“Little grovelling bastard ...”
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Spike Milligan
Terence Alan "Spike" Milligan was an Irish comedian, writer, musician, poet, playwright and actor. The son of an English mother and Irish father, he was born in British India, where he spent his childhood before relocating in 1931 to England, where he lived and worked for the majority of his life.
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culture · Irish comedian and writer (1918–2002) · screenwriter · writer · comedian · journalist · stage actor · film actor · poet · actor · musician · television actor · also Spike Milligan, Terence Alan Patrick Seán Milligan, Terence Alan Milligan, Terence Alan Patrick Sean Milligan, Milligan
Born 16 April 1918 · Died 27 February 2002 · Q561401
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2026· 1 entry
2025· 3 entries
Published video “Postman's Knock”.
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Published video “Cougher Royal”.
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Published video “The Sewers Of The Strand”.
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2023· 6 entries
Published video “The Goat: Paes And Honey: The Splendid Guardsman: Kong David And King Soloman: There Was A...”.
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Published video “Lady Barnaby: Lord Finchley: The Tootsie Cana: Questions, Quishtons, Quostions: The Wind and...”.
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Published video “The Worm: Return To Sorrento: Holy Smoke: The Last Words Of Gladstone And Florence Nightingale:...”.
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Published video “Mummy Bear: Dangers Of Loose Elastic: Ingle Jingle Jangle Jongle: A Young Poet Called Wyatt:...”.
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Published video “Drake Is Going West: Ye Tortures: The Lion: Cold Porridge”.
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Published video “Rain-or-There Are Holes In The: Sky Soldier Neddie: Arithmetic: Carrington Briggs: On Seeing A...”.
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2013· 1 entry
Released album “In His Own Words”.
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2011· 2 entries
Milligan's headstone was removed from St Thomas' churchyard in Winchelsea and moved to be alongside the grave of his wife, but was later returned
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Shelagh, who was 25 years younger than Milligan, died in June 2011.
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2005· 1 entry
Four of his children collaborated with documentary makers on a multi-platform programme called I Told You I Was Ill: The Life and Legacy of Spike Milligan (2005).
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2003· 1 entry
Released album “Spike: The Best of Spike Milligan”.
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2002· 1 entry
Died 2002-02-27.
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2000· 2 entries
Released album “EMI Comedy: Spike Milligan”.
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Released album “The Spike Milligan Collection”.
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1999· 1 entry
Released album “Legends of the 20th Century: Spike Milligan”.
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1998· 1 entry
In a nationwide poll, ahead of other nonsense poets including Lewis Carroll and Edward Lear
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1994· 1 entry
The prince sent a congratulatory message to be read out on live television
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1993· 1 entry
Released album “The Bill Armstrong Collection: Comedy Classics One”.
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1992· 2 entries
Released album “A Collection of Spikes”.
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(honorary because of his Irish citizenship)
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1990· 1 entry
Also wrote his own obituary, in which he stated repeatedly that he "wrote the Goon Show and died"
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1988· 1 entry
While visiting his mother in Woy Woy (on the shores of Brisbane Water), Milligan composed and orchestrated a Grand Waltz for Brisbane Water and gave it to the symphony orchestra of nearby Gosford
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1985· 1 entry
Partly in protest at the circumstances which led to her son's ineligibility for British citizenship; Milligan was reportedly considering applying for Australian citizenship at the time
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1980· 1 entry
During the funeral of Peter Sellers, he quipped to Harry Secombe, "I hope you die before me, because I don't want you to sing at my funeral
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1977· 1 entry
Q8 in 1978, Q9 in 1980 and There's a Lot of It About in 1982
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1976· 1 entry
Released album “Paul Gallico's The Snow Goose”.
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1975· 2 entries
Milligan co-wrote (with Neil Shand) and co-starred in a BBC TV sitcom called The Melting Pot
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By André Deutsch, edited by Charles Allen
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1974· 3 entries
Released album “An Adult Entertainment: Spike Milligan With Jeremy Taylor Live at Cambridge University”.
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Released album “Bad Jelly the Witch (A Musical Tale) and Other Goodies”.
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Milligan was arrested for shooting a trespasser with an air rifle
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1971· 2 entries
Milligan played a humble village priest in Russell's film The Devils
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Milligan caused controversy by attacking an art exhibition at the Hayward Gallery with a hammer
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1967· 2 entries
Applying a satirical angle to a fashion for the inclusion of Superman-inspired characters in British television commercials, Milligan dressed up in a "Bat-Goons" outfit, to appear in a series of television commercials fo
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With a provincial tour before opening at London's Saville Theatre on 3 May 1967
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1964· 1 entry
Released album “How to Win an Election (Or Not Lose by Much)”.
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1963· 1 entry
And 1964 and (presumably because it was shot on 35 mm film rather than video) the series has reportedly been preserved in the BBC archives
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1962· 3 entries
And remained so for the rest of his life; this status gave him almost the same rights as a British citizen
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Released album “Bridge on the River Wye”.
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He married Patricia Ridgway in June 1962, with George Martin as best man and the marriage produced one child, Jane Milligan.
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1961· 2 entries
Released album “Milligan Preserved”.
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Milligan co-wrote two episodes of the popular sitcom Sykes and a
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1959· 1 entry
Ken Russell made a short 35 mm film about and with Milligan entitled Portrait of a Goon
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1958· 1 entry
A similar special was made for the Australian Broadcasting Commission, "The Gladys Half-Hour", which also featured local actors Ray Barrett and John Bluthal, who would appear in several later Milligan projects
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1931· 2 entries
Milligan attended Brownhill Road School (later to be renamed Catford Boys School) and St Saviours School, Lewisham High Road
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To England, where he lived and worked for the majority of his life
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1918· 1 entry
Born 1918-04-16.
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