# The Bowmans

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For other uses, see [Bowmans (disambiguation)](/source/Bowmans_(disambiguation)).

"**The Bowmans**" is an episode of the [BBC](/source/BBC) television situation comedy programme *[Hancock](/source/Hancock's_Half_Hour)*, the final BBC series featuring [Tony Hancock](/source/Tony_Hancock), first broadcast on 2 June 1961. It was written by [Ray Galton](/source/Galton_and_Simpson) and [Alan Simpson](/source/Galton_and_Simpson). The title is a [retronym](/source/Retronym); the episodes were not originally identified individually.

## Outline and background

Hancock plays an actor in a fictional radio serial called *The Bowmans*, a [parody](/source/Parody) of the real BBC radio programme *[The Archers](/source/The_Archers)*. The theme tune to *The Bowmans* is a close variation by series composer [Wally Stott](/source/Wally_Stott) of the real *Archers* theme tune "[Barwick Green](/source/Barwick_Green)". Hancock plays Joshua Merriweather, a character similar to the soap opera's country bumpkin Walter Gabriel. Hancock's behaviour annoys the other actors and producers, so they kill off his character – only to find the audience holds the character in great affection. Hancock has difficulties finding new work, but audience reaction compels the BBC to resurrect his character by discovering a long-lost twin brother, Ben, in a new programme called *The Merriweathers*, with Hancock's involvement resuming under a lucrative new contract. In the first episode of the new serial, a substantial portion of the village – i.e. the original *Bowmans* cast – are killed off, falling to their deaths down a disused mine-shaft, and Ben proposes repopulating the village with his other relatives (all to be played by Hancock).

The supporting cast includes [Patrick Cargill](/source/Patrick_Cargill) as the producer, [Peter Glaze](/source/Peter_Glaze) as an animal impersonator and [Brian Oulton](/source/Brian_Oulton) as the actor portraying the patriarch of the Bowmans family.

The plot may have been inspired by the death of the character [Grace Archer](/source/Grace_Archer) in *The Archers* in September 1955.

## Cast

- [Tony Hancock](/source/Tony_Hancock) as Anthony Hancock
- [Patrick Cargill](/source/Patrick_Cargill) as the Producer
- [Dennis Chinnery](/source/Dennis_Chinnery) as the Reporter
- Victor Platt as the Postman
- [Hugh Lloyd](/source/Hugh_Lloyd) as the Florist
- [Bruno Barnarbe](/source/Bruno_Barnarbe) as a BBC Official
- William Sherwood as Julian Court
- [Brian Oulton](/source/Brian_Oulton) as "Dan Bowman"
- [Constance Chapman](/source/Constance_Chapman) as "Gladys Bowman"
- Gwenda Ewen as "Diane Bowman"
- [Alec Bregonzi](/source/Alec_Bregonzi) as "Fred"
- [Peter Glaze](/source/Peter_Glaze) as "Harold"
- [Ralph Wilson](/source/Ralph_Wilson) as "The Doctor"

## External links

- [The Bowmans](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0595642/) at IMDb
- [Summary of the episode](http://www.tv.com/hancocks-half-hour/the-bowmans/episode/71648/summary.html) on [tv.com](/source/Tv.com)

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [The Bowmans](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Bowmans) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Bowmans?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.