Here is the third and final part of the Q&A with producer/writer/actor Barnaby Eaton-Jones, the man behind "The Goodies: The Big Ben Theory" (the 2019 Audible.co.uk audio Goodies episode starring Tim, Graeme, Bill and Joanna Lumley - https://www.audible.co.uk/pd/The-Goodies-Podcast/B08DDCWMFK) as well as "I’m Sorry I’ll Read That Again – Again!"

8.    Question from Stewy Elliott via Facebook: what would you have done different if you'd have known we would be Losing Tim?

Nothing! It was amazing that he was so engaged and still at the top of his game, appearing in my revived ISIRTA in the February of last year, then in two shows for I’m Sorry I Haven’t A Clue in Huddersfield in March – the month he passed away. I’d just scheduled a whole new tour around him – as he said he didn’t want to just do a cameo in the ISIRTA revival, he’d be happy to be there for the whole show. So, I would have had us all revolving around Tim as part of the team on stage and we would have begun in March, had the pandemic not hit and the awful virus not claimed him. I loved the fact he was so needed and so eager to perform, right up to the end.

In hindsight, we should have been quicker with The Goodies series. We took our time with it, and – had we pushed forward faster – we could have probably *just* slipped the recordings in before the first lockdown happened. But, it’s a big ‘What if?’ and it was just a tragic what-would-have-been moment.

9.    Question from Henri Phillips via The Goodies Rule – OK! Fan Club Forums:

Hi Barnaby,

First of all, thank you for agreeing to do this Q&A. My questions for you are as follows.

1. What was it like working with The Goodies.

2. Are there any deleted scenes/songs (Written or recorded) from the pilot episode. If there are could you please release them.

3. What ideas did you and The Goodies have during pre production for the new series.

4. Again, if there are any scenes or songs that were written during pre production for the new series, could you please release them.

5. Not a question, but rather a message of thanks. Thanks for getting The Goodies to record a pilot episode for an eventual series. Alas, they’ll be no new series, but at least we have the pilot. For this we have you to thank. One last thing, I’d just like to let you know that my personal highlight of 2019 was hearing your Goodies pilot episode for Audible. If the show went to series, rest assured it would have been my highlight of 2020 as well.

Working with The Goodies was amazing. I remember roaring with laughter at the first meeting where I had all three of them in the room with me (when we were bashing out initial ideas for the story for the Audible celebration). They were just so funny and quick. I was there to sort of chair it and write down the ideas as they happened, and throw my own into the mix, but I was glad I had a voice recording of that session because I don’t think I wrote down much at all because I was having too much fun. I should try and find that again as there were an awful lot of brilliant moments which we never did anything with, because – afterwards – they were worried they’d veered too much into the sketch format of I’m Sorry I’ll Read That Again instead of The Goodies type plots.

They all cameoed in my revival of I’m Sorry I’ll Read That Again, on stage, and to be alongside them when they were performing live was just sublime. They are such instinctive performers and have that amazing ability to make the audience feel comfortable and safe immediately. They’ve certainly earned it over the years, and you can hear an audience just start pre-emptively chuckling when they appear.

As for deleted scenes or songs from the Audible recording, I’m afraid there isn’t much – aside from Bill’s banter with the audience, and the second verse of his song (the former cut because it was the kind of ‘you had to be there on the night’ stuff, and the latter simply for timing and, as Bill said, the repetition of the same joke). 
In previous answers, I’ve covered all I can say about the proposed Audible series, as there is a small possibility that something might happen with those story treatments. But, as a sneaky extra, I will say we had an episode where Tim had been made an exhibit by The National Trust – so people could pay to go and view him! They’re all bloomin’ national treasures, and I’m so sad we couldn’t make that series but very, very privileged that they indulged me by allowing me to instigate and produce the one-off pilot.

Here is the third and final part of the Q&A with producer/writer/actor Barnaby Eaton-Jones, the man behind "The Goodies: The Big Ben Theory" (the 2019 Audible.co.uk audio Goodies episode starring Tim, Graeme, Bill and Joanna Lumley - https://www.audible.co.uk/pd/The-Goodies-Podcast/B08DDCWMFK) as well as "I’m Sorry I’ll Read That Again – Again!"

8.    Question from Stewy Elliott via Facebook: what would you have done different if you'd have known we would be Losing Tim?

Nothing! It was amazing that he was so engaged and still at the top of his game, appearing in my revived ISIRTA in the February of last year, then in two shows for I’m Sorry I Haven’t A Clue in Huddersfield in March – the month he passed away. I’d just scheduled a whole new tour around him – as he said he didn’t want to just do a cameo in the ISIRTA revival, he’d be happy to be there for the whole show. So, I would have had us all revolving around Tim as part of the team on stage and we would have begun in March, had the pandemic not hit and the awful virus not claimed him. I loved the fact he was so needed and so eager to perform, right up to the end.

