The Official Goodies Rule - OK! Fan Club Website

THE GOODIES CLARION AND GLOBE

THE OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF 'THE GOODIES RULE - OK' FAN CLUB

Issue No. 24 12th November 1997

1. THE TIM BROOKE-TAYLOR INTERVIEW - Part 2

2. BOFFO IDEAS - Club happenings and ideas.

3. SPOTTED!!! - The latest Goodies sightings.

4. FROM LAST MONTH - Stuff we forgot, corrections and additions.

5. GOODIES TRIVIA QUIZ - More brain teasers from David McAnally.

1. THE TIM BROOKE-TAYLOR INTERVIEW

More fascinating answers to your questions from the man who Vic and Bob described as "so preposterously handsome that he is often forced to hang olives on his pecker to fend off his armies of lustful female admirers".

WHAT WAS IT LIKE AS A YOUNG MAN TO SUDDENLY FIND YOURSELF PLAYING THE WEST END AND BROADWAY (AND NEW ZEALAND) IN CAMBRIDGE CIRCUS?

Terrific fun. You've got to bear in mind that Cambridge Circus (originally called A Clump of Plinths) was just an end of the year student revue. OK the Footlights had a sort of reputation then, but the most we were going to do was tour in a few minor venues and then at the York and Edinburgh festivals. After that we were going to get proper jobs. Then someone said I'll put you on in the West End in a tiny theatre for three weeks. It was well received by the press and an album was produced. The producer of the album brought out two albums within a week. One of the biggest selling albums ever and one of the lowest. He was George Martin and his 'With the Beatles' was the bigger seller I believe. Then we were moved to a bigger theatre, then New Zealand then Broadway. The point is we felt it was something that wasn't real, and a wonderful extension of our student days. Now, in many ways, it would be more nerve wracking. We were just very lucky, very talented and extremely modest…!

AT WHICH POINT OF YOUR CAREER DID YOU DECIDE TO ABANDON THE LAW FOR GOOD?

Towards the end of my time at Cambridge. I liked law and all my family were lawyers, my brother, my father etc, and most of them were frustrated actors. I got a job with an advertising agency, but before I could do that we did Cambridge Circus and during this run I was offered a job as researcher at a TV company. By then my law was only very useful for contracts (still is).

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE TO LOCATE THE GOODIES' OFFICE IN CRICKLEWOOD?

Graeme and I lived in Cricklewood and Bill was not far away in posh Hampstead. However when I eventually sold my house it was advertised as Hampstead Environs (i.e. Cricklewood).

HOW SIMILAR ARE YOU TO YOUR GOODIES CHARACTER?

I like to think not a lot. But there are some similarities. The name for a start. I am patriotic and sometimes a coward. But I wouldn't have been seen dead in a suit at the time, nor even a tie. We were all pretty anti-establishment then, and the establishment was ripe for satire. It's not quite so easy now.

WHAT SORT OF THINGS DID THE GOODIES DO IN THE SEGMENTS RECORDED FOR ENGELBERT AND THE YOUNG GENERATION?

They were five minute pieces on film. Some were parodies. e.g. WE were Pan's Grannies'. The regular, all girl, 'coo er' dancers on Top of the Pops were called Pan's People and we did a Granny version. We did a collection of these items which I cobbled together as a one-off called a Collection of Goodies. It might have been a Selection of.

IN THE ECKY THUMP EPISODE THERE IS A MARVELLOUS LINE WHERE THE GRAND MASTER SAYS "THERE'S NOUGHT WRONG WITHOUT WHEN MARVIN CLUTTERBUCKS DON'T BARLEY GRUMMIT". WHAT, IF ANYTHING, DOES THIS MEAN? AND WHAT ABOUT "HOOTS TOOTS OCH AYE THE NOO" IN THE LOCH NESS EPISODE?

These mean nothing, but somehow they ought to. Perhaps they will.

WHAT WAS IT LIKE PERFORMING FUNKY GIBBON ON TOP OF THE POPS?

You must remember we were in our mid thirties and although that seems very young now we did feel very old. Almost as old as Mick Jagger seems now. Come to think of it no one could be that old. But if I'm honest I loved it. The records were a bonus and it allowed us to be pop stars for a little while. Something surely everyone has the odd daydream about.

