Wogan's Radio Fun: Molly Weir and Deryck Guyler

Every Christmas I post a series of special blogs on the run up to the big day. This year I posted a different festive image from the Carry Ons every day up until Christmas Day. In addition to this, I've also found some wonderful old clips to share this festive season.

The wonderful, late great Terry Wogan hosted his famous chat show on the BBC for several years during the 1980s and early 1990s. Those were the days of great guests, intelligent conversation, wit and warmth. Well, most of the time. Until the BBC rather unwisely pulled the plug to make way for the soap Eldorado (remember that?) Terry was the best possible replacement for Parky. 

This Christmas marks thirty years since a very special festive show which celebrated the very best of radio comedy. Terry reunited many classic stars from a bygone era and sadly, for some, it would be the last time we would see them perform. Amongst these big names were several actors with Carry On connections, so over the next few days I'm going to share some great clips from "Wogan's Radio Fun", originally broadcast back in December 1987.

We continue today with some lovely memories from two actors who made their names on radio and dropped by at Pinewood for some Carry On cameos. First up is the smashing Molly Weir, the Scottish actress who popped up in Carry On Regardless as a confused lady surprised by Bill Owen who turns up to collect her birds. And then we hear from the legendary Deryck Guyler, best remembered for his small screen comedy roles in the likes of Please Sir! and Sykes. Deryck played a rather shaky surgeon opposite Kenneth Williams in the 1967 comedy Carry On Doctor and before that worked for Peter and Gerald in two other cracking comedy films - Nurse On Wheels as Juliet Mills' driving instructor and The Big Job as a rather pompous policeman.

Both Molly and Deryck joined the cast of ITMA (It's That Man Again), which starred Tommy Handley and future Carry On great, Hattie Jacques:

Stay tuned for more in this series coming up soon!

You can follow me on Twitter @CarryOnJoan on Facebook and on Instagram

Wogan's Radio Fun: Hello Playmates!

Every Christmas I post a series of special blogs on the run up to the big day. This year I posted a different festive image from the Carry Ons every day up until Christmas Day. In addition to this, I've also found some wonderful old clips to share this festive season.

The wonderful, late great Terry Wogan hosted his famous chat show on the BBC for several years during the 1980s and early 1990s. Those were the days of great guests, intelligent conversation, wit and warmth. Well, most of the time. Until the BBC rather unwisely pulled the plug to make way for the soap Eldorado (remember that?) Terry was the best possible replacement for Parky. 

This Christmas marks thirty years since a very special festive show which celebrated the very best of radio comedy. Terry reunited many classic stars from a bygone era and sadly, for some, it would be the last time we would see them perform. Amongst these big names were several actors with Carry On connections, so over the next few days I'm going to share some great clips from "Wogan's Radio Fun", originally broadcast back in December 1987.

We continue today with another special treat featuring two of my favourite comic actresses. Bob Monkhouse, himself a star of Carry On Sergeant way back in 1958, revives his radio success Hello Playmates for one night only with the help of Irene Handl and Pat Coombs. Irene, a famed actress with hundreds of credits to her name, made two early appearances in the Carry Ons - as Bill Owen's dimwitted wife in Carry On Nurse and then as an irate mother looking for her little Willie in Carry On Constable.


Pat Coombs, one of the most underrated actresses of her time, had small roles in two medical Carry Ons - as a patient in Carry On Doctor in 1967 and then two years later as a rather snooty replacement Matron in Carry On Again Doctor. I wish she'd had bigger parts in the films! It's lovely to see them reunite and their sketch is definitely a highlight, although Irene's failing health is clear to see. Sadly she passed away before this show was broadcast.

And you can read more about the life and career of Pat Coombs in my blog here: Carry On Blogging: Whatever Happened to Pat Coombs?

Stay tuned for more in this series coming up soon!

You can follow me on Twitter @CarryOnJoan on Facebook and on Instagram

Wogan's Radio Fun: Julian and Sandy!

Every Christmas I post a series of special blogs on the run up to the big day. This year I posted a different festive image from the Carry Ons every day up until Christmas Day. In addition to this, I've also found some wonderful old clips to share this festive season.

