{"product_id":"book-hhtn","title":"Hancock’s Half Hour: The Marriage Bureau","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe first ever publication of a long-lost episode of \u003ci\u003eHancock's Half Hour\u003c\/i\u003e, featuring Peter Sellers - plus bonus material\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eLegendary sitcom \u003ci\u003eHancock's Half Hour\u003c\/i\u003e ran for 102 episodes on BBC Radio between 1954 and 1959. Over 20 shows were subsequently lost - but now one of the funniest and most sought-after, 'The Marriage Bureau', has been rediscovered. The penultimate episode of Series 1, it features a unique appearance from Peter Sellers, standing in for Kenneth Williams. Available for the first time since its original broadcast in 1955, it sees Hancock looking for a job - and a wife...\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAlongside it is a fascinating documentary, \u003ci\u003eRaiders of the Lost Archive\u003c\/i\u003e, in which Keith Wickham - the Indiana Jones of archiving - and fellow treasure-hunters discuss the thrilling, complex work of locating and restoring missing radio classics. Plus, there's a surviving extract from the lost \u003ci\u003eHancock's Half Hour\u003c\/i\u003e episode, 'The New Year Resolutions', and a previously unreleased documentary, \u003ci\u003eH-H-H-Happy Birthday Hancock, \u003c\/i\u003ein which Andrew Sachs presents an affectionate tribute to The Lad Himself with contributions from Denis Norden, Ray Galton, Alan Simpson, John Freeman and Sid James.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cu\u003eCredits\u003c\/u\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eHancock's Half Hour\u003c\/i\u003e written by Ray Galton and Alan Simpson\u003cbr\u003eProduced by Dennis Main Wilson\u003cbr\u003eThanks to Tessa Le Bars, Martin Gibbons, Keith Wickham, Richard Harrison, the Radio Circle and the Tony Hancock Appreciation Society.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cu\u003e'The \u003c\/u\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cu\u003eMarriage Bureau'\u003c\/u\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eStarring Tony Hancock, Bill Kerr, Moira Lister, Sidney James and Peter Sellers\u003cbr\u003eAnnouncer: Adrian Waller\u003cbr\u003eTheme and incidental music composed by Wally Stott. Recorded by the BBC Revue Orchestra conducted by Harry Rabinowitz\u003cbr\u003eSound restoration by Keith Wickham\u003cbr\u003eFirst broadcast BBC Light Programme, 8 February 1955\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cu\u003eRaiders of the Lost Archive\u003c\/u\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePresented by Keith Wickham\u003cbr\u003eWritten and edited by Keith Wickham and James Peak\u003cbr\u003eWith special thanks to the Radio Circle, Richard Harrison, Roger Bickerton, Mark Ayres, Steve Arnold, Tom Hercock, Hannah Ratford and all at BBC Archives in Caversham\u003cbr\u003eProduced by James Peak\u003cbr\u003eAn Essential Radio production for BBC Radio 4\u003cbr\u003eFirst broadcast BBC Radio 4, 13 October 2022\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cu\u003eExtract from 'The New Year Resolutions'\u003c\/u\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eStarring Tony Hancock, Bill Kerr, Sidney James and Kenneth Williams\u003cbr\u003eSound restoration by Jon Street\u003cbr\u003eFirst broadcast BBC Light Programme, 4 January 1956\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eNB: Due to the age and off-air nature of this recording, the sound quality may vary\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cu\u003eH-H-H Happy Birthday Hancock\u003c\/u\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePresented by Andrew Sachs\u003cbr\u003eWith contributions from Denis Norden, Ray Galton, Alan Simpson, John Freeman and Sid James, and excerpts from \u003ci\u003eHancock's Half Hour\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003eProduced by Richard Edis\u003cbr\u003eFirst broadcast BBC Radio 2, 11 May 1999\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e©2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Penguin UK","offers":[{"title":"Audiobook","offer_id":49354410230064,"sku":"BDhhtn","price":14.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0879\/2784\/9264\/files\/399720-hhtn-Square.jpg?v=1734364596","url":"https:\/\/downpour.com\/products\/book-hhtn","provider":"Downpour","version":"1.0","type":"link"}