The Blood Donor - Legacy

Legacy

After "The Blood Donor", Hancock made one last episode for the BBC ("The Succession-Son and Heir"), before leaving the corporation somewhat acrimoniously, but more importantly severing his professional relationship with his writers, Galton and Simpson. His career never recovered from these decisions.

In October 1961 Pye Records produced an audio remake of "The Blood Donor" (duration: 28'10") starring most of the original cast, together with a remake of "The Radio Ham" (duration: 27'40") from the same series. These were produced in the style of the radio shows, complete with an (invited) studio audience, and released as an LP and first published 1961: Pye-Nixa PLP 1092, Pye NPL 18068, Pye Golden Guinea GGL 0270, Marble Arch MAL 872 (all 12" mono LPs). These recordings have been available more or less continuously ever since, and are also found on several British comedy compilation sets.

The original episode survives in the BBC Archive as a 16mm telerecording with a separate magnetic soundtrack, and has been released on Laser Disc (BBCL 7004), VHS (BBCV 7034) and Betamax (BBCB 7034) in 1985 and DVD (2000) compilations of Hancock episodes. The original soundtrack from the episode was also subsequently released on CD and audio cassette.

The script was re-recorded in 2009 for a BBC Radio 2 series of remakes of Galton and Simpson works. "The Blood Donor" starred Paul Merton, with Suzy Aitchison as the nurse, the role played by her mother 49 years earlier. It was first transmitted in March 2009.