London: N.p. [BBC], 1947

15 mimeographed pp., secured by split pin at top left. Occasional pencil markings to text, a little age-toned, one closed tear and a small drink stain to front page, otherwise very good.

First edition. PILOT SCRIPT FOR AN EARLY TERRY-THOMAS VEHICLE, RECORDED BUT NEVER TRANSMITTED. THE RECORDING HAS NOT SURVIVED.

A letter dated 23 March 1947 from Terry-Thomas' agency representative, Arthur Brown reads: 'You will know that our Terry Thomas [sic] is to make a trial recording of the new projected series which had been built around him as the star.' The following week, from 5.30 to 6.15pm on 30 March 1947, Terry appeared at the Concert Hall in Broadcasting House to record the pilot show, provisionally titled Terry's Topics, for producer Charles Maxwell. Co~written by the very young Frank Muir, the programme was never broadcast. The star's reaction? 'I thought it was lousy.'

Terry's Topics featured a supporting cast of Helen Hill, Leslie Welch 'The Memory Man', Horace Percival, Doris Nichols, and It's That Man Again scriptwriter,Ted Kavanagh. But although it was described on the title page as 'A Weekly Radio Magazine of Comedy, Music and Personalities', the show didn't even run for a week. It was co-written by Terry-Thomas and a very young Frank Muir, but the partnership wasn't a success: this pilot show was recorded but never made it to air, and the project was aborted.

Extremely rare, and possibly unique.