The Goodies Logo 'Animals'

by Graeme Garden
and Bill Oddie
The Goodies

Setting himself up as ‘Captain Grayboots Fearless Lion Tamer’, Graeme visits Tim’s animal actors agency ‘Beast Boutique’ to get some lions – only to learn that Tim doesn’t have any, and that he is useless at training animals. With Bill’s help, Graeme puts Tim’s animals to good use doing chores around the house, and then secures a deal with the Department of Energy to set up the first animal-driven power station for the government’s new animal-based economy. When animals end up doing all the jobs, Tim becomes an animal rights activist, and Parliament brings in the equal rights ‘Animal Discrimination Act’. While Graeme and Tim begin making people programmes for animals, including one about nature presenters in the wild, Bill gets concerned that people are becoming vegetarian instead of eating animals, and becomes a vegetable rights activist. Bill then goes on television for a debate programme, but ends up cooking and eating one of the guest panellists, a rabbit; as the audience goes after his blood, Tim and Graeme rush to the studio to save him. After hiding in a wardrobe room, the trio make their escape dressed up as rabbits – but just like in ‘Watership Down’, tragedy strikes during their journey to freedom…

Bill Oddie (Bill), Tim Brooke-Taylor (Tim), Graeme Garden (Graeme), Mel Smith (Reginald Bowesandcat), Patrick Moore (Himself), Ronnie Storm and Ernie Goodyear

Produced and Directed by Bob Spiers
Music by Bill Oddie and Dave McRae


TX (BBC 2):
11th February 1980

Notes:
*Featuring Tim, Bill and Graeme *Alternative title: 'Animal Liberation'

*The end credits run over footage of Tim, Graeme and Bill's canine replacements, ‘The Doggies’