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Bob and Ray Show

Bob and Ray Show

By: Entertainment Radio
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About this listen

 "The Bob and Ray Show" was a legendary American comedy program primarily on radio, featuring the comedic duo of Bob Elliott (1923–2016) and Ray Goulding (1922–1990). Their career spanned five decades, from the 1940s to the 1980s, and they gained national recognition for their unique brand of dry wit, deadpan delivery, and absurdist satire.What they did:
  • Parodied radio broadcasting: Their shows were often structured as ostensibly serious radio programs, with Bob and Ray playing the hosts, alongside a rotating cast of eccentric characters, all voiced by the duo themselves. They masterfully satirized the medium they were performing in, poking fun at interviews, commercials, news reports, and melodramatic soap operas.
  • Created a world of characters: They developed a rich universe of recurring characters, each with their own quirks and foibles. Some of their most famous include:
    • Wally Ballou: A hapless and often inept on-the-scene reporter, famous for always beginning his reports mid-sentence (e.g., "...ally Ballou here").
    • Mary Backstage, Noble Wife: A parody of popular radio soap operas, filled with dramatic pronouncements and everyday absurdities.
    • Mary McGoon: A quirky and sometimes cantankerous cooking expert.
    • Mr. Trace, Keener Than Most Persons: A spoof of detective shows like "Mr. Keen, Tracer of Lost Persons."
    • Tex Blaisdell: A drawling cowboy singer who would often show up to plug his latest personal appearance.
  • Improvised and ad-libbed: Their early shows, particularly "Matinee with Bob and Ray" in Boston, were heavily improvised, showcasing their natural comedic rapport and telepathic timing.
  • Subtle and intelligent humor: While their humor could be broad, it was often incredibly subtle, relying on meticulous consideration of the absurd and a calm, straight-faced approach to the bizarre. Kurt Vonnegut, who once submitted sketch ideas to them, noted that their characters often threatened to "wreck themselves and their surroundings with their own stupidity."
  • Influential: Their unique style of comedy has influenced many later comedians and shows, including "Saturday Night Live" and "Monty Python's Flying Circus."
History: Bob Elliott and Ray Goulding first met in 1946 while working at Boston radio station WHDH, Elliott as a disc jockey and Goulding as a newscaster. Their informal on-air banter was so appealing that they were given their own show, "Matinee with Bob and Ray." Their popularity led them to New York in 1951, where they appeared on major networks like NBC, CBS, and Mutual, and also on local New York City stations.While primarily known for their radio work, they also made appearances on television (including their own short-lived TV show and guest spots on programs like "The Tonight Show" and "The Ed Sullivan Show"), in films, and on Broadway with their two-man stage production "The Two and Only." They were also famous for voicing the "Bert and Harry Piel" characters in popular beer commercials.Their final regular series was a weekly program for National Public Radio, which ran from 1982 to 1987, continuing their tradition of gentle lampooning and unique comedic sensibility until Ray Goulding's health declined. Ray Goulding passed away in 1990, and Bob Elliott in 2016.

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Episodes
  • Bob and Ray Show xxxxxx Wow Perthwa - 273

    Bob and Ray Show xxxxxx Wow Perthwa - 273
    Mar 27 2022
    Elliott and Goulding began as radio announcers (Elliott a disc jockey and Goulding a newscaster) in Boston with their own separate programs on station WHDH, and each would visit with the other while on the air. Their informal banter was so appealing that WHDH would call on them, as a team, to fill in when Red Sox baseball broadcasts were rained out. Elliott and Goulding (not yet known as Bob and Ray) would improvise comedy routines all afternoon, and joke around with studio musicians.

    Elliott and Goulding's brand of humor caught on, and WHDH gave them their own weekday show in 1946. Matinee with Bob and Ray was originally a 15-minute show, soon expanding to half an hour. (When explaining why Bob was billed first, Goulding claimed that it was because Matinee with Bob and Ray sounded better than Matinob with Ray and Bob.) Their trademark sign-off was "This is Ray Goulding reminding you to write if you get work"; "Bob Elliott reminding you to hang by your thumbs."
    Show More Show Less
    12 mins
  • Bob and Ray Show xxxxxx Up Time Detecti - 272

    Bob and Ray Show xxxxxx Up Time Detecti - 272
    Mar 27 2022
    Elliott and Goulding began as radio announcers (Elliott a disc jockey and Goulding a newscaster) in Boston with their own separate programs on station WHDH, and each would visit with the other while on the air. Their informal banter was so appealing that WHDH would call on them, as a team, to fill in when Red Sox baseball broadcasts were rained out. Elliott and Goulding (not yet known as Bob and Ray) would improvise comedy routines all afternoon, and joke around with studio musicians.

    Elliott and Goulding's brand of humor caught on, and WHDH gave them their own weekday show in 1946. Matinee with Bob and Ray was originally a 15-minute show, soon expanding to half an hour. (When explaining why Bob was billed first, Goulding claimed that it was because Matinee with Bob and Ray sounded better than Matinob with Ray and Bob.) Their trademark sign-off was "This is Ray Goulding reminding you to write if you get work"; "Bob Elliott reminding you to hang by your thumbs."
    Show More Show Less
    15 mins
  • Bob and Ray Show xxxxxx Public Radio Show - 271

    Bob and Ray Show xxxxxx Public Radio Show - 271
    Mar 27 2022
    Elliott and Goulding began as radio announcers (Elliott a disc jockey and Goulding a newscaster) in Boston with their own separate programs on station WHDH, and each would visit with the other while on the air. Their informal banter was so appealing that WHDH would call on them, as a team, to fill in when Red Sox baseball broadcasts were rained out. Elliott and Goulding (not yet known as Bob and Ray) would improvise comedy routines all afternoon, and joke around with studio musicians.

    Elliott and Goulding's brand of humor caught on, and WHDH gave them their own weekday show in 1946. Matinee with Bob and Ray was originally a 15-minute show, soon expanding to half an hour. (When explaining why Bob was billed first, Goulding claimed that it was because Matinee with Bob and Ray sounded better than Matinob with Ray and Bob.) Their trademark sign-off was "This is Ray Goulding reminding you to write if you get work"; "Bob Elliott reminding you to hang by your thumbs."
    Show More Show Less
    45 mins
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