4 Thursdays at 6:30pm from 15-29 June. The first episode is available via Listen Again at http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/
(Lisa Manekofsky – Goodies-l – 15th June)
* A "Bromwell High" DVD is scheduled to be released in the UK on August 7th. At present the image on Amazon says it will contain the six episodes that were broadcast in the UK.
(Lisa Manekofsky – Goodies-l – 28th June)
TIM SPOTTINGS
(the page also has a small photo of Tim):
Tim gets the party swinging
COMEDIAN and broadcaster Tim Brooke-Taylor helped Matlock Golf Club to launch its centenary celebrations on Saturday by teeing off on the club's historic course.
It was symbolic that the former Goodie should get the birthday festivities underway as it was his grandfather who played the first ever shot at the course at its official opening in 1907.
Mr Brooke-Taylor was made an honorary member of the club and attended a centenary ball on Saturday night, which organisers described as a "spectacular success".
(Lisa Manekofsky – Goodies-l – 22nd June)
I'M SORRY I HAVEN'T A CLUE (ISIHAC) and
I'M SORRY I'LL READ THAT AGAIN (ISIRTA)
* Amazon.co.uk has a listing for a new ISIHAC CD that is scheduled to be released on September 4th. Rather than the standard collection of 4 half hour episodes, "I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue, Live: v. 10" is described as follows:
"This is a brand new live release based around the multi award-winning BBC Radio 4 series, and featuring Humphrey Lyttelton, Tim Brooke-Taylor, Barry Cryer and Graeme Garden. This is your chance to attend a Clue recording from the comfort of your armchair, and to re-visit a golden period before Willie Rushton's untimely death, in these two extended live editions from the mid-1990s featuring Humphrey Lyttelton, Tim Brooke-Taylor, Barry Cryer, Graeme Garden, Jeremy Hardy and Willie Rushton. Featuring out-takes, re-takes and far more material than is heard on the regular radio broadcasts, each edition is introduced by the programme's producer, Jon Naismith. "
* Sundays - ABC Radio National is broadcasting "I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue" (with Tim and Graeme) on Sunday mornings at 5.30am.
* Mondays - the final episode in the current series of "I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue" aired this past Monday (June 26th) on BBC Radio 4. It will be repeated Sunday at noon and is available on Listen Again (until next Monday) from www.bbc.co.uk/radio4 .
* Mondays - BBC 7 airs old episodes of "I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue" (with Tim and Graeme) and "I'm Sorry I'll Read That Again" (with all three Goodies). They are available via Listen Again for six days after broadcast. The shows can be heard worldwide via the internet from www.bbc.co.uk/bbc7 .
(Lisa Manekofsky – Goodies-l – 28th June – all items)
5. YOU KNOW THAT YOU'RE A MAD GOODIES FAN WHEN YOU …
(by Brett Allender)
And now for something completely different ... whoops, wrong show, sorry!
Now we all like to think of ourselves as keen Goodies fans, which must be true to a point, otherwise we wouldn't be reading (or in my case, editing) a ten page newsletter about The Goodies every month.
Many of us are no doubt guilty of slipping a Goodies expression (or several) into our everyday conversations, particularly when in the company of family or friends who are also Goodies fans.
Such expressions may include "Well it is the work of a genius.", "I'm working well tonight" and "You know it makes sense.",complete with proper inflection, or perhaps short and sweet ones like "Knickers", "Ecky Thump" and even "I'm a teapot!". Maybe it's paraphrasing such as "If only I had a (insert obscure item here) ... aah, here's one!" or just the chance to answer someone else's question with a clever-clogs remark such as "Will you miss me?" ... "Not if I aim carefully!" or "Was it going cheap?" ... "No it was going ERRRK!"
But when do you know that you've crossed the line between keenness and madness and become a fully-fledged Goodies nutcase, er devotee? Maybe it's when you pass (or is that fail?) Doctor Garden's Funny Farm Official Loony Test in "The Goodies Book Of Criminal Records". Or just maybe it's when you can relate to any of the scenarios (some that are real and some that are just plain silly!) listed below.
You know that you're a mad Goodies fan when you ... :
* Finish a tirade on any topic with a proclamation of "And now ... A Walk In The Black Forest!"
* Have a (very cold) household full of pets and they're all named Kenneth.
* Almost heave with revulsion when you accidentally stumble across a Max Bygraves CD in a music store, even though you've probably never actually heard him singing a song.
