Hancock's Half Hour - Fluffs and Ad-Libs

A compilation of gaffes from Tony Hancock's classic TV comedy series, featuring clips spanning 15 episodes. At the time it was common for small mistakes to be kept in the recording, due to the cost of production and the lack of time for editing.

[@ianwilliams5866]

The perils of live TV with no editing. Tony carries them so wonderfully.

[@nathelondon3719]

Written in 1956/7 and still hilarious today. Sign of a real classic.

[@matthewwoodford8539]

As Maxie Miller used to say...there'll never be another. Legend. One fluff that is missing which is one of my favourite Hancock moments. When Arhtur Mullard delivers an extended line in "Ericson the Viking", Hancock struggles to not laugh and replies "I did enjoy that", Gold :).

[@MarkHarrison733]

Mullard should have been in prison.

[@tonyhancock4258]

Ah yes, in "Ericsson the Viking".

[@EM-yk1dw]

Hancock was the master in comedy timing. His facial expressions are enough to make you laugh too 🤣

[@simongee8928]

One of those rarities who could 'speak' with facial expressions.

[@barryalmond9500]

All i can say is Comedy Genius.

[@paulclay8547]

Love Tony Hancock. Legend

[@mikebutler3263]

A pleasure to watch.

[@RogerWilmut]

As to editing: the earlier shows were live, so no possibility of editing. After the experience of 'There's an airfield at the bottom of my garden' where one scene nearly fell apart because of things going wrong, later series were video taped. The process was then very new and and untried, and the engineers felt that editing was not possible. Hancock's producer, Duncan Wood, demonstrated that it was, on a spare recording of another show - this was editing by physically cutting and splicing. The shows were recorded one scene at a time, with almost all edits being made on the fade to black between scenes where a glitch was less noticeable (there was a tendency for the picture to roll over). Re-taking any fluffs would involve going back to the beginning of the scene, and of course the audience reaction would be poorer. Only much later was copy-editing without physlcal cutting (and glitch-free) developed so that fluffed lines could be repeated and editied out in post-production.

[@johnwhite1535]

Even the fluffs are hilarious.

[@antjazz83]

Brilliant!

[@maryoleary5044]

2:23 "I still haven't heard what it is" 😂

[@stuart6594]

Timeless comedy. Still watch it now

[@Johnny_Seven]

I enjoyed this. I still regularly listen to his radio shows. I can remember him on TV in the sixties too, even though I was just a kid. Him and Sid were a great team. Shame he decided to get rid of all his Co stars.

[@JamesHenderson-wk4hd]

Cohen punched pregnant women.

[@maryoleary5044]

​@@JamesHenderson-wk4hd More info please

[@MarkHarrison733]

@@maryoleary5044 He punched his pregnant wife, and punched his pregnant mistress.

[@paulweir5031]

@@JamesHenderson-wk4hd Cohen?

[@MarkHarrison733]

@@paulweir5031 His real name was Solomon Joel Cohen.

[@walterevans2118]

'So free from sin in our own personal WIVES' Hahah *"$£% ...That one had me falling off my chair.....lol

[@MrGranfield]

Wonderful, wonderful and wonderful!

[@chatham43]

....thanks for putting this together and posting...brightened up my day...cheers!😊

[@JuggiesArchive]

You're very welcome, thanks for watching! 👍👍

[@tonyhancock4258]

Legendary

[@MG-nx9ln]

I have always thought that the line "free from sin in our own personal wives" was quite deliberate but made to look a bit like a fluff. It's too slick and well telegraphed. Possibly to avoid issues with censors who were very strict then.

[@ToporkestraVeteran]

Brilliant, thanks!

[@ToporkestraVeteran]

Thanks so much for this!!!!!❤❤❤❤

[@JuggiesArchive]

You're very welcome 👍😁

[@7ANGLIA]

WASNT HE BRILLIANT ,EVEN WITH THE MISTAKES,IVE GOT EVERY ONE OF HIS SHOWS,RADIO AND TV!!

[@MarkHarrison733]

He wasn't funny.

[@zoomankat]

And neither are You MarkHarrison @@MarkHarrison733

[@TheRealist2022]

I'm preeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeety sure that some of these "fluffs" were deliberate.

[@JuggiesArchive]

It wouldn't surprise me 😉

[@mikebutler3263]

Lovely !

[@kevinbalsdon4705]

The Blood Donor was one of the best.

[@paulweir5031]

Sorry, but no. His constant use of idiot boards ruined it.

[@stumpynadge]

​@@paulweir5031 he was struggling to remember lines by that point. Memory wasn't his strongest suit.

[@BroonParker]

​@@paulweir5031For you, maybe.

[@MarkHarrison733]

@@BroonParker It wasn't funny at all.

[@davidcopson5800]

@@MarkHarrison733 "Wasn't funny"? Have you gone stark raving mad?!

[@altymir3615]

Triggers dad was in The Lift episode. You can recognise him by the eyes.

[@JamesHenderson-wk4hd]

Trigger?

[@anthonybailey1966]

@@JamesHenderson-wk4hd I assume it's Charles Lloyd-Pack,father of Roger Lloyd-Pack....

[@MarkHarrison733]

@@anthonybailey1966 ?

[@anthonybailey1966]

@@MarkHarrison733 ....Roger Lloyd-Pack played Trigger in Only Fools And Horses!

[@MarkHarrison733]

@@anthonybailey1966 Never seen it.

[@gavinreid8937]

Theres one scene where Tony forgot his lines & started rambling ,Warren mitchell playing the shop owner had a habit of not only knowing his own lines but everyone elses said "a word mista hancock." & whispered tonys lines in his ear, & tony carried on.Despite doing away with Kenny & Sid, he wanted Warren & his good friend dick Emery to be in HHH as much as possible.

[@harveydent73]

Such a shame how his life ended. Kevin Mcnally gets pretty close to impersonating him. Check out Hancock lost episodes on BBC Iplayer

[@philward2538]

Radio series was better

[@BroonParker]

A better established medium when TV was more often than not live, on a very limited budget and just that bit more chaotic. And reading a script on the wireless avoided having to memorise so many lines week after week to be given in one take. And like they used to say of radio "the pictures were better".

[@paulweir5031]

His shows went downhill in the absence of James and Patricia Hayes.

[@stumpynadge]

Definitely. He needed a foil to bounce off of. James was excellent, peerless.

[@robingardner683]

The Blood donor ? The Lift ?

[@MarkHarrison733]

@@robingardner683 The last series was so unfunny.

[@MarkHarrison733]

@@stumpynadge It's difficult to laugh at Cohen, knowing that he often punched pregnant women.

[@robingardner683]

@@MarkHarrison733 my guess is a majority of fans enjoyed the Blood Donor, the Radio Ham,the Lift etc. Also I think most fans regard the split from S.&G. as the beginning of T.H.'s slow decline.

[@MarkHarrison733]

The mistakes were the only funny thing about HHH.