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THE GOON SHOW: Volume One
BBC Radio Collection

Having listened to several audiobooks in a row while I've been wrapping up this issue of my secret project, I needed a break from big, involved stories, so I broke out one of my many audio collections of the classic British radio comedy show, THE GOON SHOW.

I've been a huge GOON fan since high school, which probably explains a lot more about my childhood than I'd care to admit. I was an 'odd' kid. More interested in British science fiction shows and radio comedy than sports and yet somehow I managed not to get beaten up. Still not sure how I avoided that.

If you don't know the GOONs, you certainly know the British comedians they inspired. Without the GOONs, we'd never have gotten MONTY PYTHON, HITCH-HIKER'S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY, LITTLE BRITAIN, or pretty much any of the British comedy created over the last 40 years. They influenced everyone that came after them, and changed the tone of British comedy forever.

And while you may not have heard of Spike Milligan (though if you know anything about comedy, you probably have... and more than once) or Harry Secombe, you certainly know the third GOON, Peter Sellers of THE PINK PANTHER fame.

I've listened to these old shows over and over again, but they still crack me up every time. Their smart, literate, and zany brand of comedy still holds up well today, and no matter how many times you've heard these shows, the jokes fly so fast there's always some nugget of comedy you've missed.

And just to show you how much of a nerd I was growing up... I had three pictures taped up in my locker: Lalla Ward as Romana from Doctor Who (My first celebrity crush), saxaphonist Sonny Rollins, and an old black & white photo of the GOONS.

Again, I have no idea how I didn't get beaten up on a daily basis.