In hindsight, we should have been quicker with The Goodies series. We took our time with it, and – had we pushed forward faster – we could have probably *just* slipped the recordings in before the first lockdown happened. But, it’s a big ‘What if?’ and it was just a tragic what-would-have-been moment.

9.    Question from Henri Phillips via The Goodies Rule – OK! Fan Club Forums:

Hi Barnaby,

First of all, thank you for agreeing to do this Q&A. My questions for you are as follows.

1. What was it like working with The Goodies.

2. Are there any deleted scenes/songs (Written or recorded) from the pilot episode. If there are could you please release them.

3. What ideas did you and The Goodies have during pre production for the new series.

4. Again, if there are any scenes or songs that were written during pre production for the new series, could you please release them.

5. Not a question, but rather a message of thanks. Thanks for getting The Goodies to record a pilot episode for an eventual series. Alas, they’ll be no new series, but at least we have the pilot. For this we have you to thank. One last thing, I’d just like to let you know that my personal highlight of 2019 was hearing your Goodies pilot episode for Audible. If the show went to series, rest assured it would have been my highlight of 2020 as well.

Working with The Goodies was amazing. I remember roaring with laughter at the first meeting where I had all three of them in the room with me (when we were bashing out initial ideas for the story for the Audible celebration). They were just so funny and quick. I was there to sort of chair it and write down the ideas as they happened, and throw my own into the mix, but I was glad I had a voice recording of that session because I don’t think I wrote down much at all because I was having too much fun. I should try and find that again as there were an awful lot of brilliant moments which we never did anything with, because – afterwards – they were worried they’d veered too much into the sketch format of I’m Sorry I’ll Read That Again instead of The Goodies type plots.

They all cameoed in my revival of I’m Sorry I’ll Read That Again, on stage, and to be alongside them when they were performing live was just sublime. They are such instinctive performers and have that amazing ability to make the audience feel comfortable and safe immediately. They’ve certainly earned it over the years, and you can hear an audience just start pre-emptively chuckling when they appear.

As for deleted scenes or songs from the Audible recording, I’m afraid there isn’t much – aside from Bill’s banter with the audience, and the second verse of his song (the former cut because it was the kind of ‘you had to be there on the night’ stuff, and the latter simply for timing and, as Bill said, the repetition of the same joke). 
In previous answers, I’ve covered all I can say about the proposed Audible series, as there is a small possibility that something might happen with those story treatments. But, as a sneaky extra, I will say we had an episode where Tim had been made an exhibit by The National Trust – so people could pay to go and view him! They’re all bloomin’ national treasures, and I’m so sad we couldn’t make that series but very, very privileged that they indulged me by allowing me to instigate and produce the one-off pilot.

What a wonderful chat with Barnaby.  A terrific read and a super insight into how that rather wonderful audio adventure came together.

Nice one Lisa!  Much appreciated!

All the best

Andrew

We are pleased to present part 2 of the Q&A with producer/writer/actor Barnaby Eaton-Jones, the man behind "The Goodies: The Big Ben Theory" (the 2019 Audible.co.uk audio Goodies episode starring Tim, Graeme, Bill and Joanna Lumley -  https://www.audible.co.uk/pd/The-Goodies-Podcast/B08DDCWMFK)


5.    Question from Ben Rohde via Facebook: What would have been the planned series if our dearly beloved Tim hadn't passed? How many episodes would Audible have given you? What were some of the ideas for episodes? Favourite moment of watching The Goodies and working with The Goodies?

The planned series for Audible would have been 6 x 30-minute episodes – like a proper series of The Goodies! I know there was talk of a second series floated about too, but I was commissioned for the first series and needed to get that right first! We had 12 treatments (plots) written out, of which 6 were chosen to turn into scripts (with new input from Graeme, Bill, and Tim). So, we would have come back to those other 6 for a second series, if we’d got that far. I can’t say, really, about the ideas for them without spoiling a potential possibility of them seeing the light of day. But, the end of the series would have seen Joanna Lumley returning as herself again (like she did in The Big Ben Theory, the pilot episode), which she’d agreed to. I had some epic names in the frame for casting – even specifically writing a treatment based around Dame Emma Thompson, called ‘Diamonds Are For Emma’.

As for favourite moments, well, I’m a big fan of the ‘And The Beanstalk’ episode. I think it was pretty much perfect, and just so fantastically produced. The homage to The Marx Brothers was great because, for me, The Goodies are the UK equivalent. But, the sheer rate of word gags and sight gags that Graeme and Bill (and Tim) churned out over so many years in that show was astonishing.

