One year before 'Monty Python' get hold of the King Arthur legend, 'The Goodies' gave us their take on it ( well, sort of ).
Tim receives a letter from his Uncle King Arthur ( real name: Arthur King ), who thinks he is the King Arthur of legend. Married to Queen Doris, he ( along with Uncle Sir Lancelot ) lives in a house in 33 Acacia Road, Solihull, which has been made to resemble a medieval castle, replete with moat and drawbridge.
Uncle King Arthur wants to go to Bognor, and requests that The Goodies mind 'Camelot' for the duration of the trip. They throw themselves into the spirit of the thing by dressing in appropriate clothing - Graeme as a minstrel, Tim a jester, and Bill wearing a coat of arms ( that is, arms of the sort used to connected one's hands to one's body ). In lieu of a codpiece he wears a packet of frozen fish fingers.
Graeme decides to throw 'Camelot' open to the public. In a few short hours, they have the public queueing to rescue damsels in distress, hear the twitter of medieval minstrels ( of the black and white variety ), and see The Royal Boar ( on wheels ).
But an evil Town Planner ( Alfie Bass ) wants to demolish 'Camelot' for redevelopment purposes and when the Goodies refuse to sign it over, he sends them to the Torture Chamber...
The fourth series of 'The Goodies' got off to a good start with this rollicking episode, although it would not be until the following year that they entered what might be termed their 'Golden Age'. Alfie Bass is marvellous fun here; watch his malignant glee as he prepares to inflict untold pain on our heroes. He would, of course, reappear ( as a different character ) in the classic 'The Goodies & The Beanstalk'.
Listen out for the applause when the dog's name - 'Spot' - is mentioned. This was a reference to a long-running gag in the radio series 'I'm Sorry I'll Read That Again'.
Plenty of ye olde puns and jolly japes to get the most jaded viewer groaning ( and grinning ). I love the episode's other 'Torture Chamber' - a potty with spikes! Yes, there's even a fire-breathing dragon, but it turns out to be two men from Solihull Council in a costume!
Funniest moment - the Town Planner asks for a pair of red-hot pokers. He picks them up the wrong way and burns his own hands!
Tim receives a letter from his Uncle King Arthur ( real name: Arthur King ), who thinks he is the King Arthur of legend. Married to Queen Doris, he ( along with Uncle Sir Lancelot ) lives in a house in 33 Acacia Road, Solihull, which has been made to resemble a medieval castle, replete with moat and drawbridge.
Uncle King Arthur wants to go to Bognor, and requests that The Goodies mind 'Camelot' for the duration of the trip. They throw themselves into the spirit of the thing by dressing in appropriate clothing - Graeme as a minstrel, Tim a jester, and Bill wearing a coat of arms ( that is, arms of the sort used to connected one's hands to one's body ). In lieu of a codpiece he wears a packet of frozen fish fingers.
Graeme decides to throw 'Camelot' open to the public. In a few short hours, they have the public queueing to rescue damsels in distress, hear the twitter of medieval minstrels ( of the black and white variety ), and see The Royal Boar ( on wheels ).
But an evil Town Planner ( Alfie Bass ) wants to demolish 'Camelot' for redevelopment purposes and when the Goodies refuse to sign it over, he sends them to the Torture Chamber...
The fourth series of 'The Goodies' got off to a good start with this rollicking episode, although it would not be until the following year that they entered what might be termed their 'Golden Age'. Alfie Bass is marvellous fun here; watch his malignant glee as he prepares to inflict untold pain on our heroes. He would, of course, reappear ( as a different character ) in the classic 'The Goodies & The Beanstalk'.
Listen out for the applause when the dog's name - 'Spot' - is mentioned. This was a reference to a long-running gag in the radio series 'I'm Sorry I'll Read That Again'.
Plenty of ye olde puns and jolly japes to get the most jaded viewer groaning ( and grinning ). I love the episode's other 'Torture Chamber' - a potty with spikes! Yes, there's even a fire-breathing dragon, but it turns out to be two men from Solihull Council in a costume!
Funniest moment - the Town Planner asks for a pair of red-hot pokers. He picks them up the wrong way and burns his own hands!