The Navy Lark : Collection #1


(2.6 stars; 5 reviews)

The Navy Lark is a delightful radio comedy featuring the talents of Leslie Phillips, Jon Pertwee, and Stephen Murray. This British situation comedy is set in the Royal Navy and revolves around the misadventures of the disaster-prone frigate named HMS Troutbridge.

Originally broadcast from 1959 to 1977, the show features a stellar cast, with Leslie Phillips and Jon Pertwee appearing in every episode. Stephen Murray joined the cast in Series 2, along with other notable actors such as Ronnie Barker, Michael Bates, Tenniel Evans, Richard Caldicott, and Heather Chasen.

Enjoy the nautical humor and camaraderie of the crew as they navigate the challenges of life at sea!


This recording is part of the Old Time Radio collection.

Chapters

The Missing Jeep 28:15
Operation Fag End 29:47
Number One's Chair 28:23
The Fairground Lights 29:22
The Comfort Fund 28:35
Stuck Up the Inlet 28:35
The Admiral's Party 28:37
The Hank of Heather 28:22
The Multiple Mines 29:32
The Gun Mechanism Test 28:12
The Whittlesea Bay Yacht Regatta 29:50
The Psychology Test 29:57
A Watch On the Initiative Test 29:51
An Exercise in Filming 29:16
The Smuggling Spy 29:02
The Whittlesea Carnival and Fete 29:19
New at the Helm 27:32
Fatso's Box Brownie 28:14
Bringing Back the Barge 28:55
The Mock Action 27:55
Going Dutch 28:23
The Figurehead 27:20
Gunboat to Goomba 28:12
Johnson Finds Treasure 28:50
The Charter Trip To Antarctica 28:29
Cementing Relations 28:54
The Comfort Fund Dance 27:26
The Route March 27:11
The Trip Up the Thames 28:36
The Radar Talk-Down System 28:16
A Crisp Romance 27:04
The Lighthouse Lark 29:20
Pertwee Posted to Portsmouth 27:19
Johnson's Diet 29:00
Tug-of-War 27:20
Return to Portarneyland 20:24
The Cross Country Run 28:52
The Morning After 27:10
The Admiral's Present 27:47
Secret Mission to Calais 27:43
Mr Murray Goes Sick 28:32
The Portarneyland Fishing Limit 27:21
In Portsmouth for a Refit 28:17
Refitting Ebeneezer Pertwee 28:30
Sea Trials and the Poppadom 28:29
Mutiny Aboard Troutbridge 29:00
The Explosive Biscuits 29:25
Sir Willoughby Takes Over the Island 29:10
Mount Rumpus Atoll 28:39
50th Show (before HM Queen) 29:14
Johnson's Birthday 29:22
Povey's Unexpected Leave 28:24
Families Day 28:36
The Falmouth Ghost Ship 28:34
Onnabushkan Flu 28:55
The Efficiency Drive 28:28
The Floggle Grommit Missile 29:00
The Hitch Hiking Counterfeiter 28:40
Commodore Goldstein 29:04
Mr Philips Has Navigation Tuition 29:04
CPO Pertwee and the Laundry 28:46
Cmdr Stanton's Wedding 28:55
Returning from Leave 28:47
Captain Povey's Spy 29:36
The Secret of Nessie's Youth 29:35
The Northampton Hunt Ball 28:46
Hijacked 28:53
Admiral Troutbridge 28:31
Relatives and Reservations 29:30
Humgrummits on the High Seas 28:31
Are Captain and Mrs Povey Married 28:56
Cine Cameras At Sea 29:03
The Civilian Adjustment Course 28:44
A Hole Lieutenant 28:57
Spy Catching in Casablanca 28:29
Mount Pot Erupts 28:11
Captain Povey's Shop 29:11
Leading Seaman Goldstein's Party 28:52
The Invitation 29:07
A Strange Hobby 28:35
Mr Philips Gets Engaged 28:36
The Sinking of the Bubble Car 25:35
Long Jonathan Pertwee 28:33
The Admiral's Accident Report 29:32
Over the Sea to Rosyth 29:18
The Return of Sir Fredrick Flatley 28:22
The Ship's Concert 29:29
First Day out of Dock 29:42
The New Barmaid 30:05
A Deliberate Bashing 29:49
The Whittlesea Regatta 29:42
HMS Troutbridge gets a Rocket 29:31
The Ghost Ship 29:37
Wren Chasen Returns 30:02
On the Carpet 28:46
The Bungalese Spies 29:37
Troutbridge's Party 28:55
Rescuing Admirals 29:19
The Demise of the Depth Charges 29:41
The Struggle for Promotion 29:12
Navigation By Computer 28:17
Stormy Weather 29:54
Chasing the Kepeac 29:09
The Submerged Island 29:26
The Sicilian Secret Agent 29:31
Germany's Troutbridge 29:18
Confirming Povey's Rank 29:29
The Calais Dock Strike 29:20
Johnson's Memoirs 29:14
The Emperor of Tratvia 29:43
Open Day 27:49
Stuck on a Sandbank 29:12
Taking Some Liberties 29:10
Taking Some Liberties 27:06
Smugglers in the Solent 29:03
Mr Murray is Victimised 28:57
Mr Murray is Victimised 27:00
The Poveys Move House 28:44
Captain Povey Reports Sick 29:50
Captain Povey Reports Sick 27:03
Admiral Pertwee's Fleet 29:43
Admiral Pertwee's Fleet 27:05
Let Loose With a Chopper 29:40
Making a Right Pig's Breakfast 29:52
