Educating Archie
Encyclopedia
Educating Archie was a BBC Light Programme
comedy show broadcast from June 1950 to February 1958 on Sunday lunchtimes featuring ventriloquist Peter Brough
and his doll Archie Andrews
. The programme was successful despite a ventriloquist on radio seeming strange, though in the United States, Edgar Bergen
with Charlie McCarthy, had also undertaken radio work. Educating Archie averaged 15 million listeners, and a fan club boasted 250,000 members. In 1956 the programme transferred to television debuting on ITV
in 1958.
The show introduced comedians who became well known including Tony Hancock
as Archie's tutor, who would greet Archie with a weary "Oh, it's you again" and always replied to a put down by him with “flipping kids”. Other 'tutors' included Benny Hill
, Harry Secombe
, Dick Emery
, Bernard Bresslaw
, and Bruce Forsyth
together with a young Julie Andrews
as the girlfriend of Archie. Later, Beryl Reid
took this role, playing the St. Trinian-esque Monica with catch-phrases, "jolly hockey-stick" and "as the art-mistress said to the gardener". Beryl also played a young Brummie
girl, catch-phrase: "Evening each, moy noyme's Mar-leen".
Max Bygraves
later played Archie's tutor with catch-phrases, "I've arrived , and to prove it, I'm here" and "That's a good idea ... son!". The duo recorded songs from the show on the HMV
label namely "The Dummy Song" and "Lovely Dollar Lolly".
broadcast under the same name, the adapted ITV sitcom was broadcast 1958-59 and featured the ventriloquist's dummy Archie Andrews taking on life of its own, and talks and walks all over its creator Peter Brough
, aided and abetted by a housekeeper played by Irene Handl
, a non-paying lodger played by Freddie Sales (later Ray Barrett
), and a jack-of-all-trades, played by Dick Emery
.
BBC Light Programme
The Light Programme was a BBC radio station which broadcast mainstream light entertainment and music from 1945 until 1967, when it was rebranded as BBC Radio 2...
comedy show broadcast from June 1950 to February 1958 on Sunday lunchtimes featuring ventriloquist Peter Brough
Peter Brough
Peter Brough was an English radio ventriloquist who became a well-known name to audiences in the 1950s. He is associated with the puppet Archie Andrews.-Radio days:...
and his doll Archie Andrews
Archie Andrews (puppet)
Archie Andrews was a ventriloquist's dummy used by ventriloquist Peter Brough in a radio and television show in the UK in the 1950s and 1960s. In its radio format it was called Educating Archie. The bizarre concept of delivering a ventriloquist act, a visual humour, by radio, an audio medium,...
. The programme was successful despite a ventriloquist on radio seeming strange, though in the United States, Edgar Bergen
Edgar Bergen
Edgar John Bergen was an American actor and radio performer, best known as a ventriloquist.-Early life:...
with Charlie McCarthy, had also undertaken radio work. Educating Archie averaged 15 million listeners, and a fan club boasted 250,000 members. In 1956 the programme transferred to television debuting on ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
in 1958.
The show introduced comedians who became well known including Tony Hancock
Tony Hancock
Anthony John "Tony" Hancock was an English actor and comedian.-Early life and career:Hancock was born in Southam Road, Hall Green, Birmingham, England, but from the age of three was brought up in Bournemouth, where his father, John Hancock, who ran the Railway Hotel in...
as Archie's tutor, who would greet Archie with a weary "Oh, it's you again" and always replied to a put down by him with “flipping kids”. Other 'tutors' included Benny Hill
Benny Hill
Benny Hill was an English comedian and actor, notable for his long-running television programme The Benny Hill Show.-Early life:...
, Harry Secombe
Harry Secombe
Sir Harry Donald Secombe CBE was a Welsh entertainer with a talent for comedy and a noted fine tenor singing voice. He is best known for playing Neddie Seagoon, the central character in the BBC radio comedy series The Goon Show...
