Editing Round the Horne (section)

===Broadcasts===
{{See also|Round the Horne: List of programmes}}

====1965–1966: Series 1 and 2====
The first episode of ''Round the Horne'' was broadcast on the [[Light Programme]] on 7 March 1965. It was described in ''[[Radio Times]]'' as "Five characters in search of the authors".{{sfn|"Round the Horne". ''BBC Genome''}} The series consisted of 16 episodes and ran to 20 June 1965.{{sfn|Foster|Furst|1996|p=259}} The programme was produced by John Simmonds and included music from the [[Fraser Hayes Four]] and the studio orchestra, "the Hornblowers", conducted by Paul Fenoulhet; from episode six, Fenoulhet was replaced by Edwin Braden. [[Douglas Smith (broadcaster)|Douglas Smith]], an announcer and newsreader on the [[BBC Home Service|Home Service]] and the [[BBC Third Programme|Third Programme]], was used as the programme's announcer, but was given a larger role as the series progressed; he ended up advertising spoof products and giving human sound effects in addition to his normal role.{{sfn|Johnston|2006|pp=250–251}}

One of the early episodes included a sketch by Horne, a [[monologue]] based on "the centenary of the birth of the crumpet", including a huge crumpet built for [[Queen Victoria]].{{sfn|Johnston|2006|pp=247–248}}

<blockquote>As an added novelty he hollowed out the centre and a Gaiety Girl was secreted inside. When the loyal toast was drunk, she leapt out, wearing pink combs and waving a Union Jack – either that or the other way round, I don't remember. In any event the whole affair was a great success and, as many people commented afterwards 'it was a smashing bit of crumpet'.{{sfn|''Round the Horne''. Series 1. Episode 6. 11 April 1965}}</blockquote>

The sketch angered the strongly-conservative [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|Member of Parliament]] [[Cyril Black|Sir Cyril Black]], who wrote to the BBC to complain. [[Frank Gillard]], the BBC's director of radio, wrote to Dennis Morris, the chief of the Light Programme, asking ''Round the Horne'' to "watch its step, particularly over the next few weeks and keep itself within reasonable bounds".{{sfn|Johnston|2006|p=248}} Instead, Took and Feldman wrote a riposte that Horne read at the end of the following programme, addressed to the "minority of killjoys" who complained:

<blockquote>Let me say to them that our scripts are whiter than white, as is the face of the producer when he reads them. You see, evil is in the eye of the beholder – and we believe you can make anything sound as if it has a double meaning – if you know how. So cheerio, see you next week.{{sfn|Johnston|2006|pp=248–249}}</blockquote>

Further complaints about the programme were received and [[Hugh Greene|Sir Hugh Greene]], the [[director-general of the BBC]], asked to see the scripts before broadcasting. All were returned with the words "I see nothing to object to in this" written on them.{{sfn|Johnston|2006|p=249}}{{refn|Took later asked Greene why he had consistently stood up for ''Round the Horne''; Greene told him, "Well, I like dirty shows".{{sfn|Johnston|2006|p=249}}|group=n}} The complaints continued from Black, and from [[Mary Whitehouse]] – a campaigner against [[social liberalism]] – about the cast putting emphasis on certain words. Took replied that "When Laurence Olivier plays Hamlet ''he'' puts emphasis on certain words – it's called acting".{{sfn|Took|1998|p=19}}{{sfn|Warnock|2017}}

A second series was commissioned, and ran for thirteen weeks, from Sunday 13 March to 5 June 1966.{{sfn|Foster|Furst|1996|pp=259–260}} The programme was recorded in front of a studio audience, and Williams would play up to them with physical humour, causing hilarity in the studio. Simmonds spoke to the cast, telling them that the radio audience were hearing unexplained laughter, and to try to keep the visual pranks to a minimum.{{sfn|Took|1998|p=23}} At the end of the series [[Roy Rich]], the head of BBC Light Entertainments for radio, spoke to Took, Feldman, Horne and Williams and discussed possible changes to the programme, including the removal of the Fraser Hayes Four, and the possible changing of Pertwee and Marsden. No changes were made before the next series was commissioned.{{sfn|Ross|2011|pp=122–123}}

