Frankie Howerd: A BBC Radio Vintage Comedy Collection

Titters galore as Frankie and his star guests entertain

Frankie Howerd’s unique brand of witty drollery made him a master of comedy for over 40 years, from his radio debut on the BBC Variety Bandbox in 1946 to his appearances in Up Pompeii! and the Carry On films and his sell-out one-man theatre shows. Now you can enjoy his comic genius in this timeless radio collection from the 1960s and ’70s.

Here are ten shows first broadcast in 1966 on the Light Programme and previously thought lost, in which ‘The King of Titters’ mixes stand-up, sketches and saucy anecdotes with plenty of audience banter. In three Radio 2 series from 1973, 1974 and 1975, Frankie embarks on his memoirs, taking us through his wartime escapades, the ‘special lessons’ he learned in London’s Soho, his amorous adventures in the police force and his time managing struggling football club Stonehenge Wednesday. He also recalls tracing an heiress in the Yukon, solves a crime on a train and pays tribute to Tchaikovsky.

Make yourself comfortable as the legendary comedian, ably assisted by stars including June Whitfield, Wallas Eaton, Robertson Hare, Bob Todd, Ray Fell and Dilys Laye, titters and teeters through his eventful life and illustrious career: from soup to nuts. Ooh! No! Missus…

With thanks to Keith Wickham and the Radio Circle and Kaleidoscope

NB: Some of the language and humour on this recording reflects the era in which it was first broadcast, and due to the age of the source material, the sound quality may vary.

Production credits Starring Frankie Howerd

The Frankie Howerd Show Series 1 With June Whitfield, Wallas Eaton and Robertson Hare Written by Charles Hart and Peter Bishop Produced by Bill Worsley

First broadcast on the BBC Light Programme on the following dates: Episode 1, 24 July 1966 Episode 2, 31 July 1966 Episode 3, 7 August 1966 Episode 4, 14 August 1966 Episode 5, 21 August 1966 Episode 6, 28 August 1966 Episode 7, 4 September 1966 Episode 8, 11 September 1966 Episode 9, 18 September 1966 Episode 10, 25 September 1966

Frankie Howerd – Memoirs Series 2 With June Whitfield, Bob Todd, Geoffrey Beevers, John Samson, Ray Fell, Michael Kilgarriff and Kate Binchy Written by David McKellar and David Nobbs Music by the Bill McGuffie Quartet Produced by David Hatch

First broadcast on BBC Radio 2 on the following dates: Episode 1, 10 June 1973 Episode 2, 17 June 1973 Episode 3, 24 June 1973 Episode 4, 1 July 1973 Episode 5, 8 July 1973 Episode 6, 15 July 1973 Episode 7, 22 July 1973

Series 3 With June Whitfield, Bob Todd, Marjorie Rhodes, Hugh Ross, Ray Fell, Madi Hedd, Denis McCarthy, Chris Emmett and Michael Segal Written by David McKellar and David Nobbs Music by the Bill McGuffie Quartet Produced by David Hatch

First broadcast on BBC Radio 2 on the following dates: Episode 1, 27 October 1974 Episode 2, 3 November 1974 Episode 3, 10 November 1974 Episode 4, 17 November 1974 Episode 5, 24 November 1974 Episode 6, 1 December 1974 Episode 7, 8 December 1974

Series 4 With Ray Fell, Barbara Mitchell, Christopher Scoular, April Walker, Dilys Laye, Norma Ronald and Timothy Davies Written by David McKellar and David Nobbs Music from the Boston Barbers Produced by John Browell

First broadcast on BBC Radio 2 on the following dates: Episode 1, 28 September 1975 Episode 2, 5 October 1975 Episode 3, 12 October 1975 Episode 4, 19 October 1975 Episode 5, 26 October 1975 Episode 6, 2 November 1975

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© 2025 BBC Digital Audio (Lydbog): 9781529918250

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Lydbog: 18. december 2025