I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue
Encyclopedia
I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue, sometimes abbreviated to ISIHAC or Clue, is a BBC
radio comedy
panel game
broadcast since 11 April 1972 at the rate of one or two series each year (usually six episodes each in the spring and autumn), transmitted on BBC Radio 4
, with occasional repeats on BBC Radio 4 Extra and the BBC's World Service
. Introduced as "the antidote to panel games", it consists of two teams of two comedian
s "given silly things to do" by a chairman. The show was conceived in 1972 as a parody of radio and TV panel games. The 50th series was broadcast in November and December 2007 on BBC Radio 4.
After a period of split chairmanship in the first series, Humphrey Lyttelton
("Humph") served in this role from the programme's inception until his death in 2008. In April 2008, following the hospitalisation and subsequent death of Lyttelton, recording of the 51st series was postponed. The show recommenced on 15 June 2009 with Lyttelton being replaced by a trio of hosts: Stephen Fry
, Jack Dee
and Rob Brydon
. Dee went on to host all episodes of the 52nd series later that year. He continues in that role for forthcoming series. The chairman's script is written by Iain Pattinson who has worked on the show since 1992.
I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue developed from the long running radio
sketch show I'm Sorry, I'll Read That Again
, the writers of which were John Cleese
, Jo Kendall
, David Hatch
, Bill Oddie
, Tim Brooke-Taylor
and especially Graeme Garden
who suggested the idea of an unscripted show which, it was decided, would take the form of a parody panel game
. A panel game with no competition was not itself a new idea: the BBC had a history of successful quiz shows designed to allow witty celebrities to entertain where winning was not important. Examples include Just a Minute
, My Word!
and My Music on the radio and Call My Bluff on television.
The pilot episode opened with Graeme Garden and Jo Kendall singing the words of "Three Blind Mice
" to the tune of "Ol' Man River
" followed by Bill Oddie and Tim Brooke-Taylor performing the lyrics of "Sing a Song of Sixpence
" to the melody of "These Foolish Things
". Dave Lee
was at the piano and a number of rounds were introduced by a short phrase of music. Other rounds included "Dialogue Read in a Specific Accent" and "Songs Sung as Animals". In 1974 Bill Oddie was replaced by Willie Rushton
, and the personnel remained constant from this point until Rushton's death in 1996. Since then the fourth seat on the panel has featured a variety of guest comedians.
The show has over two million listeners on Radio 4 and its recording sessions typically fill 1500-seat theatres within a week of being advertised. At least one recording for the spring 2006 series filled all its seats within three hours of the free tickets being made available, and the London recording of the autumn series in that year sold out in ten minutes. Although there are twelve Clue shows broadcast per year these are the result of just six recording sessions each of two programmes recorded back-to-back. To find out about forthcoming recordings people can join the official mailing list. The show was recently voted the second funniest radio programme ever, after The Goon Show
. It has a large following among professional comedians such as Armando Iannucci
, who turned down opportunities to work on it, preferring to remain a listener.
The official, authorised history of the show and ISIRTA, 'The Clue Bible' by Jem Roberts, was published by Preface Publishing in October 2009.
, primarily known as a jazz
trumpet
er and bandleader, was invited to be chairman because of the role played by improvisation in both. In the first season Lyttelton shared the role of chairman with Barry Cryer
but he made it his own (especially once Cryer replaced Cleese as a regular panellist) and continued as chairman until his death on 25 April 2008. He read the script introducing the programme and segments in an utterly deadpan manner. He claimed the secret was just to read what was in front of him without understanding why it was funny. He adopted the grumpy persona of someone who would really rather be somewhere else, which he attributed to worrying that, surrounded by four professional comedians, he would have nothing worthwhile to chip in. He did occasionally depart from the script, however, often bringing the house down with an ad-lib. He was credited by the regular panellists as being the chief reason for the show's longevity.
On 18 April 2008 the producer of I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue, Jon Naismith
, announced that, owing to hospitalisation to repair an aortic aneurysm
, Humphrey Lyttelton would be unable to record the scheduled shows and that they would have to be postponed. The final show of the 2008 Best of tour on 22 April would be presented by Rob Brydon
. Following Lyttelton's death there was speculation that the series might be cancelled because replacing him would be extremely difficult if not impossible. In a eulogy
in The Guardian
Barry Cryer did not allude to the future of the programme but said that there's "got to be an agonising reappraisal" and that Lyttelton was the "very hub of the show". Cryer, Tim Brooke-Taylor and Graeme Garden all ruled themselves out as hosts: Cryer did not think the programme would work if a panellist became chairman and it "would need somebody of stature to be parachuted in". Jeremy Hardy
also ruled himself out, saying "Humph had big shoes to fill and I wouldn't do it."
In the Clue mailout for September 2008 Naismith stated: "Despite the rumours, we've made no decisions about possible replacements for Humph, and are unlikely to make any decisions this year at least. Certainly I don't envisage us selecting anyone on a permanent basis for several series." It was announced that the show would continue recording beginning in 2009. The first new shows would be hosted by rotating guest presenters (similarly to the format of Have I Got News for You
) before a permanent replacement host was decided. In the Clue mailout for February 2009 Naismith announced that Stephen Fry
, Jack Dee
and Rob Brydon
would host two shows each, to be recorded in April, May and June 2009 respectively. The programme returned on 15 June 2009, chaired by Fry with the usual panellists and special guest Victoria Wood
. Every series since then has been chaired by Dee, though no announcement has been made that he is the permanent replacement.
. However, Colin Sell
now usually fulfills this role. He is often the butt of jokes about his musical ability to which he is unable to respond as he has no microphone. For example: "When music experts hear Colin's compositions, they say he could have been another Berlin
, Porter
or anybody else employed by the German State Railway." Guest pianists are called in when Sell has been unable to attend (or the ISIHAC team have "won the coin toss" as Lyttelton once said on the show), including Neil Innes
, Denis King
and Matthew Scott. Lyttelton's band also appeared on a couple of Christmas specials. Once when Innes was guesting Lyttelton outlined the musician's career, concluding that this "has brought him to where he is today: standing in for Colin Sell." In another appearance Innes sang along to his own composition "I'm the Urban Spaceman
" during a round of "Pick Up Song". The theme music is called "The Schickel Shamble", by Ron Goodwin
, and is from the film Monte Carlo or Bust
. It was chosen by David Hatch.
The late Raymond Baxter
was occasionally drafted to commentate on sessions of Mornington Crescent
and also presented the one-off special Everyman's Guide to Mornington Crescent. Both Judi Dench
and Alan Titchmarsh
took part in "Celebrity What's My Line?". Judi Dench and Michael Gambon
performed the Mornington Crescent drama The Bromley by Bow Stratagem.
On one occasion Humph announced that they had a very distinguished actor as a guest who would join in the game of Mornington Crescent
. When the game started, after great ceremony, the penultimate player, the last of the panellists, won on his first move, thus denying the distinguished guest the opportunity to make a single move. The chairman apologised but explained that this was an unavoidable possibility and the guest left without having uttered a word. The show was allegedly inundated with complaints at the treatment of Sir Alec Guinness as on the actual recording Lyttelton can be heard to say, "Well I'm very sorry about that. Rather unfortunate. We would like to go on and ask you a few things about what you're doing currently, Sir Alec, but we do have to hurry on to the next game." This story became a favourite of Lyttelton's, who claimed in interviews that the "distinguished actor" had never actually been named on the show.
would stand up and 'help' Samantha into her seat. In practice the seat and microphone was only used by the producer to welcome the audience, to introduce the participants and to give any other information to the audience such as the expected date of broadcasting.
Lyttelton would describe Samantha's social activities, usually in an apology received from the absent character who had been detained, often with a "gentleman friend". His comments included innuendo
and double entendre
s. Early in Samantha's career on ISIHAC, when it was not completely clear she was a fictional character, a letter appeared in the BBC's Radio Times
magazine protesting at the sexist and humiliating treatment she received. Producer Jon Naismith adds "I remember when we [Naismith and Iain Pattinson] took over the show we used to get quite a few letters accusing us of sexist references to Samantha." Samantha's inabilities as score-keeper often form the basis for humour; in a programme from 1997, Humph said: "It's just occurred to me that Samantha hasn't given us the score... since 1981."
Samantha has sometimes been replaced by a Swedish stand-in, Sven
, or occasionally another substitute, Monica. When Margaret Thatcher
left office in 1990 Lyttelton introduced a scorer named Margaret. In an episode in November 1991 both Samantha and Sven were present but occupied with each other and unable to award points.
The program has used "advanced laser display-boards" over recent decades, sometimes described in more elaborate terms and "so generously funded by our hosts", in rounds in which the panel must not see what the audience sees, but these are actually a large card with the words written on it (conveyed to listeners at home by the "mystery voice", a device also employed in the 1960s radio show Twenty Questions
).
, is a fictional letters section which begins with the chairman's comments ("I notice from the sheer weight of this week's postbag, we've received a little over no letters" and "I see from the number of letters raining down on us this week that the Scrabble
factory has exploded again"). The invariably single letter each week is from "A Mrs Trellis of North Wales
", whose incoherent letters usually mistake the chairman for another Radio 4 presenter or media personality. "Dear Libby
" (she writes), "why oh why ... very nearly spells YOYO
", or "Dear Mr Titchmarsh
, never let them tell you that size
isn't important. My aunt told me that, but then all my new wallpaper fell off."
and continues by providing a little background material about the show's location;
Then the teams' introduction;
The teams are often mocked at their introduction:
", "Mornington Crescent
", "Sound Charades
", "Late Arrivals", "Double Feature", "Cheddar Gorge" and "Uxbridge English Dictionary". "One Song to the Tune of Another" is always introduced using a complex analogy, despite its self-explanatory title, often ending with a joke at the expense of Colin Sell.
The panellists play as individuals or as two teams. "Celebrity What's My Line?" completely destroyed the intent of the original — for players to guess the occupation of a third party by asking yes/no questions. The I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue version once employed the famous actress (and fan of the show) Dame Judi Dench
in this role and the renowned television gardener Alan Titchmarsh
. Each began by performing a mime illustrating their occupation, giving a cryptic clue to the panel (appearing to a radio listener as a short silence punctuated by exclamations from the panel and laughter from the studio audience), before fielding apparently serious questions from the teams (e.g. "Is that your own hair?" or "Do you kill people for money?"), who pretended not to know who they were.
Musical games often involve incongruities such as singing "One Song to the Tune of Another" or playing a song using only a swanee whistle
and a kazoo
. In "Just a Minim" - a parody of Radio 4's Just a Minute
- panellists must sing while avoiding repetition, deviation or hesitation: many songs have extreme repetition of lyrics.