On 7 October 1966, at the age of 59, Horne suffered a severe heart attack.{{sfn|Johnston|2006|p=268}}{{refn|Horne was concerned that the BBC would refuse to employ him again if they knew he had a heart attack, so he told them he was suffering from [[pleurisy]].{{sfn|Johnston|2006|pp=268–268}}|group=n}} He was much weakened, and was unfit to work for three months. As a result, he did not appear in the ''Round the Horne'' Christmas special, which was recorded on 28 November.{{sfn|Johnston|2006|pp=268–271}} He returned to work in January 1967 to record the third series.{{sfn|Johnston|2006|p=272}}

====1967–1968: Series 3 and 4====
The third series ran for 21 episodes from 5 February to 25 June 1967.{{sfn|Foster|Furst|1996|p=260}} After recording the first episode, Williams wrote in his diary that "the script was singularly uninspired I think – no innovations or bright ideas for the beginning of a new series&nbsp;... For the first time I am beginning to feel that this show is rather dated and tired".{{sfn|Johnston|2006|pp=272–273}} The BBC hierarchy also thought the first show was slightly lacking and Williams was also downbeat after the second recording, writing that "I think the show is quite dead artistically and the format has completely atrophied itself – it is moribund now. I think I will withdraw after this series".{{sfn|Johnston|2006|pp=273–274}} Trying to turn the show around, Took and Feldman wrote out the popular [[Camp (style)|camp]] [[Julian and Sandy]] characters (played by Paddick and Williams) from the third episode, but the cast and Simmonds all insisted they were put back, so the writers duly obliged. After a few weeks the show had settled down and Williams recorded in his diary that the recording "went v. well. Script was v. good indeed and the audience splendid – a great deal of affection there, one felt".{{sfn|Johnston|2006|p=274}}

Feldman became increasingly successful on television, particularly with ''[[At Last the 1948 Show]]'' (1967); he decided to concentrate on writing and performing on the screen and left the series. Took agreed to stay, and he was joined by [[Johnnie Mortimer]], [[Brian Cooke]] and – for the first six episodes of the next series – Donald Webster. In September 1967 BBC radio was radically reorganised. The [[BBC Home Service|Home Service]], [[BBC Third Programme|Third Programme]] and Light Programme were abolished and replaced by four new national channels – Radio [[BBC Radio 1|1]], [[BBC Radio 2|2]], [[BBC Radio 3|3]] and [[BBC Radio 4|4]]; ''Round the Horne'' moved from the Light Programme to Radio 2. The change came with reduced budgets. The Fraser Hayes Four and Eddie Braden and the Hornblowers were replaced with a small instrumental group led by Max Harris, and Pertwee was dropped from the programme. The cost fell from £601 a show in series 3 to £486 in series 4.{{sfn|Johnston|2006|pp=283–286}} That year's Christmas special was broadcast with the new line-up and writers.{{sfn|"Round the Horne: Special Christmas Edition". ''BBC Genome''}}

The fourth series began on 25 February 1968 and ran for 16 episodes to 9 June.{{sfn|Foster|Furst|1996|pp=260–261}} After the first episode Williams was unimpressed with the new material, and wrote in his diary "Now there are 4 writers on it! It is unbelievable really. Four! For half an hour of old crap with not a memorable line anywhere&nbsp;... of course one goes on and flogs it gutless and the rubbish gets by".{{sfn|Johnston|2006|p=286}} Without Feldman, Took was enjoying the show less than he had previously. He also felt the humour was becoming more obviously dirty and complained to Williams that "We might as well write a series called ''Get Your Cock Out''".{{sfn|Johnston|2006|pp=288–289}}

Horne died of a heart attack on 14 February 1969, while hosting the annual [[British Academy of Film and Television Arts|Guild of Television Producers' and Directors' Awards]] at [[the Dorchester]] hotel in London.{{sfn|"Mr Kenneth Horne: Witty Radio and TV Entertainer". ''The Times''. 15 February 1969}} An award had gone to Took and Feldman for their television series ''[[Marty (TV series)|Marty]]'', and Horne had just urged viewers to tune into the fifth series of ''Round the Horne'' – which was due to start on 16 March – when he fell from the podium.{{sfn|Took|1998|p=67}} By 24 February 1969 it had been decided that ''Round the Horne'' could not continue without its star. As a result, the scripts for series five – which Horne had jokingly suggested should be subtitled "The First All-Nude Radio Show" – were hastily adapted into a new series for Williams called ''Stop Messing About'', which ran for two series before it was dropped from the schedule in 1970.{{sfn|Medhurst|2007|pp=100–101}}