- published: 19 Feb 2009
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Terence Alan "Spike" Milligan KBE (16 April 1918 – 27 February 2002) was a comedian, writer and actor. The son of an Irish father and an English mother, his early life was spent in India where he was born. The majority of his working life was spent in the United Kingdom. He disliked his first name and began to call himself "Spike" after hearing a band on Radio Luxembourg called Spike Jones and his City Slickers.
Milligan was the co-creator, main writer and a principal cast member of The Goon Show, performing a range of roles including the popular Eccles and Minnie Bannister characters. Milligan wrote and edited many books, including Puckoon and his seven-volume autobiographical account of his time serving during the Second World War, beginning with Adolf Hitler: My Part in His Downfall. He is also noted as a popular writer of comical verse; much of his poetry was written for children, including Silly Verse for Kids (1959). After success with the groundbreaking British radio programme, The Goon Show, Milligan translated this success to television with Q5, a surreal sketch show which is credited as a major influence on the members of Monty Python's Flying Circus. He was the oldest, longest lived and last surviving member of the Goons.
Actors: Miriam Margolyes (actress), Alison Steadman (actress), Heidi Klum (actress), Geoffrey Rush (actor), Emilia Fox (actress), Peter Vaughan (actor), Steve Pemberton (actor), Ray Donn (actor), John Lithgow (actor), Nigel Havers (actor), Stephen Fry (actor), Stanley Tucci (actor), Mackenzie Crook (actor), Emily Watson (actress), Charlize Theron (actress),
Plot: The professional and personal life of actor and comedian 'Peter Sellers (I)' (qv) was a turbulent one. His early movie fame was based primarily on his comic characterizations, often of bumbling and foreign-accented persons, characters which he embodied. As his movie fame rose, he began to lose his own personal identity to his movie characters, leading to self-doubt of himself as a person and a constant need for reassurance and acceptance of his work. This self-doubt manifested itself in fits of anger and what was deemed as arrogance by many. In turn, his personal relationships began to deteriorate as his characterizations were continually used to mask his problems. His first wife, Anne Howe, left/divorced him and his relationships with his parents and children became increasingly distant. His relationship with his second wife, Swedish actress 'Britt Ekland' (qv), was based on this mask. In his later life, he tried to rediscover himself and his career with what would become his penultimate film role, that of Chance in _Being There (1979)_ (qv).
Keywords: 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, acting, actor, actress, adultery, airplane-trip, animated-credits, animated-sequenceActors: Spike Milligan (actor), Bob Todd (actor), Spike Milligan (writer), Jim Dale (actor), Phyllis Townshend (miscellaneous crew), Arthur Lowe (actor), Anthony Booth (actor), Windsor Davies (actor), Wilfred Burns (composer), Bill Maynard (actor), Jim Norton (actor), John Forgeham (actor), Geoffrey Hughes (actor), Ewan Roberts (actor), Tony Selby (actor),
Plot: London, 1940. Aspiring jazz musician and future comedy legend Terence "Spike" Milligan reluctantly obeys his call-up and joins the Royal Artillery regiment at Bexhill, where he begins training to take part in the War. But along the way Spike and his friends get involved in many amusing - and some not-so amusing - scrapes. Based on the first volume of Milligan's war memoirs.
Keywords: based-on-book, independent-filmSpike Milligan's funny acceptance speech for his lifetime achievement award at the British Comedy Awards 1994. He refers to the Prince of Wales as a grovelling bastard.
Spike Milligan is the Godfather of British alternative comedy. He pioneered revolutionary radio comedy with the creation of The Goon Show and went on to be a major influence on Monty Python's Flying Circus with his innovative "Q" series. The BBC have done a spectacularly poor job of honouring his legacy with very small amounts of Spike's material making it to DVD. I will be uploading what little has made it to DVD in order to share Spike's brilliance via YouTube in the highest quality possible.
20th October 1989, and Spike Milligan and Harry Secombe are being interviewed on the live BBC1 chat show "Wogan" (hosted this week by Joanna Lumley while Terry Wogan was on holiday). There's the usual measure of lunacy from the two ex-Goons, and then something genuinely unexpected and unplanned happens... Joanna Lumley clearly isn't too sure what do to, but Spike deals with the situation as only Spike can.
The only surviving colour episode of Q5 - Transmitted April 14th 1969 on BBC2.
Spike Milligan`s life story. Documentary.
