Michael Bentine's Potty Time
Michael Bentine's Potty Time was (not unsurprisingly)
created, written and voiced by Mr Bentine himself. Bentine was
born in Watford, Hertfordshire, on January 26 1922, the son of a
Peruvian immigrant. Michael lost the power of speech for 13 years
as a child but recovered in time to attend Eton.
Following his education and wartime service during WWll, he
decided he wanted to be a comedian and auditioned at London's
famous Windmill Theatre. It was here that he met fellow
ex-services entertainer Harry Secombe.
 Secombe introduced Bentine to his friends Spike Milligan and
Peter Sellers, and the group would often meet up at a pub run by
Secombe's writer and agent Jimmy Grafton.
From those meetings at
the Grafton Arms the quartet developed the idea for The Goon
Show, which went on to become the most famous British radio
show of all time.
Bentine left after the second series to continue touring in his
own show and in 1954 was offered a TV series by the BBC - A
children's puppet series called The Bumblies.
Following
numerous appearances on other shows and another series, After
Hours (1958-59), he made his best remembered series It's A
Square World.
Potty Time saw Bentine return to his Children's TV
roots, with puppets made by Joan and Stan Griffiths and operated
by The Barry Smith Theatre Of Puppets.
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