TV Tuesday: A Good Idea, Son! 1953
Seventy years, ago, today, the TV Special A Good Idea, Son! aired on BBC at 9:30pm. A musical comedy, written by Eric Sykes, it starred Max Bygraves (host & presenter), Belita (The Ice Maiden), Bob Dixon (pianist), the George Mitchell Singers, Peter Glover, The King Brothers, Lillemor Knudsen and Jean Marsh. It was an hour long program in black & white. There are no pictures from the show but, I did manage to find a short YouTube clip of Max Bygraves singing the title song. Bygraves is also associated with the Educating Archie Radio Show. As with many early television shows, there is not much written about it. ~Vic
Additional:
♦ A Good Idea, Son! (British Comedy Guide)
♦ Max Bygraves (Evening Standard/09-01-2012)
♦ Eric Sykes In His Own Words (BBC News/07-04-2012)
♦ Educating Archie (Vinny’s Mislaid Comedy Heroes)
♦ Educating Archie (Vintage Comedy Corner)
13 thoughts on “TV Tuesday: A Good Idea, Son! 1953”
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May 9, 2023 at 6:56 PM
“There are no pictures from the show” – a far cry from today where every person’s sneeze is captured and cataloged somewhere on the Internet. This show’s a bit far back for me, but a catchy little tune.
May 9, 2023 at 9:18 PM
As a rather “early” Gen-Xer, I remember the days before privacy was thrown out of the window in favor of notoriety. Whoever it is that maintains the IMDb, they certainly have access to data that the average person doesn’t.
May 9, 2023 at 8:06 PM
You got me on this one… nice little bouncy number though.
May 9, 2023 at 9:19 PM
Just digging around in IMDb. I plug in a date and a category…TV or Movie.
May 9, 2023 at 9:25 PM
They are interesting…also I would like to see some pilot shows from the 70s and 80s that didn’t make it…it would be interesting.
I just wrote a post on a song that was connected to a TV Movie in 1973….called Sunshine. Based on a sad true story.
May 9, 2023 at 9:41 PM
When I don’t load myself down with too many headings, I used to do more TV shows. For 2023, I go in five year increments for shows…2018, 2013, 2008… Hopefully, I will be able to find something interesting for 1958. The BBC seems to have more TV stuff than the US does.
Is it posted, yet or is it in line behind the other 75 posts?
May 9, 2023 at 9:48 PM
it’s with the other posts… hey….I get writers block bad at times so when the inspiration hits…I take it. Now I can go a few weeks blocked lol.
It is the John Denver Sunshine on my Shoulders… it’s the most interesting post I have coming up.
May 10, 2023 at 2:14 AM
I remember Sunshine, now that I think about it. The story is based on Lyn Helton. I had forgotten that the twins from Little House were in it, as well as Bill Mumy.
I don’t get writer’s block. I am not much of a writer to begin with. I could never write a book or short story. I can recount a personal experience, when something triggers the memory. Write like Rowling? Never.
May 10, 2023 at 9:18 AM
Yes…she listened ot John Denver music…it was so sad…plus in the post I wrote about him talking at the PMRC hearing in Washington about censorship…. he was the hero of that day for rock music although no one respected him.
May 10, 2023 at 6:52 PM
That’s a show I never heard of.
May 10, 2023 at 8:01 PM
Not many have.
May 11, 2023 at 9:27 PM
Wow this brought memories back. One of my parents, can’t remember which, hated Max Bygraves. The TV was switched off as soon as he came on.
May 12, 2023 at 1:02 AM
Goodness…