The Tony Hancock Show, broadcast bt AR-TV, was a sketch comedy show running for two seasons in '56 and '57, around the time of Hancock's first televised series of Hancock's Half Hour.

Written by Eric Sykes, Larry Stephens, John Jose, and (for the last episodes) Galton & Simpson, it was broadcast live with no episodes of the second series surviving.

Hancock moved to ATV in '62 with new writers, though Oakes (who co-wrote The Punch and Judy Man with Hancock) stayed on briefly as an advisor before disagreements over the script led to the two men severing their professional relationship. The initial writer for the '63 series was Godfrey Harrison who had a long history of successful scripts, including the Fools Rush In segment for Kaleidoscope (Hancock's first regular television appearance) more than ten years prior. Other writers were brought in, such as Terry Nation, to pick up the slack when Harrison was unable to complete the scripts at the fast pace required.

Unfortunately, due to personal issues in his life, his following series were not well-received. After two unsuccessful variety series (The Blackpool Show and Hancock's), his final contract to make a 13 part series for The Seven Network ended up unfinished before his untimely death.

Cyril Renison

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