View source for Flywheel, Shyster, and Flywheel (1990 radio series)

{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2014}}
{{Use British English|date=July 2014}}
{{Infobox radio show
| show_name          = Flywheel, Shyster, and Flywheel
| image              =
| imagesize          =
| caption            =
| other_names        = The Marx Brothers' Flywheel, Shyster and Flywheel
| format             = [[Situation comedy]]
| runtime            = 30 minutes
| country            = United Kingdom
| language           = English
| home_station       = [[BBC Radio 4]]
| syndicates         = [[BBC Radio 4 Extra]]
| starring           = {{ubl|Michael Roberts|Frank Lazarus|[[Lorelei King]]|Graham Hoadly|[[Vincent Marzello]]}}
| creator            = {{ubl|[[Nat Perrin]]|[[Arthur Sheekman]]}}
| writer             = Mark Brisenden
| director           = [[Dirk Maggs]]
| producer           = [[Dirk Maggs]]
| executive_producer =
| narrated           =
| record_location    = [[Paris Theatre]], London
| first_aired        = {{start date|1990|06|02|df=y}}<ref name=rt3468 />
| last_aired         = {{end date|1992|08|22|df=y}}<ref name=rt3581 />
| num_series         = 3
| num_episodes       = 18
| audio_format       = [[Stereophonic sound|Stereo]]
| opentheme          =
| endtheme           =
| website            = {{Official website}}
| podcast            =
}}
'''''Flywheel, Shyster, and Flywheel''''' is a [[BBC Radio 4]] 1990 [[situation comedy]] radio show, adapted from a 1932 American radio show [[Flywheel, Shyster, and Flywheel|of the same name]]. The original series starred two of the [[Marx Brothers]], [[Groucho Marx|Groucho]] and [[Chico Marx|Chico]], and was written primarily by [[Nat Perrin]] and [[Arthur Sheekman]]. It depicted the misadventures of a small [[law firm]], with Groucho acting as [[Lawyer|attorney]] Waldorf T. Flywheel, and Chico playing Flywheel's assistant Emmanuel Ravelli. In 1988 the show scripts were rediscovered in the US [[Library of Congress]], and were adapted by the [[BBC]] two years later. The lead roles are performed by professional Marx Brothers soundalikes: Michael Roberts as Groucho's Flywheel and Frank Lazarus as Chico's Ravelli. Other cast members include [[Lorelei King]] playing all the female roles, Graham Hoadly as the Announcer and roles in every episode, [[Vincent Marzello]] (Lorelei's husband), [[Spike Milligan]] and [[Dick Vosburgh]] guest starring. During the recording sessions, on occasions Michael Roberts (as Groucho) would adlib certain comments and these were left in the final recordings.
The scripts for the 1990 series were adapted by Mark Brisenden for a modern British audience, and the performances were directed by [[Dirk Maggs]]. Rather than each episode being a direct remake of an individual American episode, the 1990 episodes often included material from two or even three different 1932 episodes, and occasionally with additional jokes from Marx Brothers' films. The success of the first series led to another two series being produced.
