Spike Milligan - Q5 [Colour Episode]

[@ericaj.m.1780]

I used to work in war pensions DWP. Spike Milligan was injured in WW2 for this he received a small pension. He never saw the money, instead he ordered it to be paid in to the bank account of a little girl who had "downs syndrome " I was blown away by his kindness.

[@Trev359]

I used to work there as well and I'm not sure you should be giving out information like that.

[@MrThecarebear]

Lovely gesture, but classified information.

[@xenion6806]

@@MrThecarebear Classified information 50+ years ago.. & He is dead. Allow the people to spread his good nature.

[@tonyreay2448]

@@Trev359 wanna call a cop????

[@bryanpalmer9660]

@@tonyreay2448 Don't say that-he might do it!

[@routeman680]

Such a blast from the past. Thanks for uploading. 13:32 Anticipating covid.

[@davehill584]

The court scene around 12 mins has surprisingly become more true. Love the mask! Genius.

[@philjamieson5572]

Excellent stuff. Thanks for putting this on here.

[@TheFokker03]

as insane as he always was,Spike's style of humour could never be bettered.

[@captpicard6894]

He’s just done Monty Python before they had even started in late 1969. Spike is the real authentic comic genius the UK ever produced.

[@gromitpesley]

Captpicard Yeah John cleese apparently rang them all up when he watched this and said this is what we want to do or something.

[@zh84]

Yes. We can see prototypes of the Women's Institute Applauding, and the sufferers of National Anthem Mania are very like the inmates of the Royal Hospital for Overacting.

[@quizmaster85]

And the same producer (Ian Macnaughton) too.

[@SpaneenOomlong]

The doc, Almost The Truth, explains all about the influences on the Monty Python crew. Milligan, Cooke & Moore, The Goons, etc.

[@StratsRUs]

The Goons

[@christophedevos3760]

Amazing. Now I see the influence on Monty Python. Talking about influencers and influenza, this sketch is extremely relevant nowadays. Marvelous humor from a perhaps lesser known comedian outside England.

[@georgeallen7101]

Terrance Milligan was producing comedy sketches decades before MPFS ……… their were also tales of blatant material rehearsal spying by the MPFS team AKA Eric idle ………. On one occasion on having been caught red handed at the studio ,spike responded with “get those bums out of here !”………

[@chrisst8922]

I like the way Milligan decided to have the clock running at the bottom of the screen the whole time.

[@PartTimeSarah2]

So fun to hear Harry Secombe as the man trapped in the elephant! Very Goon-ish

[@jonjones1553]

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is how it's done!

[@TJWhite-pl6gt]

Glad to finally see a full episode of this show. Its too bad here in America that Spike Milligan remains pretty much unknown except to hardcore Python fanatics and Anglophiles.

[@trevorflarty1811]

American, brother,. You have, taste.

[@DieGroteske]

You, sir, are one of the best people to ever walk this feeble planet, MsSteve70. I never thought I'd be able to see this, but thanks to you I can. The look of this show (in colour) really reminds me of the first series of Monty Python. So thank you again for bringing quality entertainment into our homes. This is a very important moment in television history.

[@BrennanYoung]

the pythons hired Ian MacNaughton to direct Flying Circus (screened a few months after this) because they so liked what he did with Q5.

[@Trev359]

Colour is spelt with a 'u'.

[@thomascroft5076]

All credit to John Bluthal for always providing great comic support for Spike.

[@Gannett2011]

Love it. You don't see surreal comedy much any more; I suppose Vic and Bob were the last mainstream surreal comics. Now I live in the States where surreal humour is virtually unknown. A great opportunity to see this in colour!

[@johnlawrence2757]

Spike Milligan in a lounge suit, tie and well-combed hair is shock enough, but actually behaving like Spike Milligan as well is just too much to cope with.

[@jeanmyers1787]

Spike lives on for ever, RIP or I told You I Was Ill

[@neilmccormick2064]

Best TV theme tune ever.

[@chele277]

Happy days, thank you for uploading this

[@domc225]

"How did you get in there?" (The elephant) "I know people" Killed me that line. Spike, the king of British Comedy.

[@dr.s.p.]

Especially as Harry Secome was inside the elephant. The Goons were unstoppable with nutters like these two in this sketch.