Educational Enjoy Original video: James Whale, No copyright infringement intended
Q ... is a surreal television comedy sketch show written by Spike Milligan and Neil Shand, and starring Spike Milligan with a number of supporting players, usually including Julia Breck, John Bluthal, Bob Todd, and John Wells. The show ran from 1969 to 1982 on BBC2. There were six series in all, the first five numbered from Q5 to Q9, and a final series titled There's a Lot of It About. The first and third series ran for seven episodes, and the others for six episodes, each of which was 30 minutes long.
Spike Milligan is the focus of this extract from an episode of the Bob Monkhouse-hosted ITV series What A Performance! Each episode of the series addressed a different style of comic performer and in this final instalment, first broadcast 15 August 2000, the emphasis was on 'Madcap' comedians. Milligan's absurdist and non-conformist brilliance is celebrated in this segment of the show, taking in The Goons, the Q series and There's A Lot Of It About, but there is also an acknowledgement by several contributors of the problematic nature of some of Milligan's material in terms of ethnic stereotypes. Contributors include David Baddiel, Danny Baker, Tim Brooke-Taylor, Harry Hill, Clive James, Terry Jones and John Thomson.
Spike Milligan is the Godfather of British alternative comedy. He pioneered revolutionary radio comedy with the creation of The Goon Show and went on to be a major influence on Monty Python's Flying Circus with his innovative "Q" series. The BBC have done a spectacularly poor job of honouring his legacy with very small amounts of Spike's material making it to DVD. I will be uploading what little has made it to DVD in order to share Spike's brilliance via YouTube in the highest quality possible.
Part of the special "Wogan's Radio Fun" program broadcast on 30 December 1987. Terry Wogan interviews Spike Milligan and Harry Secombe about The Goons.
David Dimbleby interviews Spike Milligan for an edition of 'Face Your Image'. Transmitted on BBC2, 1975.
Made by Christopher Swann for the Eclipse with the Mike Diprose and the Sloane Square Syncopators with musos dancing with girls, the legendary head banging of Tommy Pearson and the talents of Louise Germaine and cast of thousand plus the sea
Des O'Connor Tonight, 08/02/1995 - the old Goon Spike Millian chit-chats. Not my copyright - just sharing found ephemera.
Epilogue from Q - The Reverend Joseph Stenkely Vicar by appointment Her Majesty's Forces
CURRY AND CHIPS THE COMPLETE SERIES (15) is considered to be one of the most controversial situation comedies ever committed on television screens. Written by John Speight (Till Death do us Part) and based on an idea by Spike Milligan, this notorious series reflects the widespread and overt prejudices of its time. CURRY AND CHIPS attempts to confront bigotry in daily life by caricaturing it, and will inevitably shock in its language and single-minded focus on race. Forty years after its initial screening, the series is made available for the first time in DVD format, available to buy on 19th April 2010, RRP £14.99. For more information go to http://www.networkdvd.net/product_info.php?products_id=1131
David Dimbleby interviews Spike Milligan for an edition of 'Face Your Image'. Transmitted on BBC2, 1975.
Part of the special "Wogan's Radio Fun" program broadcast on 30 December 1987. Terry Wogan interviews Spike Milligan and Harry Secombe about The Goons.
Des O'Connor Tonight, 08/02/1995 - the old Goon Spike Millian chit-chats. Not my copyright - just sharing found ephemera.
20th October 1989, and Spike Milligan and Harry Secombe are being interviewed on the live BBC1 chat show "Wogan" (hosted this week by Joanna Lumley while Terry Wogan was on holiday). There's the usual measure of lunacy from the two ex-Goons, and then something genuinely unexpected and unplanned happens... Joanna Lumley clearly isn't too sure what do to, but Spike deals with the situation as only Spike can.
Spike Milligan evades an interview with Michael Barrymore. This is the encounter referred to during Barrymore's recent RTE appearance.
A fairly rare interview with Spike by Clive Anderson. It seems that every Clive Anderson interview I have involves someone who's now dead!
Rare interview about depression with Spike Milligan. James Whale
Robert Robinson studio interview with the writer and actor Spike Milligan. As he is asked questions, Milligan's chair moves around the studio apparently of it's own accord to great comic effect.
Educational Enjoy Original video: James Whale, No copyright infringement intended
Clive Anderson Talks Back, 01/12/1995. Old Goon Again. Not my copyright - just sharing found ephemera.
The Clive James Show, 02/07/1995 - the old Goon Spike Milligan chit-chats again. Not my copyright - just sharing found ephemera.