As for working with them, every moment was a special moment. They are all just so nice and unassuming, with no apparent egos. Like an anxious mother, I used to text Tim late in the evening after he’d driven miles to do a cameo at one of the ISIRTA shows with me – just to check he’d got home safe! I guess standing in for Graeme at the recording was a big highlight (he had been scheduled to be there but, on the day, his back went and he was confined to bed) – to be an unofficially official Goodie was absolutely mad and the audience were very forgiving that it was me there and not Graeme (I’d done most of Graeme’s roles in my ISIRTA revival, so I have a similar cadence and delivery). Dirk Maggs, who directed it, kindly sound designed a version for my own amusement that kept me in the role. 

6.    Question from Jeff Walker via Facebook: Was an aspect of the planned Audible series to have Bill write a new song for each episode? If so, what were his thoughts on that plan?

Yes, it was. Well, from my side as I love Bill’s songs. I’d lightly suggested about a song to Bill for The Big Ben Theory (the Audible pilot) but made it very, very clear that he didn’t *have* to write one. He wasn’t sure about it but, then, at the next session with us, he’d turned up with a fully-formed song. It was rather amazing! So, we would have written that into the episodes but, again, on the proviso that he didn’t *need* to write one. The plan would have been to do the parody ad break in the middle of each episode and, if Bill hadn’t written a song, we could drop one (or all) of those to accommodate it in the script.

He really enjoyed working with my band on the recording day, sorting out the accompaniment to the song, and I think he would have been okay with having them on board to do that for every recording. He may not have written another, or wanted to write another, but I’d have liked to have kept gently nudging. He’s just the most amazingly gifted musical maestro and that’s proved across The Goodies records and in the series itself.

7.    Question from David Cooper via Facebook: I'd like to know more about the writing process and who writes how much of what. Can percentages be put on this?  Incidentally, I've written a script for a half hour sketch show, but I have no idea who to take it to. How do you get into this industry?

If you’re talking about The Goodies TV show, then I think it’s well documented that Tim used to contribute ideas but not necessarily write that often – he always said Graeme and Bill were much quicker. It was a bit of a 50/50 thing, I believe. In that, Graeme would right one storyline and Bill the other – as there was always two specific ideas in each episode – and then they’d be meshed together by both of them. I could be wrong, though.

When we did the Audible show, Graeme, Bill, Tim and I kicked around a ton of ideas with the intention of me going off and forming them into some coherent whole. I recall an email from Graeme afterwards, saying they were worried it was veering too close to the ISIRTA territory and so – as I seemed to know what I was doing – I should come up with something they could agree on. I then wrote The Big Ben Theory in treatment form, which they all seemed to like. Graeme and Bill tweaked bits and pieces, and suggested things. Then, I was supposed to write the script.

Unfortunately, a close friend passed away after a quick and horrid illness (and he was a big fan of The Goodies). I didn’t see it at the time, but it just affected my writing – in that, I didn’t feel like being funny. I just kept putting off writing the script, until Audible were understandably getting impatient. It was only then that I realized *why* I was struggling and apologized. They suggested Gareth Gwynn and John-Luke Roberts, who are a brilliantly funny writing team. Gareth and I bashed the treatment about a bit, then Gareth and John-Luke wrote the script (even allowing some of my gags to stay in, which I’d written in as examples!). This was then ‘Goodie-fied’ by Graeme and Bill, to make sure all was groovy in their eyes.

A while back producer/writer/actor Barnaby Eaton-Jones, the man behind "The Goodies: The Big Ben Theory" (the 2019 Audible.co.uk audio Goodies episode starring Tim, Graeme, Bill and Joanna Lumley - https://www.audible.co.uk/pd/The-Goodies-Podcast/B08DDCWMFK) agreed to do a Q&A to answer questions about working with The Goodies on the Audible show as well as "I'm Sorry I'll Read That Again - Again!".  We are pleased to present his part 1 of the Q&A (we won’t keep you waiting long for the rest!)

1.    Question from Chris Badams via Facebook: How much adlibbing was permitted?
We had a readthrough of the script in the morning, where any changes were suggested or any lines were removed or added. I recall Bill wanting to add some limericks in throughout, which always ended with a very rude word but would always finish just *before* the rude word. They were funny but – as the script was a longer length than a normal episode of The Goodies anyway – it was deemed that we’d keep them out for this one.

But, adlibbing wasn’t discouraged in the recording performance. I come from a background of improvisation myself, so I’m always at home with the odd tangent when live. Bill has a way of altering lines slightly to make them sound more natural coming from him, so he’d always throw an aside in or a cheeky extra bit. He was very aware of the audience, so had them on side and often would say some brilliant things that you enjoyed as an audience member watching the recording but it would have been confusing for a listener who hadn’t been there!
During the readthrough, he just couldn’t understand one joke about an old game – even after it was explaining to him what Tetris was – but he delivered it superbly as he got the intention of what was being said. When the audience laughed, he then did a whole bit which made the audience laugh more of saying he had no idea what that joke meant, etc. The script was really watertight, so it was a little difficult to crowbar anything in aside from what was there. I suspect, had we had a looser script, there would have been more nonsense thrown in at the recording!

