The Missing Hancocks

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BBC Radio 4 FM

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Comedy: Sitcoms

Long-lost, classic Tony Hancock comedies, freshly recorded and starring Kevin McNally.

Long-lost, classic Hancock's Half Hour comedies, freshly recorded. Written by Ray Galton and Alan Simpson and starring Kevin McNally as The Lad Himself.

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Andy Secombe

Kevin Eldon

Simon Greenall

Robin Sebastian

Susy Kane

Ray Galton

Alan Simpson

Ed Morrish

Neil Pearson

The Missing Hancocks: Series 3: A Holiday in France

The Racehorse

A Holiday in France

Series 3

BBC Radio 4 - The Missing Hancocks, Series 3, A Holiday in France

Harry Secombe and Bill leave for a holiday in Southend, but they end up in Paris.

Harry Secombe and Bill leave for a holiday in Southend, but they end up in Paris. Stars Andy Secombe. From March 2017.

The Missing Hancocks recreates those episodes of the classic Hancock's Half Hour that have been wiped or lost from the archive. Something else has gone missing in this episode from the second series - the lad 'imself, who had absconded to Rome. In 1955, he was replaced for the first three episodes by the Goon Show's Harry Secombe. In this recreation, he has been replaced by Andy Secombe - Harry's son. Not heard since then, this is a real piece of comedy history.

The first modern sitcom, Hancock's Half Hour made stars of Tony Hancock, Sid James and Kenneth Williams, and launched Ray Galton and Alan Simpson on one of the most successful comedy-writing partnerships in history. But 20 episodes of the show are missing from the BBC archives. Now, after two highly successful series, another five of those episodes have been lovingly re-recorded in front of a live audience at the BBC Radio Theatre.

A Holiday In France:

Harry Secombe and Bill leave for a holiday in Southend but they get on the wrong train and end up in Paris where they first meet Andree. 

Written by Ray Galton and Alan Simpson, and with the classic score newly recorded by the BBC Concert Orchestra, the show stars Andy Secombe, Kevin Eldon, Simon Greenall, Robin Sebastian and Susy Kane. A Holiday In France was first broadcast on the 19th April, 1955.

Produced by Ed Morrish & Neil Pearson.

Written by Ray Galton & Simpson

Music recorded by the BBC Concert Orchestra, conducted by Levon Parikian.

A BBC Studios Production

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2017.

The Missing Hancocks: Series 3

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