The Clitheroe Kid was a BBC Radio comedy show featuring diminutive Northern comic Jimmy Clitheroe in the role of a cheeky schoolboy, who lived with his family at Lilac Avenue in an unnamed town in the North of England. The pilot show, pilot series, and 16 subsequent series, totalling 290 episodes in all, were originally broadcast between April 1957 and August 1972.
In addition to Clitheroe himself, the show's stars included Peter Sinclair playing his Scottish granddad, Patricia Burke as his mother (in some early shows the part was played by Renée Houston), and Diana Day as his long-suffering sister, Susan (the sister, originally called Judith Clitheroe, was played in the earliest episodes by Judith Chalmers). Jimmy's father never appeared, and his absence was never addressed.
Oldham comedian Danny Ross played Alfie Hall, Susan's half-witted, tongue-tied boyfriend, who was often drawn into Jimmy's reckless schemes. He joined the show in 1960, replacing Susan's original boyfriend, played by Peter Goodwright.
Tony Melody played Mr (Horatio) Higginbottom (his first name was almost never used), normally known as Higgie, a 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) taxi driver — Granddad's drinking buddy, and father of Jimmy's pal Ozzie. Higginbottom was always threatening to give Jimmy a good hiding for things he had done to Ozzie. Ozzie himself was rarely heard, save as an indistinct background voice in occasional early episodes (such as The Trouble with Higginbottom).
S02E07 – Clitheroe And The Hound Dog
S03E09 – The Wheels Of Misfortune
S04E04 – The Trouble with Neighbours
S04E07 – The Girl Who Got The Message
S04E08 – The Not-so-welcome Guest
S04E10 – The Wreck Of The Soppy Sue
S04E13 – Fishing In Troubled Waters
S05E01 – Dig That Crazy Garden
S05E02 – It’s my Mother’s birthday
S05E05 – Christmas day in the kid’s house
S05E06 – Breaking In The New Year
S05E12 – The Day I Told The Truth
S05E17 – James – Mr Piano Clitheroe
S06E05 – When Grandad Papered The Parlour
S06E07 – Accidents Will Happen
S06E15 – Trouble From The Kick Off
S06E16 – Don’t Shoot The Pianist
S06E17 – The Patient’s Dilemma
S07E08 – A Load Of Chinese Junk
S07E12 – The man who came to lunch
S07E15 – Back To The Dressing Room
S07E16 – The Kid With Nine Lives
S07E18 – Nothing But The Tooth
S08E04 – James, The Little Gentleman
S08E08 – The Kid Makes History
S08E10 – Jim and the beanstalk
S08E19 – Clitheroe’s concert party
S09E01 – Jim And The Headless Piper
S09E02 – The Mystery Of The Haggis
S09E04 – The Evils Of Tomato Juice
S09E05 – Another Mother For Ozzie
S09E06 – Grandad’s Mystery Illness
S09E09 – The Case Of The Crooked Parson
S09E11 – English As She Is Spoke
S09E13 – The Sunday I Met Man Friday
S09E14 – One Good Twist Deserves Another
S09E15 – Give A Little Whistle
S09E20 – The Best Of Indian Luck
S10E07 – As Advertised On The Telly
S10E22 – No Time For Higginbottom
S11E02 – Beware Of The Neighbour
S11E03 – Robin Jim And His Merry Men
S11E11 – Have Snake, Will Travel
S12E09 – Stop The Wedding, I Want To Get Off
S12E10 – Half Nelson, Half Alfie
S12E15 – A Love-In Has Been Arranged
S12E18 – Two Sides To Every Story
S13E01 – It’s Quicker By Dream
S13E04 – Anymore For The Beach
S13E05 – Private Alfie, General Twit
S13E07 – Never Believe What You Hear
S13E09 – It Shouldn’t Happen To A Grandad
S13E10 – Someone, Somewhere, Wants A Letter
S13E16 – Tickets For The Punch-up
S13E18 – Heat The Test-tube And Run
S14E01 – Get Well Soon Grandad
S14E05 – Not In Front Of The Parrot
S14E06 – Out Of The Mouths Of Puppies
S14E07 – A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Fair
S14E08 – All At Sea With A Sailor
S14E10 – Seated One Day At The Movies
S14E11 – Once More Into The Vicarage
S14E13 – There Was A Farmer, A Scottish Farmer
S14E14 – Keep Jim Off The Road
S14E15 – The Best Of Birthday Luck
S14E16 – Taken To The Cleaners
S14E17 – James, The Modest Hero
S14E19 – A Touch Of Competition Fever
S15E01 – All I Want Is A Room Somewhere
S15E02 – Don’t Shoot, I’m Only Acting
S15E06 – Tennis Just Isn’t Cricket
S15E07 – Whatever Happened To Grandad
S15E08 – History Is A Thing Of The Past
S15E09 – Is There A Boss In The House
S15E13 – Thinking About A Holiday
S16E01 – My Great Aunt’s Great
S16E02 – Why Mothers Leave Home
S16E03 – The Day The Fun Fair Hit Town
S16E04 – If You Can’t Keep A Secret, Sell It
S16E05 – The Swiss Family Clitheroe
S16E06 – The Romantic Higginbothams
S16E07 – Why Must The Show Go On
S16E08 – A Letter From America For Grandad
S16E09 – A Far, Far Better School I Go To
S16E11 – Enough To Make A Kitten Laugh
S16E12 – Where’s The Stage And What’s The Play
Replies