The wonderful, late great Terry Wogan hosted his famous chat show on the BBC for several years during the 1980s and early 1990s. Those were the days of great guests, intelligent conversation, wit and warmth. Well, most of the time. Until the BBC rather unwisely pulled the plug to make way for the soap Eldorado (remember that?) Terry was the best possible replacement for Parky. 

This Christmas marks thirty years since a very special festive show which celebrated the very best of radio comedy. Terry reunited many classic stars from a bygone era and sadly, for some, it would be the last time we would see them perform. Amongst these big names were several actors with Carry On connections, so over the next few days I'm going to share some great clips from "Wogan's Radio Fun", originally broadcast back in December 1987.

We start today with the brilliant Julian and Sandy from Round the Horne. The camp, outrageous duo got away with all sorts of filth and innuendo when they took to the airwaves back in the mid-1960s and they were of course brought to life by the irreplaceable Hugh Paddick and Kenneth Williams:

Kenneth recounted the preparation, rehearsal and performance in his extraordinary diaries and although he always held Paddick in huge affection, I'm not sure he really enjoyed the experience!

Stay tuned for more in this series coming up soon!

You can follow me on Twitter @CarryOnJoan on Facebook and on Instagram

Barbara and Kenneth on Wogan

In 1986, over thirty years ago, Kenneth Williams guest hosted the television chat show, Wogan. One of his guests was his long-time Carry On co-star Barbara Windsor. It's classic stuff and the two of them demonstrate what great close friends they obviously were.

Kenneth is in great form in this clip and very obviously enjoying himself. Barbara is just back from a honeymoon and apart from being dressed in something akin to a toilet roll holder (well it was the 1980s) is also on good form. They discuss their times together working on the Carry Ons, including their first meeting on Spying in 1964 and the infamous scenes they shot for Carry On Camping.

They also reminisce about the time Kenneth, his sister and his mother joined Barbara on her honeymoon with her first husband Ronnie Knight. The stuff of legend!

Anyway, you can enjoy the clip below. Those were the days!

You can follow me on Twitter @CarryOnJoan and also on Facebook

Kenneth and Barbara on Wogan

In 1986, almost thirty years ago, Kenneth Williams guest hosted the television chat show, Wogan. One of his guests was his long-time Carry On co-star Barbara Windsor. It's classic stuff and the two of them demonstrate what great close friends they obviously were.

Kenneth is in great form in this clip and very obviously enjoying himself. Barbara is just back from a honeymoon and apart from being dressed in something akin to a toilet roll holder (well it was the 1980s) is also on good form. They discuss their times together working on the Carry Ons, including their first meeting on Spying in 1964 and the infamous scenes they shot for Carry On Camping.

They also reminisce about the time Kenneth, his sister and his mother joined Barbara on her honeymoon with her first husband Ronnie Knight. The stuff of legend!

Anyway, you can enjoy the clip below. Those were the days!

You can follow me on Twitter @CarryOnJoan and also on Facebook

Kenneth Williams hosts Wogan

In the 1980s Kenneth Williams became king of the television chat show. He appeared regularly with the likes of Michael Parkinson, Russell Harty, Gloria Hunniford and of course, Terry Wogan.

Although Kenneth disliked these appearances and found giving more and more of himself to be increasingly painful, they provided such joy for his fans and terrific entertainment for the British public. Although most of the stories had been heard before, Kenneth's tremendous skill as a raconteur meant he was a gift whenever he appeared.

In the mid-1980s he even hosted the Wogan show while Terry was off doing other things. Although Kenneth claimed to be intensely nervous when writing about this experience in his diaries and it probably wasn't how he saw his career going, it turned out to be a great success. Thanks to some lovely soul of YouTube, we have a record of one of these shows to enjoy and the guests are very interesting!

So for your viewing pleasure, here is Kenny interviewing Michael Palin, Stephen Fry and his old mate Barbara Windsor.

Enjoy!

You can follow me on Twitter @CarryOnJoan and also Facebook

Clicking on the adverts helps to keep this blog going