==Episode list==
{| class="wikitable"
!Series!!Episode!!Title!!First broadcast!!Based on 1930s episodes
|-
|rowspan="6"|1||1||''The Stolen Rembrandt''<br />in which Flywheel and Ravelli investigate a Crime||2 June 1990<ref name=rt3468>{{cite magazine |title=Flywheel, Shyster and Flywheel |magazine=[[Radio Times]] |date=31 May 1990 |volume=265 |issue=3468 |edition=South East |page=67 |publisher=[[BBC Magazines]] |issn=0033-8060 |url=https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/schedules/radio4/fm/1990-06-02#at-10.30 }}</ref>||1, 4 and 17 with material common to ''Animal Crackers''
|-
|2||''Flywheel and Juliet''<br />in which Flywheel treads the Boards||9 June 1990||14, with Lydia from ''At the Circus''
|-
|3||''Big Joe Crookley''<br />in which Ravelli is kidnapped||16 June 1990||1 and 12, with song from ''Horse Feathers''
|-
|4||''Finding Foo Foo''<br />in which Flywheel and Ravelli become dog catchers||23 June 1990||3 and 9
|-
|5||''One Round Gombatz''<br />in which Ravelli takes it on the chin||30 June 1990||10 with song from ''Cocoanuts''
|-
|6||''The Election''<br />in which Flywheel and Ravelli fix some votes||7 July 1990||5, 6 and 16 with song from ''Horse Feathers''
|-
|rowspan="6"|2||1||''Dr. Hackenbush''<br />in which Flywheel becomes a medical man||11 May 1991||7
|-
|2||''Uncle Abner''<br />in which Flywheel nearly buys the farm||18 May 1991||13
|-
|3||''Convict Ravelli''<br />in which Ravelli falls foul of the Law||25 May 1991||6
|-
|4||''The Big Store''<br />in which Flywheel runs a department store||1 June 1991||15
|-
|5||''Captain John Smith''<br />in which Flywheel and Ravelli find an old geezer||8 June 1991||3
|-
|6||''Going Hollywood''<br />in which Flywheel and Ravelli go into pictures||15 June 1991||25
|-
|rowspan="6"|3||1||''Crexton Mansion''<br />in which Flywheel and Ravelli have a sleep over with a ghost||11 July 1992||24
|-
|2||''The Laughing Hyena''<br />in which Flywheel and Ravelli go prospecting||18 July 1992||11 and new material
|-
|3||''Fly by Wheel Tours''<br />in which Flywheel and Ravelli inherit a bus||25 July 1992||20
|-
|4||''The Chicago Clarion''<br />in which Flywheel and Ravelli get a scoop||1 August 1992||22
|-
|5||''Coney Island''<br />in which Flywheel and Ravelli join the carnival||8 August 1992||18
|-
|6||''Miracle on Eatwell Street''<br />in which Flywheel and Ravelli cook up a Christmas||15 August 1992<ref name=rt3581>{{cite magazine |title=The Marx Brothers' Flywheel, Shyster and Flywheel |magazine=[[Radio Times]] |date=13 August 1992 |volume=274 |issue=3581 |edition=London |page=85 |publisher=[[BBC Magazines]] |issn=0033-8060 |url=https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/schedules/radio4/fm/1992-08-15#at-10.30 }}</ref>||5
|-
|}
==References==
{{reflist}}
==Sources==
*  {{cite book |editor-last=Barson |editor-first=Michael |title=Flywheel, Shyster, and Flywheel: The Marx Brothers' Lost Radio Show |year=1988 |publisher=[[Pantheon Books]] |location=New York |isbn=0-679-72036-7 |url=https://archive.org/details/flywheelshysterf00bars |url-access=registration |via=[[Internet Archive]]}}
==External links==
*{{BBC programme}}
* BBC adaptation director's website details for [https://archive.today/20130420194556/http://www.dirkmaggs.dswilliams.co.uk/dirk%20maggs/Flywheel%20series%201%20dirk%20maggs.htm series 1], [https://web.archive.org/web/20080417002825/http://dirkmaggs.dswilliams.co.uk/Flywheel%20series%202%20dirk%20maggs.htm series 2] and [https://archive.today/20130420063302/http://www.dirkmaggs.dswilliams.co.uk/dirk%20maggs/Flywheel%20series%203%20dirk%20maggs.htm series 3].
*[http://www.britishcomedy.org.uk/comedy/flywheel.htm ''Flywheel, Shyster and Flywheel''] at britishcomedy.org.uk
*{{British Comedy Guide|radio|flywheel_shyster_and_flywheel}}
[[Category:BBC Radio comedy programmes]]
[[Category:BBC Radio 4 programmes]]
[[Category:Cultural depictions of the Marx Brothers]]
[[Category:1990 radio programme debuts]]
[[Category:1992 radio programme endings]]