Life with the Lyons

32 Episodes of the Classic BBC Radio Sitcom

By: Bebe Daniels, Bob Block, Bill Harding, Ray Sonnin, Ronnie Hanbury

Narrated by: full cast, Bebe Daniels, Ben Lyon, Richard Lyon, Barbara Lyon

The vintage radio comedy series starring a real-life American family - husband and wife Ben Lyon and Bebe Daniels, and their children.

First broadcast on the BBC Light Programme in 1950, Life with the Lyons was the first UK 'situation comedy'. More than 11 million listeners tuned in to the hilarious fictional misadventures of real-life Hollywood stars Bebe Daniels and Ben Lyons and their two children, Barbara and Richard, as well as Scottish housekeeper Aggie and next-door neighbours Florrie and Mr Wimple. Such was its popularity that the series ran for 11 years, spawning a TV spin-off, a West End play and two feature films.

Included here are 32 of the very best episodes, among them an early one from the first series and the very last show, 'Roaming Scandals'. Molly Weir co-stars as Aggie, with Doris Rogers as Florrie, and there are special guest appearances from comedian Ted Ray, his son, Robin Ray, and boxer Freddie Mills, as well as cameos from household names including Charles Hawtrey, Roger Delgado and Norman Shelley. There's never a dull moment in the Lyons household, and these fast, frantic and funny slices of life are sure to have you roaring with laughter!

Production credits:

Written by Bebe Daniels, Bob Block, Ronnie Hanbury, Bill Harding and Ray Sonin

Produced by Tom Ronald

BBC Variety Orchestra led by John Jezard and conducted by Paul Fenoulhet

BBC Revue Orchestra conducted by Robert Busby

Incidental music by Arthur Wilkinson

First broadcast on the BBC Light Programme on the following dates:

'Time Marches Back' (26th February 1951)

'Accidents Will Happen' (25th October 1951)

'Let Them Eat Cake' (15th November 1951)

'I Don't Know What to Get Her' (6th December 1951)

'The Play's the Thing' (3rd April 1952)

'Home Again' (16th November 1952)

'The Christmas Story' (26th December 1952)

'The Barbecue' (23rd January 1953)

'Ben's Birthday' (6th February 1953)

'How to Be a Good Father' (13th March 1953)

'You Can't Get Blood Out of a Stone' (10th April 1953)

'Lovely to Look At' (3rd June 1953)

'Once a Ham...' (19th June 1953)

'Coming Home' (12th November 1953)

'Nature Boy' (19th November 1953)

'Let the Men Do It' (26th November 1953)

'Come to the Fair' (3rd December 1953)

'No Rest for Ben' (10th December 1953)

'Christmas Shopping' (17th December 1953)

'Twas the Night Before' (24th December 1953)

'Who Gave Me That?' (31st December 1953)

'Once Upon a Mime' (7th January 1954)

'Father's Day' (21st January 1954)

'Back in the Autumn' (6th May 1954)

'Danger, Richard at Work' (16th December 1954)

'The New Job' (30th December 1954)

'A Crooner in the House' (20th January 1955)

'An Afternoon on the Thames' (21st April 1955)

'Three Blind Dates' (12th May 1955)

'The Rising Son' (9th February 1958)

'Dial Special Branch' (16th February 1958)

'Roaming Scandals' (19th May 1961)

Cast:

Bebe - Bebe Daniels

Ben - Ben Lyon

Barbara - Barbara Lyon

Richard - Richard Lyon

Florrie Wainwright - Doris Rogers

Aggie MacDonald - Molly Weir

Mr Wimple - Horace Percival

With Dennis Arundell, Wilfred Babbage, Clive Baxter, Richard Bellaers, Barbara Blair, Bob Block, Alanna Boyce, Hugh David, Roger Delgado, David Enders, Angela Ferguson, Patricia Field, Ronnie Harris, Charles Hawtrey, Arthur Hill, Arthur Lawrence, Gwen Lewis, Freddie Mills, Harry Morris, Hugh Morton, John Pullen, Philip Ray, Robin Ray, Ted Ray, Ian Sadler, Norman Shelley, Brian Smith, Selma Vaz Dias

©2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd