Sketches from the classic BBC Radio comedy

Round the Horne: The Complete Julian & Sandy

Kenneth Williams and Hugh Paddick star as the notorious resting thespians in this hilarious collection of sketches from Round the Horne.

Kenneth Williams and Hugh Paddick are the notorious resting thespians in this hilarious collection of sketches from Round the Horne. 
 
'Oh, hello. I'm Julian, and this is my friend Sandy...' 
 
Through four series of Round the Horne, Julian and Sandy graced each episode with an encounter with 'that nice Mr Horne'. Each week they'd be up to new tricks, from filmmaking (Bona Prods) to a travel agency ('something exciting in a cheap package') and a 'bijou restaurantette' (La Casserole de Bona Gourmet). 
 
In these 48 lally-trembling scenarios, Jools and Sand cater for the intimate at 'omey in Bona Caterers, shake hands with a prospective member in Keep Britain Bona, set themselves up as Bona Tax Consultants and teach the world to talk proper in Bona School of Languages. Plus, they reveal to Mr Horne just what Julian received on his last birthday... 
 
This fantabulosa selection of Julian and Sandy sketches is brimming with sparkling repartee, gloriously camp humour and outrageous innuendo. So don't be strange - come on in, rest your lallies and let your riah down with two of the best pros in the business. 
 
Content warning: the humour in this programme reflects the era in which it was broadcast and may not reflect current attitudes. 
 
©2016 BBC Worldwide Ltd. (P)2016 BBC Worldwide Ltd.

Barry Took was born in London in 1928. An early career as a stand-up comedian and sketch writer led to his first radio script credit, for Beyond Our Ken. From there he went on to create Round the Horne with Marty Feldman, whilst on television he wrote for series including Bootsie and Snudge and The Army Game. Amongst a variety of later jobs in front of and behind the camera, Took wrote and presented Points of View on BBC1 and also chaired BBC radio’s The News Quiz. He wrote a number of books, including The Complete and Utter History of Round the Horne and his autobiography A Point of View. He died in 2002.

Kenneth Williams and Hugh Paddick are the notorious resting thespians in this hilarious collection of sketches from Round the Horne. 
 
'Oh, hello. I'm Julian, and this is my friend Sandy...' 
 
Through four series of Round the Horne, Julian and Sandy graced each episode with an encounter with 'that nice Mr Horne'. Each week they'd be up to new tricks, from filmmaking (Bona Prods) to a travel agency ('something exciting in a cheap package') and a 'bijou restaurantette' (La Casserole de Bona Gourmet). 
 
In these 48 lally-trembling scenarios, Jools and Sand cater for the intimate at 'omey in Bona Caterers, shake hands with a prospective member in Keep Britain Bona, set themselves up as Bona Tax Consultants and teach the world to talk proper in Bona School of Languages. Plus, they reveal to Mr Horne just what Julian received on his last birthday... 
 
This fantabulosa selection of Julian and Sandy sketches is brimming with sparkling repartee, gloriously camp humour and outrageous innuendo. So don't be strange - come on in, rest your lallies and let your riah down with two of the best pros in the business. 
 
Content warning: the humour in this programme reflects the era in which it was broadcast and may not reflect current attitudes. 
 
©2016 BBC Worldwide Ltd. (P)2016 BBC Worldwide Ltd.

16 episodes of the groundbreaking BBC Radio comedy

Round the Horne: The Complete Series Three

Kenneth Horne, Kenneth Williams, Betty Marsden and Hugh Paddick star in 20 episodes of the anarchic 1960s radio comedy.

Kenneth Horne, Kenneth Williams, Betty Marsden and Hugh Paddick star in 20 episodes of the anarchic 1960s radio comedy. 
 
Round the Horne arrived on BBC radio in 1965, bringing laughter to Sunday lunchtimes throughout the land. It carved a niche in the history of broadcast comedy, a sketch show which prodded the boundaries of propriety and innuendo. At its heart was the suave and upstanding Kenneth Horne, around which revolved the multiple naughty personas of Kenneth Williams, Betty Marsden, Hugh Paddick and Bill Pertwee. 
 
