And they'll be mourning the death of Tim Brooke-Taylor overnight. The 79-year-old died his agent said "from COVID-19".

Between 1970 and 1982, three comedians - Tim Brooke-Taylor, Graeme Garden, and Bill Oddie - wrote and starred in The Goodies.

They met as undergraduates at Cambridge University.

In Australia, The Goodies owned the 6pm slot on ABC-TV for many years. And as it was considered a children's timeslot, portions of the show often needed editing.

Mention Kitten Kong, Radio Goodies, Goodies and the Beanstalk and String and Aussies of a certain age will smile wryly.

Tim Brooke-Taylor's friends and colleagues led the tributes overnight, as expected.

Fellow Goodie Graeme Garden said: "I am terribly saddened by the loss of a dear colleague and close friend of over 50 years.

"Tim and I met at Cambridge University in the early 1960s and have enjoyed working together almost constantly from that time onwards, on radio, stage, and TV.

"He was a funny, sociable, generous man who was a delight to work with.

"Audiences found him not only hilarious but also adorable."

The trio specialised in silliness - from sketches to slapstick and songs.

Their song Funky Gibbon even became a UK top 10 chart hit in 1975.