Royal Command

"Royal Command" is an episode of the award-winning British comedy television series The Goodies.

This episode is also known as "Royal Command Performance".

Written by The Goodies, with songs and music by Bill Oddie.

Plot

The Goodies are in charge of the Royal Command Performance, and the Royal family arrives for the occasion. Tim comments: "I'd be happy to be an OBE — best of all, an Earl and an OBE." Graeme, looking at Tim, comments: "You'd be an earlobe!"

Not realising that the Royal Family always went to sleep during the performances, Graeme is horrified to find them asleep and prods them awake. The result of actually seeing the performances makes them very grumpy, and they quickly dismiss all of the acts.

When the Royal family are later injured and bandaged in hospital, the Goodies take their place so that the Royal family will not be missed by the public. The Goodies move into Buckingham Palace, with Tim pretending to be the Queen, Bill pretending to be Prince Charles, Graeme pretending to be Princess Anne, and a store mannequin is brought in to be the Duke of Edinburgh — and they make an appearance on the balcony where they wave to cheering onlookers. The Royal Family, who are watching everything on television from their hospital beds, are pleased with what is happening, until the Goodies decide to re-enact the Coronation, in Westminster Abbey, with the genuine Archbishop of Canterbury, so that Tim will be crowned as the Queen and the Goodies will be the new "Royal Family".

The Queen, Duke, Prince Charles and Princess Anne, leave their hospital beds to defend their rights as the Royal family and to get rid of the imposters — and a rush for the Coronation Crown ensues.

Cultural references

• Royal Variety Performance
• The British Royal Family

DVD and VHS releases

This episode has been released on DVD.

References

• "The Complete Goodies" — Robert Ross, B T Batsford, London, 2000
• "The Goodies Rule OK" — Robert Ross, Carlton Books Ltd, Sydney, 2006
• "From Fringe to Flying Circus — 'Celebrating a Unique Generation of Comedy 1960-1980'" — Roger Wilmut, Eyre Methuen Ltd, 1980
• "The Goodies Episode Summaries" — Brett Allender
• "The Goodies — Fact File" — Matthew K. Sharp

External links

• Royal Command at the Internet Movie Database