[@goonchild4]

Amazing, thanks for posting. XXX

[@antoniod]

I like to point out that the big difference between this and PYTHON was that Python made you believe that the outrageous things were happening, but in Q you always know it's Spike fooling around.

[@jacksonjeremias3003]

Instablaster

[@anniemay4547]

Spike and Tommy and others who came back from the war to make us laugh bless them all ..

[@michealpallett5708]

Come back Spike and take over the leader ship of our country

[@dirtydan179]

You can only watch so much of this at a time, it's so funny it hurts

[@seamusoflatcap]

Hard to believe that Audi named a car after this TV series.

[@geoffsaunders7458]

And they say Germans don't have a sense of humour!

[@illaveyoubutler2]

Let's hear it for. Ian MacNaughton.........genius producer for this and Python.....never acknowledged, even in the worship of Python....an unsung British comedy pioneer

[@HrhFish]

illaveyoubutler2 The Pythons do acknowledge him in almost the truth but he had a major drink problem.

[@illaveyoubutler2]

The Pythons may acknowledge Ian MacNaughton......"but fandom and comedy history have certainly not.....this is the producer of both Q and Python.....he should be as revered as Verity Lambert is to Dr. Who fans

[@synthonaplinth5980]

Can I just butt in and say that this is the last time I shall ever be on television?

[@speakfreeley4473]

Those missing episodes must be out there somewhere, along with the two in black & white originally transmitted in colour. It's possible the tapes got smuggled out of the BBC & are forgotten in a loft somewhere. Even today previously lost material like this keep popping up practically every day.

[@MsSteve70]

The actual videotapes almost certainly still exist at the archives, but with different shows on them - Video tapes were very expensive in those days. It was common practice to wipe and reuse the videotapes because the format was regarded as a programme-making tool rather than a preservation format. Often one episode was chosen as an 'example' by the producer (and Spike). They were however ALL black and white film recorded for overseas sales... so hopefully those missing black and white film prints will eventually turn up.

[@speakfreeley4473]

Smuggling tapes out of the BBC as mentioned was also happening, hence why the first series of Monty Python made at about the same time as Q5 still exists in its entirety today. So there's just a glimmer of hope the missing Q5 episodes may still exist, along with the very few Dad's Army episodes still missing.

[@MsSteve70]

I wish it had been that dramatic, but a reel of two inch quad back then cost the equivalent of hundreds of pounds now, so... All the 'Flying Circus' quad tapes remained at the BBC Archive until the early 2000's when I worked there, but they now reside safely at the BFI. Terry Jones cleverly added a small clause to the 'Flying Circus' production contract in 1969 which delayed the erasure process. This held off the threat until around 1973 when it looked like the BBC were going to wipe the show. Terry began making as U-matic copies around this time as booking sheets confirm. Fortunately the wiping policies were relaxed and the show was saved, although new overseas colour sales may have given the situation a helping hand. If a tape was marked as damaged but still working, then it was sometimes released to an engineer or production staff member who could do with it as they pleased! Quite a few complete programmes and clips exist during this era because of this.

[@speakfreeley4473]

Makes sense!

[@Flymochairman1]

I'm watching this in October 2020. The 'Flu Sketch' is ominously accurate!

[@petercorbett3794]

‘Is he a coal miner?’ ‘No he’s a wog! It doesn’t come off you see!’ Special exemption for Spike, being a maniac.

[@danvincent2600]

His father was very racist

[@54RKY]

And he was indian

[@chaosnexxus9255]

​@@danvincent2600Good. He sounds based.

[@timcharles5476]

Thanks for posting Mr. Steve. This is the equivalent of comic gold. Do you have any more episodes? I was too young to see this first time round and didn't catch up until Q,7, in the mid 70s. The material is very strong and in my view superior to the first series of Python, but less well inown. Did the BBC ever repeat this first series? It shows that Spike's humor did translate well to visual medium. Brilliantly funny.

[@grahamnancledra7036]

13:14 How prophetic.

[@jonathanmoss3918]

christ, no wonder he was pissed off at the pythons

[@redd605]

This series is up there with Fawlty towers,I saw the other day on London live TV channel the q series spike Milligan,so funny, when he starts laughing, trying to say his line's.thank god for all these TV channel showing,these programme again, like London live ,drama channel, showing programme from when growing up

[@thehotyounggrandpas8207]

The elephant saga is amazing!

[@bluelines2924]

The Hong Kong flu segment is hilarious - so relevant!

[@brainwaiver1]

More than relevant, prescient.

[@TheVeryBlondeOne]

Can't wait to get my hands on [or keep up the news with] a Spike Milligan DVD! Heard Simply Media is releasing it recently, but sadly, I need some UK DVD players for that. Come to America, Spike! [smirking in a silly way] :-) What's next: an official Spike Milligan channel like Monty Python has?

[@francollins4036]

This is genius. So funny the fact it is original in its genre makes it funnier.

[@joshuasrailfanonetruemedia4794]

I love spike Milligan

[@theskip1]

voice inside the elephant - harry secombe

[@domc225]

definitely

[@Gwailo54]

Where else would he have been?

[@theskip1]

@@Gwailo54 ????

[@Gwailo54]

@@theskip1 Goon Show logic applies. For instance Bluebottle's advice to Eccles to come through a door by turning the knob on his side is met with the response "I haven't got a knob on my side". It's ridiculous and yet the logic is firm. Equally, if the voice emanating from the elephant was that of Harry Secombe then where else would he have been? QED

[@theskip1]

@@Gwailo54 i know all about goon show logic i used to listen to this program when it first came on the radio.i was just trying to inform people that it was actually harry secombe but it must have fallen on the wrong ears.and why on earth does one statement need so much discussion and dissection.

[@martinplatt5928]

There's no question that Milligan was there before Monty Python in 1969.....however, he had difficulties with the BBC and so didn't get TV recognition until I remember it in 1975 aged 17.

[@antoniod]

At the risk of offending somebody, Q is funny, but there's a significant difference between it and PYTHON. MONTY PYTHON presented believable(in the context of Python)situations, and the Python cast acted as if they believed them. With Q, you often feel that it's just Milligan fooling around, and you don't see PYTHON'S internal logic. Milligan created a "real" universe more successfully in the GOON SHOW. OK, maybe I'm just being anal! I AM really laughing at Secombe in the Elephant!

[@johnlawrence2757]

Steve Burstein oh don’t be such a wet blanket. The whole show was just off the dial. The court sketch ! S. Milligan in smart suit, tie, and neat parting in hair. Where are we? What’s happened ?

[@michaelsandford1015]

Those episodes of q5 the are now on dvd at last a long with q6 and q7

[@Deepthought-42]

Spike Milligan and the Goons on the radio were the essential foundation of British humour in post WW2 Britain. His later TV Q series had and still has a cult following thanks to KZbin. Anyone who wants to understand Spike should read his books such as “Puckoon” or the accounts of his life in WW2 in North Africa and Italy starting with “Adolph Hitler - My part in his downfall” . The war affected him badly and these days he would probably have been diagnosed with post traumatic stress. A lovely man who gave so much to comedy before it was strangled by woke and PC. Sadly missed. 😘

[@RareDivers]

So this is the color episode that has been floating around for so long? With those 2 16mm black & white television recordings of episodes 2 and 3 here as well, all of Q5 is on KZbin. Apparently, nothing more of Q5 exists other than these 3 episodes.

[@MsSteve70]

Vanguard Indeed. This completes the set, unless any more episodes can be found!

[@RareDivers]

MsSteve70 I cant 100% verify anything, but this actually might be episode 4, not 1. Harry Secombe was a voice guest on episode 4, and he appears in the credits on this episode. The only sources I read this from is from tv .com under the Q5 page, and a French Wikipedia article that states he was a voice guest for one episode, but it says the air date of the episode was April 1st, which is not correct. A commenter on the video of the 2 television recordings also stated episode 4 was in color with Harry Secombe in it. Not sure, wish the info card at the beginning showed the date!

[@MsSteve70]

Vanguard Yes there's a lot of doubt as to the episode order. The booking sheet from archive noted it as episode one, but as you say there are plenty of others who say it's episode four. How will we ever know? Maybe the production code on the clock at the start could clear things up somehow? I think I'll take the episode number off just in case. Thanks very much.

[@RareDivers]

MsSteve70 Not a problem, hopefully others come forward and shed some light.

