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he is not sure that Ron really loves Eth, in another Eth takes Mr Glum to court because he will not give his consent to the marriage). One story was about Eth getting into difficulties because she was accused of pilfering at the office where she was a secretary. Very often, the story arose from the consequences of some idiotic behaviour on the part of Ron, who was incapable of competently carrying out any simple task, even going to the
631:!" which Ron would stupidly misinterpret as an invitation to a kiss and cuddle. Eth would resist, and Ron and Eth's grappling would be speedily interrupted by the entrance of Mr Glum with an "'Ullo, 'ullo!" and something like "All in wrestling – break clean!" or "Sorry to interrupt, but have you seen the garden shears? Mrs Glum wants to do her eyebrows."
624:
constantly varied slightly. For instance, in one episode, Eth says, "Oh, Ron, is there anything on your mind, beloved?", to which Ron, after a pause, replies, "No, Eth." Another example has Eth saying "Oh really, Ron, do you expect me to just sit here, like a lemon?", to which Ron responds "No thanks Eth, I've just had a banana."
620:). The story would be about some recent episode in the lives of Ron, Mr Glum's dim son (played by Dick Bentley), and Eth, a plain girl for whom Ron represented her only chance of marriage, played by June Whitfield. Bentley, who played the son, was almost thirteen years older than Edwards, who played the father.
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A short signature tune would herald a change of scene to the Glums' front room, where Ron and Eth would be sitting on the sofa. Eth would say, "Oh, Ron…!" – her catchphrase – and Ron would vacantly reply something like, "Yes, Eth?" and the week's story would begin in earnest. This opening formula was
634:
The story usually involved some crisis in the relationship of the three protagonists. In several episodes this crisis followed from Ron's laziness, and his resultant inability to find employment. Some weeks it would be due to Mr Glum's refusal to let Ron and Eth marry (in one episode this is because
424:
for which Muir had provided some scripts, and after this show ended
Maxwell received a commission for a new weekly comedy series to star Edwards, Nichols and Bentley. He introduced Muir to Norden, and asked them if they would collaborate to write the scripts.
414:, and later wrote material for Edwards's radio character, a seedy public school headmaster; Denis Norden had been staff comedy sketch writer with the Kavanagh agency, and had written material for the Australian comedian Dick Bentley. The radio producer
698:
In one of the parody sketches, a take-off of the films of
English north country factory owners, Muir claimed that they introduced the phrase "Trouble at t'Mill". For one series, Wallas Eaton portrayed an opinionated newspaper letter writer named
540:("…as I moved through the train I gazed at a handsome film star, slumbering in his compartment, and a thought struck me – whether you're great or whether you're humble, when you sleep upright you dribble"). In addition, the character actor
616:, with Mr Glum (played by Jimmy Edwards) talking to the barman (played by Wallas Eaton). It would be closing time, and Mr Glum would start telling the week's story to the barman as a ruse for obtaining another pint (or two) of "brahn" (
646:, the singer, usually provided Ma Glum's off-stage noises). Although she never had a speaking part, Ma Glum provided comedy value by always being put upon by Mr Glum, and yet always getting her way (such as the episode where Mr Glum
390:
Muir and Norden reinvented
British post-war radio comedy – amongst other influences, it was one of the first shows with a significant segment consisting of parody of film and book styles, later used extensively in programmes such as
743:
s subtlety, and the show's implied confidence in the listeners' level of intelligence, were commented on in the
Australian press as characteristics one would have expected to lead to the show's failure there!
597:
First appearing on TIFH on 12 November 1953, the popularity of this sketch made Muir and Norden realise that they were on to something. They made one or two modifications to the characters, and
612:
was the long engagement between Ron Glum and his long-term fiancée Eth. As a result of post-war austerity, long engagements were common in 1950s
Britain. A typical episode would start in the
466:, broadcast in 1948, was set in a commercial radio station office. Although this first series was not a roaring success, Maxwell persuaded the management to persevere for one more series.
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While the humour was undoubtedly parochially
British, in his autobiography Frank Muir expressed gratification and wonder that the show was so well received in Australia – where
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and the start of one of the most enduring comedy writing partnerships. Muir and Norden were to continue collaborating for nearly 50 years, writing such comic masterpieces as
627:
Most weeks, after scene-setting comedy business between Ron and Eth, Eth would say something like, "Sometimes, Ron, you're so placid – I just wish you would have a little
547:
The main announcer throughout the programme's run was David
Dunhill, known as "Dunners", although other staff announcers took his place on occasion, famously including
642:
Another character, who never appears but who is sometimes to be heard incoherently behind the scenes, was Mrs Glum, the family matriarch (
562:. Because she had been engaged both as singer and actress, she was replaced by Alma Cogan the singer, and June Whitfield the actress (
650:
her false teeth). Alma Cogan also played other sundry feminine parts, such as occasional extramarital romantic interest for Mr Glum.