DID YOU TAKE ANY SINGING OR DANCING LESSONS IN PREPARATION FOR RECORDING THE GOODIES RECORDS AND FOR PERFORMING THE SONGS IN THE GOODIES - ALMOST LIVE?

We didn't have any singing lessons, and we choreographed ourselves to start with. Later we were given help by Flick Hough the choreographer of the aforementioned Pan's People. But it's very kind of you to think that we might have had singing lessons. Or was that just a wish?

DO YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS ON THE TONE OF BILL'S LINER NOTES ACCOMPANYING THE GOODIES CD?

That is such a good question. My first reaction was -'What?' Then - 'is this what happened?' Then 'bloody hell what's he on about?' I listened to the CD and was pleasantly surprised and still very proud of my version of Cricklewood, which I multi tracked, and there's quite a lot of Graeme and myself on all the tracks. Bill was a little sheepish when I mentioned it to him. Graeme's answer was 'I don't think Bill realises that irony doesn't work in print'. I'd go along with that. But Bill must take credit for the music. It would just be better if Graeme and I said it. A little bit of controversy, not bad.

WHY DID THE GOODIES GO TO LONDON WEEKEND TELEVISION IN 1981?

Bill and Graeme were going through divorces and LWT offered more money which they needed. At least that's my version. I was out voted, I wanted to stay with the BBC. The ultimate reason that I finally agreed was that the BBC kept postponing a new series. It was a mistake.

DID ANYTHING DANGEROUS EVER HAPPEN DURING THE FILMING OR REHEARSAL OF THE GOODIES?

All the time. The first series of filming we spent a great deal of time in various Hospitals' casualty departments. Never, ever ride a trandem. Fortunately nothing finally was life threatening. We also grew up a bit and realised that our pain wasn't actually funny, so try and do it without hurting.

DO YOU EVER LOOK BACK ON ANY OF THE GOODIES EPISODES AND REALLY CRINGE AND WISH YOU'D NEVER DONE SOME OF THAT STUFF?

Yes. But if we hadn't taken risks then we would never done some of the things that I'm proud of. There are some bits that just didn't translate from paper to screen. I saw a bit the other day where there was a cross between the Olympic Games and It's a Knockout and I was appalled.

HOW DID YOUR WORK WITH ORSON WELLES IN THE EARLY 70S COME ABOUT?

Graeme and I, before the Goodies, did a couple of series of a thing called 'Broaden Your Mind'. We nervously watched the first of the second series go out (I was always a nervous performer, still am). When the show ended the phone went and I said 'That'll be Hollywood'. Graeme answered it and started saying things like that's very kind. Of course we'd be delighted. 10 o'clock tomorrow then'. He put down the phone and said 'that was Orson Welles'. I said something along the lines of 'Of course it was and I'm the Pope's wife'. But it was Orson Welles who had seen some of the first series and got Graeme's number from his agent and wanted us to do some writing and performing with him for a TV special called Orson's Bag. Coincidentally I did a film in Italy with him later called 12+1, where he and I re wrote our bits together and I directed him. It was a very star studded and sadly not very good film. I played a gay character that I imagine will seem highly politically incorrect now (quite rightly), that a I shudder to think what it was like. But I directed Orson Welles AND sang on Top of the Pops. (see above)

IN A RECENT SERIES OF I'M SORRY I HAVEN'T A CLUE YOU SUNG A STUNNING VERSION OF BABYBIRD'S "YOU'RE GORGEOUS". ARE YOU PLANNING TO RELEASE THIS AS A SINGLE?

You smooth talking bastard. Even if you're taking the mick, I like it. In the latest series not yet transmitted, we recorded the first two programmes last week, the next two are in Newcastle next week, you should hear my Mr Boombastic. Fantastic.

HAVE YOU EVER DISCUSSED THE POSSIBILITY OF DOING A TV VERSION OF I'M SORRY I HAVEN'T A CLUE?

Yes and we did a pilot programme which we thought was pretty good. We're still a bit surprised there hasn't been one.

