Welcome to British Comedy Radio, where we celebrate the golden age of British radio comedy.

Today we're taking you right back to the very beginning with Hancock's Half Hour, Series 1, Episode 1, "The First Night Party." First broadcast by the BBC on 2nd November 1954, this landmark episode introduced listeners to Tony Hancock's wonderfully pompous yet hopelessly accident-prone character, brilliantly written by Ray Galton and Alan Simpson.

In this opening adventure, Hancock decides to throw a party to celebrate the launch of his new radio series. As you'd expect, the evening quickly descends into a succession of misunderstandings, awkward encounters and classic Hancock chaos, with loyal sidekick Sid James on hand to help—or perhaps make matters even worse.

So sit back, relax, and ...