, Dick Emery
Dick Emery
Richard Gilbert "Dick" Emery was an English comedian and actor. Beginning on radio in the 1950s, an eponymous television series ran from 1963 to 1981. He was the brother of Ann Emery.-Life and career:...
, Bernard Bresslaw
Bernard Bresslaw
Bernard Bresslaw was an English actor. He is best remembered for his comedy work, especially as a member of the Carry On team.-Biography:...
, and Bruce Forsyth
Bruce Forsyth
Sir Bruce Joseph Forsyth-Johnson, CBE , commonly known as Bruce Forsyth, or Brucie, is an English TV personality...
together with a young Julie Andrews
Julie Andrews
Dame Julia Elizabeth Andrews, DBE is an English film and stage actress, singer, and author. She is the recipient of Golden Globe, Emmy, Grammy, BAFTA, People's Choice Award, Theatre World Award, Screen Actors Guild and Academy Award honors...
as the girlfriend of Archie. Later, Beryl Reid
Beryl Reid
Beryl Elizabeth Reid, OBE was a British actress of stage and screen.-Early life:Born in Hereford, England in 1919, Reid was the daughter of Scottish parents and grew up in Manchester where she attended Withington and Levenshulme High Schools.-Career:Reid applied for and was accepted in a revue in...
took this role, playing the St. Trinian-esque Monica with catch-phrases, "jolly hockey-stick" and "as the art-mistress said to the gardener". Beryl also played a young Brummie
Brummie
Brummie is a colloquial term for the inhabitants, accent and dialect of Birmingham, England, as well as being a general adjective used to denote a connection with the city, locally called Brum...
girl, catch-phrase: "Evening each, moy noyme's Mar-leen".
Max Bygraves
Max Bygraves
Max Bygraves OBE is an English comedian, singer, actor and variety performer. He appeared on his own television shows, sometimes performing comedy sketches between songs...
later played Archie's tutor with catch-phrases, "I've arrived , and to prove it, I'm here" and "That's a good idea ... son!". The duo recorded songs from the show on the HMV
HMV
His Master's Voice is a trademark in the music business, and for many years was the name of a large record label. The name was coined in 1899 as the title of a painting of the dog Nipper listening to a wind-up gramophone...
label namely "The Dummy Song" and "Lovely Dollar Lolly".
ITV sitcom adaptation
In 1958 Educating Archie transferred to ITV for a sitcom produced by ITV contractor Associated-RediffusionAssociated-Rediffusion
Associated-Rediffusion, later Rediffusion, London, was the British ITV contractor for London and parts of the surrounding counties, on weekdays between 1954 and 29 July 1968. Transmissions started on 22 September 1955.-Formation:...
broadcast under the same name, the adapted ITV sitcom was broadcast 1958-59 and featured the ventriloquist's dummy Archie Andrews taking on life of its own, and talks and walks all over its creator Peter Brough
Peter Brough
Peter Brough was an English radio ventriloquist who became a well-known name to audiences in the 1950s. He is associated with the puppet Archie Andrews.-Radio days:...
, aided and abetted by a housekeeper played by Irene Handl
Irene Handl
-Life:Irene Handl was born in Maida Vale, London, the daughter of an Austrian banker father and French mother. She took to acting at the relatively advanced age of 36, and studied at the acting school run by the sister of Dame Sybil Thorndike...
, a non-paying lodger played by Freddie Sales (later Ray Barrett
Ray Barrett
Raymond Charles "Ray" Barrett was an Australian actor. He was one of the more popular leading men on British television in the 1960s, where he was best known for his appearances in The Troubleshooters . Back in Australia he was a leading man in many TV series over the years.-Biography:Barrett was...
), and a jack-of-all-trades, played by Dick Emery
Dick Emery
Richard Gilbert "Dick" Emery was an English comedian and actor. Beginning on radio in the 1950s, an eponymous television series ran from 1963 to 1981. He was the brother of Ann Emery.-Life and career:...
.