Radio comedy's archive is now shipshape

The archives of classic radio comedy The Navy Lark have been completed after a public appeal found the last missing episode.

The sitcom, about life aboard a Navy frigate named HMS Troutbridge, ran from 1959 to 1977 and starred Leslie Phillips, Jon Pertwee, Ronnie Barker, Stephen Murray and Dennis Price.

While the programme escaped the worst of the BBC’s mass wiping of tapes – to save on storage space and the cost of buying new tape – one of the 244 episodes had remained missing.

But now the missing piece has been found after the Radio Times put out an appeal for readers with old recordings of TV or radio programmes, taped off air, to submit them to experts.

Among the hundreds of items handed over was an unmarked quarter-inch audio tape reel containing the previously missing episode of The Navy Lark – The Cornish Exercise, originally broadcast in January 1962.

The recording was identified by the Radio Circle, a group of enthusiasts that was helping with the Radio Times Treasure Hunt project.

Great news- we've found a lost "Navy Lark" - and it looks like it's the only one that was entirely missing from the BBC Archives! The reel was located by Richard, Keith has digitised it - and Steve has done the research. pic.twitter.com/Lvv4w2V9dS

— Radio Circle (@RadioCircleUK) January 16, 2023

The publication reports that the quality of the recording is good enough that Radio 4 Extra – which regularly broadcasts old episode of the Navy Lark – could air it in the spring.

Published: 17 Jan 2023