Humour is derived from wordplay such as puns or mockery of styles of speech. For example in a round based on suggesting television programmes from biblical times:
In "Uxbridge English Dictionary
" the panellists contribute humorous redefinitions of words; "Puny: the Roman Catholic equivalent of tennis elbow
". More puns are found in the "Arrivals at the Ball" section, of the form "Mr and Mrs X and their son (or daughter)...." the child's name forming a pun, preferably laboured and feeble. This grew out of the "drama" section of later shows in the I'm Sorry I'll Read That Again series, for example, at the Criminals' Ball, "Mr and Mrs Knee, and their Swedish son, Lars Knee" .
cites it as one of his favourite radio shows because "there's no points being made or targets being attacked." Contemporary references occasionally made by participants are usually asides. The show does occasionally comment on the outside world, though from an innocent perspective. The game "Complete George Bush
Quotes" was once played, in which the teams had to supply endings for phrases that George Bush had begun (see Bushism
), the teams complaining that they couldn't be any funnier than the original.
At the close of one show, the chairman asked the teams to read the cuttings that they had brought along with them, in the manner of fellow Radio 4 show The News Quiz
. The teams proceeded to read their cuttings, but only to themselves. Hence followed some interested murmurs from the teams and much laughter from the audience. This is a good example of double-meanings being used in the Clue comedy style.
Self-deprecation
forms a big part of the show's humour. It frequently pokes fun at itself and its supposed low quality. For example, Lyttelton was heard to exclaim at the end of a round:
After over thirty years on the air one of the most important aspects of the show is its huge stock of running gags which, if not always funny in themselves, can elicit huge anticipatory laughter from the studio audience. The mere mention of Lionel Blair
will often bring roars of laughter in anticipation of an outrageous double-entendre based on his supposed homosexuality (he is not gay). In the "Film Club" round any reference by Graeme Garden to Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia
is sure to cause a similar response. The game "Wobbling Bunnies" was introduced several times by Humph, often with eager anticipation by the panel and audience, but time pressures always meant the game was never actually played. Graeme Garden and Barry Cryer frequently play the characters of two Scots, Hamish and Dougal whose skits usually begin with the phrase "You'll have had your tea, then, Dougal?". The characters were developed into their own Radio 4 show, Hamish and Dougal
.
Other awards:
Excluding compilations and repeats, this totals 397 episodes. Some early episodes of the series, including the first, were wiped
in the late 1970s. Following the BBC's Treasure Hunt appeal for missing material in 2002, several shows were recovered from off-air recordings made by listeners.
show, featuring favourite rounds from the past 35 years, and the guest panellist was Jeremy Hardy. The shows were not recorded for broadcast on Radio 4, although it was suggested that they may be recorded for release as part of the BBC Radio Collection.
Dates
Dates
The show at the Lowry in Salford was filmed and broadcast on BBC Four
on 13 September 2008. Although some unaired pilots had previously been made, this was the first time ISIHAC has been shown on television. An extended version was released on DVD on 10 November 2008.
Dates
Dates
(WTBS), designed to provide public information and morale-boosting broadcasts for 100 days after a nuclear attack
.
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
radio comedy
Radio comedy
Radio comedy, or comedic radio programming, is a radio broadcast that may involve sitcom elements, sketches and various types of comedy found on other media. It may also include more surreal or fantastic elements, as these can be conveyed on a small budget with just a few sound effects or some...
panel game
Panel game
A panel game or panel show is a radio or television game show in which a panel of celebrities participates. Panelists may compete with each other, such as on The News Quiz; facilitate play by guest contestants, such as on Match Game/Blankety Blank; or do both, such as on Wait Wait.....
broadcast since 11 April 1972 at the rate of one or two series each year (usually six episodes each in the spring and autumn), transmitted on BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...
, with occasional repeats on BBC Radio 4 Extra and the BBC's World Service
BBC World Service
The BBC World Service is the world's largest international broadcaster, broadcasting in 27 languages to many parts of the world via analogue and digital shortwave, internet streaming and podcasting, satellite, FM and MW relays...
. Introduced as "the antidote to panel games", it consists of two teams of two comedian
Comedian
A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience, primarily by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting a fool, as in slapstick, or employing prop comedy...
s "given silly things to do" by a chairman. The show was conceived in 1972 as a parody of radio and TV panel games. The 50th series was broadcast in November and December 2007 on BBC Radio 4.
After a period of split chairmanship in the first series, Humphrey Lyttelton
Humphrey Lyttelton
Humphrey Richard Adeane Lyttelton , also known as Humph, was an English jazz musician and broadcaster, and chairman of the BBC radio comedy programme I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue...
("Humph") served in this role from the programme's inception until his death in 2008. In April 2008, following the hospitalisation and subsequent death of Lyttelton, recording of the 51st series was postponed. The show recommenced on 15 June 2009 with Lyttelton being replaced by a trio of hosts: Stephen Fry
Stephen Fry
Stephen John Fry is an English actor, screenwriter, author, playwright, journalist, poet, comedian, television presenter and film director, and a director of Norwich City Football Club. He first came to attention in the 1981 Cambridge Footlights Revue presentation "The Cellar Tapes", which also...
, Jack Dee
Jack Dee
James Andrew Innes "Jack" Dee is an English stand-up comedian, actor and writer known for his sardonic, curmudgeonly, and deadpan style.-Early life:...
and Rob Brydon
Rob Brydon
Rob Brydon is a BAFTA-nominated Welsh actor, comedian, radio and television presenter, singer and impressionist...
. Dee went on to host all episodes of the 52nd series later that year. He continues in that role for forthcoming series. The chairman's script is written by Iain Pattinson who has worked on the show since 1992.
History
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
sketch show I'm Sorry, I'll Read That Again
I'm Sorry, I'll Read That Again
I'm Sorry, I'll Read That Again was a BBC radio comedy programme which originated from the Cambridge University Footlights revue Cambridge Circus...
, the writers of which were John Cleese
John Cleese
John Marwood Cleese is an English actor, comedian, writer, and film producer. He achieved success at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and as a scriptwriter and performer on The Frost Report...
, Jo Kendall
Jo Kendall
Jo Kendall is a British actress.She played Desdemona in a production of Othello at the A.D.C. Theatre, Cambridge in 1962.In August 1963 she appeared in the West End in London, New Zealand and Broadway, in the Cambridge University revue Cambridge Circus directed by Humphrey Barclay, alongside Graham...
, David Hatch
David Hatch
Sir David Hatch was involved in production and management at BBC Radio, where he held many executive positions, including Head of Light Entertainment , Controller of BBC Radio 2 and BBC Radio 4 and later Managing Director of BBC Radio.- Education :He attended St John's School, Leatherhead and...
, Bill Oddie
Bill Oddie
William "Bill" Edgar Oddie OBE is an English author, actor, comedian, artist, naturalist and musician, who became famous as one of The Goodies....
, Tim Brooke-Taylor
Tim Brooke-Taylor
Timothy Julian Brooke-Taylor OBE is an English comic actor. He became active in performing in comedy sketches while at Cambridge University, and became President of the Footlights club, touring internationally with the Footlights revue in 1964...
and especially Graeme Garden
Graeme Garden
David Graeme Garden OBE is a Scottish author, actor, comedian, artist and television presenter, who first became known as a member of The Goodies.-Early life and beginnings in comedy:...
who suggested the idea of an unscripted show which, it was decided, would take the form of a parody panel game
Panel game
A panel game or panel show is a radio or television game show in which a panel of celebrities participates. Panelists may compete with each other, such as on The News Quiz; facilitate play by guest contestants, such as on Match Game/Blankety Blank; or do both, such as on Wait Wait.....
. A panel game with no competition was not itself a new idea: the BBC had a history of successful quiz shows designed to allow witty celebrities to entertain where winning was not important. Examples include Just a Minute
Just a Minute
Just a Minute is a BBC Radio 4 radio comedy panel game chaired by Nicholas Parsons. Its first transmission on Radio 4 was on 22 December 1967, three months after the station's launch. The Radio 4 programme won a Gold Sony Radio Academy Award in 2003....
, My Word!
My Word!
My Word! was a long-running radio panel game broadcast by the BBC on the Home Service and Radio 4 . It was created by Edward J. Mason and Tony Shryane, and featured comic writers Denis Norden and Frank Muir, famous in Britain for the series Take It From Here...
and My Music on the radio and Call My Bluff on television.
The pilot episode opened with Graeme Garden and Jo Kendall singing the words of "Three Blind Mice
Three Blind Mice
Three Blind Mice is an English nursery rhyme and musical round. It has a Roud Folk Song Index number of 3753.-Lyrics:The modern words are:-Variations and uses:Amateur music composer Thomas Oliphant noted in 1843 that:...
" to the tune of "Ol' Man River
Ol' Man River
"Ol' Man River" is a song in the 1927 musical Show Boat that expresses the African American hardship and struggles of the time with the endless, uncaring flow of the Mississippi River; it is sung from the point-of-view of a dock worker on a showboat, and is the most famous song from the show...
" followed by Bill Oddie and Tim Brooke-Taylor performing the lyrics of "Sing a Song of Sixpence
Sing a Song of Sixpence
Sing a Song of Sixpence is a well-known English nursery rhyme, perhaps originating in the 18th century. It is also listed in the Roud folk song index as number 13191.-Lyrics:...
" to the melody of "These Foolish Things
These Foolish Things
These Foolish Things is a 1973 album by Bryan Ferry, containing cover versions of standard songs. It was his first solo effort, still being Roxy Music's lead singer...
". Dave Lee
Dave Lee
Dave Lee may refer to:* Dave Lee , British horn and Wagner tuba player associated with the Michael Nyman Band* Dave Lee , British DJ, producer, and remixer often better known as Joey Negro* Dave Lee...
was at the piano and a number of rounds were introduced by a short phrase of music. Other rounds included "Dialogue Read in a Specific Accent" and "Songs Sung as Animals". In 1974 Bill Oddie was replaced by Willie Rushton
Willie Rushton
William George Rushton, commonly known as Willie Rushton was an English cartoonist, satirist, comedian, actor and performer who co-founded the Private Eye satirical magazine.- School and army :William George Rushton was born 18 August 1937 in the family home at Scarsdale Villas,...
, and the personnel remained constant from this point until Rushton's death in 1996. Since then the fourth seat on the panel has featured a variety of guest comedians.
The show has over two million listeners on Radio 4 and its recording sessions typically fill 1500-seat theatres within a week of being advertised. At least one recording for the spring 2006 series filled all its seats within three hours of the free tickets being made available, and the London recording of the autumn series in that year sold out in ten minutes. Although there are twelve Clue shows broadcast per year these are the result of just six recording sessions each of two programmes recorded back-to-back. To find out about forthcoming recordings people can join the official mailing list. The show was recently voted the second funniest radio programme ever, after The Goon Show
The Goon Show
The Goon Show was a British radio comedy programme, originally produced and broadcast by the BBC Home Service from 1951 to 1960, with occasional repeats on the BBC Light Programme...
. It has a large following among professional comedians such as Armando Iannucci
Armando Iannucci
Armando Giovanni Iannucci is a Scottish comedian, satirist, writer, director, performer and radio producer. Born in Glasgow, he studied at Oxford University and left graduate work on a PhD about John Milton to pursue a career in comedy....
, who turned down opportunities to work on it, preferring to remain a listener.
Participants
Chairman
Humphrey LytteltonHumphrey Lyttelton
Humphrey Richard Adeane Lyttelton , also known as Humph, was an English jazz musician and broadcaster, and chairman of the BBC radio comedy programme I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue...
, primarily known as a jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
trumpet
Trumpet
The trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
er and bandleader, was invited to be chairman because of the role played by improvisation in both. In the first season Lyttelton shared the role of chairman with Barry Cryer
Barry Cryer
Barry Charles Cryer OBE is a British writer and comedian. Cryer has written for many noted performers, including Dave Allen, Stanley Baxter, Jack Benny, Rory Bremner, George Burns, Jasper Carrott, Tommy Cooper, Les Dawson, Dick Emery, Kenny Everett, Bruce Forsyth, David Frost, Bob Hope, Frankie...
but he made it his own (especially once Cryer replaced Cleese as a regular panellist) and continued as chairman until his death on 25 April 2008. He read the script introducing the programme and segments in an utterly deadpan manner. He claimed the secret was just to read what was in front of him without understanding why it was funny. He adopted the grumpy persona of someone who would really rather be somewhere else, which he attributed to worrying that, surrounded by four professional comedians, he would have nothing worthwhile to chip in. He did occasionally depart from the script, however, often bringing the house down with an ad-lib. He was credited by the regular panellists as being the chief reason for the show's longevity.
On 18 April 2008 the producer of I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue, Jon Naismith
Jon Naismith
Jon Naismith is a producer of a large number of BBC radio shows, primarily comedy, including You'll Have Had Your Tea, The Unbelievable Truth and About a Dog....
, announced that, owing to hospitalisation to repair an aortic aneurysm
Aortic aneurysm
An aortic aneurysm is a general term for any swelling of the aorta to greater than 1.5 times normal, usually representing an underlying weakness in the wall of the aorta at that location...
, Humphrey Lyttelton would be unable to record the scheduled shows and that they would have to be postponed. The final show of the 2008 Best of tour on 22 April would be presented by Rob Brydon
Rob Brydon
Rob Brydon is a BAFTA-nominated Welsh actor, comedian, radio and television presenter, singer and impressionist...
. Following Lyttelton's death there was speculation that the series might be cancelled because replacing him would be extremely difficult if not impossible. In a eulogy
Eulogy
A eulogy is a speech or writing in praise of a person or thing, especially one recently deceased or retired. Eulogies may be given as part of funeral services. However, some denominations either discourage or do not permit eulogies at services to maintain respect for traditions...
in The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
Barry Cryer did not allude to the future of the programme but said that there's "got to be an agonising reappraisal" and that Lyttelton was the "very hub of the show". Cryer, Tim Brooke-Taylor and Graeme Garden all ruled themselves out as hosts: Cryer did not think the programme would work if a panellist became chairman and it "would need somebody of stature to be parachuted in". Jeremy Hardy
Jeremy Hardy
Jeremy James Hardy is a British alternative comedian who is also known for his socialist politics.-Career:Hardy was born in Farnborough, Hampshire. He attended Farnham College and studied Modern History and Politics at the University of Southampton...
also ruled himself out, saying "Humph had big shoes to fill and I wouldn't do it."
In the Clue mailout for September 2008 Naismith stated: "Despite the rumours, we've made no decisions about possible replacements for Humph, and are unlikely to make any decisions this year at least. Certainly I don't envisage us selecting anyone on a permanent basis for several series." It was announced that the show would continue recording beginning in 2009. The first new shows would be hosted by rotating guest presenters (similarly to the format of Have I Got News for You
Have I Got News for You
Have I Got News for You is a British television panel show produced by Hat Trick Productions for the BBC. It is based loosely on the BBC Radio 4 show The News Quiz, and has been broadcast since 1990, currently the BBC's longest-ever running television panel show...
) before a permanent replacement host was decided. In the Clue mailout for February 2009 Naismith announced that Stephen Fry
Stephen Fry
Stephen John Fry is an English actor, screenwriter, author, playwright, journalist, poet, comedian, television presenter and film director, and a director of Norwich City Football Club. He first came to attention in the 1981 Cambridge Footlights Revue presentation "The Cellar Tapes", which also...
, Jack Dee
Jack Dee
James Andrew Innes "Jack" Dee is an English stand-up comedian, actor and writer known for his sardonic, curmudgeonly, and deadpan style.-Early life:...
and Rob Brydon
Rob Brydon
Rob Brydon is a BAFTA-nominated Welsh actor, comedian, radio and television presenter, singer and impressionist...
would host two shows each, to be recorded in April, May and June 2009 respectively. The programme returned on 15 June 2009, chaired by Fry with the usual panellists and special guest Victoria Wood
Victoria Wood
Victoria Wood CBE is a British comedienne, actress, singer-songwriter, screenwriter and director. Wood has written and starred in sketches, plays, films and sitcoms, and her live stand-up comedy act is interspersed with her own compositions, which she accompanies on piano...
. Every series since then has been chaired by Dee, though no announcement has been made that he is the permanent replacement.
Panellists
The regular panellists for much of the show's history were:- Graeme GardenGraeme GardenDavid Graeme Garden OBE is a Scottish author, actor, comedian, artist and television presenter, who first became known as a member of The Goodies.-Early life and beginnings in comedy:...
was a member of the I'm Sorry, I'll Read That Again team from which the programme grew and has been a panellist since the first episode. Lyttelton described him as very dry, biding his time before stepping in with a perfect punchline. - Barry CryerBarry CryerBarry Charles Cryer OBE is a British writer and comedian. Cryer has written for many noted performers, including Dave Allen, Stanley Baxter, Jack Benny, Rory Bremner, George Burns, Jasper Carrott, Tommy Cooper, Les Dawson, Dick Emery, Kenny Everett, Bruce Forsyth, David Frost, Bob Hope, Frankie...
hosted six episodes in the show's first series before moving to a permanent seat on the panel. He is credited by the chairman as being the show's "bricks and mortar", providing quick-fire one-liners in any situation. There is a running joke in the programme that he is a dirty old man with a drink problem. - Tim Brooke-TaylorTim Brooke-TaylorTimothy Julian Brooke-Taylor OBE is an English comic actor. He became active in performing in comedy sketches while at Cambridge University, and became President of the Footlights club, touring internationally with the Footlights revue in 1964...
was also part of the I'm Sorry, I'll Read That Again team and has also been with the show since the start. He is very popular with the crowd and adopts a vulnerable persona. Garden and Brooke-Taylor had previously worked together on television in The GoodiesThe GoodiesThe Goodies are a trio of British comedians who created, wrote, and starred in a surreal British television comedy series called The Goodies during the 1970s and early 1980s combining sketches and situation comedy.-Honours:All three Goodies now have OBEs...
and Brooke-Taylor in particular will occasionally drop references to that show into some of the games, eliciting cheers from the audience. - Willie RushtonWillie RushtonWilliam George Rushton, commonly known as Willie Rushton was an English cartoonist, satirist, comedian, actor and performer who co-founded the Private Eye satirical magazine.- School and army :William George Rushton was born 18 August 1937 in the family home at Scarsdale Villas,...
was one of the regular panel members from 1974 until his death in 1996. The other panellists have fond memories of his off-the-wall sense of humour and quick-fire puns. Since Rushton's death his seat has been turned into a permanent guest spot. Guests have also appeared when one of the regulars was unavailable.
Producers
The show has had a number of producers over the years:- David HatchDavid HatchSir David Hatch was involved in production and management at BBC Radio, where he held many executive positions, including Head of Light Entertainment , Controller of BBC Radio 2 and BBC Radio 4 and later Managing Director of BBC Radio.- Education :He attended St John's School, Leatherhead and...
(Produced only the pilot episode in 1972) - John Cassels (1972–1974)
- Simon BrettSimon BrettSimon Brett is a prolific writer of whodunnits. The son of a chartered surveyor, he was educated at Dulwich College and Wadham College, Oxford, where he got a first-class honours degree in English...
(1975–1977) - Geoffrey PerkinsGeoffrey PerkinsGeoffrey Howard Perkins was a comedy producer, writer and performer, and an important figure in British comedy broadcasting. This was recognised in December 2008 when he was awarded with an Outstanding Contribution to Comedy Award...
(1978–1981) - Paul Mayhew-ArcherPaul Mayhew-ArcherPaul Mayhew-Archer is a writer, producer and script editor for the BBC.He studied English at Cambridge University after attending Eastbourne College, being a member of Reeves House. He spent his time at school writing plays...
(1982–1986) - Paul Spencer (1987–1989)
- Jon MagnussonJon Magnusson (producer)Jon Magnusson is a British producer, writer and director. Magnusson produced several episodes of the radio panel show I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue, the first series of The Graham Norton Show, and several episodes of the political satire impressionist show Bremner, Bird and Fortune.Magnusson has also...
(1990–1991) - Jon NaismithJon NaismithJon Naismith is a producer of a large number of BBC radio shows, primarily comedy, including You'll Have Had Your Tea, The Unbelievable Truth and About a Dog....
(1991–present)
Musical accompaniment
Early episodes featured Dave Lee, who provided piano accompaniment on I'm Sorry, I'll Read That AgainI'm Sorry, I'll Read That Again
I'm Sorry, I'll Read That Again was a BBC radio comedy programme which originated from the Cambridge University Footlights revue Cambridge Circus...
. However, Colin Sell
Colin Sell
Colin Sell is a British pianist who has appeared on the radio panel games Whose Line Is It Anyway? and I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue. He has become famous mostly for his long service on the latter show, where he is frequently the butt of the host's jokes. He is the Head of Music at East 15 Acting...
now usually fulfills this role. He is often the butt of jokes about his musical ability to which he is unable to respond as he has no microphone. For example: "When music experts hear Colin's compositions, they say he could have been another Berlin
Irving Berlin
Irving Berlin was an American composer and lyricist of Jewish heritage, widely considered one of the greatest songwriters in American history.His first hit song, "Alexander's Ragtime Band", became world famous...
, Porter
Cole Porter
Cole Albert Porter was an American composer and songwriter. Born to a wealthy family in Indiana, he defied the wishes of his domineering grandfather and took up music as a profession. Classically trained, he was drawn towards musical theatre...
or anybody else employed by the German State Railway." Guest pianists are called in when Sell has been unable to attend (or the ISIHAC team have "won the coin toss" as Lyttelton once said on the show), including Neil Innes
Neil Innes
Neil James Innes is an English writer and performer of comic songs, best known for his collaborative work with Monty Python, and for playing in the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band and later The Rutles.-Personal life:...
, Denis King
Denis King
Denis King is an English Ivor Novello award-winning composer, singer and actor.As a writer he composed music for the British television series The Adventures of Black Beauty, Within These Walls, Lovejoy and Worzel Gummidge amongst others. He also composed the theme to the 1992 series The New...
and Matthew Scott. Lyttelton's band also appeared on a couple of Christmas specials. Once when Innes was guesting Lyttelton outlined the musician's career, concluding that this "has brought him to where he is today: standing in for Colin Sell." In another appearance Innes sang along to his own composition "I'm the Urban Spaceman
I'm the Urban Spaceman
"I'm the Urban Spaceman" was the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band's most successful single, released in 1968. It reached #5 in the UK charts. The song was written by Neil Innes and produced by Paul McCartney and Gus Dudgeon under the pseudonym "Apollo C. Vermouth". The B-side was written by Viv Stanshall...
" during a round of "Pick Up Song". The theme music is called "The Schickel Shamble", by Ron Goodwin
Ron Goodwin
Ronald Alfred Goodwin was a British composer and conductor known for his film music. He scored over 70 films in a career lasting over fifty years....
, and is from the film Monte Carlo or Bust
Monte Carlo or Bust
Monte Carlo or Bust is a 1969 comedy film. The story is based on the Monte Carlo Rally - first raced in 1911 - and the film recalls this general era, set in the 1920s. The film is a British/French/Italian co-production, and was released in the United States under the title Those Daring Young Men in...
. It was chosen by David Hatch.
Guests
Guests have included:- Bill BaileyBill BaileyBill Bailey is an English comedian, musician and actor. As well as his extensive stand-up work, Bailey is well known for his appearances on Black Books, Never Mind the Buzzcocks, Have I Got News for You, and QI.Bailey was listed by The Observer as one of the 50 funniest acts in British comedy in...
(2002) - Max BoyceMax BoyceMaxwell Boyce MBE is a Welsh comedian, singer and former coal miner. He rose to fame during the mid-1970s with an act that combined musical comedy with his passion for rugby union and his origins in the mining communities of South Wales...
(1998) - Jo BrandJo BrandJosephine Grace "Jo" Brand is a BAFTA winning British comedian, writer, and actor.- Early life :Jo Brand was born 23 July 1957 in Wandsworth, London. Her mother was a social worker. Brand is the middle of three children, with two brothers...
(2009) - Marcus BrigstockeMarcus BrigstockeMarcus Alexander Brigstocke is an English comedian, actor and satirist who has worked extensively in stand-up comedy, television, radio and in 2010-2011 musical theatre. He is particularly associated with the 6.30pm comedy slot on BBC Radio 4, having frequently appeared on several of its shows...
(2011) - Rob BrydonRob BrydonRob Brydon is a BAFTA-nominated Welsh actor, comedian, radio and television presenter, singer and impressionist...
(2006–07, 2009, 2011) - John CleeseJohn CleeseJohn Marwood Cleese is an English actor, comedian, writer, and film producer. He achieved success at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and as a scriptwriter and performer on The Frost Report...
(regular panel member during the first series, 1972) - Denise CoffeyDenise CoffeyDenise Coffey is an English actress, director, and playwright.After training at the Glasgow College of Dramatic Art, Coffey began a career in repertory at the Gateway Theatre in Edinburgh, then moved to the Palladium Theatre there...
(1979, 1981, 1983, 1991, 1997) - Jack DeeJack DeeJames Andrew Innes "Jack" Dee is an English stand-up comedian, actor and writer known for his sardonic, curmudgeonly, and deadpan style.-Early life:...
(2004–05, 2007) - Kenny EverettKenny EverettKenny Everett was an English comedian, radio DJ and television entertainer. Born Maurice James Christopher Cole, Everett is best known for his career as a radio DJ and for the Kenny Everett television shows.-Early life:...
(1985) - Stephen FryStephen FryStephen John Fry is an English actor, screenwriter, author, playwright, journalist, poet, comedian, television presenter and film director, and a director of Norwich City Football Club. He first came to attention in the 1981 Cambridge Footlights Revue presentation "The Cellar Tapes", which also...
(1986–87, 1989, 1997, 2000, 2002, 2007) - Andy HamiltonAndy HamiltonAndrew Neil Hamilton is a British comedian, game show panellist, television director, comedy screenwriter and radio dramatist.-Early life:...
(1999, 2001–02, 2005–07, 2011) - Mike HardingMike HardingMike Harding is an English singer, songwriter, comedian, author, poet and broadcaster. He is known as 'The Rochdale Cowboy' after one of his hit records...
(1984, 1986) - Jeremy HardyJeremy HardyJeremy James Hardy is a British alternative comedian who is also known for his socialist politics.-Career:Hardy was born in Farnborough, Hampshire. He attended Farnham College and studied Modern History and Politics at the University of Southampton...
(1995, 1998–2007, 2009–11) - Tony HawksTony HawksAntony Gordon Hawksworth, better known as Tony Hawks, is a British comedian and author.-Early life:Born in Brighton in 1960, Hawks was educated at Brighton Hove and Sussex Grammar School and Brighton College...
(1995, 1997, 1999–2006) - Harry HillHarry HillHarry Hill , is a Perrier Award–winning English comedian, author and television presenter. A former medical doctor , Hill began his career in comedy with the popular radio show Harry Hill's Fruit Corner.-Personal life:Hill was born in Woking,...
(2003, 2005) - John JunkinJohn JunkinJohn Francis Junkin was an English radio, television and film performer and scriptwriter.In 1960 Junkin joined Joan Littlewood's Stratford East Theatre Workshop, and played the lead in the original production of Sparrows Can't Sing...
(1975, 1979, 1986) - Phill JupitusPhill JupitusPhillip Christopher Jupitus is an English stand-up and improvised comedian, actor, performance poet, musician and podcaster....
(1999, 2001, 2009, 2011) - Jo KendallJo KendallJo Kendall is a British actress.She played Desdemona in a production of Othello at the A.D.C. Theatre, Cambridge in 1962.In August 1963 she appeared in the West End in London, New Zealand and Broadway, in the Cambridge University revue Cambridge Circus directed by Humphrey Barclay, alongside Graham...
(regular panel member during the first series, 1972) - Jonathan LynnJonathan LynnJonathan Lynn is an English actor, comedy writer and director. He is best known for being the co-writer of Yes Minister and Yes, Prime Minister.-Personal life:...
(1978) - Fred MacAulay (1998–99)
- Paul MertonPaul MertonPaul Merton is a British comedian, writer, actor and television presenter. Known for his improvisation skill, his humour is rooted in deadpan, surreal and sometimes dark comedy...
(1991–92, 1994, 1997–98) - David MitchellDavid Mitchell (actor)David James Stuart Mitchell is a British actor, comedian and writer. He is half of the comedy duo Mitchell and Webb, alongside Robert Webb, whom he met at Cambridge University. There they were both part of the Cambridge Footlights, of which Mitchell became President. Together the duo star in the...
(2009–11) - Neil MullarkeyNeil MullarkeyNeil Mullarkey is an English actor, writer and comedian.Mullarkey studied at Robinson College, Cambridge; while he was there he was Junior Treasurer of the Cambridge Footlights in the academic year 1981 to 1982 and was president in the year ending 1983...
(2000) - Ross NobleRoss NobleRoss Markham Noble is an English stand-up comedian, brought up in Cramlington, Northumberland, England.Noble rose to mainstream popularity through making appearances on British television, particularly interviews and on celebrity quiz shows such as Have I Got News for You...
(2003, 2005, 2011) - Bill OddieBill OddieWilliam "Bill" Edgar Oddie OBE is an English author, actor, comedian, artist, naturalist and musician, who became famous as one of The Goodies....
(regular panel member during the first two series, 1972–73) - Linda SmithLinda Smith (comedian)Linda Helen Smith was a British stand-up comic and comedy writer. She appeared regularly on Radio 4 panel games, and was voted "Wittiest Living Person" by listeners in 2002...
(2001, 2004) - Bill TidyBill TidyWilliam Edward "Bill" Tidy, MBE , is a British cartoonist, writer and television personality, known chiefly for his comic strips. Bill was awarded an MBE in 2000 for "Services to Journalism". He is noted for his charitable work, particularly for the Lord's Taverners, which he has supported for over...
(1985, 1989, replacement for Tim Brooke-Taylor for one series in 1991) - Sandi ToksvigSandi ToksvigSandra Brigitte “Sandi” Toksvig is a Danish comedian, author and presenter on British radio and television.-Career:...
(1997–2005, 2010) - Victoria WoodVictoria WoodVictoria Wood CBE is a British comedienne, actress, singer-songwriter, screenwriter and director. Wood has written and starred in sketches, plays, films and sitcoms, and her live stand-up comedy act is interspersed with her own compositions, which she accompanies on piano...
(2009)
The late Raymond Baxter
Raymond Baxter
Raymond Frederic Baxter, OBE was a British television presenter and writer. He is best known for being the first presenter of Tomorrow's World, continuing for 12 years, from 1965 to 1977...
was occasionally drafted to commentate on sessions of Mornington Crescent
Mornington Crescent (game)
Mornington Crescent is a spoof game, featured in the BBC Radio 4 comedy panel show I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue, which satirises complicated strategy games....
and also presented the one-off special Everyman's Guide to Mornington Crescent. Both Judi Dench
Judi Dench
Dame Judith Olivia "Judi" Dench, CH, DBE, FRSA is an English film, stage and television actress.Dench made her professional debut in 1957 with the Old Vic Company. Over the following few years she played in several of William Shakespeare's plays in such roles as Ophelia in Hamlet, Juliet in Romeo...
and Alan Titchmarsh
Alan Titchmarsh
Alan Fred Titchmarsh, MBE DL is an English gardener, broadcaster and novelist. After working as a professional gardener and a garden journalist, he established himself as a media personality through appearances on gardening programmes...
took part in "Celebrity What's My Line?". Judi Dench and Michael Gambon
Michael Gambon
Sir Michael John Gambon, CBE is an Irish actor who has worked in theatre, television and film. A highly respected theatre actor, Gambon is recognised for his roles as Philip Marlowe in the BBC television serial The Singing Detective, as Jules Maigret in the 1990s ITV serial Maigret, and as...
performed the Mornington Crescent drama The Bromley by Bow Stratagem.
On one occasion Humph announced that they had a very distinguished actor as a guest who would join in the game of Mornington Crescent
Mornington Crescent (game)
Mornington Crescent is a spoof game, featured in the BBC Radio 4 comedy panel show I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue, which satirises complicated strategy games....
. When the game started, after great ceremony, the penultimate player, the last of the panellists, won on his first move, thus denying the distinguished guest the opportunity to make a single move. The chairman apologised but explained that this was an unavoidable possibility and the guest left without having uttered a word. The show was allegedly inundated with complaints at the treatment of Sir Alec Guinness as on the actual recording Lyttelton can be heard to say, "Well I'm very sorry about that. Rather unfortunate. We would like to go on and ask you a few things about what you're doing currently, Sir Alec, but we do have to hurry on to the next game." This story became a favourite of Lyttelton's, who claimed in interviews that the "distinguished actor" had never actually been named on the show.
Scorers
Since 18 May 1985 the show has included a fictional and completely silent scorer (in the same episode as Kenny Everett made his debut) "whose job is eased by the fact no points are actually awarded", usually "the lovely Samantha" who sits on Humph's left hand. There is a seat with a microphone next to the Chairman which is 'used' by Samantha. During the introductory music Humphrey LytteltonHumphrey Lyttelton
Humphrey Richard Adeane Lyttelton , also known as Humph, was an English jazz musician and broadcaster, and chairman of the BBC radio comedy programme I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue...
would stand up and 'help' Samantha into her seat. In practice the seat and microphone was only used by the producer to welcome the audience, to introduce the participants and to give any other information to the audience such as the expected date of broadcasting.
Lyttelton would describe Samantha's social activities, usually in an apology received from the absent character who had been detained, often with a "gentleman friend". His comments included innuendo
Innuendo
An innuendo is a baseless invention of thoughts or ideas. It can also be a remark or question, typically disparaging , that works obliquely by allusion...
and double entendre
Double entendre
A double entendre or adianoeta is a figure of speech in which a spoken phrase is devised to be understood in either of two ways. Often the first meaning is straightforward, while the second meaning is less so: often risqué or ironic....
s. Early in Samantha's career on ISIHAC, when it was not completely clear she was a fictional character, a letter appeared in the BBC's Radio Times
Radio Times
Radio Times is a UK weekly television and radio programme listings magazine, owned by the BBC. It has been published since 1923 by BBC Magazines, which also provides an on-line listings service under the same title...
magazine protesting at the sexist and humiliating treatment she received. Producer Jon Naismith adds "I remember when we [Naismith and Iain Pattinson] took over the show we used to get quite a few letters accusing us of sexist references to Samantha." Samantha's inabilities as score-keeper often form the basis for humour; in a programme from 1997, Humph said: "It's just occurred to me that Samantha hasn't given us the score... since 1981."
Samantha has sometimes been replaced by a Swedish stand-in, Sven
Sven
Sven is a Nordic first name which is used throughout Scandinavia, Estonia and Germany. The name itself is Old Norse for "Young man" or "Young warrior." The original spelling in Old Norse was sveinn...
, or occasionally another substitute, Monica. When Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990...
left office in 1990 Lyttelton introduced a scorer named Margaret. In an episode in November 1991 both Samantha and Sven were present but occupied with each other and unable to award points.
The program has used "advanced laser display-boards" over recent decades, sometimes described in more elaborate terms and "so generously funded by our hosts", in rounds in which the panel must not see what the audience sees, but these are actually a large card with the words written on it (conveyed to listeners at home by the "mystery voice", a device also employed in the 1960s radio show Twenty Questions
Twenty Questions
Twenty Questions is a spoken parlor game which encourages deductive reasoning and creativity. It originated in the United States and escalated in popularity during the late 1940s when it became the format for a successful weekly radio quiz program....
).
Correspondence
A regular feature on the programme, preceding the game Mornington CrescentMornington Crescent (game)
Mornington Crescent is a spoof game, featured in the BBC Radio 4 comedy panel show I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue, which satirises complicated strategy games....
, is a fictional letters section which begins with the chairman's comments ("I notice from the sheer weight of this week's postbag, we've received a little over no letters" and "I see from the number of letters raining down on us this week that the Scrabble
Scrabble
Scrabble is a word game in which two to four players score points by forming words from individual lettered tiles on a game board marked with a 15-by-15 grid. The words are formed across and down in crossword fashion and must appear in a standard dictionary. Official reference works provide a list...
factory has exploded again"). The invariably single letter each week is from "A Mrs Trellis of North Wales
North Wales
North Wales is the northernmost unofficial region of Wales. It is bordered to the south by the counties of Ceredigion and Powys in Mid Wales and to the east by the counties of Shropshire in the West Midlands and Cheshire in North West England...
", whose incoherent letters usually mistake the chairman for another Radio 4 presenter or media personality. "Dear Libby
Libby Purves
Libby Purves OBE is a British radio presenter, journalist and author. A diplomat's daughter, she was educated at convent schools in Israel, Bangkok, South Africa and France, and then Beechwood Sacred Heart School in Tunbridge Wells.Purves won a scholarship to St Anne's College, Oxford, where she...
" (she writes), "why oh why ... very nearly spells YOYO
Yo-yo
The yo-yo in its simplest form is an object consisting of an axle connected to two disks, and a length of twine looped around the axle, similar to a slender spool...
", or "Dear Mr Titchmarsh
Alan Titchmarsh
Alan Fred Titchmarsh, MBE DL is an English gardener, broadcaster and novelist. After working as a professional gardener and a garden journalist, he established himself as a media personality through appearances on gardening programmes...
, never let them tell you that size
Sizing
Sizing or size is any one of numerous specific substances that is applied to or incorporated in other material, especially papers and textiles, to act as a protecting filler or glaze....
isn't important. My aunt told me that, but then all my new wallpaper fell off."
Introduction
The chairman introduces the show with remarks, such as:and continues by providing a little background material about the show's location;
Then the teams' introduction;
The teams are often mocked at their introduction:
Games
Many games are played on I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue, some frequently and dozens more less often. A few have only been played once either because the joke only works once or because the result was not particularly successful. Popular games include "One Song to the Tune of AnotherOne Song To The Tune Of Another
"One Song to the Tune of Another" was the first game played on the BBC Radio 4 comedy panel game I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue and is still almost always played every other episode. It consists of panellists singing the lyrics of one song to the tune of another song, accompanied on the piano.The four...
", "Mornington Crescent
Mornington Crescent (game)
Mornington Crescent is a spoof game, featured in the BBC Radio 4 comedy panel show I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue, which satirises complicated strategy games....
", "Sound Charades
Sound Charades
Sound Charades is a variant of charades played on BBC Radio 4's "antidote to panel games", I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue. As with some other ISIHAC games, such as Celebrity What's My Line?, the game has been created by taking an existing one and removing the central concept...
", "Late Arrivals", "Double Feature", "Cheddar Gorge" and "Uxbridge English Dictionary". "One Song to the Tune of Another" is always introduced using a complex analogy, despite its self-explanatory title, often ending with a joke at the expense of Colin Sell.
The panellists play as individuals or as two teams. "Celebrity What's My Line?" completely destroyed the intent of the original — for players to guess the occupation of a third party by asking yes/no questions. The I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue version once employed the famous actress (and fan of the show) Dame Judi Dench
Judi Dench
Dame Judith Olivia "Judi" Dench, CH, DBE, FRSA is an English film, stage and television actress.Dench made her professional debut in 1957 with the Old Vic Company. Over the following few years she played in several of William Shakespeare's plays in such roles as Ophelia in Hamlet, Juliet in Romeo...
in this role and the renowned television gardener Alan Titchmarsh
Alan Titchmarsh
Alan Fred Titchmarsh, MBE DL is an English gardener, broadcaster and novelist. After working as a professional gardener and a garden journalist, he established himself as a media personality through appearances on gardening programmes...
. Each began by performing a mime illustrating their occupation, giving a cryptic clue to the panel (appearing to a radio listener as a short silence punctuated by exclamations from the panel and laughter from the studio audience), before fielding apparently serious questions from the teams (e.g. "Is that your own hair?" or "Do you kill people for money?"), who pretended not to know who they were.
Musical games often involve incongruities such as singing "One Song to the Tune of Another" or playing a song using only a swanee whistle
Slide whistle
A slide whistle is a wind instrument consisting of a fipple like a recorder's and a tube with a piston in it. Thus it has an air reed like some woodwinds, but varies the pitch with a slide. The construction is rather like a bicycle pump...
and a kazoo
Kazoo
The kazoo is a wind instrument which adds a "buzzing" timbral quality to a player's voice when the player vocalizes into it. The kazoo is a type of mirliton, which is a membranophone, a device which modifies the sound of a person's voice by way of a vibrating membrane."Kazoo" was the name given by...
. In "Just a Minim" - a parody of Radio 4's Just a Minute
Just a Minute
Just a Minute is a BBC Radio 4 radio comedy panel game chaired by Nicholas Parsons. Its first transmission on Radio 4 was on 22 December 1967, three months after the station's launch. The Radio 4 programme won a Gold Sony Radio Academy Award in 2003....
- panellists must sing while avoiding repetition, deviation or hesitation: many songs have extreme repetition of lyrics.
Humour is derived from wordplay such as puns or mockery of styles of speech. For example in a round based on suggesting television programmes from biblical times:
- They Think It's All JehovahThey Think It's All Over (TV series)They Think It's All Over was a British comedy panel game with a sporting theme produced by Talkback Thames and shown on BBC One. The show's name is taken from Kenneth Wolstenholme's famous 1966 World Cup commentary quotation, "they think it's all over...it is now!" and the show used the phrase as...
- I Love LuciferI Love LucyI Love Lucy is an American television sitcom starring Lucille Ball, Desi Arnaz, Vivian Vance, and William Frawley. The black-and-white series originally ran from October 15, 1951, to May 6, 1957, on the Columbia Broadcasting System...
- The Exodus FilesThe X-FilesThe X-Files is an American science fiction television series and a part of The X-Files franchise, created by screenwriter Chris Carter. The program originally aired from to . The show was a hit for the Fox network, and its characters and slogans became popular culture touchstones in the 1990s...
In "Uxbridge English Dictionary
Daffynition
A daffynition is a pun format involving the reinterpretation of an existing word, on the basis that it sounds like another word . They are similar to transpositional puns, but often much less complex and easier to create.Some daffynitions may be puns...
" the panellists contribute humorous redefinitions of words; "Puny: the Roman Catholic equivalent of tennis elbow
Tennis elbow
Lateral epicondylitis or lateral epicondylalgia, also known as tennis elbow, shooter's elbow and archer's elbow, is a condition where the outer part of the elbow becomes sore and tender...
