Goodies in the Nick

"Goodies in the Nick" is an episode of the award-winning British comedy television series The Goodies.

This episode is also known as "The Great Goodies Bank Robbery" and "Bank Robbery".

Written by The Goodies, with songs and music by Bill Oddie.

Plot

The Goodies are asked by a Police Sergeant to help him gain a promotion. Tim, Graeme and Bill decide to commit a crime so that the Police Sergeant can catch them and earn his promotion that way.

They turn up at a bank, dressed as gangsters and carrying violin cases, and hold up the bank. When they ask for the safe to be opened, they are told that there is no money being kept there — so they ask for a cheque to the value of money which was usually kept in the safe. Grabbing the cheque, they escape from the bank, inviting the Police Sergeant to capture them. Shuffling away from the bank, they are closely pursued by several incompetent members of the police force, who are riding bicycles.

Months later, the Police Sergeant arrives at the Goodies' office, and discovers stolen paintings and other valuable items which had been taken in a series of robberies. Tim has also been transformed into a Goodyfather during the intervening months, and nobody is allowed to call him "Tim" anymore — not even Bill or Graeme.

The Goodies are put into prison for their crimes even though the only witness recognizes Graeme and Tim, but not Bill (the sergeant states that "two out of three's good enough"). After several years, they find that some truly surprising people had previously occupied their cell. They also discover a way out of their cell, and use the large and heavy basketball-sized balls which are attached to their leg irons in ingenious and inventive ways to gain freedom from the prison, and then to escape detection when the police search for them as escaped prisoners.

However, The Goodies are eventually recaptured, and the Police Sergeant comments that he has now been promoted because of solving all the crimes the Goodies had committed. The Goodies go to trial, which is presided over by two different judges — with Bill finally becoming the third judge in the court proceedings.

Cultural references

• The Godfather — with Tim as the Goodyfather.
• Keystone Kops
• "Happiness is a cigar called Hamlet"

References

• "The Complete Goodies" — Robert Ross, B T Batsford, London, 2000
• "The Goodies Rule OK" — Robert Ross, Carlton Books Ltd, Sydney, 2006
• "From Fringe to Flying Circus — 'Celebrating a Unique Generation of Comedy 1960-1980'" — Roger Wilmut, Eyre Methuen Ltd, 1980
• "The Goodies Episode Summaries" — Brett Allender
• "The Goodies — Fact File" — Matthew K. Sharp

External links

• Goodies in the Nick at the Internet Movie Database