Camelot (Goodies episode)
Encyclopedia
Camelot is an episode of the British
comedy
television series The Goodies
— a BAFTA
-nominated series for Best Light Entertainment Programme.
As always, the episode was written by members of The Goodies.
. Bill points out that King Arthur is not Tim's uncle, and Tim responds, "okay, Arthur King", and goes on to point out that his uncle's name is King Arthur on his birth certificate — although Tim does admit that there is a comma between "King" and "Arthur". And the uncle does look 'kingish', and he does live at Camelot
— not "Camelot" in Bill's sense, but "Camelot" as in 31 Acacia Road, Wessex
(well .... Solihull
). Graeme and Bill mock Tim about it, and Graeme asks Tim if his aunt is Queen Guinevere, and Tim answers "No, of course she's not Queen Guinevere — she's Queen Doris". Tim's other relatives include his Uncle Sir Lancelot, and a parson
(the Venerable Bede).
Tim's Uncle King Arthur's heralds signal their arrival by blowing their trumpets, and deliver the letter to Tim by hand. Uncle King Arthur writes that he is having trouble with the local Town Planner, and asks Tim to look after "Camelot" while he and the family are on holiday, saying that he will make Tim the Earl
of Northumbria
, if Tim succeeds in keeping "Camelot" out of the Town Planner's hands.
Then, the Town Planner arrives (accompanied by two of his clerks — standover men), and he asks the Goodies to sign a release for "Camelot" to be handed over to him (following which "Camelot" can be demolished
and replaced by a super-highway). Graeme decides that they should fight for "Camelot".
When the Goodies arrive at "Camelot", which is located in an ordinary suburban street, they are surprised to find that "Camelot" is, indeed, a real castle — complete with drawbridge and moat. Graeme is determined to keep "Camelot" safe, and he decides to open the castle to the public to help with its financial upkeep. Bill walks into the room dressed in medieval
clothes — Tim arrives dressed as a jester, and immediately tells lots of jester jokes. Then, Tim and Bill sing (and dance) a duet of the Morecambe and Wise
song "Bring Me Sunshire".
The Town Planner then arrives at "Camelot", and Bill signs over the castle to him, saying that Tim's uncle and aunt would like a 'two up, two down'. Graeme is horrified at what Bill has done, and says that Bill should not have sold the castle. Graeme refuses to hand the castle over to the Town Planner, saying that everyone who comes to the castle has to be dressed in medieval clothes. The Town Planner says that he will be back and take over the castle by vacant possession. Graeme says that they do not intend to leave the castle. However, a fire-breathing dragon
, and a woman's screams, succeed in making the Goodies do so. While they are outside, rescuing the 'damsel in distress
' from the dragon, the Town Planner returns (dressed as the Black Knight
in a suit of medieval armour
) — he takes over the vacant castle and sends the Goodies to the torture chamber
to force their consent, but fails.
To regain the castle, the Goodies fight the Town Planner and his clerks by archery
, swordsmanship
and jousting
(with the Goodies riding their trandem, instead of a horse). The Goodies and their adversaries also fight other medieval contests and, surprisingly, the Goodies end up winning the 'battle' — so they are able to hold onto the castle for Tim's relatives.
King Arthur and Queen Doris and their family then return from their holiday and everything returns to normal at "Camelot" — or does it????
Quote 2
Notices on the wall
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
comedy
Comedy
Comedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in...
television series The Goodies
The Goodies (TV series)
The Goodies is a British television comedy series of the 1970s and early 1980s. The series, which combines surreal sketches and situation comedy, was broadcast by BBC 2 from 1970 until 1980 — and was then broadcast by the ITV company LWT for a year, between 1981 to 1982.The show was...
— a BAFTA
British Academy of Film and Television Arts
The British Academy of Film and Television Arts is a charity in the United Kingdom that hosts annual awards shows for excellence in film, television, television craft, video games and forms of animation.-Introduction:...
-nominated series for Best Light Entertainment Programme.
As always, the episode was written by members of The Goodies.
Plot
Tim says that he is expecting a letter from his Uncle King ArthurKing Arthur
King Arthur is a legendary British leader of the late 5th and early 6th centuries, who, according to Medieval histories and romances, led the defence of Britain against Saxon invaders in the early 6th century. The details of Arthur's story are mainly composed of folklore and literary invention, and...
. Bill points out that King Arthur is not Tim's uncle, and Tim responds, "okay, Arthur King", and goes on to point out that his uncle's name is King Arthur on his birth certificate — although Tim does admit that there is a comma between "King" and "Arthur". And the uncle does look 'kingish', and he does live at Camelot
Camelot
Camelot is a castle and court associated with the legendary King Arthur. Absent in the early Arthurian material, Camelot first appeared in 12th-century French romances and eventually came to be described as the fantastic capital of Arthur's realm and a symbol of the Arthurian world...
