Members get information about when streams/downloads become available, as well as accessing podcast RSS feeds for freely-available content to make listening to great shows a breeze, Register Here
The Clitheroe Kid was a BBC radio comedy show featuring diminutive Northern comedian Jimmy Clitheroe in the role of a cheeky schoolboy, who lived with his family at 33 Lilac Avenue in an unnamed town in the North of England. The pilot show, pilot series, and 16 subsequent series totalled 290 episodes in all, broadcast between April 1957 and 13 August 1972
In addition to Clitheroe himself, the show’s stars included Peter Sinclair playing his Scottish granddad, Patricia Burke as his mother (in some early shows the part was played by RenĂ©e Houston), and Diana Day as his long-suffering sister Susan (the part of the sister had been originally played by Judith Chalmers, when the character was called Judith Clitheroe). Jimmy’s father never appeared, his absence seldom really addressed.
Oldham comedian Danny Ross played Alfie Hall, Susan’s daft, tongue-tied boyfriend, who was often drawn into Jimmy’s reckless schemes and never learned to steer clear of him. And Tony Melody played Mr. (Horatio) Higginbottom (his first name was rarely used), a 6’4″ taxi driver, Granddad’s drinking buddy, and father of Jimmy’s pal Ozzie; Higginbottom was always threatening to give Jimmy a good hiding for things he had done to Ozzie. Ozzie himself was rarely heard, save as a muffled, indistinct background voice (for instance, as featured in the episode “The Trouble with Higginbottom” when he is ejected from a bus by the conductor).
In the pilot series, other actors who appeared in guest roles included John Broadbent, Violet Carson, Fred Fairclough, Fred Ferris, Tom Harrison, Jack Howarth, Shirley King, Eddie Leslie, Bob Monkhouse, Herbert Smith, Brian Trueman, Jack Watson, Patrick Wells, Leonard Williams and Rosalie Williams.
Episode List
- S02E07 – Clitheroe And The Hound Dog
- S03E07 – Storm in a Test Tube
- S03E08 – Mothers Day Of Rest
- S03E09 – The Wheels Of Misfortune
- S03E12 – Job For The Girl
- S04E02 – How Now Brown Cow
- S04E03 – Grandad’s Back
- S04E04 – The Trouble with Neighbours
- S04E07 – The Girl Who Got The Message
- S04E08 – The Not-so-welcome Guest
- S04E09 – The Keyhole Kid
- S04E10 – The Wreck Of The Soppy Sue
- S04E11 – Animal Crackers
- S04E12 – I’m In Trouble Again
- S04E13 – Fishing In Troubled Waters
- S05E01 – Dig That Crazy Garden
- S05E02 – It’s my Mother’s birthday
- S05E05 – Christmas day in the kid’s house
- S05E06 – Breaking In The New Year
- S05E11 – Lend Me An Ear
- S05E12 – The Day I Told The Truth
- S05E13 – I’ve Got Them Taped
- S05E14 – Collecting Trouble
- S05E16 – I Was A Stupid Cupid
- S05E17 – James – Mr Piano Clitheroe
- S06E02 – What A Guy
- S06E04 – Smile Please
- S06E05 – When Grandad Papered The Parlour
- S06E06 – We All Make Mistakes
- S06E07 – Accidents Will Happen
- S06E10 – Jim’s Highland Fling
- S06E11 – Next Door To Trouble
- S06E12 – Love Me, Love My Dog
- S06E13 – Too Much To Swallow
- S06E14 – Dial Jim For Trouble
- S06E15 – Trouble From The Kick Off
- S06E16 – Don’t Shoot The Pianist
- S06E17 – The Patient’s Dilemma
- S06E19 – The Quiz Kid
- S07E01 – No Holes Barred
- S07E02 – Tramp, Tramp, Tramp
- S07E03 – Playing With Fire
- S07E04 – Love And Marriage
- S07E05 – Vote For Grandad
- S07E06 – Three Of A Kind
- S07E08 – A Load Of Chinese Junk
- S07E12 – The man who came to lunch