Among the parade of regular characters were Julian and Sandy, the camp couple of resting thespians happy to turn their hands to anything, Rambling Syd Rumbo the musical cordwangler, Fiona and Charles the passionate duo, and J. Peasemold Gruntfuttock the world's dirtiest man. Meanwhile regular film parodies, spoof sagas and musical interludes peppered the mix. 
 
Round the Horne earned its place in the annals of comedy history, and is fondly remembered today as a groundbreaking series that influenced many more to come. 
 
Content warning: the humour in this programme reflects the era in which it was broadcast and may not reflect current attitudes. 
 
©2015 BBC Worldwide Ltd (P)2015 BBC Worldwide Ltd

Barry Took was born in London in 1928. An early career as a stand-up comedian and sketch writer led to his first radio script credit, for Beyond Our Ken. From there he went on to create Round the Horne with Marty Feldman, whilst on television he wrote for series including Bootsie and Snudge and The Army Game. Amongst a variety of later jobs in front of and behind the camera, Took wrote and presented Points of View on BBC1 and also chaired BBC radio’s The News Quiz. He wrote a number of books, including The Complete and Utter History of Round the Horne and his autobiography A Point of View. He died in 2002. 
 
Marty Feldman was born in London in 1933. He left school aged 15 to become a jazz trumpeter, but fell into show business with a Marx Brothers-style stage act. His meeting with Barry Took in 1954 led to a prolific writing partnership on radio shows including Round the Horne and The Army Game. A move into television saw Feldman writing for The Frost Report and At Last! The 1948 Show. An on-screen appearance in the latter led to his becoming an overnight star; a sketch show for British TV was followed by success in America and numerous film appearances, including Young Frankenstein. He died in 1982, aged 49.

Kenneth Horne, Kenneth Williams, Betty Marsden and Hugh Paddick star in 20 episodes of the anarchic 1960s radio comedy. 
 
Round the Horne arrived on BBC radio in 1965, bringing laughter to Sunday lunchtimes throughout the land. It carved a niche in the history of broadcast comedy, a sketch show which prodded the boundaries of propriety and innuendo. At its heart was the suave and upstanding Kenneth Horne, around which revolved the multiple naughty personas of Kenneth Williams, Betty Marsden, Hugh Paddick and Bill Pertwee. 
 
Among the parade of regular characters were Julian and Sandy, the camp couple of resting thespians happy to turn their hands to anything, Rambling Syd Rumbo the musical cordwangler, Fiona and Charles the passionate duo, and J. Peasemold Gruntfuttock the world's dirtiest man. Meanwhile regular film parodies, spoof sagas and musical interludes peppered the mix. 
 
Round the Horne earned its place in the annals of comedy history, and is fondly remembered today as a groundbreaking series that influenced many more to come. 
 
Content warning: the humour in this programme reflects the era in which it was broadcast and may not reflect current attitudes. 
 
©2015 BBC Worldwide Ltd (P)2015 BBC Worldwide Ltd

15 episodes of the groundbreaking BBC radio comedy

Round the Horne: The Complete Series Two

Kenneth Horne, Kenneth Williams, Betty Marsden and Hugh Paddick star in 15 episodes of the anarchic 1960s radio comedy.

Kenneth Horne, Kenneth Williams, Betty Marsden and Hugh Paddick star in 15 episodes of the anarchic 1960s radio comedy. 
 
Round the Horne arrived on BBC radio in 1965, bringing laughter to Sunday lunchtimes throughout the land. Over the course of sixteen weekly episodes it carved a niche in the history of broadcast comedy, a sketch show which prodded the boundaries of propriety and innuendo. At its heart was the suave and upstanding Kenneth Horne, around which revolved the multiple naughty personas of Kenneth Williams, Betty Marsden, Hugh Paddick and Bill Pertwee. 
 
Among the parade of regular characters were ulian and Sandy, the camp couple of resting thespians happy to turn their hands to anything; Rambling Syd Rumbo, the musical cordwangler; Fiona and Charles, the passionate duo; and J. Peasemold Gruntfuttock, the world's dirtiest man. Meanwhile regular film parodies, spoof sagas and musical interludes peppered the mix. 
 