— not "Camelot" in Bill's sense, but "Camelot" as in 31 Acacia Road, Wessex
Wessex
The Kingdom of Wessex or Kingdom of the West Saxons was an Anglo-Saxon kingdom of the West Saxons, in South West England, from the 6th century, until the emergence of a united English state in the 10th century, under the Wessex dynasty. It was to be an earldom after Canute the Great's conquest...
(well .... Solihull
Solihull
Solihull is a town in the West Midlands of England with a population of 94,753. It is a part of the West Midlands conurbation and is located 9 miles southeast of Birmingham city centre...
). Graeme and Bill mock Tim about it, and Graeme asks Tim if his aunt is Queen Guinevere, and Tim answers "No, of course she's not Queen Guinevere — she's Queen Doris". Tim's other relatives include his Uncle Sir Lancelot, and a parson
Parson
In the pre-Reformation church, a parson was the priest of an independent parish church, that is, a parish church not under the control of a larger ecclesiastical or monastic organization...
(the Venerable Bede).
Tim's Uncle King Arthur's heralds signal their arrival by blowing their trumpets, and deliver the letter to Tim by hand. Uncle King Arthur writes that he is having trouble with the local Town Planner, and asks Tim to look after "Camelot" while he and the family are on holiday, saying that he will make Tim the Earl
Earl
An earl is a member of the nobility. The title is Anglo-Saxon, akin to the Scandinavian form jarl, and meant "chieftain", particularly a chieftain set to rule a territory in a king's stead. In Scandinavia, it became obsolete in the Middle Ages and was replaced with duke...
of Northumbria
Northumbria
Northumbria was a medieval kingdom of the Angles, in what is now Northern England and South-East Scotland, becoming subsequently an earldom in a united Anglo-Saxon kingdom of England. The name reflects the approximate southern limit to the kingdom's territory, the Humber Estuary.Northumbria was...
, if Tim succeeds in keeping "Camelot" out of the Town Planner's hands.
Then, the Town Planner arrives (accompanied by two of his clerks — standover men), and he asks the Goodies to sign a release for "Camelot" to be handed over to him (following which "Camelot" can be demolished
Demolition
Demolition is the tearing-down of buildings and other structures, the opposite of construction. Demolition contrasts with deconstruction, which involves taking a building apart while carefully preserving valuable elements for re-use....
and replaced by a super-highway). Graeme decides that they should fight for "Camelot".
When the Goodies arrive at "Camelot", which is located in an ordinary suburban street, they are surprised to find that "Camelot" is, indeed, a real castle — complete with drawbridge and moat. Graeme is determined to keep "Camelot" safe, and he decides to open the castle to the public to help with its financial upkeep. Bill walks into the room dressed in medieval
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
clothes — Tim arrives dressed as a jester, and immediately tells lots of jester jokes. Then, Tim and Bill sing (and dance) a duet of the Morecambe and Wise
Morecambe and Wise
Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise, usually referred to as Morecambe and Wise, or Eric and Ernie, were a British comic double act, working in variety, radio, film and most successfully in television. Their partnership lasted from 1941 until Morecambe's death in 1984...
song "Bring Me Sunshire".
The Town Planner then arrives at "Camelot", and Bill signs over the castle to him, saying that Tim's uncle and aunt would like a 'two up, two down'. Graeme is horrified at what Bill has done, and says that Bill should not have sold the castle. Graeme refuses to hand the castle over to the Town Planner, saying that everyone who comes to the castle has to be dressed in medieval clothes. The Town Planner says that he will be back and take over the castle by vacant possession. Graeme says that they do not intend to leave the castle. However, a fire-breathing dragon
Dragon
A dragon is a legendary creature, typically with serpentine or reptilian traits, that feature in the myths of many cultures. There are two distinct cultural traditions of dragons: the European dragon, derived from European folk traditions and ultimately related to Greek and Middle Eastern...
, and a woman's screams, succeed in making the Goodies do so. While they are outside, rescuing the 'damsel in distress
Damsel in distress
The subject of the damsel in distress, or persecuted maiden, is a classic theme in world literature, art, and film. She is usually a beautiful young woman placed in a dire predicament by a villain or monster and who requires a hero to achieve her rescue. She has become a stock character of fiction,...
' from the dragon, the Town Planner returns (dressed as the Black Knight
Black Knight (Arthurian legend)
The Black Knight is the title given to several characters in Western literature. In Arthurian legend he is a knight who tied his wife to a tree after hearing she had exchanged rings with Perceval...
in a suit of medieval armour
Armour
Armour or armor is protective covering used to prevent damage from being inflicted to an object, individual or a vehicle through use of direct contact weapons or projectiles, usually during combat, or from damage caused by a potentially dangerous environment or action...