This 1996 BBC Omnibus documentary about Spike Milligan includes considerable footage of and interviews with the great comedian himself, as well as earlier archival film, audio and photos, contributions from colleagues such as Harry Secombe, Norma Farnes, Eric Sykes and Dennis Main Wilson, plus interviews with his children Laura, Jane, Sile and Sean. This is arguably the best doco on Spike recorded and broadcast before his death.
Cure for sea sickness: Sit under a tree
From the Kinolibrary archive film collections. To order the clip clean and high res visit http://www.kinolibrary.com. Clip ref DW009515 1990s Spike Milligan Interview with Selina Scott
The only surviving colour episode of Q5 - Transmitted April 14th 1969 on BBC2.
The only surviving colour episode of Q5 - Transmitted April 14th 1969 on BBC2.
Spike Milligan`s life story. Documentary.
Q ... is a surreal television comedy sketch show written by Spike Milligan and Neil Shand, and starring Spike Milligan with a number of supporting players, usually including Julia Breck, John Bluthal, Bob Todd, and John Wells. The show ran from 1969 to 1982 on BBC2. There were six series in all, the first five numbered from Q5 to Q9, and a final series titled There's a Lot of It About. The first and third series ran for seven episodes, and the others for six episodes, each of which was 30 minutes long.
David Dimbleby interviews Spike Milligan for an edition of 'Face Your Image'. Transmitted on BBC2, 1975.
This one-hour BBC documentary from 1987 is a highly entertaining journey with that unpredictable and crazy funny-man, Spike Milligan, who takes us to some special places in his adopted and beloved big country, ‘My Australia’. Spike welcomes us to his home-town of Woy Woy on the NSW Central Coast, and introduces us to his lovely old Mum and other friends in the area. One notable lady is the late ‘Aunty’ Beverley Spiers, who knew Spike for many years and - was once engaged to him! In this film, our renowned Anglo-Irish comedian shows that he is just an ordinary person, and we also see what makes him laugh. Spike’s friendly and engaging personality coupled with his casual way of talking to his audiences, makes us feel like we are right there with him. He is as familiar as an eccentric uncl...
Spike Milligan rare stand up show. mid 80`s
This is a special request upload for my friend...
In 1972, Spike Milligan's book Adolf Hitler, My Part In His Downfall was made into a "Hitlarious" movie. However, like most book to film adaptations, this one suffered the curse of having not much of the book actually in it. When you take out all the non-booky bits from the 98 minute movie what you're left with is this 30 minute clip show. Even that running time is with a padded out 5 mile run sequence.
This 1996 BBC Omnibus documentary about Spike Milligan includes considerable footage of and interviews with the great comedian himself, as well as earlier archival film, audio and photos, contributions from colleagues such as Harry Secombe, Norma Farnes, Eric Sykes and Dennis Main Wilson, plus interviews with his children Laura, Jane, Sile and Sean. This is arguably the best doco on Spike recorded and broadcast before his death.
The Goon Show - Rommel's Treasure Broadcast 25th October 1955 Starring: Peter Sellers, Spike Milligan, Harry Secombe with Wallace Greenslade. **Please Note: Musical interludes by Max Geldray and Ray Ellington have been edited out of this version.** (Original broadcast by the BBC)
Alf has never hidden his prejudice towards immigrants and is taken aback when his new neighbour, Kevin O'Grady, offers his family champagne at their local pub. Kevin, known as "Paki-Paddy", is the son of an Indian mother and an Irish father and takes all of Alf's bigoted opinions in good spirit and gives Alf his own vision of Britain's future - then tries to sell him some watches!
The first of only three remaining s of Spike Milligan's Q5. Episode 2, transmitted 31.3.1969. The only surviving colour of Q5 - Transmitted April . The first of only three remaining s of Spike Milligan's Q5. Episode 2, transmitted 31.3.1969. The first of only three remaining s of Spike Milligan's Q5. Episode 2 . The second of only three remaining s of Spike Milligan's Q5. Episode 3, transmitted 7.4.1969. The first of only three remaining s of Spike . The third of only three remaining s of Spike Milligan's Q5, and the only to exist in colour. Episode 4, transmitted 14.4.1969. The first of only three .
Episode from 1988 including: The Brothers Demented, Status Quo performing "Burning Bridges", Magic from Pendragon, Adam Faith, Spike Milligan and Jennifer Rush sings "You're my one and only" and duets with Des on "Power of Love" **I do not own copyright on this clip but have uploaded as a matter of interest without ownership, any copyright issues then please let me know and i will remove, thank you.**
Spike Milligan , author and comedian, has always had a secret passion for archaeology. He's been on digs all round the world. Tonight he explores his own neighbourhood of East Sussex