2.    Question from Gene O’Brien via Facebook: How long did it take you, if at all, to put aside any feelings of being gobsmacked working with THE Goodies and get down to work?
I’d been very fortunate, in that I’d already met Graeme and Tim (and Bill via email) because of reviving I’m Sorry I’ll Read That Again on stage (and then a sort of reimagined ‘Best Of’ series on BBC Radio 4) – which both Graeme and Tim performed cameos in on the tour. To put together the script for this revival, I’d tweaked scripts and added bits in – nothing major – which I think meant that they could see I was respectful of the material and also able to write in their style.
I floated the idea of The Goodies as a ‘P.S.’ on one of the group emails, almost like a throwaway thought. I knew they’d been approached many times, so I suspected an instant ‘no’.
To my sheer delight, all three of them liked the idea and we sorted out a Panorama meeting pretty quickly (after I approached Audible, who snapped up the project very quickly – all thanks to their head honcho at the time, Steve Carsey; who I believe was a fan of The Goodies). A ‘Panorama’ meeting was what they used to call the session where they all got together and batted about ideas and storylines and jokes for episodes. But, in answer to your question, I don’t think I ever stopped being gobsmacked (and still am whenever I get an email from Graeme or Bill these days). They are Comedy Gods and I’m very much a small fry rather than a Stephen Fry.

3.    Question from Graeme Lindsay-Foot via Facebook: How far developed were the ideas/scripts for any further episodes, and in the sad absence of Timbo, could anything ever come of them?
Very developed. I’d had two script meetings with the Super Chaps Three and we’d chosen the six treatments that seemed to work the best (Gareth Gwynn and John-Luke Roberts had submitted six treatments and I’d submitted six treatments, so we had 12 to choose from!). We were just about to start writing the scripts, with recording dates penciled in and guest cast also mooted, when poor Tim was cruelly taken from us too soon. As for *something* happening with them, well… and if you’ll excuse the plug… do ‘like’ That Eaton-Jones Fellow on Facebook. There’s definitely a possibility. Fingers crossed.

4.    Question from Isabell Olevall via Facebook: Arnold P Totteridge - what do the scripted lines look like for Graeme?
I think Graeme actually answered this on social media!! They’re very much like he says them, but he adds in a few variations as he goes. When he used to cameo in my ISIRTA stage show, he’d do what was in the script, but elevate it with his own pauses and extras. He’s a master of his craft and it was *always* a joy to see him play the roles that I did in other shows – so I could often adjust my own performance accordingly. In our ‘Professor Prune’ section, he did his cameo on the second show of the tour. The first show, I’d hit a certain line in the way I expected it to be hit and it got a decent laugh. He did the same line on that second show and the audience erupted, simply because he took out a pause that I’d written in. I mean, the way I did it worked, but the way Graeme did it worked better. And that’s why it he is Graeme Garden and I’m not.

Yes, sorry, I should have posted an update.  Barnaby is still going to do the Q&A.  He's just been swamped with other work so it's been delayed.

Is there any chance of this Q&A still happening.

Hi Barnaby,

First of all, thank you for agreeing to do this Q&A. My questions for you are as follows.

1. What was it like working with The Goodies.

2. Are there any deleted scenes/songs (Written or recorded) from the pilot episode. If there are could you please release them.

3. What ideas did you and The Goodies have during pre production for the new series.

4. Again, if there are any scenes or songs that were written during pre production for the new series, could you please release them.

5. Not a question, but rather a message of thanks. Thanks for getting The Goodies to record a pilot episode for an eventual series. Alas, there will be no new series, but at least we have the pilot. For this we have you to thank. One last thing, I’d just like to let you know that my personal highlight of 2019 was hearing your Goodies pilot episode for Audible. If the show went to series, rest assured it would have been my highlight of 2020 as well.

Thank you again,
Henri Phillipps

Q&A time!  Producer/writer/actor Barnaby Eaton-Jones, the man behind "The Goodies: The Big Ben Theory" (the 2019 Audible.co.uk audio Goodies episode starring Tim, Graeme, Bill and Joanna Lumley) has agreed to do a Q&A to answer questions about working with The Goodies on the Audible show as well as "I'm Sorry I'll Read That Again - Again!"  Submit your questions and we'll forward them to Barnaby.

http://www.audible.co.uk/pd/The-Goodies-Audiobook/B07YN6FSV2