Larry Stephens

HARRY: I'm Harry Secombe.
PETER: Secombe? How do you spell it?
HARRY: S. M. I. T. H.
PETER: Why do you spell it like that?
HARRY: I'm in disguise.
(Goon Show S4 E1, 2 Oct 1953. Script by Spike Milligan & Larry Stephens.)

I'm genuinely thrilled to discover that an episode of The Army Game written by my Larry Stephens @lsggbg.bsky.social with Maurice Wiltshire has been uploaded to ITVX as part of the 70th birthday celebrations

NED: A house!
BLOODNOK: It's a mirage.
NED: Nonsense... Let's go in. Eccles - search the house for food... Oh! It's vanished. You were right - a mirage.
BLOODNOK: I told you.
ECCLES: AHHHHH!
FX: CRASH OF BODY
BLOODNOK: What happened?
ECCLES: I was upstairs.
(Vintage Goons, 22 Sep 1958)

GLENDENNING: Determined to be the first man to fly, Pureheart climbed to the top of a tower & flapping his feathered wings, jumped off.
TIM: That day a new word was introduced to the language of science.
PUREHEART: Yes - crutches.
(Crazy People S1 E17, 20 Sep 1951 by Milligan, Stephens & Grafton)

A section of a photo taken on Tony Hancock's wedding day showing him with Larry Stephens.

Tony Hancock married Cicely Romanis on 18 Sep 1950. Here's a photo of him on the day with his Best Man, Larry Stephens.

A section of a photo taken on Tony Hancock's wedding day showing him with Larry Stephens.

Tony Hancock married Cicely Romanis on 18 Sep 1950. Here's a photo of him on the day with his Best Man, Larry Stephens.

MILLIGAN: I cut my finger opening a tin of beans.
SELLERS: You must use a tin opener in future.
(Crazy People S1 E16, 13 Sep 1951. Script by Spike Milligan, Larry Stephens and Jimmy Grafton)

Larry Stephens agreed! There was a temporary producer standing in for Roy Speer at the time and Larry wrote to the Asst. Head of Light Entertainment after the broadcast to say how horrified he was at the "senseless cuts" and at the messing about by the cast that had been left in.

ECCLES: Hulloo there! Everybody! Look at me!
NED: I say, Eccles - 1st class! How did you get ashore?
ECCLES: I walked across this log!
NED: You fool! That's an alligator!
ECCLES: Oh! I wondered why my leg kept getting shorter!
(Crazy People S1 E15, 6 Sep 1951. Script by Milligan, Stephens & Grafton)

Section of end credits from the programme which reads, "The BBC wishes to thank The Peter Sellers Estate; Shepperton Studios; Bryan Connon; St. Aloysius College; Mervyn Heard; Keith Wilton/Filmtek; THE GOON SHOW PRESERVATION SOCIETY; Philip Kemp; Wimbledon Theatre; Graftons; Lumiere Pictures; Rank Film Distributors..."

Arena: The Peter Sellers Story
"The first of three films presenting a portrait of one of the world's greatest comic actors, tracing his life from childhood to a successful post-war career with the Goons and more."
www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/epis...

WAITRESS: Are you from HQ?
JONES: Yes.
W: Identify yourself.
J: Z076B.
W: Right. What do you want?
J: Is it safe to talk here?
W: Yes. What do you want?
J: Are you sure?
W: Quite sure.
J: Right... Beans on toast.
(Crazy People S1 E14, 30 Aug 1951. Script by Milligan, Stephens and Grafton.)

Front cover of Goon Show News, the quarterly magazine of The Goon Show Preservation Society. Issue number 190 dated September 2025.

Goon Show News 'goontents' which includes articles on the 100th anniversary of Peter Sellers; a soldier's Christmas; GSPS at Hebden Bridge; news from Milligan Lodge; R.I.P. Mike Coveney, founder; R.I.P. Mike Childs; Brad Ashton's memories; preservation report, three cheers for Bentine; BBC Sounds; an enacted Goon Show, a lost Goon Show performed, a kick up the archives and letters.

GSPS magazine no. 190 is out now, folks! If you're not a member yet, why not join today?
goonshow.org/gsps/join/

NOSDROVIAN: Are you Dr Jones, the eminent brain specialist?
JONES: Yes - but business is bad in England.
NOSDROVIAN: No work?
JONES: No brains.
(Crazy People S1 E13, 23 Aug 1951. Script by Spike Milligan, Larry Stephens and Jimmy Grafton.)

