Back From Holiday (Aired October 14, 1956)
Tony Hancock starred as an exaggerated version of his own character, a down-at-heel comedian living at the dilapidated 23 Railway Cuttings in East Cheam. Sid James played a criminally-inclined confidante who usually managed to con Hancock, while Bill Kerr appeared as Hancock's dim-witted Australian lodger. Moira Lister also appeared in the first series before being replaced by Andrée Melly for the next two, both playing love interests for Hancock's character. In the fourth and fifth series, Hattie Jacques played Griselda Pugh, live-in secretary to Hancock and occasional girlfriend of Sid James. The series broke from the variety tradition dominant in British radio comedy into the sitcom or Situation comedy genre. Instead of sketches, guest stars and musical interludes, humour developed from the characters and situations. The domestic situation varied, Hancock usually portrayed as unemployed or a hopeless, down-at-heel comedian. Sid was always on the fiddle in some way. Bill was dim and virtually unemployable (though he started as a fast-talking American-type Australian). Miss Pugh, Hancock's secretary, had such a loose job description that she cooked Sunday lunch.
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