* Name your vacuum cleaner "EBGB" and if it gets stuck while vacuuming, you yell "Keep up. Don't answer back!" at it and whack it with the nozzle just like Graeme did.
* Respond to the sound of any Rolf Harris song or TV appearance with a regal-sounding command of "Off with his didgeridoo!"
* Bop someone over the head with a cardboard tube for the hell of it while uttering a menacing cry of "Ecky Thump!"
* Show the Goodies gender education film "How To Make Babies By Doing Dirty Things" to your kids when they inevitably ask those tricky questions.(that'll confuse the little blighters!)
* Can't put on a pair of leather "shiny shoes" without singing the catchy song, doing the crazy dance and hoping that there are no aggro punk grannies ready to throw fairy cakes at you!
* Fear learning to play the trombone just in case the aliens grab you by the UFOs (ouch!)
* Carefully listen to anyone performing "There Is Nothing Like A Dame" at the theatre to see if they're a real sailor and can hold that last note OK.
* Finish every sentence with a "beep" when talking on the phone to a fellow Goodies fan ... eg "What!! Beep", "You little creep! Beep."
* Wonder if your arsenic has been poisoned!
* Start doing Tim's "I'm a teapot" routine at the first sign of trouble in the hope that the source of trouble will think that you're a loony and leave you alone in preference for someone else who looks a bit more sane!
* Long for some of Graeme's Magic Elixir when you're feeling crook, especially as we all know that it cures "sunburn, heartburn and Tony Blackburn!" among other things.
* Wait in anticipation during "Sound Of Music" for Julie Andrews to come singing and dancing down the hillside, arm-in-arm with the children, then suffer a complete letdown when she doesn't cop an Indian's arrow in her chest! Cue the same feeling of disappointment when watching a ballet company perform "The Nutcracker" ... where's Bill and his big set of pliers when you need him!
* Instantly blurt out "Lavatory Meadows" when someone else mentions W.C.Fields, which gets an interesting reaction if they're not a fellow Goodies loony.
* Play cards with sugar cubes and slices of toast (no hidden toasters allowed!) and have a showdown with tomato sauce squirters to decide the winner.
* Refer to your alcoholic beverage or soft drink of choice as "turps for burps".
* Build a new investment property with no doors and windows so that the squatters can't move in. (You've thought of everything!)
* Enjoy Muffin The Mule, even though you can get arrested for it!
* Have the same routine at 6:45 every Thursday evening for the last 16 years – "trousers off, nothing to replace them, rustle rustle, into the mack" – you're off to see Brown Owl, aren't you, you shameless hussy!
* Enjoy doing Eddie Waring impressions (or at least an impression of Graeme's Eddie Waring impression!) despite poor Eddie being dead for about 20 years.
* Wear carrot undies, crutch-crushing jeans, buttonless shirt and a bathplug to the disco and even indulge in a spot of mixed dancing (shock, horror).
Anyone got any more? I'm sure that you have, being fellow Goodies loonies and all. Send them in to clarion@goodiesruleok.com and our distinguished panel of judges will award the first prize of a night out with me (your shout!). Second prize is a night out with Tony Blackburn. And third prize is two nights out with Tony Blackburn, so who says that we don't encourage excellence! So please send in your own ideas for "You know that you're a mad Goodies fan when you ..." and we'll print them in future C&Gs. Go on, you know it makes sense!
6. COR!! COMIC SYNOPSIS #52
(Final edition)
(by Linda Kay)
Issue 187
29th December, 1973 No. 74
Christmas Edition
After one full year of the Goodies appearing as cartoon characters in Cor!! Comics their run came to an end with this special Christmas issue in which all of the comics revolved around holiday themes. The Goodies would go out in style, however, in this entertaining little story which may include the only time Santa has ever been quoted as saying the word "Vamoosed."
Header: THE GOODIES ARE OFF TO THE NORTH POLE - "BE-CLAUS" SANTA NEEDS HELP!
In this issue The Goodies banner logo is covered with snow.
The Goodies are sitting in their barren-looking office with only a few signs of Christmas around them: a ragtag sock nailed to the inside front door (with a tag that reads Santa), some Christmas streamers hanging from above and a little decorated tree in the background. Graeme is reading a letter to Tim and Bill.
GRAEME: Gosh! Listen to this ... *"In trouble ... there's a chance that presents might not get delivered this year ... can you help? Signed Santa"!*
BILL: *Wow!* How about *that?* A message from the *Goodiest* Goodie of them all!
SO, THE GOODIES SET OFF TO HELP SANTA ...