You can make it happen here. Liven up the club with a boffo idea for bob-a-job week. Mail carrot@auslink.net with your comments, ideas or suggestions.

GOODIES T-SHIRTS

I've been sent lots of great t-shirt ideas this month:

from Simon Miller, shmiller@es.co.nz

OK, start with a bright yellow tight short sleeve top (like the original TV Goodies shirt). On the front is The Goodies logo in classic bubble letters in semicircle curve (upside down smile), yellow (darker that shirt) with red shadow. On the back is the picture of the cast in their mouse suits from Kitten Kong (which I stole off the web), and underneath "We Do Anything, Anywhere, Anytime. Hmmm, dunno if I got that the right way round???

from Nirvana, nirvana@cobweb.com.au

I envision them as white Bonds tops (cotton t-shirts which look like baseball tops only tighter) with contrasting coloured sleeves or different colour around the arms and collar. They would definitely need a picture or Goodies logo on the front and perhaps a Goodie's catch phrase on the back.

from Evan Coutts, emc@alphalink.com.au

I've been trying to think of a good t-shirt design but can't decide. Perhaps something with a Loch Ness monster or black pudding!

from David Vine, davidvine@hotmail.com

The t-shirt should be like to boys used to wear with The Goodies on the front in bubble letters and on the back "We Do Anything, Anytime, Anywhere".

We'll be discussing the ideas and hopefully come up with a design at the…

Everything is sorted and we're ready to roll. A meeting about the proposed Goodies Convention in 2000 and Goodies t-shirt (and anything else) will be held on #goodies on the IRC server "firstlink.nsw.au.austnet.org". A proposed date for the meeting is Monday 24th November from 9.30pm (Adelaide time). If this is inconvenient for anyone who would really like to come, it can be changed. Just e-mail me for details: carrot@auslink.net

MELBOURNE VIDEO NIGHT

Joanna Lee is hosting a Goodies video night this Friday night (14th November). It starts at 7pm so that everyone can meet up, before the Goodies appear on "Where Are They Now?" at 8pm. Joanna's address is:

(map 47/48 in the Melways).

And please bring some food and/or drink (non alcoholic). RSVP to Joanna care of: philip@latcs1.cs.latrobe.edu.au.

More exciting than getting your wig-spotters badge! If you've seen a Goodie recently, e-mail carrot@auslink.net with the details. Here's where we've Spotted!!! The Goodies this month:

ONE GOODY IN THE GRAVE

Relax people, no one is dead! No Goody has kicked the bucket or shuffled off this mortal coil (whoops, wrong programme!). Anyway, they are all very much alive. But will Tim be alive for much longer after dealing with Victor Meldrew? We do hope so. Here's the man himself to explain further:

"Am rather chuffed at the moment as I've just been offered a part in the Christmas edition of "One Foot in the Grave". It's not enormous, but it's a new next door neighbour and it is a very funny script."

Sounds good. So all Brits, do tune into the BBC sometime around, you guessed it, Christmas.

THE MAKING OF BILL ODDIE

by David Balston, david.balston@virgin.net.

"The Making Of" series is designed to look at a particular personality and analyse how he or she achieved their success and how this can influence you into achieving similar goals. Over four (very short) programmes Bill's life was analysed.

Programme 1 looked at Bill's childhood, where he revealed that he was an only child born in Rochester in 1941. One of his earliest memories involved his mother attempting to kill his father, he came home to find 'everything in the house was smashed and there was white porcelain all over the place, it looked as though it was the end of a revelry at a Greek restaurant except it was all covered in dad's blood'.

His interest in bird watching started when he use to collect bird's eggs as a 'juvenile delinquent' of seven but by ten he was more interested in studying the birds. He passed his 11 plus at when he was nine and so was a year and a half younger then his grammar school classmates. He ended up at Cambridge University (Pembroke College) after spending his last year at school pursuing his interests of listening to jazz, bird watching and playing rugby. His main regret is that he never learned to read or write music but it didn't stop him from composing music where his main instrument was the tape recorder. The rest of this programme was devoted to a conservationist at a bird sanctuary.

