Frankie Howerd

Synopsis

Titters galore as Frankie and his star guests entertainFrankie 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 KaleidoscopeNB: 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 creditsStarring Frankie HowerdThe Frankie Howerd ShowSeries 1With June Whitfield, Wallas Eaton and Robertson HareWritten by Charles Hart and Peter BishopProduced by Bill WorsleyFirst broadcast on the BBC Light Programme on the following dates:Episode 1, 24 July 1966Episode 2, 31 July 1966Episode 3, 7 August 1966Episode 4, 14 August 1966Episode 5, 21 August 1966Episode 6, 28 August 1966Episode 7, 4 September 1966Episode 8, 11 September 1966Episode 9, 18 September 1966Episode 10, 25 September 1966Frankie Howerd – MemoirsSeries 2With June Whitfield, Bob Todd, Geoffrey Beevers, John Samson, Ray Fell, Michael Kilgarriff and Kate BinchyWritten by David McKellar and David NobbsMusic by the Bill McGuffie QuartetProduced by David HatchFirst broadcast on BBC Radio 2 on the following dates:Episode 1, 10 June 1973Episode 2, 17 June 1973Episode 3, 24 June 1973Episode 4, 1 July 1973Episode 5, 8 July 1973Episode 6, 15 July 1973Episode 7, 22 July 1973Series 3With June Whitfield, Bob Todd, Marjorie Rhodes, Hugh Ross, Ray Fell, Madi Hedd, Denis McCarthy, Chris Emmett and Michael SegalWritten by David McKellar and David NobbsMusic by the Bill McGuffie QuartetProduced by David HatchFirst broadcast on BBC Radio 2 on the following dates:Episode 1, 27 October 1974Episode 2, 3 November 1974Episode 3, 10 November 1974Episode 4, 17 November 1974Episode 5, 24 November 1974Episode 6, 1 December 1974Episode 7, 8 December 1974Series 4With Ray Fell, Barbara Mitchell, Christopher Scoular, April Walker, Dilys Laye, Norma Ronald and Timothy DaviesWritten by David McKellar and David NobbsMusic from the Boston BarbersProduced by John BrowellFirst broadcast on BBC Radio 2 on the following dates:Episode 1, 28 September 1975Episode 2, 5 October 1975Episode 3, 12 October 1975Episode 4, 19 October 1975Episode 5, 26 October 1975Episode 6, 2 November 1975© 2026 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2026 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd