<p>Goon Pod kicks off a new series for 2026 by looking back at a film which is unbelievably fifty years old but when released was hailed as a modern masterpiece of comedy cinema, and which lifted Peter Sellers from an extended period of career inertia: The Return of the Pink Panther, directed by Blake Edwards. </p><p><br></p><p>Sellers plays Inspector Clouseau once again, back on the trail of the mysterious Phantom – aka Sir Charles Litton (Christopher Plummer) – who apparently has stolen the famed Pink Panther diamond again. Along the way the hapless ‘tec nearly gets shot, gets blown up by a bomb, drives into a swimming pool, is outwitted by a parrot, assists a bank robbery, gets squashed in a revolving door and is the victim of countless other indignities. </p><p><br></p><p>Joining Tyler is Sitcom Club co-host Gary Rodger and the conversation, rather like Clouseau on the waxy museum floor, goes in all directions:</p><p><br></p><ul><li>How Lew Grade came to the rescue</li><li>Who might have been cast in the mooted Pink Panther television series</li><li>Prince Charles moistening a lady in Montreal</li><li>What happened to Niven?</li><li>We love John Bluthal</li><li>Zwamm?</li><li>Douglas Fairbanks Jr as an early casting choice</li><li>How Sellers’ career may have panned out had this film not happened</li><li>Cheering Lodge &amp; Stark</li><li>Pan &amp; Scan technology</li><li>Last of the Summer Wine </li><li>Catherine Schell corpses, Victor Spinetti fumes, Mike Grady shines and Carole Cleveland makes a splash</li><li>Did Dreyfuss overreact? </li></ul><p><br></p><p>And much much more. It’s all here folks! </p><p><br></p><p>As mentioned, Gary is going to run the London Marathon this year (or kill himself trying) on behalf of Alzheimer&#39;s Society – please show your support here: <a href="https://www.justgiving.com/page/gary-rodger" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://www.justgiving.com/page/gary-rodger</a></p><p><br></p>