:: Radio
This series first began on Radio 2 in 1973 and was a sort of follow on to the hugely successful I'm Sorry I'll Read That Again, and was written by and starred Barry Cryer, John Junkin and Tim Brooke-Taylor. The show was full of puns, zany humour, and jokes so appalling it quite rightly has attained a reputation of being in the comedy sewers. That said, it still made 5 series, later transferred to television, and spawned two LPs (one of which, The Least Worst of Hello Cheeky is detailed later), so must have had a following. It is a shame then that the BBC in it's infinite wisdom only decided to hold on to two editions of the show. Luckily for us, there are a number of recordings about.
The first series constisted of 11 shows in 1973. Details of this series to follow.
Xmas Special 25.12.73
The second series was a further 15 shows and was broadcast between 10th February and 19th May 1974.
| Edition | Intro... | Date |
| 1 | Did I catch my what in a mangle? | 10.2.74 |
| 2 | Give me liberty or give me death. Gunshot. | 17.2.74 |
| 3 | That's why the lady is a tramp. | 24.2.74 |
| 4 | In answer to an urgent enquiry from someone who just signs himself 'Mark of Sandhurst. | 3.3.74 |
| 5 | Ladies and Gentlemen and Gladys Swathley - What do you mean Gladys Swathley? | 10.3.74 |
| 6 | Welcome to the sixteenth series of 'Hello Cheeky'. | 17.3.74 |
| 7 | 'The String Vest Of Infinity', an epic poem by John Junkin. | 24.3.74 |
| 8 | Hi there, this is Tim again. You know Ladies and Gentlemen....life is funny, isn't it? | 31.3.74 |
| 9 | And now for those of you who like that kind of thing, here is the same tune backwards. | 7.4.74 |
| 10 | Hi there fans, Denis King Hyperstar here. I wrote that tune! | 14.4.74 |
| 11 | And so it doth behove that we should cling like limpets and so insanity sit out the storm. | 21.4.74 |
| 12 | As most of you may remember, Addie Minter is convalescing in the Harpenden Hilton after a phantom pregnancy. | 28.4.74 |
| 13 | Music....hello! Goodbye...Music. | 5.5.74 |
| 14 | Hello everyone and welcome to an evening with me. After my dance I shall do some paper tearing. With Aimi Macdonald. | 12.5.74 |
| 15 | And that music tells us its time for this week's quiet thought from Patience Strong. | 19.5.74 |
Xmas Special 25.12.74
Series Three consisted of 13 shows and was broadcast between 9th March and 1st June 1975. The recording of the Least Worst LP coincided with the recording sessions for this series.| Edition | Intro... | Date |
| 1 | Knickers, Knickers, boobs, fat ladies and poofs. Get all the rude bits out of the way. | 9.3.75 |
| 2 | Here are the answers to last week's programme. Yes, no, once in a while, when I can get it. | 16.3.75 |
| 3 | The next programme has been cancelled due to an outbreak of good taste, however never at a loss we present an awkward silence. | 23.3.75 |
| 4 | Sound effects....then 'wish they gave us a dressing-room nearer the studio. | 30.3.75 |
| 5 | Listen you chaps, I've had a good idea! | 6.4.75 |
| 6 | And our special studio guest today is Enid Bolsolver newly crowned 'Rupture Appliance' Queen of Sunningdale. | 13.4.75 |
| 7 | The rain in Spain stays mainly in the plain. | 20.3.75 |
| 8 | Good evening and welcome to this edition of Cheeky Digest. | 27.4.75 |
| 9 | Here's Mr. Rupert Lump who is spokesman for Budgerigar Lib. | 4.5.75 |
| 10 | Hello Cheeky tonight comes from a Trappist Monastery. | 11.5.75 |
| 11 | Ooh, aah, come on Tim!' 'Well, that's got his trousers on! | 18.5.75 |
| 12 | That's funny....that's very funny. Hello Cuddles Brooke Taylor! | 25.5.75 |
| 13 | Here is John Junkin with this week's appeal....Come on darlin - get 'em off!' (guest Joan Bakewell) | 1.6.75 |
A further 16 shows made up the fourth series, broadcast between 15th May and 29th August 1976.
| Edition | Intro... | Date |
| 1 | Ladies and Gentlemen we are priviliged tonight to devote the whole programme to that aspect of life which interests every red-blooded Englishman....Sport. (guest Frank Bough) | 15.5.76 |
| 2 | Good morning and welcome to Open Wound. | 23.5.76 |
| 3 | Please is there a man with a soul so dead who never to himself has said...? | 30.5.76 |
| 4 | I checked out my 45s for slugs... | 6.6.76 |
| 5 | Well now it's time to call another contestant in our first ever radio Spot The Ball competition. | 13.6.76 |
| 6 | If music be the food of love could you whistle me and egg and chips twice? | 20.6.76 |
| 7 | Cheese sandwich attacks cabinet minister, chorus girl to rescue. | 27.6.76 |
| 8 | Let's Go fo'ard Barry. Aye Aye Mush. | 4.7.76 |
| 9 | Hail Caesar! Beware the Ides of March. | 11.7.76 |
| 10 | France. The Somme. Through the early morning mist a tattered band of khaki figures appear. | 18.7.76 |
| 11 | My dog's got no nose. How does he smell? | 25.7.76 |
| 12 | Ladies and gentlemen before the next programme here is the end of the next programme... | 1.8.76 |
| 13 | I've done it; I've done it at last! | 8.8.76 |
| 14 | To be or not to be...that is the question | 15.8.76 |
| 15 | Ladies and gentlemen...to get this particular show off to a light frothy start I would like to tell you about my hernia. | 22.8.76 |
| 16 | Tim, Tim where are you? In my dressing room....coming! | 29.8.76 |
Christmas Special 25/12/76
Series five was the last series and contianed 6 episodes.
| Edition | Intro... | Date |
| 1 | Good evening! (sound of orchestra). That's better! | 7.10.79 |
| 2 | (sound of whips & shouts) Right the audience are in, we can start! | 14.10.79 |
| 3 | Hello- and in today's programme we are going to take a long hard look at Norman St. John Stevas. | 21.10.79 |
| 4 | Roll up, roll up, roll up! Swings and roundabouts! | 28.10.79 |
| 5 | 4.11.79 | |
| 6 | 11.11.79 |
The Least Worst Of Hello Cheeky issued on LP
Recorded before a live audience in the Paris Studio on the 6th April 1975 with music provided by the Denis King Trio and production by Bob Rogers. The recording session lasted two hours and out of this, 90 minutes of classic chunks of the previous few years of the radio series were preserved on tape, of which about 45 minutes were pressed to vinyl for posterity and the buying public.
Two shows were made from this recording session as well and were aired as The Least Worst of Hello Cheeky on the 25th January and 1st February 1976
:: TELEVISION SERIES.
For a series that appears to be derided, this had an incredibly long run, transferring to television in 1976. With the same writing and performing team, and an executive producer in Duncan Wood (Steptoe etc.), this Yorkshire TV production added a further 13 half hour editions to the 64 radio shows. Not bad really! The first series was broadcast between 19th Januarya nd the 22nd March 1976 (eight shows) and the second series (another five shows) was broadcast less than a couple of months later - 26th May to 23rd June. The producer for both series was Len Lurcuck.
I would like to thank Richard Harrison for his help in the compilation of this programme log.