We are absolutely delighted that Hancock's first TV sketch series, The Tony Hancock Show, broadcast live on AR-TV in 1956 and never repeated, is going to be seen again thanks to Rewind TV. Written by Eric Sykes and Larry Stephens, cast includes June Whitfield, Clive Dunn and Dick Emery

Like that episode, it's by Milligan's regular co-writer Larry Stephens. I think we underrate Stephens' importance to the Goons, because we know Milligan's personality and can see it all over the show. But episodes like this show he was well capable of carrying the style and humour solo. #GoonForARun

PORRIDGE: How long have we been marching, Spalding?
SPALDING: Six hours, sir. And I think the horses are tired.
PORRIDGE: What makes you say that?
SPALDING: They're wearing pyjamas, sir.
(Crazy People S1 E12, 16 Aug 1951. Script by Spike Milligan, Larry Stephens & Jimmy Grafton.)

To whoever has sent me a Chat: I'm afraid I'm unable to read it without going through age verification which is something I shan't be doing

Come see us with TPTV in Hebden Bridge In June this year, an episode of The Footage Detectives on Talking Pictures TV was a Goon Show Special which featured our own Mark Cousins and some rare bits of Goon Madness film featuring Harry Se…

The Goon Show Preservation Society will be at the @talkingpicturestv.bsky.social‬ Festival of Film & TV Roadshow in Hebden Bridge on 13th October. Have a good day out and come say hello to us, all in one.
goonshow.org/2025/08/13/t...

BENTINE: Who do you think is going to find the money for such a hare-brained, fly-by-night, utterly idiotic scheme?
SELLERS: Who? The British government of course!

(Crazy People S1 E11, 9 Aug 1951. Script by Spike Milligan, Larry Stephens and Jimmy Grafton.)

JONES: For a week now I've been seeing black spots in front of my eyes.
HERSCHEL: Have you seen a psychiatrist?
JONES: No - only black spots.
(Crazy People S1 E10, 2 Aug 1951. Script by Spike Milligan, Larry Stephens & Jimmy Grafton.)

Haha! Very good!

NED: I transferred to the Cavalry & began training. 6 weeks of trotting, cantering & jumping. Arriving back from a 30-mile cross-country gallop we heard the news we'd been waiting for.
SPIKE: Men, tomorrow... We're being issued with horses!
(Crazy People 23 Jul 1951 by Milligan, Stephens & Grafton)

JONES: My family are huntin', shootin' and fishin' people.
HERSCHEL: Landed gentry?
JONES: No. Poachers.
(Crazy People S1 E8, 16 Jul 1951. Script by Spike Milligan, Larry Stephens and Jimmy Grafton)

A portion of very tasty-looking pork scratchings

I'd like to wish you all a bostin #BlackCountryDay! Here, have a photo of some pork scratchings to help you celebrate!

It’s All In The Mind by Julie Warren It’s All In The Mind: the Life & Legacy of Larry Stephens by Julie Warren As a fan of the highly esteemed Goon Show, I was delighted to see that a biography of Larry Stephens – a name I o…

Here's my review of the Larry Stephens biography. 😀 @thegsps.bsky.social

A logo of a book and the title Great Books, that deserve better

Being part of the whole Unbound saga has not been fun; one consolation has been the support of the many other authors involved.
And so, in that spirit, we've put together a list of some of the great books that now need publishers and agents. Please do share!

open.substack.com/pub/therebou...

Goon Show scripts for Peter Sellers found by University of York - British Comedy Guide Previously lost Goon Show material for Peter Sellers has been uncovered in the personal archive of comedy writers Ray Galton and Alan Simpson, held at the University of York.

‪Incredibly honoured to be performing 'Goon Show' material written for Peter Sellers by the legendary Galton & Simpson as part of @yorkfestofideas.bsky.social on 8th June. I'll be the first actor to perform this material since their original broadcast in 1954!

www.comedy.co.uk/radio/fyi/83...

They didn't even bother to send me a "seemingly impersonal email"!

28th May is National Goon Show Day folks! To receive a quarterly magazine AND be able to buy our exclusive Encyclopaedia Goonicus, JOIN US TODAY via the website and get a whopping 25% off an e-membership! Use the codeword: SPON. Offer only available to new members signing up between 28th May and 4th June 2025. Special offer membership valid for only one year. This offer is not available to lapsed members or members renewing their subscription.

28 May is #NationalGoonShowDay folks! Join us today via the website and get a whopping 25% off an e-membership*! Use the codeword: SPON.
*Offer only available to new members signing up by 4 June 2025. Valid for 1 year. Not available to lapsed members or for renewals.
goonshow.org/gsps/join/

BLOODNOK: Blast! The crocodile's drifting towards the other canoe. I'll ask them to tow it to the bank. (CALLS) Eccles!
ECCLES: Der, yeah?
BLOODNOK: Will you give that crocodile a tow?
ECCLES: Why me? He's had 3 of mine already.
(Goon Show S2 E16, 13 May 1952. Script by Milligan & Stephens.)