ÔIÕm a walking television show. I canÕt get away from Õem. Big Brother is watching me, and Big Dad and Big Mum. The whole familyÕs watching me. IÕm like a goldfish in a bowl.Õ
Allegedly moved to a late night slot part way through its six episode run for being too strange for contemporary audiences, subsequent critical re-evaluation has seen The Strange World of Gurney Slade described as years ahead of its time, and claimed as an influence on everything from David Bowie to Monty PythonÕs Flying Circus.
In this first ever book dedicated to the series, Andrew Hickey considers such questions as whether Gurney Slade actually is Anthony Newley, the degree to which the six episodes can be seen as the result of a single creative vision, and the influence of Tony Hancock on NewleyÕs ideas of comedy.