They Goodies are riding their trandem to the frozen North. They're wearing heavy clothing but Bill's beard and Graeme's glasses are frozen.
GRAEME: According to legend . . . Santa lives somewhere round the NORTH POLE!
They reach a tall, striped pole with a weather vane on top that bears a sign reading "North Pole."
TIM: AHA! There it is!
GRAEME: But where's Santa?
Bill takes it upon himself to climb the pole to look around.
BILL: I'll climb up and see if I can spot anything!
TIM: No need ... you're already *up the pole!* Ha, Haarr!
GRAEME: GROAN!
Bill is nearly to the top when the pole suddenly topples over. Bill hangs on and the pole acts as a lever to open a giant door to a cave in the nearby hill. A set of lights inside spells out "Santa's Grotto."
BILL: WHOAAA!
GRAEME: Look! There's a CAVE opening!
TIM: It's SANTA'S cave!
Tim and Graeme hop onto the trandem and ride inside the cave with Bill chasing them from a distance.
TIM: Now to find out what the trouble is!
They ride straight into what appears to be Santa's bedroom. The usually jolly man is sitting on a stool looking very forlorn.
TIM: There's Santa!
GRAEME: He doesn't look happy!
BILL: What's up, Santa?
SANTA EXPLAINED THE PROBLEM ...
Santa shows the Goodies a set of empty stables with the names Rudolf and Donner above them.
SANTA: Look at my stables ... EMPTY! My reindeer have *escaped!* VAMOOSED!
The Goodies immediately arm themselves with various nets, ropes, fishing poles and even a harpoon and take off on the hunt for the missing reindeer as Santa waves them off.
GRAEME: Don't worry, Santa ... we'll *ROUND 'EM UP* for you!
They spot the two missing reindeer (Rudolf with a blinking nose) running away and take chase.
TIM: There they go! *AFTER THEM!*
The reindeer bolt down a hill but the Goodies are racing right behind them, Graeme and Bill swinging lassoes over their heads.
BILL: YAHOOOO!
They manage to lasso the two reindeer at the bottom of the hill and the reindeer immediately take to the sky, pulling the trandem up after them!
TIM: *GOTT'EM!*
BILL: Eek! We're *AIRBOURNE!*
They swing by the opening of Santa's Grotto and Bill grabs Santa's sack of presents as they pass.
SANTA: Hey! What's going on?
BILL: Don't worry, Santa ... *we'll* do the job *for* you this year!
AND SO, THE GOODIES WENT INTO ACTION ...
The Goodies fly over the rooftops of London, dropping presents into chimney flues as children peek out of their bedroom windows into the night sky.
BUT, UP ON THE AIR MINISTRY ROOF ...
A Ministry military man is looking through a pair of binoculars and spots the Goodies flying by. A couple of other ministry men are respectively studying seaweed and weather figures.
MINISTRY MAN: I say! So *that's* who delivers our prezzies every year! The truth at last! *The Goodies!* I might've guessed!
THE NEWS SOON GOT AROUND ... AND ...
The Cortown Clarion newspaper features The Goodies on their front page with the headline "GOODIES DECLARED NATIONAL HEROES."
Even Santa has a copy of the paper and proudly shows off his Goodies t-shirt!
SANTA: They DID it! And now I'm their *NUMBER ONE FAN!* Ho, ho!
The final panel shows The Goodies back at their office with a festive feast spread out before them and pulling Christmas crackers (they're already wearing cracker paper hats) while toasting with wine.
THE GOODIES: MERRY CHRISTMAS, EVERYONE!
Sign-Off Line: Start The Year With A Good Laugh - Read Next Week's Cor!!
RATING (using the BLACK PUDDING RATING SYSTEM):
IIIII - Superstar.
What a perfect way for this series to come to a close! The idea of the Goodies going to the aid of Santa is so sweet and endearing kids must have loved it.
As usual there are a few fun things to notice in the background of some panels. In the first panel there are three cups stacked one atop another on a saucer on the desk in front of Graeme as he reads the letter from Santa. The top cup has a crack on it. This gives the impression they only have one saucer and must therefore all use it at the same time!
On the way to the North Pole a couple of polar bears are watching the Goodies from a hill while a penguin with a menu is standing to one side (a la Mary Poppins, undoubtedly). As they approach the North Pole there is a transmission tower in the background giving off waves with a sign that reads "Magnetic North." A TV rooftop ariel is poking up out of the snow, as is a person's hand reaching up with a coin to put into a parking meter which is barely visible.