- S07E13 – One Hundred Not Out
- S07E15 – Back To The Dressing Room
- S07E16 – The Kid With Nine Lives
- S07E18 – Nothing But The Tooth
- S08E04 – James, The Little Gentleman
- S08E05 – For Love And Money
- S08E06 – One Jump Behind
- S08E07 – James Bond Junior
- S08E08 – The Kid Makes History
- S08E10 – Jim and the beanstalk
- S08E11 – Double Trouble
- S08E14 – Help, It’s A Girl
- S08E19 – Clitheroe’s concert party
- S08E20 – It’s All In The Mind
- S09E01 – Jim And The Headless Piper
- S09E02 – The Mystery Of The Haggis
- S09E03 – For My Next Trick
- S09E04 – The Evils Of Tomato Juice
- S09E05 – Another Mother For Ozzie
- S09E06 – Grandad’s Mystery Illness
- S09E08 – The Unlucky Mascot
- S09E09 – The Case Of The Crooked Parson
- S09E11 – English As She Is Spoke
- S09E13 – The Sunday I Met Man Friday
- S09E14 – One Good Twist Deserves Another
- S09E15 – Give A Little Whistle
- S09E16 – Penny Foolish
- S09E18 – Too Many Sisters
- S09E19 – Sliding Into Trouble
- S09E20 – The Best Of Indian Luck
- S10E07 – As Advertised On The Telly
- S10E17 – The Prize Fool
- S10E20 – Nothing Like Music
- S10E22 – No Time For Higginbottom
- S10E26 – Beware Of The Bike
- S11E02 – Beware Of The Neighbour
- S11E03 – Robin Jim And His Merry Men
- S11E11 – Have Snake, Will Travel
- S11E13 – It’s A Gift
- S11E16 – For Love And Money
- S12E03 – Who Sold Cock Robin
- S12E05 – Spots Of Bother
- S12E09 – Stop The Wedding, I Want To Get Off
- S12E10 – Half Nelson, Half Alfie
- S12E15 – A Love-In Has Been Arranged
- S12E18 – Two Sides To Every Story
- S13E01 – It’s Quicker By Dream
- S13E02 – Take A Running Walk
- S13E04 – Anymore For The Beach
- S13E05 – Private Alfie, General Twit
- S13E07 – Never Believe What You Hear
- S13E09 – It Shouldn’t Happen To A Grandad
- S13E10 – Someone, Somewhere, Wants A Letter
- S13E16 – Tickets For The Punch-up
- S13E18 – Heat The Test-tube And Run
- S14E01 – Get Well Soon Grandad
- S14E03 – Good For Money
- S14E05 – Not In Front Of The Parrot
- S14E06 – Out Of The Mouths Of Puppies
- S14E07 – A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Fair
- S14E08 – All At Sea With A Sailor
- S14E10 – Seated One Day At The Movies
- S14E11 – Once More Into The Vicarage
- S14E12 – A Right Son Of A Gun
- S14E13 – There Was A Farmer, A Scottish Farmer
- S14E14 – Keep Jim Off The Road
- S14E15 – The Best Of Birthday Luck
- S14E16 – Taken To The Cleaners
- S14E17 – James, The Modest Hero
- S14E18 – No Licence For Jim
- S14E19 – A Touch Of Competition Fever
- S14E20 – For Singing Out Loud
- S15E01 – All I Want Is A Room Somewhere
- S15E02 – Don’t Shoot, I’m Only Acting
- S15E03 – Go West Old Man
- S15E04 – Once Upon A Cup-tie
- S15E05 – Jobs For The Ladies
- S15E06 – Tennis Just Isn’t Cricket
- S15E07 – Whatever Happened To Grandad
- S15E08 – History Is A Thing Of The Past
- S15E09 – Is There A Boss In The House
- S15E10 – In At The Deep End
- S15E13 – Thinking About A Holiday
- S16E01 – My Great Aunt’s Great
- S16E02 – Why Mothers Leave Home
- S16E03 – The Day The Fun Fair Hit Town
- S16E04 – If You Can’t Keep A Secret, Sell It
- S16E05 – The Swiss Family Clitheroe
- S16E06 – The Romantic Higginbothams
- S16E07 – Why Must The Show Go On
- S16E08 – A Letter From America For Grandad
- S16E09 – A Far, Far Better School I Go To
- S16E10 – Money For Old Gold
- S16E11 – Enough To Make A Kitten Laugh
- S16E12 – Where’s The Stage And What’s The Play
- S16E13 – What’s Welsh For Trouble
- SP1E01 – How Tickled Am I ,Jimmy Clitheroe