We were very sorry to learn of the death of John Antrobus on 15 December at the age of 92. John co-wrote 2 Goon Shows with Spike Milligan in 1958 - The Spon Plague (S8E23) and The Great Statue Debate (S8E26). He will be very much missed. May he rest in peace.

GSPS magazine no. 191 is out now, folks! If you're not a member yet, why not join today? goonshow.org/gsps/join/

HARRY: I'm Harry Secombe. PETER: Secombe? How do you spell it? HARRY: S. M. I. T. H. PETER: Why do you spell it like that? HARRY: I'm in disguise. (Goon Show S4 E1, 2 Oct 1953. Script by Spike Milligan & Larry Stephens.)

I'm genuinely thrilled to discover that an episode of The Army Game written by my Larry Stephens @lsggbg.bsky.social with Maurice Wiltshire has been uploaded to ITVX as part of the 70th birthday celebrations

NED: A house! BLOODNOK: It's a mirage. NED: Nonsense... Let's go in. Eccles - search the house for food... Oh! It's vanished. You were right - a mirage. BLOODNOK: I told you. ECCLES: AHHHHH! FX: CRASH OF BODY BLOODNOK: What happened? ECCLES: I was upstairs. (Vintage Goons, 22 Sep 1958)

GLENDENNING: Determined to be the first man to fly, Pureheart climbed to the top of a tower & flapping his feathered wings, jumped off. TIM: That day a new word was introduced to the language of science. PUREHEART: Yes - crutches. (Crazy People S1 E17, 20 Sep 1951 by Milligan, Stephens & Grafton)

Tony Hancock married Cicely Romanis on 18 Sep 1950. Here's a photo of him on the day with his Best Man, Larry Stephens.

Tony Hancock married Cicely Romanis on 18 Sep 1950. Here's a photo of him on the day with his Best Man, Larry Stephens.

MILLIGAN: I cut my finger opening a tin of beans. SELLERS: You must use a tin opener in future. (Crazy People S1 E16, 13 Sep 1951. Script by Spike Milligan, Larry Stephens and Jimmy Grafton)

ECCLES: Hulloo there! Everybody! Look at me! NED: I say, Eccles - 1st class! How did you get ashore? ECCLES: I walked across this log! NED: You fool! That's an alligator! ECCLES: Oh! I wondered why my leg kept getting shorter! (Crazy People S1 E15, 6 Sep 1951. Script by Milligan, Stephens & Grafton)

Arena: The Peter Sellers Story "The first of three films presenting a portrait of one of the world's greatest comic actors, tracing his life from childhood to a successful post-war career with the Goons and more." www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/epis...

WAITRESS: Are you from HQ? JONES: Yes. W: Identify yourself. J: Z076B. W: Right. What do you want? J: Is it safe to talk here? W: Yes. What do you want? J: Are you sure? W: Quite sure. J: Right... Beans on toast. (Crazy People S1 E14, 30 Aug 1951. Script by Milligan, Stephens and Grafton.)

GSPS magazine no. 190 is out now, folks! If you're not a member yet, why not join today? goonshow.org/gsps/join/

NOSDROVIAN: Are you Dr Jones, the eminent brain specialist? JONES: Yes - but business is bad in England. NOSDROVIAN: No work? JONES: No brains. (Crazy People S1 E13, 23 Aug 1951. Script by Spike Milligan, Larry Stephens and Jimmy Grafton.)

We are absolutely delighted that Hancock's first TV sketch series, The Tony Hancock Show, broadcast live on AR-TV in 1956 and never repeated, is going to be seen again thanks to Rewind TV. Written by Eric Sykes and Larry Stephens, cast includes June Whitfield, Clive Dunn and Dick Emery

Like that episode, it's by Milligan's regular co-writer Larry Stephens. I think we underrate Stephens' importance to the Goons, because we know Milligan's personality and can see it all over the show. But episodes like this show he was well capable of carrying the style and humour solo. #GoonForARun

PORRIDGE: How long have we been marching, Spalding? SPALDING: Six hours, sir. And I think the horses are tired. PORRIDGE: What makes you say that? SPALDING: They're wearing pyjamas, sir. (Crazy People S1 E12, 16 Aug 1951. Script by Spike Milligan, Larry Stephens & Jimmy Grafton.)

