Following on from the release of archive programmes on 12" vinyl records, the BBC began releasing a series of double cassette albums featuring four shows. Once the CD emerged as an alternative format the BBC started to release the cassette albums on CD. For The Goons, this covered the whole back catalogue, with others (e.g Steptoe, The Navy Lark, Dad's Army) CD releases were restricted to duplicates of new cassettes released in the range. For Hancock's Half Hour this didn't happen. Other than Hancock's Happy Christmas, there were no CD releases of the four episode cassettes. However, with the commencement of this new series 'The Very Best Episodes', once again the radio half hour is available to the casual purchaser (i.e one that does not want to purchase an entire box set!). These releases are well put together and feature extensive and informative sleeve notes written by none other than Galton & Simpson. Even more importantly there are track listings! As to the episodes themselves, these are the versions released in the box sets and include the full final closing music. Episodes featured on Volume 1 are: Sid's Mystery Tours, The Wild Man Of The Woods, A Sunday Afternoon at Home and The Poetry Society. Volume 2 contains The Conjurer, Cyrano de Hancock, The Diary and The Impersonator.