Round the Horne earned its place in the annals of comedy history, and is fondly remembered today as a groundbreaking series that influenced many more to come. Here the entire second series can be enjoyed once again, plus the 1966 Christmas episode, 'The Hunchback of Notre Dame' and a special Transcription Services episode 'The Man With The Golden Thunderball'. 
 
Content warning: the humour in this programme reflects the era in which it was broadcast and may not reflect current attitudes. 
 
©2015 BBC Worldwide Ltd (P)2015 BBC Worldwide Ltd

Kenneth Horne, Kenneth Williams, Betty Marsden and Hugh Paddick star in 15 episodes of the anarchic 1960s radio comedy. 
 
Round the Horne arrived on BBC radio in 1965, bringing laughter to Sunday lunchtimes throughout the land. Over the course of sixteen weekly episodes it carved a niche in the history of broadcast comedy, a sketch show which prodded the boundaries of propriety and innuendo. At its heart was the suave and upstanding Kenneth Horne, around which revolved the multiple naughty personas of Kenneth Williams, Betty Marsden, Hugh Paddick and Bill Pertwee. 
 
Among the parade of regular characters were Julian and Sandy, the camp couple of resting thespians happy to turn their hands to anything; Rambling Syd Rumbo, the musical cordwangler; Fiona and Charles, the passionate duo; and J. Peasemold Gruntfuttock, the world's dirtiest man. Meanwhile regular film parodies, spoof sagas and musical interludes peppered the mix. 
 
Round the Horne earned its place in the annals of comedy history, and is fondly remembered today as a groundbreaking series that influenced many more to come. Here the entire second series can be enjoyed once again, plus the 1966 Christmas episode, 'The Hunchback of Notre Dame' and a special Transcription Services episode 'The Man With The Golden Thunderball'. 
 
Content warning: the humour in this programme reflects the era in which it was broadcast and may not reflect current attitudes. 
 
©2015 BBC Worldwide Ltd (P)2015 BBC Worldwide Ltd

Round the Horne: The Complete Series One

Kenneth Horne, Kenneth Williams, Betty Marsden and Hugh Paddick star in 16 episodes of the anarchic 1960s radio comedy.

Kenneth Horne, Kenneth Williams, Betty Marsden and Hugh Paddick star in 16 episodes of the anarchic 1960s radio comedy. 
 
Round the Horne arrived on BBC radio in 1965, bringing laughter to Sunday lunchtimes throughout the land. Over the course of sixteen weekly episodes it carved a niche in the history of broadcast comedy, a sketch show which prodded the boundaries of propriety and innuendo. At its heart was the suave and upstanding Kenneth Horne, around which revolved the multiple naughty personas of Kenneth Williams, Betty Marsden, Hugh Paddick and Bill Pertwee. 
 
Among the parade of regular characters were Julian and Sandy, the camp couple of resting thespians happy to turn their hands to anything, Rambling Syd Rumbo the musical cordwangler, Fiona and Charles the passionate duo, and J. Peasemold Gruntfuttock the world's dirtiest man. Meanwhile regular film parodies, spoof sagas and musical interludes peppered the mix. 
 
Round the Horne earned its place in the annals of comedy history, and is fondly remembered today as a groundbreaking series that influenced many more to come. Here the entire first series can be enjoyed once again. 
 
Content warning: the humour in this programme reflects the era in which it was broadcast and may not reflect current attitudes. 
 
©2014 BBC Worldwide Ltd (P)2014 BBC Worldwide Ltd

Kenneth Horne, Kenneth Williams, Betty Marsden and Hugh Paddick star in 16 episodes of the anarchic 1960s radio comedy. 
 
Round the Horne arrived on BBC radio in 1965, bringing laughter to Sunday lunchtimes throughout the land. Over the course of sixteen weekly episodes it carved a niche in the history of broadcast comedy, a sketch show which prodded the boundaries of propriety and innuendo. At its heart was the suave and upstanding Kenneth Horne, around which revolved the multiple naughty personas of Kenneth Williams, Betty Marsden, Hugh Paddick and Bill Pertwee. 
 
