* GenreTurningPoint: Tony Hancock was a pioneer in comedy, as he was one of the first to look beyond stock characters and jokes and sought to create a core cast of consistent characters and place them in situations where their reactions would drive the humor. This would become the basis for practically all scripted comedy to follow it.
* GrowingTheBeard: The radio series grew some stubble with the addition of the Snide character in series 2 and a bit more in series 3 when the writers got better hold of the characters. Fully growing the beard came with series 4, when Creator/HattieJacques replaced Creator/AndreeMelly.
* HarsherInHindsight:
** In "The Emigrant", Tony attempts to emigrate to Australia, hoping for stardom down under (but is turned away with "try Canada") and dies in the end only to be told to try "the other place" when he arrives at the Pearly Gates. In real life, Creator/TonyHancock emigrated to Australia to try to revive his failing career. Tragically, it didn't work, and he killed himself.
** In the episode "The Bowmans", Hancock alludes to thinking about killing himself.
** Miss Pugh is regularly teased for her appearance and size. Creator/HattieJacques struggled with weight and body image issues and ultimately died of health problems associated with yo-yo dieting.
* MorePopularReplacement: Fans tend to regard Hattie Jacques' Griselda Pugh as superior to Creator/AndreeMelly and Moira Lister.
* RetroactiveRecognition:
** Ginger Johnson from "The Reunion Party" is played by Creator/CliveDunn, who would later be best known for playing Lance Corporal Jones in ''Series/DadsArmy''.
** Mr. Johnson from "The Blood Donor" is played by Creator/FrankThornton, who would later be best known for playing Captain Peacock in ''Series/AreYouBeingServed''.
** A radio voice from "The Radio Ham" is played by Creator/JohnBluthal, who would later be best known for playing Frank Pickle in ''Series/TheVicarOfDibley''.
** Nine guest roles from between 1957 and 1961 are played by Creator/JohnLeMesurier, who would later be best known for playing Sergeant Wilson in ''Series/DadsArmy''.
** Three guest roles from between 1957 and 1961 are played by Creator/JuneWhitfield, who would later be best known for playing June Fletcher in ''Happy Ever After'', June Medford in ''Series/TerryAndJune'', and Mother in ''Series/AbsolutelyFabulous''.
** Six guest roles from between 1956 and 1960 are played by Creator/LizFraser, who would later be best known for appearing in four ''Film/CarryOn'' films.
** Six guest roles from between 1956 and 1959 are played by Creator/WarrenMitchell, who would later be best known for playing Alf Garnett in ''Series/TillDeathUsDoPart''.
** A council official from "Lord Byron Lived Here" is played by Creator/WilliamMervyn, who would later be best known for playing the Right Reverend Cuthbert Hever in ''Series/AllGasAndGaiters''.
* UnintentionalPeriodPiece: In "Twelve Angry Men", Tony makes two impassioned speeches to his fellow jurors pleading the defendant's innocence, painting (entirely invented) pictures of the defendant's family life. In his first speech, Tony says the defendant has a wife and small child; in the second, he says the defendant lives with his mother. For audiences from the 1980s onwards, this seems a contradiction. In fact, three generations of a family all living together was not unusual in 1960.
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