Episode Overview

Podcast: Harold's Old Time Radio
Episode Title: "I'm Sorry, I'll Read That Again 65-10-25 (104) Battle Of The Whispering Mouse"
Theme:
A classic comedy episode from the iconic British radio show "I'm Sorry, I'll Read That Again" (ISIRTA), performed in 1965, renowned for its absurd sketches, musical parodies, and self-referential humor. This episode features skits, musical interludes, and a mock-epic retelling of the fictional "Battle of Whispering Mouse," combining wordplay, slapstick, and satirical takes on British culture.

Key Discussion Points & Skits

1. Radio Crossword Parody (00:00–01:17)

• Premise: The show opens with a spoof of a radio crossword session, immediately leaning into nonsense and mismatched clues.
  • Example:
    • Interviewer: “Curiosity killed for blank. 12 letters.”
    • Narrator: “That’s an easy one. Of course. Curiosity killed the hippopotamus.” (00:37)
• Comedic Style: Puns, deliberate misdirection, and British in-jokes (“The Daleks"/"The Dales” mix-up).

2. The Talent Scout Sketch (01:17–02:16)

• Plot: A performer tries to sell his brother's dangerous act involving red-hot coals and boiling tar, played for both absurdity and size gags.
  • Notable moment:
    • "He's only 3 foot 4. Blimey, a dwarf? Dwarf nothing. Poor little fellow. He's only seven." (02:15)
  • Themes: Mocking showbiz negotiations, danger pay, and the child performer trope.

3. The Alien Invasion Mockumentary (02:16–08:08)

• Setting: A “blasted heath” where an “alien” details plans for invading Earth, complete with tongue-in-cheek reporting.
  • Quirks:
    • The alien arrives from "the planet Zelda in the 51st Federation of the Galaxy Alpha Centau."
    • “A preliminary skirmishing force of midgets like myself have been landed. Our main invasion party will arrive soon.” (03:50)
• Wordplay: Parodies news coverage, science fiction, and the trope of nervous rural villagers.

4. Family Etiquette Sketch (08:08–08:48)

• Overview:
  A convoluted family scenario, where a father aims to keep his son in line prior to a family tea, leading to gags about misbehavior.
  • Notable Quotes:
    • “You can have one glass of Worcester sauce. And you mustn't let people see you're afraid of your father.” (07:54)
    • “Don't use that language to me. You know I don't understand Italian.” (07:59)

5. "Rent a Pet" Real Estate Parody (08:08–11:49)

• Premise:
  A surreal sketch where a "rental" agency combines pet ownership and home rental, leading to outlandish suggestions for animal “accommodation.”
  • Memorable elements:
    • London tramps living “inside the hippos” at the zoo (08:50)
    • Flats inside animals: “Divide the rest up into flats… convert a gnu… paddle your own gnu” (09:23–09:46)
    • Tour of the elephant:
      • “We never go in the back way. We always go up the trunk. It’s further, but it’s prettier this way.” (10:18)
      • “The stomach needs relining.” “Oh, well, yes, but we can do that for you.” (11:22)
    • Surreal punchline: “I’ll need somewhere to keep my pet bungalow.” (11:49)

6. Parody Song: "Music You Laugh At" (11:51–15:28)

• Concept:
  A musical interlude lampooning contemporary folk singers (Dylan, Donovan, Seekers, Nina & Frederik), imagining them as products of elite British schooling.
  • Satirical Lyrics:
    • “If Bob Dylan had been sent to Eton… we sure you'd hear Bob Dylan sing in this old jolly bo...” (12:46)
    • “Poet seekers are a very fine group / Three fellows and alas. / But you should have heard the literary gems / when they sang them in the poetry class…” (14:09)
    • “Four and 20 virgins came down from Inverness...” (15:08)
  • Tone: Gentle mockery of folk and pop music, British class, and education.

7. The Graveyard Mix-up (15:28–18:02)

• Summary:
  Two neighbors discuss a suspicious grave being dug, which turns out to be for a fish pond.
  • Notable Dialog:
    • “What’s it look like? It looks like a grave. That’s right. Who is it calling for? Me, of course.” (15:40)
    • “You’ve been having me on, haven’t you? Pulling my leg. That’s right. It’s not really a grave at all, is it? Of course it isn’t. I’m making a little fish pond…” (17:46)
  • Playful morbid humor with a twist ending.

8. The Work Song Sketch (18:02–20:08)

• Set Up:
  The classic old busker character intends to perform a “work song,” supposedly with workmen sound effects, but chaos ensues.
  • Standout Lines:
    • “How shall I hear that?” “I brought along six navvies, two carpenters, four bricklayers…” (19:11)
    • “All right, lads. Keep it light and sensual.” (19:16)
    • “You ruined my song. You never sing again. Or never.” (20:08)
  • Comedy: Use of sound, mistaken coordination, and exasperated performers.