[@HrhFish]

Vanguard There's actually a good chance that Bob Monkhouse taped them. When he died they opened up his archive and found loads of shows Bob recorded almost every comedy show and owned a VCR back when they were first developed and has a huge garden shed filled with video tapes.They opened a charity called kaleidoscope. Lenny Henry wanted the New Faces final he won. He was after it for is show reel and Bob had recorded it.They presented him with a copy.I remember a court case when he loaned a tape to Terry Wogan!!

[@8teillumin]

The elephant saga was definitely an excellent call back to a Goons style skit.

[@kevinjackson6387]

Mad as a box of frogs

[@andrewmoser5539]

13:27 masks in the "Hong Kong Flu" segment

[@petercorbett3794]

‘Hong Kong flu’! Oh stop it Spike!

[@carribob1992]

25:44 He actually has World War 1 in his massive trunk, i can understand that as I have The Vietnam War in my Filing Cabinet.

[@pauldockree9915]

Lockhart here!! I think the Elephants have decided to hang together rather than hang separately. Raymond Huntley. Respect. RIP the entire cast almost. John Bluthal last seen in Hail Caesar with The Future. It was Spike Milligan's occasional habit having the entire cast of the Q Anons (sic) wandering around asking 2what are we goinfg to do now?" "Waht are we going to do now?". I keep being told the American Electorate are so detached from those they elect the GOP are going to Gerrymander themselves back to power. No Hiding Place. Chief Inspector Lockhart. Fed a bun. Fiendish Lockhart. Fiendish. Now that is no way to make your bed Skipper The Seal. But I am laughing.

[@petercorbett3794]

The reason why the USA is fucked is, they don’t get Spike Milligan. He’s the only person who still makes blackface funny! ‘I was born in India you know!’

[@markbowles2382]

Wrong - I love Spike- just found him from his war time books - a couple years ago - today's political correctness is ruining the world - Spike is good medicine for some of us! Cheers from usa.

[@marypettyfer4640]

🤣🤣🤣🤣fabulous 👌

[@normiron736]

Lol taken to court for sneezing in public.. oh the irony in covid 2020

[@warrenalexander5285]

The sketch at 10:50 is quite prophetic

[@andrewmoser5539]

The LuLu joke even applies to that iffy Lou Reed/Metallica album that came out in the 2010's (though Spike is referring to a musical soundtrack that was popular). The entire thing is like a prototype for Mr. Show with Spike's host segments going off on a tangent, very cool.

[@colmosiris400]

thanks very much for posting this, so glad to be finally able to watch it. :) please can you make it unprotected, so we can download it? many thanks.

[@MsSteve70]

+Colm Osiris Hi there, try following this KZbin link which show's you how to download a video easily. Let me know if it doesn't work and I'll try something else. Glad you enjoyed it. kzbin.info/www/bejne/hZmvq3ism697b7c

[@colmosiris400]

+MsSteve70 Brilliant, thanks very much. I did have a few different downloaders, but none of them worked for this video. But this one does. Yay! Wish there was more Q5! :)

[@TheBustopher]

"This video has been removed for violating KZbin's Terms of Service"... :-(

[@semajttam]

I just KNEW that that was Seagoon in that elephant 😂😂

[@pressureworks]

Wednesday 6 - Man United 2.Have we ever actually scored 6 against Manure ?

[@wjumeau]

Doctor Lady De Veer Rothschild is here...... and the compulsive patriotism.... cutting edge even now.....rofl

[@Sjmby95]

Good spike far better than the rubbish today

[@richardsharpe2966]

There is one word for Spike genius

[@mrtactica]

a prediction of 2020 and 2021

[@pauldockree9915]

Now what do we do ? - What Do We Do Now? Spike Milligan RIP Told You He Was Ill. Whom? Whom was ill? Who do you think?

[@JakePurches-Base2music]

And this pre-dated Monty Python!

[@WWAWHTR]

Harry Secombe as the voice inside the elephant I think😀

[@danvincent2600]

That’s what I should have said down Dyfoldol: ‘am I drunk in charge of a fxxxing elephant!?’

[@zerotoleranceforsataniceli4794]

Brilliant ! Thank you 👍 So this is where WHO ,Gates & Whitty got their medical "science" training.