". More puns are found in the "Arrivals at the Ball" section, of the form "Mr and Mrs X and their son (or daughter)...." the child's name forming a pun, preferably laboured and feeble. This grew out of the "drama" section of later shows in the I'm Sorry I'll Read That Again series, for example, at the Criminals' Ball, "Mr and Mrs Knee, and their Swedish son, Lars Knee" .
Time, destiny, fate and eternity
The show draws to a close with the chairman imparting some final words of wisdom intended to evoke time, destiny, fate and eternity, undercut with silliness. For example: "...And so, as the hunter of time blasts the moose of eternity, and the dairy counter worker of fate sighs and grabs her mop..." Lyttelton's final sign-off on the show, shortly before his death in April 2008, was: "And so as the loose-bowelled pigeon of time swoops low over the unsuspecting tourist of destiny, and the flatulent skunk of fate wanders into the air-conditioning system of eternity, I notice it's the end of the show."Humour
Most of the humour is detached from the real world. Steve PuntSteve Punt
Stephen Punt is a British writer, comedian and actor, best known for his long-time comedy partnership with Hugh Dennis. Punt lives in Wimbledon with his girlfriend and two children.-Life and career:...
cites it as one of his favourite radio shows because "there's no points being made or targets being attacked." Contemporary references occasionally made by participants are usually asides. The show does occasionally comment on the outside world, though from an innocent perspective. The game "Complete George Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
Quotes" was once played, in which the teams had to supply endings for phrases that George Bush had begun (see Bushism
Bushism
Bushisms are unconventional words, phrases, pronunciations, malapropisms, and semantic or linguistic errors that have occurred in the public speaking of former President of the United States George W. Bush and, much less notably, of his father, George H. W. Bush. The term has become part of popular...
), the teams complaining that they couldn't be any funnier than the original.
At the close of one show, the chairman asked the teams to read the cuttings that they had brought along with them, in the manner of fellow Radio 4 show The News Quiz
The News Quiz
The News Quiz is a topical panel game broadcast on British radio BBC Radio 4.-History:It was first broadcast in 1977 with Barry Norman as chairman. Subsequently it was chaired by Simon Hoggart, Barry Took , and then again by Simon Hoggart until March 2006. Hoggart was replaced by Sandi Toksvig in...
. The teams proceeded to read their cuttings, but only to themselves. Hence followed some interested murmurs from the teams and much laughter from the audience. This is a good example of double-meanings being used in the Clue comedy style.
Self-deprecation
Self-deprecation
Self-deprecation, or Self-depreciation, is the act of belittling or undervaluing oneself. It can be used in humor and tension release.-In comedy:...
forms a big part of the show's humour. It frequently pokes fun at itself and its supposed low quality. For example, Lyttelton was heard to exclaim at the end of a round:
- "NietzscheFriedrich NietzscheFriedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche was a 19th-century German philosopher, poet, composer and classical philologist...
said that life was a choice between suffering and boredom. He never said anything about having to put up with both at the same time." - "I'm often prone to bouts of misplaced optimism. This round's going to be a hum-dinger!"
- "All good things must come to an end, so let's carry on."
- An introduction to "Sound Charades", a round based on Give Us a ClueGive Us A ClueGive Us a Clue is a British televised game show version of charades which was broadcast on ITV from 1979 to 1992. The original host was Michael Aspel from 1979 to 1983, followed by Michael Parkinson from 1984 to 1992. The show featured two teams, one captained by Lionel Blair and the other by Una...
, went: "In the TV version the teams were not allowed to speak, making the games both silent and hilarious. Our version differs in just two ways."
After over thirty years on the air one of the most important aspects of the show is its huge stock of running gags which, if not always funny in themselves, can elicit huge anticipatory laughter from the studio audience. The mere mention of Lionel Blair
Lionel Blair
Lionel Blair is a British actor, choreographer, tap dancer and television presenter. He is the son of Myer Ogus and Deborah Greenbaum...
will often bring roars of laughter in anticipation of an outrageous double-entendre based on his supposed homosexuality (he is not gay). In the "Film Club" round any reference by Graeme Garden to Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia
Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia
Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia is a 1974 American action film directed by Sam Peckinpah and featuring Warren Oates....
is sure to cause a similar response. The game "Wobbling Bunnies" was introduced several times by Humph, often with eager anticipation by the panel and audience, but time pressures always meant the game was never actually played. Graeme Garden and Barry Cryer frequently play the characters of two Scots, Hamish and Dougal whose skits usually begin with the phrase "You'll have had your tea, then, Dougal?". The characters were developed into their own Radio 4 show, Hamish and Dougal
Hamish and Dougal
Hamish and Dougal are two characters from the long-running BBC Radio 4 "antidote to panel games", I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue played by Barry Cryer and Graeme Garden, who later went on to have their own Radio 4 series, You'll Have Had Your Tea: The Doings of Hamish and Dougal.-History:One of the...
.
Awards
The programme has won the Gold Sony Radio Comedy Award three times:- 1995: featuring Humphrey Lyttelton, Barry Cryer, Graeme Garden, Tim Brooke-Taylor and Willie Rushton
- 2002: featuring the usual cast and Jeremy Hardy. The citation was as follows:
"Despite its many years on air, this still stands out as a very funny programme — risky, rude, brilliantly written and superbly performed. Humphrey Lyttelton’s comic timing is genius!"
- 2004: I'm Sorry I Haven't A Christmas Carol, featuring the usual cast with Stephen Fry, Andy Hamilton, Jeremy Hardy, Tony Hawks, Sandi Toksvig and Linda Smith. The citation was as follows:
"A stunning cast performing a blistering script — only really possible on radio. This show took a long established, very successful format to a higher level — an excellent blend of the regular format and zany style of I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue with A Christmas Carol."
Other awards:
- 1995: Best Radio Comedy, British Comedy Award
- 1997: Radio Programme of the Year, British Press Guild
- 1997: Radio Programme of the Year, Voice of the Viewer & Listener
- 2003: Radio Programme of the Year, Voice of the Viewer & Listener
- 2003: Radio Programme of the Year, Television & Radio Industries Club
- 2003: Best Comedy, Spoken Word Award
- 2005: Radio Programme of the Year, Television & Radio Industries Club
Broadcast list
- 1st Series (1972) - 11 April-4 July [13 episodes] (Introduction of 'Word for Word' and 'One Song to the Tune of Another')
- 2nd Series (1973) - 30 April-23 July [13 episodes] (Including the first appearances of 'Sound Charades', a version of 'New Definitions' and the use of 'The Antidote to Panel games')
- 3rd Series (1974) - 28 August-2 October [6 episodes] (Willie Rushton's first appearances)
- 4th Series (1975) - 29 July-16 September [8 episodes] (Colin Sell's first appearance, Graeme mentions 'Gordon Bennett' for the first time as a late arrival and the name 'Pick-Up Song' is used but a different game.)
- 5th Series (1976) - 6 March-10 April [6 episodes] (The first series in which 'Good News, Bad News' was played and 'Pick-Up Song' in its recognisable format.)
- 6th Series (1978) - 22 August-24 October [10 episodes] (The first time 'Mornington Crescent' is played.)
- 7th Series (1979) - 16 July-17 September [10 episodes]
- Christmas Special (1979) - 24 December
- Christmas Special (1980) - 24 December
- 8th Series (1981) - 22 August-24 October [10 episodes]
- Christmas Special (1981) - 24 December
- 9th Series (1982) - 20 March-27 March [2 episodes], 10 April-22 May [8 episodes] (The first playing of 'Just a Minim'.)
- 10th Series (1983) - 26 February-30 April [10 episodes]
- 11th Series (1984) - 7 April-9 June [10 episodes]
- 12th Series (1985) - 4 May-6 July [10 episodes] (Kenny Everett replaces Graeme for two shows and Samantha makes her first appearance.)
- 13th Series (1986) - 26 July-27 September [10 episodes] (Willie predicts his own death in 1996.)
- Christmas Special (1986) - 25 December
- 14th Series (1987) - 17 August-19 October [10 episodes]
- 15th Series (1989) - 7 January-11 March [10 episodes]
- 16th Series (Spring 1990) - 5 February-12 March [6 episodes]
- 17th Series (Autumn 1990) - 17 November-29 December [7 episodes] (The first time a letter sent in by Mrs Trellis from South Wales is read out.)
- 18th Series (Summer 1991) - 22 June-27 July [6 episodes] (Bill Tidy replaces Tim and Humph asks 'what do points mean?' for the first.)
- 19th Series (Autumn 1991) - 19 October-7 December [8 episodes] (Sven makes his first appearance standing in for Samantha.)
- 20th Series (Summer 1992) - 23 May-27 June [6 episodes] (The first time an a show ends with a 'film club'.)
- 21st Series (Autumn 1992) - 14 November-19 December [6 episodes], 26 December [Compilation]
- 22nd Series (1993) - 6 November-11 December [6 episodes]
- Christmas Special (1993) - 25 December
- 23rd Series (Summer 1994) - 28 May-2 July [6 episodes]
- 24th Series (Autumn 1994) - 5 November-10 December [6 episodes]
- 25th Series (Summer 1995) - 27 May-1 July [6 episodes]
- 26th Series (Autumn 1995) - 11 November-16 December [6 episodes]
- Christmas Special (1995) - 25 December
- 27th Series (Summer 1996) - 1 June-6 July [6 episodes]
- 28th Series (Autumn 1996) - 9 November-14 December [6 episodes]
- 29th Series (Summer 1997) - 7 June-12 July [6 episodes]
- 30th Series (Autumn 1997) - 8 November-13 December [6 episodes], 25 December [Compilation]
- Compilations (1998) - 6 April-20 April [3 episodes]
- 31st Series (Summer 1998) - 27 April-1 June [6 episodes]
- 32nd Series (Autumn 1998) - 30 November-4 January 1999 [6 episodes]
- Christmas Special (1998) - 25 December
- Special (1999) - 11 January [I'm Sorry I Haven't A Desert Island]
- 33rd Series (Summer 1999) - 24 May-28 June [6 episodes]
- 34th Series (Autumn 1999) - 8 November-13 December [6 episodes]
- Christmas Special (1999) - 25 December
- 35th Series (Summer 2000) - 22 May-26 June [6 episodes]
- 36th Series (Autumn 2000) - 13 November-18 December [6 episodes]
- 37th Series (Summer 2001) - 28 May-2 July [6 episodes]
- 38th Series (Autumn 2001) - 12 November-17 December [6 episodes]
- Christmas Special (2001) - 24 December
- Special (2002) - 13 April [30th Anniversary Special]
- 39th Series (Summer 2002) - 20 May-24 June [6 episodes]
- 40th Series (Autumn 2002) - 18 November-23 December [6 episodes]
- 41st Series (Summer 2003) - 26 May-30 June [6 episodes]
- 42nd Series (Autumn 2003) - 17 November-22 December [6 episodes], 22 December [Compilation], 25 December [I'm Sorry I Haven't A Christmas Carol]
- 43rd Series - (Summer 2004) - 31 May 2004 - 5 July 2004 [6 episodes]
- 44th Series - (Winter 2004) - 6 December 2004 - 17 January 2005 [6 episodes], 27 December [Compilation]
- 45th Series - (Summer 2005) - 30 May 2005 - 4 July 2005 [6 episodes]
- Special (2005) - 1 September [Edinburgh Festival Special]
- 46th Series - (Autumn 2005) - 14 November 2005 - 26 December 2005 [6 episodes], 12 December [Repeat of Edinburgh Festival Special]
- Special (2005) - 24 December [In Search of Mornington Crescent]
- 47th Series (2006) - 22 May-26 June [6 episodes]
- 48th Series (2006) - 13 November-18 December [6 episodes]
- 49th Series (2007) - 4 June-9 July [6 episodes]
- 50th Series (2007) - 12 November - 17 December [6 episodes], 24 December [compilation], 25 December [Humph In Wonderland]
- 51st Series (2009) - 15 June - 20 July [6 episodes]
- 52nd Series (2009) - 16 November - 21 December [6 episodes]
- 53rd Series (2010) - 21 June - 26 July [6 episodes]
- 54th Series (2010–2011) - 27 December - 31 January [6 episodes]
- 55th Series (2011) - 27 June - 1 August [6 episodes]
- 56th Series (2011) - 14 November -
Excluding compilations and repeats, this totals 397 episodes. Some early episodes of the series, including the first, were wiped
Wiping
Wiping or junking is a colloquial term for action taken by radio and television production and broadcasting companies, in which old audiotapes, videotapes, and telerecordings , are erased, reused, or destroyed after several uses...
