The BBC radio show “Hancock’s Half Hour” produced over 100 episodes over a seven year period and, from 1956, the radio show was joined by a television show of the same name which ran for four years.

Following “Hancock’s Half Hour”, there were further series with Tony as the star, including “Hancock”, cherished by many for episodes including “The Blood Donor”.

His unique take on the world around him, and his sometimes dour response to it, created many memorable scenes in his shows, which featured Sid James, Liz Fraser, Hattie Jacques, Kenneth Williams, Irene Handl, and June Whitfield over the years.

Hancock’s debut film appearance was in 1954’s “Orders Are Orders” with Peter Sellers and Sid James, and would later appear in “Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines” in 1965 with Terry-Thomas, Benny Hill, and Gordon Jackson, and “The Wrong Box” with Michael Caine, Peter Sellers, Leonard Rossiter, and Irene Handl.

Tony Hancock’s first film as the leading man was “The Rebel” in 1961, which was released as “Call Me Genius” in American cinemas. Alongside Tony as the tortured artist, the cast included Liz Fraser, Irene Handl, and Dennis Price.