Customer Reviews
Hancock's Half Hour - The Collector's Edition - Series 1,2,3 & 5 - By: Mr. Mark P. Williams, 28 Aug 2007 
I was introduced to Hancock by my Grandparents many years ago when I the first heard The Blood Donor, being the most famous (but notin my opinion the best) show - from there on I was hooked & the collector's edition box sets that were eventually released were a dream come true!
Supporting Hancock throughout the first series were Sid James, Bill Kerr, Kenneth Williams & Moira Lista.
16 episodes were recorded by the BBC for the first series, broadcast between November 1954 & February 1955, however, only 10 survived at the time the box set was produced. 5 CD'sin individual sleeves include two shows per CD, & contain the following episodesin chronological order:
The First Night Party
The Idol
The Boxing Champion
The New Car
Cinderella Hancock
A Trip To France
The Monte Carlo Rally
A House On The Cliff
The Sheikh
The End Of The Series
Standout episodes for me are The First Night Party, A Trip To France & The End Of the Series, but all are thoroughly enjoyable & the whole package is well worthy of a 5 star rating.
Supporting Hancock throughout the second series were Sid James, Bill Kerr, Kenneth Williams & Andree Melly.
12 episodes were recorded by the BBC for the second series, broadcast between April 1955 & July 1955, however, only 5 survived at the time the box set was produced. 3 CD'sin individual sleeves include two shows per CD, & contain the following episodesin chronological order:
The Holiday Camp
The Chef That Dies of Shame
The Rail Strike
The Television Set
The Marrow Contest
Only The Rail Strike really stands out for me, & interestingly the first 4 lost episodes starred Harry Secombein Hancock's lead role, as Hancock `disappeared' with what apparently was diagnosed as a minor nervous breakdown.
Supporting Hancock throughout the third series, were Sid James, Bill Kerr, Kenneth Williams & Andree Melly.
20 episodes were recorded by the BBC for the third series, broadcast between October 1955 & February 1956, & only 8 survive. 10 CD'sin individual sleeves include two shows per CD, & contain the following episodesin chronological order:
The Pet Dog
The Jewel Robbery
The Bequest
Hancock's Hair
The Student Prince
The Greyhound Track
The Conjuror
The Test Match
The shows improved considerably from the second series, & The Jewel Robbery, The Bequest, Hancock's Hair, The Student Prince & The Conjuror are all standout episodes.
Supporting Hancock throughout the fifth series, were Sid James, Bill Kerr, Kenneth Williams & Hattie Jacques.
20 episodes were recorded by the BBC for the fifth series, broadcast between January 1958 & June 1958, & all 20 survive. 10 CD'sin individual sleeves include two shows per CD, & contain the following episodesin chronological order:
The New Radio series
The Scandal Magazine
The Male Suffragettes
The Insurance Policy
The Publicity Photograph
The Unexploded Bomb
Hancock's School
Around The World In Eighty Days
The Americans Hit Town
The Election Candidate
Hancock's Car
The East Cheam Drama Festival
The Foreign Legion
Sunday Afternoon At Home
The Grappling Game
The Junk Man
Hancock's War
The Prize Money
The Threatening Letters
The Sleepless Night
There are some top drawer episodesin this series, notably The Scandal Magazine, The Publicity Photograph, The Unexploded Bomb, The Americans Hit Town, The East Cheam Drama Festival, Sunday Afternoon At Home, The Grappling Game, Hancock's War, The Threatening Letters & The Sleepless Night.
Each set includes a CD sized 15 page booklet, which includes a synopsis of each episode, & biographies of the stars & writers.
I also recommend the book `Fifty Years of Hancock's Half Hour' by Richard Webber, ISBN 1-8441-3389-3, which tells the story of how the show was conceived, with detailed synopsis & information of every show produced.
Hancock's Half Hour Foursome - By: Callisto, 21 Apr 2007 
I was disappointed with this, to some degree. Hancock's War, & the Christmas Club, were poor quality episodes. The latter, was done on the cheap probably, as it had so few characters. I think, that the reason for there being 4 together, was because the first two, would not sell seperately.
The Lift & Twelve Angry Men, though funny, were obviously transferred, straight from the TV Episodes, judging by the amount of silences, punctuated by 'Canned Laughter,' seemingly.the Radio Versions, of these two, are, to me, funner, than the TV ones. I would have purchased only the latter two episodes, if possible, but the BBC Shop, offered even less choice oddly, as he was 'Their Star.'
I, & I suspect others, could empathize, with Hancock's feelings, about the smug producer,in 'The Lift. One thing, that struck me though, about all the Hancock Episodes, was the lack of any non white characters, evenin The Blood Donor, setin a London Hospital, which must have had some non whites. This episode,although funny, sees Tony become craven, when it is his turn It has become hackneyed, though through over exposure.
First outing for classic scripts - By: , 06 Jan 2006 This book was first publishedin 1974 & was the first appearance of the scriptsin print. This was just when the Hancock series were first being recognised as comedy art rather than throwaway TV, & Galton & Simpson were beginning to be regarded as great playwrights rather than just hack comedy scriptwriters. A long interview with them is included with this collection, which is well illustrated with stills. The episodes included are The Missing Page & The Reunion Party, which was from the last series of 'Hancock's Half Hour', & included Sid James, & Hancock Alone, The Bowmans & The Blood Donor from 'Hancock', the last series he did for the BBC.
Great but designed for TV not radio - By: Jeffrey Davis, 07 Mar 2004 This is vintage Hancock but be aware that the programmes were designed for TV broadcast & therefore some of the sequences don't work without the visuals,in particular the "Grimsby Pilchards" advertisement sequencein the marvellous "Bowmans" episode, one of the very greatest of Hancock's shows. "The Bedsitter" also suffersin this respect.
The "Blood Donor" & "Radio Ham" were subsequently remade for broadcast (in slightly more polished performances, also available on CD) but what we have here are the TV transmissions.
The comparatively short interview "Bonus disc" with Galton & Simpson consists of material that will be largely familiar for anyone who knows much about Hancock.
All the same this is highly recommended notwithstanding the reservations stated above & it is great to have Hancock's last great performance as "Old Joshua"in "The Bowmans" available on CD.
hancocks half hour season 4 - By: , 23 May 2003 The Genius of Hancock is bought to lifein this boxset as the Hancock team are well into their stide by now. hancock's best shows are evident here such as The school reunion the bolshoi ballet & the thirteenth of the series. Hancock's blend of timing & Galton & Simpsons brilliant writing are complemented by sid James Bill Kerr & the regular team. Hancock has blended truth & fiction & this collection takes you on a vivid journey to the world of tony Hancock which is locked away firmlyin the more innocent 1950's, The scripts & performances still however stand true today as they did then more than 50 years ago.Utter genius that will bring tears of joy & sadness to your eyesin equal measures as you laugh at the masters work while trying not to remember that there will never be another new hancock's Half Hour.