Programme 2 was very brief, he was asked to reveal his most influential records - he still has his Danset record player on which he wanted to play rock and roll (Bill Halley's "Rock Around The Clock") but his Dad would only let him play it if he bought a classical record so he bought a piece by Revel (the title of which I can't even to begin to try to spell). Bill's Dad was happy with this, so his next purchase was a Chris Barber jazz record, 'the devil's music'.

Programme 3 looked at his showbiz years starting with his involvement with "The Oxbridge Mafia" which included the other two Goodies and various other comedy legends. As they came from a Cambridge background they could take risks with comedy unlike the Northern clubs where comedians would have to play safe and only do jokes which are guaranteed to go down well. Moving on to 'The Goodies' he suggested that they were like cartoon figures with their main influences being Tom and Jerry and the silent movie stars like Buster Keaton (but not the twee Charlie Chaplain who Bill was never a fan of.) Graeme and Bill are actually both good artists (we saw some of Bill's excellent bird paintings) which is why Bill believed that The Goodies was very visual.

Programme 4 was another quickie which concentrated on writing and performing comedy which he enjoys doing with a team. He doesn't like writing on his own and much prefers writing with a partner (like Graeme) although he's quite happy spending his spare time bird watching in solitude which he feels makes him a bit schizophrenic.

The programme was illustrated with a scattering of Goodies clips, mainly from "It Might As Well Be String". Shame the programmes couldn't be longer.

I'M SORRY I HAVEN'T A CLUE RETURNS

ISIHAC is back and you can hear Humphrey Lyttelton giving Tim Brooke-Taylor, Barry Cryer. Graeme Garden and guests silly things to do every week on BBC Radio 4 on Saturday's at 12.25pm or repeated on Mondays

Also, why not check out the ISIHAC website, where you can download Real Audio samples of the show. Point your WWW browser to http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/comedy/clue.html

by David Balston, david.balston@virgin.net

Next month Tim Brooke-Taylor is playing Abanazar (the baddy) in the pantomime Aladdin at the Theatre Royal, Windsor. Other stars of the panto are Rod Hull (and Emu) as Wishee Washee with Rebecca Croft (Casey from Home and Away) as Princess Badroulbadour, Carryl Varley (Scratchy and Co) as Aladdin, Hilary Minster (Allo Allo) as the Genie, Christopher Beeny (Upstairs Downstairs) as The Emperor, Jenny Tomasin (The Slave of the Ring) and Bryan Burdon (Windsor's favourite Dame apparently) as Widow Twankey.

Aladdin previews on Wednesday 10th December (reduced prices) at 7.30pm and gets into its stride on the 11th December with performances at 4.30pm and 7.45pm. Performances continue every Monday to Saturday (no Sunday performances) - Matinee performances are either at 2.00pm, 2.30pm or 4.30pm

depending on dates. Evening performances are either at 7.30pm or 7.45pm. The show continues until Saturday 17th January 1998 and there is no performance 25th December 1997.

Prices vary from £22.50 for Royal Specials, £18.50 or £16.50 for Royal stalls, £18.50 for Front Stalls, £16.00 for Front Circle, £11.00 for Mid Circle and £6 for Rear Circle. Party discounts (4 people or more) apply for certain performances (mainly Monday to Thursday except during 22nd December to 3rd January when only Wednesdays have discounts available.

The box office telephone number (within the UK) is 01753 853888 and the address is Theatre Royal, Windsor, Berkshire, SL4 1PS. No E-mail facilities are available. There is also an information line (UK only premium rate - 50p a minute) 0891 323366.

GOODIES ARTICLE IN CULT TV MAGAZINE

posted to Goodies-L by Duncan Lilly, duncan.lilly@uk.drsolomon.com

The new issue (Season 1, Episode 4) of British magazine Cult TV has a small bit about our fave show:

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"Goodies! Goodie-Goodie yum yum!"

Five ne'er to be forgotten moments.

1. The surreal image of a giant pussy atop the Post Office Tower. Only they could match this, and they did with the sight of a humunguous Dougal off The Magic Roundabout crashing through BBC HQ.

