It's almost impossible to believe that Tony Hancock has been gone longer than he was here.
On 24 June it is exactly 55 years since Hancock, having recorded three episodes of a new television series in Australia, took his final pill and swallowed his final swig of alcohol. He was 44. The scribbled note he left behind read simply: "Things just seemed to go too wrong too many times."
In terms of Hancock's professional career, it has long been seen by cultural historians as a slow, lingering death. The end was a far cry from those halcyon days of BBC radio and television half hours that were so popular in the late 1950s that they could empty pubs.
However, in those last eight years of desperately trying and for the most part - succeeding in making people laugh, Tony Hancock had many more hits than misses. The 1960s were far from a depressing decade of decline for this most precise, microscopic satirist of the British way of life.
Hancock had tried to reinvent himself; tried to discover the nugget of truth at the heart of every joke; tried to separate out that single, humorous grain that made him so uniquely funny. Fatal, in retrospect, but laudable none the less.
In the process, Hancock whittled away his core, classic radio repertory company of Bill Kerr, Hattie Jacques, and Kenneth Williams; moved on from the perceived double act with Sid James; and ultimately distanced himself from those Midas touch scriptwriters Ray Galton and Alan Simpson.
Still, by the time of his death, Hancock had reluctantly returned to the diluted essence of the situation comedy grouch that had made his name, basking in reflected glory of repeats of his greatest shows on Australian television, and endeavouring to make some new ones. Very much in the same style.
ãã®èšäºã¯ Best of British ã® June 2023 çã«æ²èŒãããŠããŸãã
7 æ¥éã® Magzter GOLD ç¡æãã©ã€ã¢ã«ãéå§ããŠãäœåãã®å³éžããããã¬ãã¢ã ã¹ããŒãªãŒã9,000 以äžã®éèªãæ°èã«ã¢ã¯ã»ã¹ããŠãã ããã
ãã§ã«è³Œèªè ã§ã ?  ãµã€ã³ã€ã³
ãã®èšäºã¯ Best of British ã® June 2023 çã«æ²èŒãããŠããŸãã
7 æ¥éã® Magzter GOLD ç¡æãã©ã€ã¢ã«ãéå§ããŠãäœåãã®å³éžããããã¬ãã¢ã ã¹ããŒãªãŒã9,000 以äžã®éèªãæ°èã«ã¢ã¯ã»ã¹ããŠãã ããã
ãã§ã«è³Œèªè ã§ã? ãµã€ã³ã€ã³
Animal Magic
Hilary Middleton recalls a children's author whose tales are still enjoyed today
BACK IN TIME WITH COLIN BAKER
BoB's very own Time Lord prepares for an alternative to panto, recalls his early reading choices and having his scenes cut from two cutting edge comedies
Marvels in Miniature
Claire Saul learns about the exquisite works on display at a new exhibition being held at a historic Georgian mansion
The Last Post
Michael Foley witnessed the end of an era
The Box of Delights
Chris Hallam remembers how his Christmas 40 years ago was lit up by a magical television drama
The Queen of Stage and Screen
Chris Hallam pays tribute to actress Dame Maggie Smith
Other 07
Jonathan Sothcott looks at the seven Sir Roger Moore films that you should have in your collection
In the Best Possible Taste
Derek Lamb remembers the wireless wizardry of Kenny Everett
POSTCARD FROM BUCKINGHAMSHIRE
Bob Barton remembers a ghostly train journey, enjoys some wassailing and fulfils a long-held ambition of attending a lawnmower festival
MERCY MISSION
John Greeves recounts the remarkable exploits of Sunderland flying boat T9114