The Very Best of Hancock isn't just a miscellaneous compilation of his television work, rather it is five of the six episodes from Hancock's last season with the BBC in 1961. Writers Ray Galton and Alan Simpson followed Hancock to television after making him a star on radio, and it is to them as much as to Hancock's lugubrious persona that these few shows owe their classic status. In a conscious effort to throw the spotlight more firmly on himself, Hancock had parted company with his radio cohorts in the transition to TV, and here for the first time he also dispensed... with stalwart comedy partner Sid James. Thanks to Galton and Simpson, however, the gamble paid off handsomely and these shows remain some of the best sitcoms ever created for British television. No longer a resident of Railway Cuttings, East Cheam, here we find Hancock in Earl's Court in the first episode, "The Bedsitter". Whether trying vainly to live the life of a carefree bachelor, playing an old country character in a thinly disguised version of "The Archers" ("The Bowmans"), wrestling with the complexities of valve radio ("The Radio Ham"), annoying everyone in an awkward situation ("The Lift") or giving that famous pint of blood ("The Blood Donor"), Galton and Simpson provide Hancock with every opportunity to exercise his wonderful pomposity and pretentiousness with scripts full of comic invention and eminently quotable lines. Hugh Lloyd and June Whitfield are among the supporting cast.On the DVD: The disc includes a good recent interview with Galton and Simpson, who talk about their sometimes difficult relationship with the star. After Hancock used cue cards while recording "The Blood Donor", they reveal, he decided never to bother learning any lines again, even though this had a detrimental effect on his ability to use comic facial expressions ever afterwards. The picture and sound quality are what might be expected from TV of this vintage. --Mark Walker [show more]
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Please note this is a region 2 DVD and will require a region 2 (Europe) or region Free DVD Player in order to play. This collection of Hancock's finest half-hours brings together the greatest moments from a much loved comic master - the lad himself. Contains the episodes: The Bedsitter, The Bowmans, The Radio Ham, The Lift and - of course - The Blood Donor. See a genius at work! The Bedsitter - It's a dull day, with Hancock endlessly picking up and setting down 'improving' books and failing to watch television. But then the phone rings, and Svengali swings into action. The Bowmans - When Old Joshua Merryweather is unceremoniously asked from an Archers - style radio spoof, the station is bombarded with protest letters and so the appalling Joshua is re-instated - leaving Hancock hell - bent on revenge. The Radio Ham - 'Mayday! Mayday!' A radio ham in England - the lad himself, picks up the desperate messages from a stricken vessel off the coast of Sierra Leone. The Lift - 'Eight Persons is eight persons - you'll have to get out', insists the attendant as Hancock barges into a crowed lift. But he Won't budge and neither will the lift. The Blood Donor - 'A pint, why that's nearly an armful!' protests our public spirited hero when he decides 'to give so that others may live.' But a deposit can all too quickly be followed by a sudden withdrawal. Actors: Tony Hancock Director: Duncan Wood Certificate: Universal Suitable for All Screen: Fullscreen 4:3 Languages: English - Dolby Digital (2.0) Mono Duration: 2 hours (approx)
Five classic episodes from Tony Hancock's television show. In 'The Bedsitter' Hancock seems set to spend the day pottering around, wasting time and doing nothing, but then a phone call sends him into action; 'The Bowmans' sees him determined to get revenge when a sacked co-worker is reinstated; 'The Radio Ham' finds him picking up messages from a ship in trouble off the coast of Sierra Leone; 'The Lift' has him cause trouble when he climbs into an overloaded elevator; and 'The Blood Donor' sees him try to discover a little bit of public spirit at the blood bank.
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