2. The chart invading dance craze spawning musical numbers, such as 'Funky Gibbon' and - especially - 'Black Pudding Bertha'. Ecky thump, that were a banging tune.

3. The inspired lunacy which culminated in a giant goose dive-bombing the hapless trio with golden eggs. Certainly brilliant enough to eclipse their subsequent careers as voiceover artists on Bananaman and celebrity pigeon fanciers.

4. The immaculately staged Spaghetti Western spoof shootout, fought with squeezy tomato ketchup bottles.

5. Tim Brooke-Taylor's Union Jack Y-fronts. Proof positive that patriotism isn't always the last refuge of the scoundrel.

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All typos are mine (and I'm proud of them!), all opinions are those of the bloke who wrote it and please don't sue me Future Publishing even though you do own 90% of all magazines it seems!

Duncan, who suspects the writer of the list only had the six episodes on the BBC tape to look at!

Angela, acorn@interex.net

The Foxtel channel UKTV uses 'Top of the Pops' as a filler, I think. About a week ago the Goodies were on it singing the Funky Gibbon, complete with girly back up singers. The announcer said the song was on the charts but I can't remember what position.

I went to see Tim Brooke-Taylor in about 1978, in "My Fat Friend". It co-starred TBT and a woman who was big (no, that's not a pun) on Australian TV then, either "Number 96" or "Cop Shop", I think; Vicki something or other. It was pretty much what it sounds like; Tim played the (gay?) friend of an exceptionally fat woman who's miserable and decides to go on a diet.

After the show I waited in back of the theatre with my mum, and when he came out he stopped for a minute to give me his autograph. He looked a little taken aback that it was me who'd wanted to see the show, I think, since I was only 14 or 15 at the time, and my mum was quite young and attractive- he expected it to be the other way around!

WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

You're probably all sick of hearing this by now, but just a reminder: This Friday (14th November), 8pm, Channel 7, The Goodies on "Where Are They Now?" Should be a cracker!

4. FROM LAST MONTH

Stuff we forgot, corrections and additions.

After some very kind comments about last month's newsletter (even though it was mostly him) Tim Brooke-Taylor had this to add about David Balston's memories of Gideon:

'It's fascinating to find, for example, someone remembering Gideon. This was in fact a French cartoon voiced by six French persons. The English version was voiced by one - me. Not because of my enormous skill but because one was considerably cheaper than six. I did 57 voices and remember being really stuck for the last one - a mother fish. What the hell does a mother fish sound like?'

Who's a silly girl?! I forgot to mention the 27th Anniversary of The Goodies, which was just 4 days ago (8th November). You'd think I'd remember, it being my Dad's birthday and all. Oh well, at least I remembered that it's the club's 2nd birthday this month. We'll be blowing out the virtual candles for both celebrations at the long awaited IRC meeting!

5. GOODIES TRIVIA QUIZ

by quizmaster David McAnally dsm@maths.uq.edu.au

1. How did Nasty Person discover that the Goodies weren't real sailors in "The Lost Island of Munga"?

2. Who were the former inhabitants of the cell the Goodies were incarcerated in during "Goodies in the Nick"?

3. Which book was Graeme reading in "Movies"?

4. What was the final Scout badge Graeme and Bill wanted? And who were the only three people who'd managed to get one previously?

ANSWERS TO LAST MONTH'S QUESTIONS

1. What were The Lost Tribe of the Orinoco doing in Kent?

A: They got lost. (Boom Boom!!)

2. What kept Bill awake in 'Snooze'?

A: The fear he would sleepwalk if he went to sleep.

3. Which lethal weapon did Bill employ in 'Kung Fu Kapers'?

4. Who won the "Nicest Person In The World" award?

A: Dr Petal (full name: Dr Adolphus Wolfgang Ratfink von Petal).

That's it for this month. Next month a full report on The Goodies on "Where Are They Now?" and more details about the latest season of "I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue". Plus more answers from Tim and all the regular stuff.

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This is an archive newsletter of The Goodies Rule - OK! International Fan Club (copyright The Goodies Rule - OK! 1997). Some of the information in this newsletter may now be incorrect. Current information can be obtained from http://www.goodiesruleok.com

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