[@carribob1992]

14:14 My hymn book must be different as Hymn 141 is "Oh Roast Pork Foo Yung".

[@barukkazhad8998]

Was that Ned Segoon in the elephant?

[@AliIKarimi]

Can you post the opening/first episode of Q8?

[@francollins4036]

The cop is THE Inspector Lockheart.

[@SuperWolsey]

You fucking beauty!!!

[@theonlyantony]

Golly gosh, my grandad died of HK Flu, that year. Huge pandemic. Glory days

[@anonb4632]

The FWA did famously appear on TV, with David Frost I think.

[@markwalters2927]

I have never seen an episode of the Q series broadcast even though I was born 3 years after this aired. Why were these not reshown so that I could have understood the forerunner to Monty Python sooner? How dare the BBC have 'lost' (wiped over probably) 4 episodes? Shambolic lack of foresight for the presevation of our heritage.

[@synthonaplinth5980]

Is it in fact, like a dead palm tree? 'Out of date'?

[@pauldockree9915]

Tortoise an "Ology" not Tautology?

[@quizmaster85]

How did "The Unknown Warrior" get a guest spot inside an elephant? He knew the right people 😉

[@markjones9020]

He wasn't right in the head but I loved him

[@MareeMarshall]

🎉the madness seems to all be coming true,love spikes humour,his timing was perfect,I was abit young first time around ,but glad I grew into it, comedy now is swearing or filth ,women the worst,

[@restcure]

What does the LTCR stand for? It just sits there on the screen, mocking me.

[@Tmanaz480]

@MichaelKingsfordGray ... I think you're right, buddy.

[@nicholasroberts6954]

Is that Secombe's voice inside the elephant ?

[@alanwilliamson9483]

Guess he was making a trunk call

[@chrishampton1981]

​@@alanwilliamson9483I don't wish to know that!

[@GirGir183]

Anyone know who that white-haired guy in the background picture is that everyone is throwing stuff at?

[@davemiller6893]

David Lloyd George mate.

[@michaelsandford1015]

how many episodes of Q5 are here

[@qtv5955]

Six episodes of Q5 were recorded in colour, but only three are now currently known to exist. Two in black & white and this one in colour.

[@michaelsandford1015]

thanks

[@craigkdillon]

I think we should change our anthem to My Country Tis Of Thee. It would really confuse the Brits.

[@oliverlambkin3412]

Yes!

[@ThatsViews]

Was that Harry Secombe as the man in the elephant?

[@MsSteve70]

Indeed it was!

[@dafyddmanton2981]

@@MsSteve70 No, Jim, it was Ned of Wales, the esteemed Neddy Seagoon. Harry Secombe is a figleaf of your imagination. You've got to go Owwwwwww!

[@SuperMikado282]

Yes, his name appears in the credits at the end.

[@fatbelly27]

That was Harry Secombe inside the elephant, wasn't it?

[@illaveyoubutler3588]

Yes

[@paulbacchus1015]

For my money this is the very very best episode of Q5 ever, a classic crackling over with idears and an Allie Barbas cave of imagination" Spike at his best. With respects to the exclent Python boys you can see hoe there show became possible. Sad theres only 3 episodes of Q5 left. Paul Bacchus

[@jeffstone2136]

Total madness

[@miked4377]

spike was the best....

[@torpedodropkick59]

Q series genius

[@petercorbett3794]

There’s a bloke inside the elephant!

[@vicsaul5459]

Was that Harry secombe inside the elephant 🐘🤔, I know poeple

[@paulnolan4971]

Yup, my thoughts

[@janetpayne3641]

Electric heater expert

[@erifretrats378]

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA even a warning of a future pandemic............. pity those in charge never ever watched this................

[@kiethblack3870]

I'm a Southern California boy.......I was born in the WRONG COUNTRY!! British humo(u)r is the ONLY humor!! HAHAHAHAHAAAA!!

[@pressureworks]

10:51 Anthony Hopkins ?

[@mrrolandlawrence]

covid masks even back then! 13:32

[@johnlawrence2757]

13.25 mask. For mask watchers

[@Gorillarevolta]

10:29 what have we here?

[@prebenso]

Shit - now phytons look like copyists

[@WilliamZeebub]

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