in the late 1970s. Following the BBC's Treasure Hunt appeal for missing material in 2002, several shows were recovered from off-air recordings made by listeners.
2007
In 2007, I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue: The Official Stage Tour visited 9 locations across England. While the broadcast shows are recorded on location, this was the first ISIHAC touring stage show in the show's 35 year history. It was a best ofGreatest hits
A greatest hits album is a music compilation album of successful, previously released songs by a particular artist or band...
show, featuring favourite rounds from the past 35 years, and the guest panellist was Jeremy Hardy. The shows were not recorded for broadcast on Radio 4, although it was suggested that they may be recorded for release as part of the BBC Radio Collection.
Dates
- Tuesday 28 August 2007 - Bristol HippodromeBristol HippodromeThe Bristol Hippodrome is a theatre in the centre of Bristol, England with seating on three levels giving a capacity of 1,951. It frequently features West End theatre shows when they tour the UK as well regular visits by Welsh National Opera, and an annual pantomime.- History :The theatre was...
- Thursday 30 August 2007 - Leeds Grand Theatre
- Sunday 9 September 2007 - Theatre Royal, NottinghamTheatre Royal, NottinghamThe Theatre Royal, Nottingham in Nottingham, England, is part of the city's Royal Centre, which also incorporates the Nottingham Royal Concert Hall. The theatre is in the heart of Nottingham City Centre and is owned by Nottingham City Council...
- Monday 10 September 2007 - DerngateDerngateDerngate is a part of Northampton, England, with a theatre complex of the same name. It refers to a gate in the old town walls, which was located there....
, NorthamptonNorthamptonNorthampton is a large market town and local government district in the East Midlands region of England. Situated about north-west of London and around south-east of Birmingham, Northampton lies on the River Nene and is the county town of Northamptonshire. The demonym of Northampton is... - Monday 17 September 2007 - The Assembly Hall, Tunbridge Wells
- Tuesday 18 September 2007 - Birmingham HippodromeBirmingham HippodromeThe Birmingham Hippodrome is a theatre situated on Hurst Street in the Chinese Quarter of Birmingham, England.Although best known as the home stage of the Birmingham Royal Ballet, it also hosts a wide variety of other performances including visiting opera and ballet companies, touring West End...
- Wednesday 19 September 2007 - Birmingham HippodromeBirmingham HippodromeThe Birmingham Hippodrome is a theatre situated on Hurst Street in the Chinese Quarter of Birmingham, England.Although best known as the home stage of the Birmingham Royal Ballet, it also hosts a wide variety of other performances including visiting opera and ballet companies, touring West End...
- Tuesday 25 September 2007 - Ipswich RegentRegent Theatre (Ipswich)The Regent Theatre is a theatre, in Ipswich, Suffolk, England. The theatre holds just over 1,700 people, making it East Anglia's largest theatre....
- Wednesday 26 September 2007 - New Theatre OxfordNew Theatre OxfordThe New Theatre Oxford is the main commercial theatre in Oxford, England and has a capacity of 1,800 people....
- Friday 5 October 2007 - The HexagonThe HexagonThe Hexagon is a multi-purpose arts venue and theatre with a capacity of 1,200 in central Reading, Berkshire, England. It is named for its shape....
, ReadingReading, BerkshireReading is a large town and unitary authority area in England. It is located in the Thames Valley at the confluence of the River Thames and River Kennet, and on both the Great Western Main Line railway and the M4 motorway, some west of London....
(as part of the Reading Comedy Festival) - Monday 8 October 2007 - Brighton DomeBrighton DomeThe Brighton Dome is an arts venue in Brighton, England that contains the Concert Hall, Corn Exchange and the Pavilion Theatre. All three venues are linked to the rest of the Royal Pavilion Estate by an underground tunnel to the Royal Pavilion in Pavilion Gardens and through shared corridors to...
(as part of the Brighton Comedy Festival)
2008
In 2008, I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue: The Official Stage Tour embarked on another best of tour, with the intention of visiting many parts of the UK that were missed in the autumn 2007 dates.Dates
- Monday 21 January 2008 - Wolverhampton Grand TheatreWolverhampton Grand TheatreThe Wolverhampton Grand Theatre, commonly known as The Grand is a theatre located in Lichfield Street, Wolverhampton,UK, designed in 1894 by Architect Charles J. Phipps. It is a Grade II Listed Building with a seating capacity of 1200.-1894 - 1939:...
- Wednesday 23 January 2008 - The Anvil, BasingstokeThe Anvil, BasingstokeThe Anvil is a concert hall with theatre functionality and a performing arts centre in the town of Basingstoke in Hampshire, UK.Built on a site originally set aside for the third phase of Basingstoke's shopping centre, The Anvil was built to tackle what was then seen as a 'cultural desert' in the...
- Sunday 24 February 2008 - Cambridge Corn ExchangeCambridge Corn ExchangeThe Cambridge Corn Exchange is a concert venue in Cambridge, England. It is also used as an examination hall for students at Cambridge University.-Building the venue:...
- Monday 10 March 2008 - Buxton Opera HouseBuxton Opera HouseBuxton Opera House is in The Square, Buxton, Derbyshire, England. It is a 902-seat opera house that hosts the annual Buxton Festival and International Gilbert and Sullivan Festival, among others, as well as pantomime at Christmas, musicals and other entertainments year-round. Hosting live...
- Friday 14 March 2008 - Wales Millennium CentreWales Millennium CentreWales Millennium Centre is an arts centre located in the Cardiff Bay area of Cardiff, Wales. The site covers a total area of . Phase 1 of the building was opened during the weekend of the 26–28 November 2004 and phase 2 opened on 22 January 2009 with an inaugural concert...
, CardiffCardiffCardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for... - Sunday 16 March 2008 - Theatre Royal, PlymouthTheatre Royal, PlymouthThe Theatre Royal in Plymouth, Devon, England is "the largest and best attended regional producing theatre in the UK and the leading promoter of theatre in the south west", according to Arts Council England...
- Thursday 27 March 2008 - Congress Theatre (Eastbourne)Congress Theatre (Eastbourne)The Congress Theatre is a Grade II* listed, purpose built, modern theatre and conference venue with a seating capacity of 1,689, located in the town of Eastbourne, in the coastal region of East Sussex...
- Sunday 30 March 2008 - Edinburgh Festival TheatreEdinburgh Festival TheatreThe Edinburgh Festival Theatre is a performing arts venue located on Nicolson Street in Edinburgh Scotland used primarily for performances of opera and ballet, large-scale musical events, and touring groups. After its most recent renovation in 1994, it seats 1,915...
- Thursday 3 April 2008 - Hammersmith Apollo, LondonHammersmith ApolloHammersmith Apollo is a major entertainment venue located in Hammersmith, London. Designed by Robert Cromie in Art Deco style, it opened in 1932 as the Gaumont Palace cinema, being re-named the Hammersmith Odeon in 1962...
- Sunday 6 April 2008 - The Lowry, SalfordThe LowryThe Lowry is a theatre and gallery complex situated on Pier 8 at Salford Quays, in Salford, Greater Manchester, England. It is named after the early-20th century painter, L. S. Lowry, known for his paintings of industrial scenes in North West England...
- Saturday 12 April 2008 - Harrogate International CentreHarrogate International CentreThe Harrogate International Centre is a convention and exhibition centre in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, England.It was first opened in 1982 and was notable as the host of the 1982 Eurovision Song Contest and had expanded overtime to include a 2,000 seat conference auditorium and eight exhibition...
- Tuesday 22 April 2008 - Pavilion Theatre (Bournemouth)Pavilion Theatre (Bournemouth)The Pavilion Theatre and Ballroom. located in the Westover Road in Bournemouth, is a venue for year round entertainment. Built in the 1920s, it retains its splendour and elegant styling and is Bournemouth's regular home for West End stage shows, Opera, Ballet, Pantomime and Comedy as well as for...
(Due to Humphrey LytteltonHumphrey LytteltonHumphrey Richard Adeane Lyttelton , also known as Humph, was an English jazz musician and broadcaster, and chairman of the BBC radio comedy programme I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue...
's hospitalisation, the show was presented by Rob BrydonRob BrydonRob Brydon is a BAFTA-nominated Welsh actor, comedian, radio and television presenter, singer and impressionist...
)
The show at the Lowry in Salford was filmed and broadcast on BBC Four
BBC Four
BBC Four is a British television network operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation and available to digital television viewers on Freeview, IPTV, satellite and cable....
on 13 September 2008. Although some unaired pilots had previously been made, this was the first time ISIHAC has been shown on television. An extended version was released on DVD on 10 November 2008.
2009
The regular panellists decided to continue the annual stage tour despite Lyttelton's death, with Jack Dee (one of the 51st series' hosts) as chairman for the tour shows. Jeremy Hardy remained as the guest participant.Dates
- Wednesday 22 July 2009 - The Orchard Theatre, DartfordDartfordDartford is the principal town in the borough of Dartford. It is situated in the northwest corner of Kent, England, east south-east of central London....