9. Main Feature: "The Battle of Whispering Mouse" (20:08–29:35)

• Premise:
  A sprawling, mock-historical recounting of a “forgotten” American frontier battle, strung together by Lieutenant Busby Pintle’s absurd diary entries and an unreliable narrator.
• Plot Points:
  • Pintle’s transatlantic misadventures (accidentally ends up in Africa after falling off a bus in London, 20:30–21:35)
  • Military incompetence and slapstick promotions:
    • “On my first rifle inspection, I was discovered with a dirty magazine which the Major confiscated and added to his collection.” (21:51)
    • Vocabulary joke: “Busby Pintle…does not sound like a Yankee. Because he was an Englishman. And because David Hatch can’t do an American accent.” (20:22)
  • Marching mishaps:
    • “On May 15th…our enemies and ourselves were camped some 500 miles apart. By the 20th, we had marched 120 miles to the east and they had marched 170 miles to the west…” (23:37)
  • The battle’s farcical climax:
    • Soldiers preparing for action:
      • “Lieutenant. There’s 2,000 Indians. And they’re singing ‘Land of Hope and Glory.’” (24:34)
    • Satirical referencing to “Prune and Custard” (Custer and Boone), with mocking of heroic legends (25:11)
    • Battlefield confusion:
      • “Right, boys. Bugler, blow your nose and use a clean Y.” (27:24)
    • Running gags about the wrong accent, petty cash, and loopy officers.
  • Surreal Peace Overture:
    • “Look, he’s holding up a white flag…Now, which is whitest?” (28:51)
    • Message on an arrow: “Please can we have this arrow back? It’s the only one we’ve got.” (28:56)

Notable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

• “Curiosity killed the hippopotamus.” – Narrator parodying crossword clues (00:37)
• “A preliminary skirmishing force of midgets like myself have been landed.” – Alien invasion parody (03:50)
• “You can have one glass of Worcester sauce. And you mustn't let people see you're afraid of your father.” – Family etiquette sketch (07:54)
• “We never go in the back way. We always go up the trunk. It’s further, but it’s prettier this way.” – Rent-a-pet elephant tour (10:18)
• “If Bob Dylan had been sent to Eton… we sure you'd hear Bob Dylan sing in this old jolly bo.” – Parody song lyric (12:46)
• “I’m making a little fish pond.” – Twist reveal from the grave-digging sketch (17:46)
• “I brought along six navvies, two carpenters, four bricklayers, a scaffolder and an engine driver to accompany me.” – Work song chaos (19:11)
• “Busby Pintle…does not sound like a Yankee. Because he was an Englishman. And because David Hatch can’t do an American accent.” – Narrator, breaking the fourth wall (20:22)
• “Please can we have this arrow back? It’s the only one we’ve got.” – Indian surrender message (28:56)

Tone & Style

The episode threads a classic mid-60s British comedy aesthetic:

• Wordplay, surrealism, and self-referential asides
• Satire of radio conventions, pop music, folk customs, sci-fi, and British/American national myths
• Performers gently break the fourth wall, acknowledging their roles as radio comedians (“And because David Hatch can’t do an American accent.”)
• Musical Parody: Both original tunes and witty covers poking fun at the contemporary music scene
• Rapid-fire sketches and running gags maintain a brisk pace, always ready with the next absurdity

Important Segments & Timestamps

| Segment Description | Timestamps | |------------------------|------------| | Radio Crossword Parody | 00:00–01:17| | Talent Scout Sketch | 01:17–02:16| | Alien Invasion Sketch | 02:16–08:08| | Family Etiquette | 08:08–08:48| | "Rent a Pet" Sketch | 08:08–11:49| | Folk Music Parody Song | 11:51–15:28| | Graveyard/Fish Pond | 15:28–18:02| | Work Song Gag | 18:02–20:08| | Battle Whispering Mouse | 20:08–29:35|

Cast & Credits (as per closing narration)

• Performers: Tim Brooke-Taylor, Graeme Garden, David Hatch, Jo Kendall, Bill Oddie, and more
• Writers: Graeme Garden, Johnnie Mortimer, Brian Cook, Bill Oddie, Peter Vincent, David McKellar
• Songs: Bill Oddie & Graeme Garden
• Music: Dave Lee
• Producer: Humphrey Barclay

Summary Takeaway

This ISIRTA episode exemplifies the best of mid-century British radio humor: fast-paced, anarchic, and reverently irreverent. From nonsensical crosswords to an epic that’s not quite epic, listeners are taken on a wild ride through sketches, songs, and stories, all delivered in a style that pokes fun at everything in sight—including themselves.