To whoever has sent me a Chat: I'm afraid I'm unable to read it without going through age verification which is something I shan't be doing

The Goon Show Preservation Society will be at the @talkingpicturestv.bsky.social‬ Festival of Film & TV Roadshow in Hebden Bridge on 13th October. Have a good day out and come say hello to us, all in one. goonshow.org/2025/08/13/t...

BENTINE: Who do you think is going to find the money for such a hare-brained, fly-by-night, utterly idiotic scheme? SELLERS: Who? The British government of course! (Crazy People S1 E11, 9 Aug 1951. Script by Spike Milligan, Larry Stephens and Jimmy Grafton.)

JONES: For a week now I've been seeing black spots in front of my eyes. HERSCHEL: Have you seen a psychiatrist? JONES: No - only black spots. (Crazy People S1 E10, 2 Aug 1951. Script by Spike Milligan, Larry Stephens & Jimmy Grafton.)

NED: I transferred to the Cavalry & began training. 6 weeks of trotting, cantering & jumping. Arriving back from a 30-mile cross-country gallop we heard the news we'd been waiting for. SPIKE: Men, tomorrow... We're being issued with horses! (Crazy People 23 Jul 1951 by Milligan, Stephens & Grafton)

JONES: My family are huntin', shootin' and fishin' people. HERSCHEL: Landed gentry? JONES: No. Poachers. (Crazy People S1 E8, 16 Jul 1951. Script by Spike Milligan, Larry Stephens and Jimmy Grafton)

I'd like to wish you all a bostin #BlackCountryDay! Here, have a photo of some pork scratchings to help you celebrate!

Here's my review of the Larry Stephens biography. 😀 @thegsps.bsky.social

Being part of the whole Unbound saga has not been fun; one consolation has been the support of the many other authors involved. And so, in that spirit, we've put together a list of some of the great books that now need publishers and agents. Please do share! open.substack.com/pub/therebou...

‪Incredibly honoured to be performing 'Goon Show' material written for Peter Sellers by the legendary Galton & Simpson as part of @yorkfestofideas.bsky.social on 8th June. I'll be the first actor to perform this material since their original broadcast in 1954! www.comedy.co.uk/radio/fyi/83...

They didn't even bother to send me a "seemingly impersonal email"!

28 May is #NationalGoonShowDay folks! Join us today via the website and get a whopping 25% off an e-membership*! Use the codeword: SPON. *Offer only available to new members signing up by 4 June 2025. Valid for 1 year. Not available to lapsed members or for renewals. goonshow.org/gsps/join/

BLOODNOK: Blast! The crocodile's drifting towards the other canoe. I'll ask them to tow it to the bank. (CALLS) Eccles! ECCLES: Der, yeah? BLOODNOK: Will you give that crocodile a tow? ECCLES: Why me? He's had 3 of mine already. (Goon Show S2 E16, 13 May 1952. Script by Milligan & Stephens.)

'The Super Secret Service' was written by Spike Milligan and Larry Stephens and stars Peter Sellers. Plus Graham Stark, Dick Emery and Ray Ellington. Tune in at 6pm!

TIM: They're Royalists! To the guillotine with them! OMNES: THE GUILLOTINE! SPIKE: The guillotine? Is it painful? PETER: No, Gascoigne will only give you a little nick. SPIKE: Oh - a nicotine! (Goon Show S2 E15, 6 May 1952. Script by Spike Milligan & Larry Stephens. Edited by Jimmy Grafton)

PETER: Is there any sign of a relief force yet? HARRY: I don't think so although I can't see ahead of us for the smoke. I'll ask the lookout... LOOKOUT! SPIKE: Why? What's comin'? HARRY: No, you. Lookout. Can you see ahead? SPIKE: Ermm - I can see yours. (Goon Show 5 May 1953 by Milligan & Stephens)

