Hancock's Half Hour: Season 3
Broadcast between 30th September 1957 and 23rd December 1957 this series comprised 12 episodes all of which were broadcast live of which episodes 5, 9, 10, 11 and 12 survive in the BBC Archives. The series was broadcast weekly on Mondays at 2002. There were no repeats during the run.
Season 3 Lore Primer
Key plot threads, lore context, and character stakes you need to remember before diving into this season.
- Directly follows the overarching narrative developments of Hancock's Half Hour Season 2.
- Faction dynamics and core character alliances shift under escalating external stakes.
- Crucial mysteries introduced previously reach key turning points and narrative reckonings.
- Sets up serialized story arcs that build directly toward the climactic season finale.
Season overview
Broadcast between 30th September 1957 and 23rd December 1957 this series comprised 12 episodes all of which were broadcast live of which episodes 5, 9, 10, 11 and 12 survive in the BBC Archives. The series was broadcast weekly on Mondays at 2002. There were no repeats during the run.
Episode Guide
Season 3 Progress Shield
The Continental Holiday
Sep 30, 1957 · 30 min
Hancock has been on holiday abroad and he tells Sid of his exploits in which he foiled an international gang of smugglers.
The Great Detective
Oct 7, 1957 · 30 min
Hancock dreams of becoming the great detective 'Sexton Hancock' and proceeds to unravel a complicated murder plot.
The Amusement Arcade
Oct 14, 1957 · 30 min
Sid has set up an amusement arcade, but when Hancock finds out he leads a campaign to have it closed down. Meanwhile, Hancock seeks election to the Council but when Sid's arcade is
A Holiday in Scotland
Oct 21, 1957 · 30 min
Hancock is told by the doctor he must get fit. But when Hancock takes an unwilling Sid on a hunting holiday to Scotland, they get snowed in.
Air Steward Hancock - The Last of the Many
Oct 28, 1957 · 30 min
Hancock takes on a new job as an air steward. But one of the passengers on his first flight is Sid who is on the run from the police, and the other passengers include four police o
The Regimental Reunion
Nov 4, 1957 · 30 min
Hancock, a junior clerk in a City office for 19 years, receives a promotion when his army friends, who met at a reunion, place large orders with the firm. However, they are all fra
The Adopted Family
Nov 11, 1957 · 30 min
Hancock needs to get to the top of the waiting list for a council house but to do this he needs a wife and four children. So he adopts Sid and four of his mates, but then he can't
The Elocution Teacher
Nov 25, 1957 · 30 min
Famous actor Jack Hawkins takes elocution lessons with Hancock and is reduced to being the leader of a rock-and-roll group.
The Lawyer - The Crown vs Sidney James
Dec 2, 1957 · 30 min
Hancock becomes a lawyer but when he defends an obviously guilty Sid James in court he finds himself the subject of a guilty verdict.
Competitions - How to Win Money and Influence People
Dec 9, 1957 · 30 min
Hancock takes up entering newspaper competitions as a full time job. When he wins a few competitions, he is foolish enough to trust Sid to look after the money.
There's An Airfield At the Bottom of My Garden
Dec 16, 1957 · 30 min
Hancock buys a house from Sid but discovers that there's an airfield at the bottom of his garden. Returning to Sid dissatisfied, he is forced to try to sell the house himself but h
Hancock's 43 Minutes - The East Cheam Repertory Company
Dec 23, 1957 · 30 min
Hancock presents his own variety show from the Television Theatre - but he has asked Sid to provide all the acts.