The Lost Tribe (The Goodies)

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

This episode is also known as "The Lost Tribe of the Orinoco" and "Safari with Hazel Nuts".

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

Plot

Tim, Bill and Graeme are shivering. The weather is freezing cold and the Goodies are too poor to have heating in the office. Bill and Graeme are both wearing beanies on their heads, but there is no warm headwear for Tim to wear, so he puts a teapot cosy onto his head to keep it warm. It is so cold that Tim's cup of tea rapidly becomes a tea-flavoured ice block.

Then Hazel arrives and asks the Goodies to find her father, who had disappeared from home years ago. Hazel has found her father's diary, and she gives it to the Goodies. When Tim sees that her father's name is Professor Nuts, he asks: "Why didn't you say your surname was Nuts, Hazel?" to which Hazel replies: "I try to keep it to myself."

Tim, Bill and Graeme decide that the best way to find Professor Nuts was to do everything exactly he did.

The Goodies enter their quick-change cupboard, and leave the cupboard in the correct type of clothing for their coming adventure. When Hazel enters the cupboard, she thinks that it is not working properly because, when she emerges from the cupboard, she is only dressed in a large-size bath towel.

Tim does not want to take Hazel with them, because he thinks that women always sprain their ankles, and would therefore prove to be a problem to them during their travels, so the Goodies leave without her. However, Hazel catches the bus to where they have set up camp for the night, so the Goodies have no choice but to allow her to accompany them on their journey.

Graeme sets up a canvas television (which surprisingly works well — until Graeme is told that it would be impossible for a canvas TV set to work), and also sets up a canvas clock. Having Hazel with them makes it impossible for Tim, Graeme and Bill to sleep, so Graeme winds the clock forward to dawn so that they can resume their journey.

Treading in Professor Nuts' footsteps leads them to him and the mysterious Tribe of the Orinoco, and unexpected chaos ensues as a result — including the Orinoco tribe wanting to eat the Goodies for dinner.

Will the Goodies survive their fate — and what will happen next?

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

• The Lost Tribe of the Orinoco at the Internet Movie Database

("The Lost Tribe" is listed under its alternative title at IMDb)