) — he takes over the vacant castle and sends the Goodies to the torture chamber
Torture chamber
A torture chamber is a room where torture is inflicted.- Methods of coercion :According to Frederick Howard Wines in his book Punishment and Reformation: A Study Of The Penitentiary System there were three main types of coercion employed in the torture chamber: Coercion by the cord, by water and...
to force their consent, but fails.
To regain the castle, the Goodies fight the Town Planner and his clerks by archery
Archery
Archery is the art, practice, or skill of propelling arrows with the use of a bow, from Latin arcus. Archery has historically been used for hunting and combat; in modern times, however, its main use is that of a recreational activity...
, swordsmanship
Swordsmanship
Swordsmanship refers to the skills of a swordsman, a person versed in the art of the sword. The term is modern, and as such was mainly used to refer to smallsword fencing, but by extension it can also be applied to any martial art involving the use of a sword...
and jousting
Jousting
Jousting is a martial game or hastilude between two knights mounted on horses and using lances, often as part of a tournament.Jousting emerged in the High Middle Ages based on the military use of the lance by heavy cavalry. The first camels tournament was staged in 1066, but jousting itself did not...
(with the Goodies riding their trandem, instead of a horse). The Goodies and their adversaries also fight other medieval contests and, surprisingly, the Goodies end up winning the 'battle' — so they are able to hold onto the castle for Tim's relatives.
King Arthur and Queen Doris and their family then return from their holiday and everything returns to normal at "Camelot" — or does it????
Quotes
Quote 1-
-
- Graeme (singing):
-
- "Roll up, roll up to Camelot in 1973
- And tour the Middle AgesMiddle AgesThe Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
for only 50p"
-
Quote 2
-
-
- Tim (as the jester): "Once a KnightKnightA knight was a member of a class of lower nobility in the High Middle Ages.By the Late Middle Ages, the rank had become associated with the ideals of chivalry, a code of conduct for the perfect courtly Christian warrior....
, always a knight, - Bill: "Twice a night ..."
- Tim and Bill (together): "... and you're doing all right!"
- Tim (as the jester): "Once a Knight
-
Notices on the wall
-
-
- "An Englishman's castle is his home."
- "You don't have to be mad to live here, but it helps."
-
Spoofs and cultural references
- King ArthurKing ArthurKing Arthur is a legendary British leader of the late 5th and early 6th centuries, who, according to Medieval histories and romances, led the defence of Britain against Saxon invaders in the early 6th century. The details of Arthur's story are mainly composed of folklore and literary invention, and...
- CamelotCamelotCamelot is a castle and court associated with the legendary King Arthur. Absent in the early Arthurian material, Camelot first appeared in 12th-century French romances and eventually came to be described as the fantastic capital of Arthur's realm and a symbol of the Arthurian world...
- The Black KnightBlack Knight (Arthurian legend)The Black Knight is the title given to several characters in Western literature. In Arthurian legend he is a knight who tied his wife to a tree after hearing she had exchanged rings with Perceval...
- Woody WoodpeckerWoody WoodpeckerWoody Woodpecker is an animated cartoon character, an anthropomorphic acorn woodpecker who appeared in theatrical short films produced by the Walter Lantz animation studio and distributed by Universal Pictures...
- Morecambe and WiseMorecambe and WiseEric Morecambe and Ernie Wise, usually referred to as Morecambe and Wise, or Eric and Ernie, were a British comic double act, working in variety, radio, film and most successfully in television. Their partnership lasted from 1941 until Morecambe's death in 1984...
— (and their song "Bring Me Sunshine") - Frankie HowerdFrankie HowerdFrancis Alick "Frankie" Howerd OBE was an English comedian and comic actor whose career, described by fellow comedian Barry Cryer as "a series of comebacks", spanned six decades.-Early career:...
— (jester jokes etc) - Black and White MinstrelsThe Black and White Minstrel ShowThe Black and White Minstrel Show was a British light entertainment show that ran on BBC television from 1958-1978 and was a popular stage show. It was a weekly light entertainment and variety show presenting traditional American minstrel and Country songs, as well as show and music hall numbers,...
- Town planner — who does actually have the power to appropriate other people's property for public works.
- Torture chamberTorture chamberA torture chamber is a room where torture is inflicted.- Methods of coercion :According to Frederick Howard Wines in his book Punishment and Reformation: A Study Of The Penitentiary System there were three main types of coercion employed in the torture chamber: Coercion by the cord, by water and...