Hospital for Hire

"Hospital for Hire" is an episode of the award-winning British comedy television series The Goodies.

This episode is also known as "The National Health Service" and "Doctors".

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

Plot

The National Health Service is having problems, and telephone the Goodies, with the phone being answered by Tim. Graeme asks Tim: "What did he say?" Tim replies: "He said, "How dare we criticize the National Health Service! If they are a bit slow, that's because they keep being pestered by sick people. And as we do anything anytime, why don't we help out by studying medicine ourselves and going to work for the National Health Service, so there"." Bill then asks: "He said all that just then?", with Tim answering: "No, I left out the rude bits."

So, the Goodies become doctors. They pass all the tests — including beer drinking and nurse chasing.

Later, Graeme develops a special tonic and the Goodies sell it at a Medicine show. They also set up their own eccentric outdoor hospital, performing X-rays (a classic moment sees Graeme being frightened and running away at the sight of a skeleton emerging from behind the X-ray machine) and operations, as well as setting bones and delivering babies.

The Goodies become obsessed with curing people, and collect patients from all over, including a patient from the back of an ambulance. Soon, all of Britain is cured by Graeme's tonic. Even a Mummy, in a museum, is brought back to life by Graeme's tonic.

When the Goodies later become ill, they discover that curing the nation from sickness has unexpected disadvantages.

Songs written and sung by Bill Oddie

• "Be a Medical Man"
• "Goodies Medicine Show"

Cultural references

• National Health Service — (also known as the NHS)
• Medicine show
• Hospitals
• Doctors

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

• Hospital for Hire at the Internet Movie Database