469:
In the second series, Muir and Norden changed to a three-act format. Firstly there was a topical discussion, followed by music from
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had contracted
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Talking Point segment featured a parody of the sagas of 'nice' families such as those eponymously named in
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The parody sketch, previously used in stage revues but brought to radio by Muir and Norden for
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were remembered sufficiently for the format to be revived in 1978 as part of the unsuccessful
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In 1959, Muir and Norden decided to move into writing for television, and so stopped writing
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scripts – for instance, the line spoken by Julius Caesar (played by
Kenneth Williams) in
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was engaged to play minor male roles, replacing
Clarence Wright from the first series.
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sketch worked up from the clichés of a literary or cinematic genre; for example, later
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shorts and the subsequent 1979 series was commercially released in 2011 in the UK.
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on facing some would-be assassins: "Infamy! Infamy! They've all got it in for me!"
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weather forecast. Finally, after another song from Nichols or Bentley, there was a
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was produced and broadcast the following year (consisting of six episodes) by
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Frank Muir had been writing material for Jimmy Edwards's appearances at the
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Radio scripts published at the time of the television revival of
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that abounded on the BBC at the time. This introduced an uncouth
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called the Glums, with Mr Glum the archetypal chauvinist pig.
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shop (in which instance he put his change up his nose).
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In 1953 Joy Nichols married an American, and settled in
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ran out of time, and Muir and Norden gave him some old
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382:. The show is best remembered for introducing
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708:Many of the jokes and comic exchanges from
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788:programme. A single stand alone series of
350:between 1948 and 1960. It was written by
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69:Learn how and when to remove this message
32:This article includes a list of general
566:was also considered as a replacement).
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854:with cosy radio and TV families, like
397:and in many television comedy series.
558:in the hope of becoming a success in
917:Frank Muir and Denis Norden (1979).
476:group. Then came what Muir termed a
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504:programmes included a sketch about
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38:it lacks sufficient corresponding
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200:David Dunhill (known as Dunners)
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712:were recycled in the series of
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807:A Region 2 DVD of both the
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53:more precise citations.
836:... and June Whitfield
771:Television revival of
326:(often referred to as
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587:dysfunctional family
462:The first series of
947:Take It from Here 2
893:Frank Muir (1997).
582:Life With The Lyons
147:BBC Light Programme
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757:Norwegian-language
747:In the 1970s, the
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961:Take It from Here
941:Take It from Here
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143:Home station
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506:restoration
458:Early years
368:Joy Nichols
311:/programmes
290:of episodes
227:Produced by
175:Joy Nichols
135:Language(s)
92:Other names
51:introducing
990:Categories
981:Radio Days
966:BBC Online
838:. London:
818:References
664:Barry Took
654:Final year
644:Alma Cogan
510:Charles II
488:done as a
386:. Through
380:Alma Cogan
352:Frank Muir
342:programme
268:1960-03-03
258:1948-03-23
217:Barry Took
209:Frank Muir
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189:Alma Cogan
153:Syndicates
122:30 minutes
83:Radio show
59:April 2018
34:references
935:The Glums
919:The Glums
868:the Lyons
856:the Dales
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773:The Glums
681:Influence
618:brown ale
610:The Glums
599:The Glums
593:The Glums
514:Nell Gwyn
490:pantomime
436:' sketch
384:The Glums
344:broadcast
313:/b00cf9wv
279:of series
197:Announcer
834:(2000).
715:Carry On
677:s last.
516:and the
494:operatic
492:, or an
451:My Music
445:My Word!
163:Starring
530:sleeper
518:Puritan
479:gimmick
406:Genesis
401:History
346:by the
334:British
298:Website
266: (
262: –
256: (
138:English
47:improve
925:
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846:
648:pawned
534:London
485:Hamlet
340:comedy
245:London
113:Comedy
36:, but
741:'
717:films
675:'
538:Paris
532:from
526:later
337:radio
109:Genre
923:ISBN
903:ISBN
866:and
844:ISBN
749:Oslo
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725:TIFH
666:and
660:TIFH
571:TIFH
502:TIFH
464:TIFH
448:and
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305:.bbc
101:TIFE
99:(or
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307:.co
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