The World of Beachcomber (1968)

Concept and creative process

Adapted from the 'Beachcomber' column in the Daily Express newspaper, this series was a vehicle for Spike Milligan's zany humour, accompanied by other leading comics of the day. Alan Jeapes' original idea for the titles of the programme focussed on a desktop set-up with a large blotting paper pad as the central feature, on which doodles of some of the wacky characters the audience was about to encounter are prominent. These are explored in close-up by the camera and the titles are wittily faded in, as if as the result of being blotted.