Making a Right Pig's Breakfast 27:00
The Mysterious Pudding Mine 29:39
The Mysterious Pudding Mine 27:03
The Hovercraft Training Course 29:26
The Sabotaged Floggle Toggle Box 29:39
The Sabotaged Floggle Toggle Box 26:56
The Portarneyland Training Exercise 29:00
Going on Leave to Croydon 29:37
Going on Leave to Croydon 26:54
Where is Troutbridge? 29:57
The Float a Peddle Fiddle 27:07
A Sticky Business 29:35
Buoys Will Be Buoys 29:23
Steamship Day 29:21
Farewell to HMS Varsity 29:48
The Army Lark 29:34
Just the Ticket 29:43
Mr Phillips' Promotion 29:49
Pertwee and the Tratvian Beer 29:47
The Poom's Papa 29:44
Getting Rid of Pertwee 29:40
Off to Sea at Last 29:20
Back from the Antarctic 29:55
Fishing off the Faroes 28:50
A Filthy Ferryboat 28:42
A Filthy Ferryboat 27:01
Jigsaws and Jemmies 28:42
Jigsaws and Jemmies 25:06
The Naval Review 28:34
The Naval Review 20:10
The Curious Caravan Case 29:47
Frenchmen in J-41 29:28
The Police Drop In 28:28
Mr Murray's Endurance Course 29:37
Women in the Wardroom 29:23
Troutbridge's Silver Jubilee Party 29:34
Troutbridge's Silver Jubilee Party 26:58
CECIL the Navigation Computer 29:58
CECIL the Navigation Computer 27:00
A Russian Rendezvous 29:54
A Russian Rendezvous 30:49
The Bugged and Burgled Beer 29:46
Picking Up the Poppadom 28:35
Cuthbert Joins the Navy 29:40
Cuthbert Joins the Navy 27:06
The Flying Machine 29:23
The Flying Machine 27:01
Sub-Lt Phillips at Dartmouth 27:21
A Fishy Business 29:48
A Fishy Business 27:05
HMS Troutbridge in Quarantine 29:44
HMS Troutbridge in Quarantine 27:01
Troutbridge Electrifies Portsmouth 29:54
The Redundancy Drive 29:59
The Smugglers Return 32:07
Commander Trotter Takes Charge 29:19
The Anti-Submarine Missile 32:27
Sub-Conductor Phillips 29:06
The South Kawowan Summit 29:22
Pertwee's Enlistment Expires 30:06
Captain Povey Takes Over 32:56
Sir Willoughby Goes to Kawowa 29:18
The Padre's Birthday 29:53
The Portsmouth Kiosk 29:33
The Radio Beacon 29:17
Mr Phillips Wrong Uniform 29:19
Harold Wilson Reviews the Fleet 29:47
The Relief of the Weather Ship 29:12
The Mickey Mouse Toothbrush 29:55
The Brick Smugglers 29:33
Desquatting Troutbridge 30:04
Admiral Hunting 29:28
Promoting CPO Pertwee 30:04
Captain Povey as Governor of Forbodia 29:25
Sir Willoughby's Party 28:41
The Fleet Initiative Test 29:33
CPO Pertwee's Long Service Medal 28:51
The Phenomenal Pertwee Tug 29:37
Spy Catching 29:05
The Anniversary and the Washing 31:15
The Forbodians Hijack Troutbridge 29:17
Number One Gets Married 30:09
The Honeymooners Return 34:04
CPO Pertwee and the Lead Half Crowns 31:29
Sub Lt Phillips to Leave for Dartmouth 31:18
The Mark 31 Radar 31:00
The Put-a-Horse-out-to-Graze Fund 29:42
Impressions for Survival 29:45
The Beard-Growing Race 28:34
The Mysterious Radio Signals 29:40
Operation Recovery 30:15
The Slogan Contest 30:07
Sir Willoughby at Shanghai 29:16
Operation Cowes Barge 29:43
Mr Murray's Anniversary 29:38
The Loch Ness Monster 29:48
The TV Documentary 27:42
The POW Escape Exercise 27:56
Number One's Married Quarters 28:03
The Newhaven-Dieppe Smuggling Run 28:07
The Bumble Spit Lighthouse Affair 28:05
The Tonipouhaha Treasure 27:42
The USA Navigator Swap 30:03
Son of a Sea Lord 27:59
Hypnotising Ramona 27:06
The Master of Sardinia 28:02
Opportunity Knockers 27:29
Friday the 13th 28:05
The New NAAFI 27:18

Reviews

Hilarious and Historic


(5 stars)

I am fond of comedy. It is the antidote to mortality. You might or might not be interested in history (there *are* people so dim as to ignore it); for whatever reason, this collection should be an essential for your collection. It provides a sparkling insight into the spirit of the times during the post -WWII decade or so. Regardless, this is long list of the best in British mirth. The persistent characters are well-drawn, brilliantly acted, and recorded to the inimitable BBC standard. My father was a CPO on destroyers, frigates and an aircraft-carrier, and over lunch at 2pm on Sundays, he would often laugh aloud at the radio. The family suspected there were naval in-jokes. We thought them a badge of authenticity. Suspend your generation prejudice, and relax to the sound of our forebears making clowns of themselves for the benefit all. None better.

Navy lark


(1 star)

very out of date sexist and racist very repetitive themed of its time