Editing Round the Horne (section)

====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}}