Among the parade of regular characters were Julian and Sandy, the camp couple of resting thespians happy to turn their hands to anything, Rambling Syd Rumbo the musical cordwangler, Fiona and Charles the passionate duo, and J. Peasemold Gruntfuttock the world's dirtiest man. Meanwhile regular film parodies, spoof sagas and musical interludes peppered the mix. 
 
Round the Horne earned its place in the annals of comedy history, and is fondly remembered today as a groundbreaking series that influenced many more to come. Here the entire first series can be enjoyed once again. 
 
Content warning: the humour in this programme reflects the era in which it was broadcast and may not reflect current attitudes. 
 
©2014 BBC Worldwide Ltd (P)2014 BBC Worldwide Ltd

The Best Of Round The Horne

Two complete programmes compiled from the funniest excerpts of the first radio series, broadcast in 1965, written by Barry Took and Marty Feldman.

A word from the producer about Round the Horne: 'I'm Julian, and this is my friend Sandy' - the line with which two of the characters in Round the Horne regularly introduced themselves. But the questions most people asked me, as producer of the series, were 'Who plays which?' and 'What are they really like, Messrs Kenneth Horne &amp; Co?' These notes offer a good opportunity to answer both questions. Kenneth Horne played himself. He was the perfect anchor man. The central role in this kind of programme needed a rare blend of character: charm, warmth, sense of humour and generosity in letting others get laughs at your expense were a few of the qualities required. Kenneth Horne had all of these plus an avuncular manner which somehow lent responsibility to a series which, in its day, might otherwise have been labelled outrageous. Perhaps it had something to do with his appearance. Certainly his bald head glinted with responsibility, and it also explains why we called him the uncrowned head of our show. Kenneth Williams played Rambling Syd Rumpo, Gruntfuttock, Sandy and Dr Chou en Ginsberg MA (Failed). 'I need to be serviced' was one of Kenneth's lines - and the writers duly obliged him with many other comic roles. His temperamental protests about his lines in the show gave many the impression that he might also be difficult at rehearsal. In truth, he was totally the professional, dedicated to his work and, incidentally, the quickest 'study' I had ever met, giving an instant performance at his very first reading. Hugh Paddick played Charles, Brown-Horrocks, Julian and, in the radio equivalent of drag, Lotus Blossom. Best-remembered perhaps will be his character nick-named Dentures, whose sibilants gave trouble to him and a bath to anyone without an umbrella! During the laughter which always accompanied the Julian and Sandy spot, I always felt a tinge of sympathy for Julian. Hugh made sure of this by his usual attention to the detail of his characterisation, making Julian submissive and vulnerable, particularly about 'his friend Gordon', in contrast to Sandy's determination to make him 'purge himself' about the whole affair. Betty Marsden played trendy columnist Daphne Whitethigh, terribly terribly affected Fiona and every other female role with which Kenneth Williams, versatile as he was, could not cope. Sophisticated, delightfully theatrical and highly talented, Betty extracted every titter, giggle and belting laugh from everything the writers provided for her, 'many, many times' as she would say. Bill Pertwee played all the remaining roles including the whispering gossip columnist Jocelyn Pettibone and two (thinly disguised) send-ups of TV personalities: Seamus Android and Rife Hobertson. Douglas Smith was our regular BBC announcer whose establishment manner developed such a large following among the audience that the writers were forced to provide him with his own funny lines, all delivered with great seriousness - and perfect timing. Barry Took and Marty Feldman were the writers and creators of Round the Horne. Each had a totally different approach to comedy from the other, but combined they made one of radio's greatest writing teams. They even invented two new languages - a homespun one full of 'grommits' and 'trossops' for Rambling Syd and the other a special 'palare' of 'eeks, vadas and lallies' for Julian and Sandy. John Simmonds, producer.

