The World of Beachcomber

The World of Beachcomber
Title card
Genre	Comedy
Country of origin	United Kingdom

The World of Beachcomber was a surreal television comedy show produced by the

The show, like the column, consisted of a series of unrelated pieces of humour. Links between the items were provided by Spike Milligan, dressed in a smoking jacket and cap, as in the cartoon logo above the newspaper column.^[1] The other actors were a Who's Who of British comedy of the time, encompassing almost every supporting player seen or heard in comedy. Likewise the writing staff included Milligan, Barry Took, John Junkin, Neil Shand and others. The producers were John Howard Davies and Duncan Wood.^[2][3]

In all, 19 episodes were produced beginning in January 1968.

• Courtroom sketches featuring Mr.
  Justice Cocklecarrot, played by Clive Dunn, and Twelve Red-Bearded Dwarfs, played by "Little People" suitably made up. One case involved the dwarfs suing themselves, so Mr. Justice Cocklecarrot rendered a judgement that they should apologize to themselves. The sketch ended with the dwarfs singing a song by Billy Eckstine
  , "I apologize", at the tops of their voices.
• Readings from the lists of Huntingdonshire Cabmen, wherein Michael Redgrave solemnly walked to a lectern, donned his reading glasses and read the names, in alphabetical order, with great seriousness, as one might read the names of the dead at a war memorial.
• Odd inventions explained by Dr. Strabismus (whom God preserve) of Utrecht (Spike Milligan with a high quavering German accent).
• Capt. Foulenough, portrayed as a moustachioed lothario who gains illicit admission to various social events and then disrupts them e.g. proposing a toast at a dinner, then producing many slices of toasted bread which he launches in all directions at the assembled diners.
• Spoof commercials for "Snibbo", (acted by Julian Orchard, who also portrayed Roland Milk, the aesthetic poet), usually a washing soap with a tendency to remove stains, buttons and skin, and, with a sung jingle, "Threadgold's Thorough-grip Garterettes".
• The Filthistan Trio, a
  Music Hall
  act consisting of three 'Persians' and a plank.

Cast

This list is inevitably incomplete.

• Ann Lancaster
• Frank Thornton
• Spike Milligan
• Clive Dunn
• Michael Redgrave
• Julian Orchard
• Hattie Jacques
• George Benson^[9]
• Patricia Hayes^[10]

References

External links

• BBC page about The World of Beachcomber
• The World of Beachcomber at
  IMDb