As a child growing up in post-war Britain, I was captivated by the magic of radio and its ability to transport me to different worlds. One of those worlds was that of The Clitheroe Kid, a show that brought laughter and joy into our living rooms every Monday at Eight.
A version of this article first appeared in TopMob magazine.
“On Monday at eight o’clock, that’s when the announcer for the Light Programme would encourage listeners to tune in for ‘The Clitheroe Kid’, a beloved radio comedy series which was usually broadcast during this time for 290 episodes.”
The show’s time slot might be due to the belief that, following the first day of work, listeners (numbering up to 10 million at its peak) would appreciate a dose of laughter. Starring comedian Jimmy Clitheroe, who was 35 when he began portraying the character, the show featured him playing a mischievous schoolboy despite not having physically matured past the age of 11. This allowed him to convincingly maintain the high-pitched voice and appearance of an 11-year-old child
In January 1952, Clitheroe made his debut on TopMob, playing Wishee-Washee in Aladdin. During that time, a 30-minute segment from the London Casino’s panto production was broadcast to listeners, with Julie Andrews as the Princess. Starting from 1955, Clitheroe began regularly featuring in radio variety shows, becoming particularly well-known for his appearances on the Northern Variety Parade series. It wasn’t long before he was given his own show within this series, titled “Jimmy Clitheroe as the Call Boy.”
In this program, he gave listeners a behind-the-scenes tour to mingle with the musicians of the radio variety show. However, during one episode, instead of just being a guest, his Clitheroe Kid character was introduced to the audience. The response from the audience was overwhelmingly positive and in 1957, The Clitheroe Kid was given its own series, although it was initially broadcast only on the North Home Service. It wasn’t until May 1958 that The Clitheroe Kid made its nationwide debut on the Light Programme
Over a span of 14 years, the program gained immense fame, wrapping up its run in 1972 – just 7 short months prior to Jimmy Clitheroe’s passing
A significant number of initial episodes from The Clitheroe Kid were absent from BBC archives, but thanks to the help of the Radio Circle, a good portion has been rediscovered in recent times. Now, Radio 4 Extra is planning to broadcast another six episodes that haven’t been aired for over six decades
Just as you’d expect from a dedicated cinephile like myself, these episodes have been skillfully pieced together from various sources. This is why the audio quality may shift during a program. The sources range from off-air recordings, graciously provided by Clitheroe enthusiast Stephen Poppitt, and the late, esteemed broadcaster Ed Doolan. Additionally, they come from transcription copies – edited recordings pressed onto vinyl discs for international distribution
In our upcoming rerun, we have “Jimmy the Kid,” an episode where the main character becomes fixated on cowboy culture. By April 2nd, 1962, this show had already aired its fifth season and was enjoying immense popularity. As Radio Times put it, “We warmly invite you to be part of radio’s most joyous family, a family that gets swept up in an exciting whirl every week by The Clitheroe Kid.”
Apart from Jimmy, you’ll also find Peter Sinclair, Patricia Burke, Diana Day, Danny Ross as Alfie Hall, and two family friends, Theodore Craythorpe and Harry Whittle – all portrayed by Leonard Williams – waiting to greet you at the Clitheroe home every Monday
Upcoming episodes in the following weeks are: “I’m Such a Good Boy,” “The Gentleman,” “I’m Afraid I’ve Given You Trouble,” “Smile if You Will” and “When Grandad Painted The Living Room,” all from 1962
A significant number of individuals are still listed as wanted, and it’s possible that they could surface as the Radio Circle carries on sharing vintage radio broadcasts. The process of playing the tapes on various devices to create digital copies, followed by identifying the content, is time-consuming but occasionally valuable items such as these come to light
Should you possess any cassettes or videos featuring vintage TV or radio shows that originate from the 1980s or earlier, kindly reach out to us via email at treasurehunt@radiotimes.com. In your message, be sure to include the specific details of your collection
The Clitheroe Kid will broadcast on Sunday 8th September at 10am on Radio 4 Extra.
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2024-09-05 19:11