The Best of Round the Horne stars Kenneth Horne, ‘the uncrowned head of the show’; Kenneth Williams, who played Rambling Syd Rumpo, Gruntfuttock, Sandy and Dr. Chou en Ginsberg M.A. (Failed); Hugh Paddick (Charles, Brown-Horrocks, Julian and Lotus Blossom); Betty Marsden (Daphne Whitethigh and terribly, terribly affected Fiona); and Bill Pertwee (Jocelyn Pettibone and two thinly disguised ‘send-ups’, Seamus Android and Rife Hobertson). Vintage Beeb: classic albums first available as BBC LPs, now on CD for the first time ever. This recording was previously released on LP in 1975, and subsequently on the cassette Round the Horne Volume 1. 
 
1 CD. 45 mins.

Classics from the BBC Radio comedy

Round the Horne: Movie Spoofs

As one of the most consistently funny radio series of the 1960s, Round The Horne was always a favourite among listeners to the BBC Light Programme's comedy hour on Sundays. 
With its colourfully bizarre collection of characters and memorable catchphrases, its brilliantly inventive and sometimes outrageous scripts, Round The Horne was a unique chapter in the history of radio comedy. 
Listen to Round the Horne's homage to the cinema. Starring Kenneth Horne and a galaxy of Hornographic celebrities impersonated by Kenneth Williams, Hugh Paddick, and Betty Marsden. 
You'll listen many, many times to these all-time screen classics: Around the World in Ten Minutes, Apache Story, Knights Of Camelot, Journey to Uranus, and many more. 
Content warning: the humour in this programme reflects the era in which it was broadcast and may not reflect current attitudes. 
 
©1995, 2001 BBC Worldwide Ltd (P)1995, 2001 BBC Worldwide Ltd

As one of the most consistently funny radio series of the 1960s, Round The Horne was always a favourite among listeners to the BBC Light Programme's comedy hour on Sundays. 
With its colourfully bizarre collection of characters and memorable catchphrases, its brilliantly inventive and sometimes outrageous scripts, Round The Horne was a unique chapter in the history of radio comedy. 
Listen to Round the Horne's homage to the cinema. Starring Kenneth Horne and a galaxy of Hornographic celebrities impersonated by Kenneth Williams, Hugh Paddick, and Betty Marsden. 
You'll listen many, many times to these all-time screen classics: Around the World in Ten Minutes, Apache Story, Knights Of Camelot, Journey to Uranus, and many more. 
 
Content warning: the humour in this programme reflects the era in which it was broadcast and may not reflect current attitudes. 
 
©1995, 2001 BBC Worldwide Ltd (P)1995, 2001 BBC Worldwide Ltd

Barry Took

Marty Feldman

Full Cast

Kenneth Williams

Kenneth Horne

A collection of rare material from the classic BBC Radio comedy

A fascinating and hilarious collection of archive rarities - plus two restored episodes - from the much loved BBC radio comedy series 
 
Starring Kenneth Horne, Kenneth Williams, Hugh Paddick, Betty Marsden and Bill Pertwee, Round the Horne breathed daring new life over the BBC radio airwaves from 1965 to 1968, a madcap mix of daring double entendres, captivating characters and bawdy badinage. 
 
In this exhaustive collection of rare material, two complete episodes - Series 1, Episode 5 and Series 1, Episode 15 - are presented complete and remastered, alongside a cornucopia of previously unpublished segments from the series' original run. 
 
©2017 BBC Worldwide Ltd. (P)2017 BBC Worldwide Ltd. 
 
In addition there's a host of rarities from the BBC Sound Archive and other sources, including the cast's appearance on Sounds Familiar and Kenneth Horne's autobiographical turn on The Time of My Life, both from 1968. These are followed by A Tribute to Kenneth Horne from 1969, Round and Round the Horne from 1977, and Horne of Plenty from 2004. There's also a selection of rarely heard interviews with cast and writers, two sketches in celebration of Much Binding in the Marsh, and more. 
 
Content warning: the humour in this programme reflects the era in which it was broadcast and may not reflect current attitudes.

Marty Feldman

Round the Horne: A Compendium

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