Tony Hancock, door mat or best ever comedian behind a mike?

[A380]

Well,

Was Tony's character just a door mat for others to dominate and or was he the funniest artist behind a mike?

 

[Pickman's model]

Thought you'd put in a poll

 

[editor]

Great comedian, wrong forum.

 

[mojo pixy]

Rik Mayall owed him more than a little for the character of Richie in Bottom.

 

[A380]

For the rest of time this will be the Tony Hancock thread and yet the title and my first post will make no sense in a week's time.

I feel remorseful already.

 

[belboid]

For the rest of time this will be the Tony Hancock thread and yet the title and my first post will make no sense in a week's time.

I feel remorseful already.

You didn’t even get a mention of the sainted Sheila in, shame on you

 

[weltweit]

A pint, that's nearly an armfull!

 

[Argonia]

Why was poor old Tony so depressed?

 

[planetgeli]

Why was poor old Tony so depressed?

Genius + alcohol

 

[Argonia]

Genius + alcohol

Poor chap.

 

[belboid]

Genius + alcohol

No, neither of those cause depression. One is a (terrible) way of dealing with it and the others a way of trying to understand and overcome it.

 

[littlebabyjesus]

A pint, that's nearly an armfull!

very nearly an armful

As Galton and Simpson were very keen to point out, these were all their words. Hancock didn't improvise.

However, they rather showed up how good Hancock was with their Paul Merton remakes.

 

[JimW]

Railway cutting would fit with the agenda of our present less likeable Hancock too.

 

[two sheds]

particularly from 23:55 when he returns to the programme in triumph

 

[planetgeli]

No, neither of those cause depression. One is a (terrible) way of dealing with it and the others a way of trying to understand and overcome it.

I may have been slightly flippant in my desire to compose an answer in two words and a symbol.

Genius and depression are often from the same glass. Alcohol compounds depression.

 

[editor]

This sounds good but how they hell do I view the Gold TV channel?

Jack Dee Fronts Tony Hancock – Very Nearly an Armful Documentary For Gold

Jack Dee will front brand-new retrospective documentary Tony Hancock - Very Nearly an Armful, which looks at the life and career of comedy legend Tony Hancock for Gold. Additionally, Gold has commissioned episodes from Hancock's BBC series' to be exclusively colourised and available to view once...

beyondthejoke.co.uk

The original 'armful' gag

 

[editor]

Sid James speaks very fondly of Hancock

 

[Puddy_Tat]

This sounds good but how they hell do I view the Gold TV channel?

pay for it - it's not on freeview

 

[blossie33]

Us Brummies are proud of him



Great comedian and actor but a troubled person.

 

[editor]

pay for it - it's not on freeview

I'll stick to the non colourised original versions then

 

[two sheds]

Interesting interview, ta Sid James comes across as really nice bloke and as he said Hancock's timing was wonderful.

Not sure why his character would be seen as a door mat, although James did take advantage creatively quite a lot as I recall. I've ripped all the Hancock and Goons episodes and was just thinking today that I should listen through them all.

 

[imposs1904]

Sid James speaks very fondly of Hancock

That was a lovely interview.

 

[ouirdeaux]

Not sure about the binary alternatives. Sometimes very funny, sometimes probably better at the time, because not everything keeps well, humour least of all. As I value anything amusing, I'm definitely in favour of him, but superlatives of all kinds are best avoided except for very specific reasons.