Ben Tummers

Am so sad to read that Bill Oddie has passed away. Although he later became equally famous as the BBC’s resident ornithologist, he had been a comedy hero of mine since my earliest days of watching television, as one of 'The Goodies'. The show was hugely influential on me: its glorious, go-for-broke silliness, almost like a kids’ companion to Monty Python, made it one of my earliest comedic touchstones. I loved Bill’s anarchic energy, musical brilliance and willingness to do absolutely anything for a laugh. And, it must be said, as the shortest member of the trio, he spoke to me. 'The Goodies' was always part of a direct line for me, from 'The Monkees', to 'Monty Python's Flying Circus', to 'The Young Ones', right up to our own 'Spaced', in terms of the wild freedom of the television format. I’ll never forget the giddy thrill of watching this opening sequence as a kid (the theme sung by Bill himself), and the resulting rush of total absurdity filling the box. Farewell to a true Goodie. RIP.