(Cancelled due to power cut) - Thursday 23 July 2009 - New Victoria TheatreNew Victoria TheatreThe New Victoria Theatre in Woking, England opened in June 1992. The main theatre seats approximately 1,300 people, making it one of the largest receiving house theatres outside London. In addition to the main theatre the complex also contains the smaller Rhoda McGaw theatre and a six-screen cinema...
, WokingWokingWoking is a large town and civil parish that shares its name with the surrounding local government district, located in the west of Surrey, UK. It is part of the Greater London Urban Area and the London commuter belt, with frequent trains and a journey time of 24 minutes to Waterloo station.... - Saturday 25 July 2009 - The Sands Centre, CarlisleCity of CarlisleThe City of Carlisle is a local government district of Cumbria, England, with the status of a city and non-metropolitan district. It is named after its largest settlement, Carlisle, but covers a far larger area which includes the towns of Brampton and Longtown, as well as outlying villages...
- Friday 18 September 2009 - Manchester Opera HouseManchester Opera HouseThe Opera House in Quay Street, Manchester, England is a 1,920 seater commercial touring theatre which plays host to touring musicals, ballet, concerts and a Christmas pantomime. It is the sister to the Palace Theatre which is a similar venue in nearby Oxford Street at its junction with Whitworth...
- Sunday 20 September 2009 - Bristol HippodromeBristol HippodromeThe Bristol Hippodrome is a theatre in the centre of Bristol, England with seating on three levels giving a capacity of 1,951. It frequently features West End theatre shows when they tour the UK as well regular visits by Welsh National Opera, and an annual pantomime.- History :The theatre was...
- Monday 21 September 2009 - Portsmouth GuildhallPortsmouth GuildhallPortsmouth Guildhall is the biggest events venue in the Hampshire city of Portsmouth in England. The building, completed in 1890, was designed in the neo-classical style by architect William Hill, who had earlier been responsible for the design of the town hall in Bolton...
- Tuesday 22 September 2009 - Cambridge Corn ExchangeCambridge Corn ExchangeThe Cambridge Corn Exchange is a concert venue in Cambridge, England. It is also used as an examination hall for students at Cambridge University.-Building the venue:...
- Wednesday 23 September 2009 - Nottingham Royal Concert HallNottingham Royal Concert HallThe Royal Concert Hall in the English city of Nottingham, is part of the city's Royal Centre, which also incorporates the Victorian Theatre Royal...
- Friday 25 September 2009 - St George's Hall, BradfordSt George's Hall, BradfordSt George's Concert Hall is a grade II* listed Victorian building located in the centre of Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. Originally designed with a seating capacity of 3,500, the Hall seats 1500 people....
- Saturday 26 September 2009 - Everyman Theatre, CheltenhamCheltenhamCheltenham , also known as Cheltenham Spa, is a large spa town and borough in Gloucestershire, on the edge of the Cotswolds in the South-West region of England. It is the home of the flagship race of British steeplechase horse racing, the Gold Cup, the main event of the Cheltenham Festival held...
- Sunday 27 September 2009 - New Wimbledon TheatreNew Wimbledon TheatreThe New Wimbledon Theatre is situated on The Broadway, Wimbledon, London, in the London Borough of Merton. It is a Grade II listed Edwardian theatre built by the theatre lover and entrepreneur, J B Mullholland. Built on the site of a large house with spacious grounds the theatre was designed by...
- Monday 28 September 2009 - Symphony Hall, BirminghamSymphony Hall, BirminghamSymphony Hall is a 2,262 seat concert venue located inside the International Convention Centre in Birmingham, England. It was officially opened by the Queen in June 1991, although had been opened on April 15, 1991. It is home to the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and hosts around 270 events...
- Tuesday 29 September 2009 - Southport TheatreSouthport TheatreSouthport Theatre is a theatre in Southport, England that is owned by Sefton Council and managed by Live Nation. The theatre presents a programme of touring shows, opera and children's shows throughout the year...
- Wednesday 30 September 2009 - Grand Opera House (York)Grand Opera House (York)The Grand Opera House is a theatre in York, England. It is currently operated as part of the Ambassador Theatre Group. It plays host to touring productions of plays, musicals, opera and ballet, one-off performances by comedians, and other theatrical and musical events...
- Saturday 3 October 2009 - DerngateDerngateDerngate is a part of Northampton, England, with a theatre complex of the same name. It refers to a gate in the old town walls, which was located there....
, NorthamptonNorthamptonNorthampton is a large market town and local government district in the East Midlands region of England. Situated about north-west of London and around south-east of Birmingham, Northampton lies on the River Nene and is the county town of Northamptonshire. The demonym of Northampton is... - Sunday 4 October 2009 - The Anvil, BasingstokeThe Anvil, BasingstokeThe Anvil is a concert hall with theatre functionality and a performing arts centre in the town of Basingstoke in Hampshire, UK.Built on a site originally set aside for the third phase of Basingstoke's shopping centre, The Anvil was built to tackle what was then seen as a 'cultural desert' in the...
- Monday 5 October 2009 - Princess Theatre, TorquayPrincess Theatre, TorquayThe Princess Theatre in Torquay, England first opened its doors on Wednesday 7 June 1961. Top of the bill on opening night were Tommy Cooper and Morecambe & Wise....
- Tuesday 6 October 2009 - Congress Theatre (Eastbourne)Congress Theatre (Eastbourne)The Congress Theatre is a Grade II* listed, purpose built, modern theatre and conference venue with a seating capacity of 1,689, located in the town of Eastbourne, in the coastal region of East Sussex...
- Wednesday 7 October 2009 - De Montfort HallDe Montfort HallDe Montfort Hall is a music and performance venue in Leicester, England. It is situated adjacent to Victoria Park and is named after Simon de Montfort, Earl of Leicester.-History:...
, LeicesterLeicesterLeicester is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England, and the county town of Leicestershire. The city lies on the River Soar and at the edge of the National Forest...
2010
Another set of tour dates, with Jack Dee as chairman and Jeremy Hardy as guest panellist, took place in 2010.Dates
- Sunday 14 November 2010 - New TheatreNew Theatre (Cardiff)The New Theatre although it usually uses its English name as a title) is one of the principal theatres in Cardiff, capital city of Wales, and celebrated its centenary in 2006...
, CardiffCardiffCardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for... - Monday 15 November 2010 - Wolverhampton Grand TheatreWolverhampton Grand TheatreThe Wolverhampton Grand Theatre, commonly known as The Grand is a theatre located in Lichfield Street, Wolverhampton,UK, designed in 1894 by Architect Charles J. Phipps. It is a Grade II Listed Building with a seating capacity of 1200.-1894 - 1939:...
- Tuesday 16 November 2010 - The Assembly Hall, Tunbridge Wells
- Thursday 18 November 2010 - The HexagonThe HexagonThe Hexagon is a multi-purpose arts venue and theatre with a capacity of 1,200 in central Reading, Berkshire, England. It is named for its shape....
, ReadingReading, BerkshireReading is a large town and unitary authority area in England. It is located in the Thames Valley at the confluence of the River Thames and River Kennet, and on both the Great Western Main Line railway and the M4 motorway, some west of London.... - Monday 6 December 2010 - Chichester Festival TheatreChichester Festival TheatreChichester Festival Theatre, located in Chichester, England, was designed by Philip Powell and Hidalgo Moya, and opened by its founder Leslie Evershed-Martin in 1962. Subsequently the smaller and more intimate Minerva Theatre was built nearby in 1989....
- Wednesday 8 December 2010 - Newcastle City HallNewcastle City HallNewcastle City Hall is a concert hall, located in Newcastle upon Tyne which has hosted many popular music and classical artists throughout the years, as well as standup and comedy acts. Opened in 1927, the City Hall was built as a part of a development which also included the adjacent City Pool...
- Sunday 12 December 2010 - Ipswich RegentRegent Theatre (Ipswich)The Regent Theatre is a theatre, in Ipswich, Suffolk, England. The theatre holds just over 1,700 people, making it East Anglia's largest theatre....
- Monday 13 December 2010 - New Theatre OxfordNew Theatre OxfordThe New Theatre Oxford is the main commercial theatre in Oxford, England and has a capacity of 1,800 people....
BBC Audiobook releases
- Volume 1 (ISBN 0-563-53679-9)
- Volume 2 (ISBN 0-563-52969-5)
- Volume 3 (ISBN 0-563-52970-9)
- Volume 4 (ISBN 0-563-49462-X)
- Volume 5 (ISBN 0-563-49463-8)
- Volume 6 (ISBN 0-563-49464-6)
- Volume 7 (ISBN 0-563-53684-5)
- Volume 8 (ISBN 0-563-49542-1)
- Volume 9 (ISBN 0-563-50435-8)
- Volume 10 (ISBN 1-405-67773-2)
- Volume 11 (ISBN 1-405-68837-8)
- Volume 12 (ISBN 1-408-42719-2)
- Volume 13 (ISBN 1-408-42729-X)
- Collection 1 (ISBN 0-563-52850-8) [Vols 1-3]
- Collection 2 (ISBN 0-563-49484-0) [Vols 4-6]
- Collection 3 (ISBN 0-563-51042-0) [Vols 7-9]
- Anniversary Special (ISBN 0-563-52853-2) [Collection of Three programmes: "30th Anniversary Special", "Sorry I Haven't A Desert Island", and the first episode broadcast (11 April 1972)]
- I'm Sorry I Haven't A Christmas Clue (ISBN 0-563-52532-0)
- Live 1 (ISBN 1-846-07053-8)
- Live 2 (ISBN 1-405-68836-X)
- In Search of Mornington Crescent (ISBN 1-846-07195-X)
- I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue: Humph in Wonderland (ISBN 1-408-42600-5)
WTBS recordings
Episodes of I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue were included in the package of programmes held in 20 underground radio stations of the BBC's Wartime Broadcasting ServiceWartime Broadcasting Service
The Wartime Broadcasting Service was a service of the BBC that was intended to broadcast in the United Kingdom either after a nuclear attack or if conventional bombing destroyed regular BBC facilities in a conventional war ....
(WTBS), designed to provide public information and morale-boosting broadcasts for 100 days after a nuclear attack
Nuclear warfare
Nuclear warfare, or atomic warfare, is a military conflict or political strategy in which nuclear weaponry is detonated on an opponent. Compared to conventional warfare, nuclear warfare can be vastly more destructive in range and extent of damage...
.
External links
(Previous website)- The officially unofficial I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue website featuring background information and news.
- The I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue Info Site featuring lists of episodes and games (with quotes)