The Hancock Festival

‘The Missing Hancocks’ recreates the classic ‘Hancock's Half Hour’ episodes that have been wiped or lost from the archive.

The first modern sitcom, it made stars of Tony Hancock, Sid James and Kenneth Williams, and launched Galton and Simpson on one of the most successful comedy-writing partnerships in history.

But 20 episodes of the show are missing from the BBC archives, and have not been heard since their original transmission nearly sixty years ago. Now, five of those episodes have been lovingly re-recorded in front of a live audience at the BBC Radio Theatre, featuring a stellar cast led by Kevin McNally as The Lad Himself.

In this episode, ‘The Hancock Festival’, Tony is inspired by Somerset Maugham's pay packet, and decides to become a writer. His friends are recruited to bring his dramatic offerings to life.

Written by Ray Galton and Alan Simpson

Tony Hancock …. Kevin McNally
Bill Kerr …. Kevin Eldon
Sid James …. Simon Greenall
Moira Lister …. Margaret Cabourn-Smith
with David Cann

Classic Hancock score re-recorded by the BBC Concert Orchestra, conducted by Levon Parikian.

Producers: Ed Morrish and Neil Pearson

The lost original recording was first broadcast on the 30th November, 1954.

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in November 2014.