Among all the crazy things the Goodies have taken along with them to catch the reindeer is a very ominously large looking bear trap! As the Goodies fly over the city dropping presents one of the presents bounces off the head of an owl who is sitting on a snow covered rooftop. A teddy bear has a tag which reads "Hardy Christmas." And finally the Goodies are pictures with halos and wearing medals in the newspaper picture while other smaller headlines read "Crisis, Riots, Strike and Gloom."
Overall this was a really nice wrap-up to the entire year of Goodies comics which graced the pages of Cor!! It would seem likely Cor!! only bought a one year licensing agreement to use the Goodies characters within their pages. It's a shame the comic only lasted 52 weeks but we're glad they put so much effort into creating this unique and fun extension of our favorite show.
As a footnote, it does not appear the Goodies comics ever appeared in any of the Cor!! Annuals which came out in summer and winter of each year. Some of the Cor!! comics and artwork were used in the promotional Goodies Fun Book for Cadbury some time later, but that appears to be all the Goodies comics ever produced.
To view these strips online, you can visit this page:
We'll post the currently reviewed issue plus the two previous issues for latecomers.
Editor's note:
On behalf of all of the readers of the C&G, I'd like to thank Linda for her amazing monthly contribution to the C&G since her first Cor!! comic synopsis was published back in December 2001. The Cor!! comics adventures are an integral part of the Goodies phenomena of the 1970's, yet most Goodies fans would not even have been aware of their existence if not for Linda's dedication in describing the dialogue, storylines and artwork in such well-written detail for the C&G each month as well as providing her own thoughts and opinions on each comic strip.
I'm sure that all Goodies fans have greatly appreciated the opportunity to enjoy reading a new Goodies adventure every month and are also a little sad that Christmas has now come in Cortown, meaning that the Goodies comic synopses have ended at midnight too. So our congratulations and many thanks to Linda for what has been a wonderful and very enjoyable long-term series of articles for the newsletter.
7. A BIRTHDAY TREAT
It's time to don your shiny shoes and Union Jack waistcoat and strike up a rendition of "Land Of Hope And Glory", as our favourite "patriotic coward" Tim Brooke-Taylor celebrates his 66th birthday on July 17th. Our best wishes to Tim for a very Happy Birthday and here's a fine poetic tribute for this happy occasion which has been penned by fan club member Karen Upton (aka Bondgirl):
Happy Birthday Timbo
By Bondgirl
Hark now hear,
Our Birthday wish,
To Tim Brooke-Taylor,
Our flaxen haired dish.
His humour is boundless
His talent unsurpassed
He is loved far and wide
Forever may it last.
It is for the Goodies
He is remember the best
Much loved and adored
North, South, East and West.
His partners in crime,
Are Graeme and Bill,
Three men on a trandem
Thank God they weren't killed.
Adventures galore
Were experienced by all
From babies at war
To kittens quite tall
We've seen Tim dressed in drag
Flogging the virtues of string
Too pretty to be punk
Oh sweet joy he does bring.
Tim Travolta dancing disco
As a gibbon he was funky
Let us all stand and cheer cos
That lad was soooo spunky!
To the union jack vest
A costume he wore
To his censored punch lines
"I'm knackered", he swore.
With arms cocked in place
His voice shrilled a lot
As he rocked back and forth
Shouting, "I'm a teapot"
As the time passes by
And age wearies us all
The Peter Pan of the Goodies
Standing proud, standing tall.
It is for this that we sing
Let us shout it on cue.
Tim Brooke Taylor our hero
Happy Birthday to you.
8. QUIZ & QUOTE ANSWERS
(a) Tim Brooke-Taylor
(b) Black puddings
(c) Kung Fu Kapers
(d) Brown
(e) Ye Olde Shepherds
(f) Duck pies
(g) Gunpowder
(h) Esmerelda
YOUR SCORE:
8 Goodies fan supreme
7 Mastermind of the year
5-6 Clever clogs
3-4 Reasonably Goodie
1-2 Thick as old boots
0 Rolf Harris!
NEXT C&G EDITION:
- #129: 15th August 2006.
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The Goodies Fan Club Clarion and Globe is copyright The Goodies Rule - OK! 2006. All rights reserved.
Permission to reproduce this work or any section of it, in any form must first be obtained from the copyright holders.
For further information regarding this publication please e-mail <clarion@goodiesruleok.com>.
For other general enquiries about the 'Goodies Rule - OK' fan club or 'The Goodies' itself, please e-mail <enquiries@goodiesruleok.com>
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