#OTD 27 April 1956 Hancock made his first series on TV. Two months before Hancock's Half Hour, ITV broadcast The Tony Hancock Show, a sketch show written by Eric Sykes, with Larry Stephens on 1 & 2. Cast included June Whitfield, Hattie Jacques, Clive Dunn, Sam Kydd and Dick Emery

Newspaper report on the death of Goon Show writer Larry Stephens right next to a completely unrelated news item

CRUN: Lord Seagoon! SEAGOON: Yes, Crun? CRUN: We'll have to call a halt. SEAGOON: Why? CRUN: The piano's out of tune. SEAGOON: Good heavens! How do you know? CRUN: It's just dropped over a precipice. (Goon Show, 28 Apr 1953. S3 E24. Script by Spike Milligan & Larry Stephens. Edited by Jimmy Grafton)

Set your sundials for 7 May at 6pm! The Super Secret Service, a 1953 short film written by Larry Stephens (@lsggbg.bsky.social) and Spike Milligan and starring Peter Sellers, is being shown on Talking Pictures Television (@talkingpicturestv.bsky.social)

FX: LOUD KNOCKING CRUN: Oh - there's the door. You get it, will you Eccles? ECCLES: Der - OK FX: TEARING & SPLINTERING ECCLES: Ermm... Here's the door. Where shall I put it? (Goon Show S3 E23. First broadcast on 21 Apr 1953. Script by Spike Milligan and Larry Stephens. Edited by Jimmy Grafton.)

On this week’s edition we’re looking at Dishonoured - Again from 1959. t.co/qeM31DvosT Includes a discussion about Spike’s differing accounts of the tragic death of Larry Stephens

PUREHEART: Sorry I'm a little late. Stanley Black buttonholed me for a moment. TIM: Really? He never says two words to me. PUREHEART: You're lucky. He's always saying two words to me. (Goon Show, 8 Apr 1952. S2 E11 by Spike Milligan, Larry Stephens and Jimmy Grafton.)

CRUN: Where have you been all day? ECCLES: I've been at the zoo. It was the penguins' feeding time. NED: So you like penguins? ECCLES: Erm.... no. I like fish. (Goon Show, 7 Apr 1953. S3 E21 by Larry Stephens and Spike Milligan.)

On 6 Apr 1955 the 1st episode of Pertwee's Progress was broadcast. Written by Larry Stephens, Jimmy Grafton & Peter Griffiths the cast included Jon Pertwee, Dick Emery & Fenella Fielding. genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/page/f1dcff1...

SPRIGGS: I’ll just make a bill of sale out. How do you spell penguin? NEDDIE: Pee en guin. SPRIGGS: How do you pronounce it? NEDDIE: P-E-N-G-U-I-N. SPRIGGS: Thank you. (Goon Show S7 E21 by Spike Milligan and Larry Stephens)

META stole my book and those of many others to train their AI. I'm asking them to #DoTheWriteThing

The Goon Show episode 'Six Charlies in Search of an Author' by Spike Milligan and Larry Stephens is being staged at Stockton Heath Methodist Church Hall, Warrington on Thursday 3rd & Friday 4th April. More information and tickets available here: www.ticketsource.co.uk/shmds/classi...

BLOODNOK: Admit it - you're a spy. HERR KOMMZEBRIDE: I am not a spy. I'm a shepherd. BLOODNOK: Ah... a shepherd spy. (Goon Show, 31 Mar 1953)

Don't forget the clocks have changed in the UK

For 10 years Caesar ruled with an iron hand - then with a wooden foot - and finally with a piece of string (Goon Show, 28 Mar 1957)

The Goon Show episode 'Six Charlies in Search of an Author' by Spike Milligan and Larry Stephens is being staged at Stockton Heath Methodist Church Hall, Warrington on Thursday 3rd & Friday 4th April. More information and tickets available here: www.ticketsource.co.uk/shmds/classi...

HARRY: Last summer I was in Spain... MICHAEL: Buenos dias senor. HARRY: No thanks... I never touch it. MICHAEL: Ooohh! Senor is a foreigner? HARRY: Foreigner? Nonsense! I'm an Englishman. (Goon Show, 25 Mar 1952)