Classic BBC Radio Comedy Shows of Yesteryear Quiz

Answer: The Navy Lark

"The Navy Lark" ran for a remarkable 245 episodes between 1959 and 1977. The main stars were Richard Caldicot as Captain Povey, Leslie Phillips as Sub-Lieutenant Phillips, Jon Pertwee ("Dr. Who") as Petty Officer Pertwee, Stephen Murray as Lieutenant Murray and Ronnie Barker as Able Seaman Johnson.

It was, and remains, the longest running British radio sit-com of all time.
Catch-phrase: "Left hand down a bit"- Leslie Philip's navigation left much to be desired and this phrase invariably spelt impending doom.

Answer: Sid James

Sid James was an almost ever present in the radio shows and was the only regular to transfer to the later television series. Hancock decided to drop James from the last series as he feared that they were becoming typecast as a double act.

Kenneth Williams played in most radio shows and guest starred in several television shows. He played a large array of different characters as each script dictated.

This show was considered to be the first to break from the more traditional variety show of sketch and song format to develop more of a story theme.
It was in this show that Kenneth Williams first uttered his catch-phrase "Ooh stop messing about".

Answer: The Clitheroe Kid

Jimmy Clitheroe was in fact born in Clitheroe, Lancashire. He never grew taller than 4'3". He was thirty five years old when he started playing the role of the Clitheroe Kid aged 11 years. He would wear a school blazer and cap when recording shows in front of a live audience.

Guest appearances were made by Bob Monkhouse and curiously enough Judith Chalmers.

One of Jimmy's catch-phrases was "Ooh, don't some mother's have 'em", a line later taken as a title for the 1973 comedy series starring Michael Crawford as Frank Spencer.

Answer: Spike Milligan

Minnie Bannister (Modern Min) was the flirtatious elderly partner of Henry Crun, who played the saxophone - played by Sellers.
Her catch-phrases included "Henrrrrryyy!" and "We'll all be murdered in our beds".

Such was the power and influence of the "Goon Show" series that many references to them have been found in other mediums;
Jeff Raskin of Apple Computers once owned a company called "Bannister and Crun".
Marvel Comics (issue 148) used the character Minerva Bannister and Harry Crun.
The 2001 film "Shrek", names a constellation as "Bloodnok, The Flatulent.
A rock band named themselves after an episode - "Ned's Atomic Dustbin". Superman III used a schoolteacher character named Miss Bannister.
Monty Python make it very clear that "The Goon Show" was a huge influence on their later work.

Other noted fans include The Beatles and Prince Charles, who did a credible 'Eccles' impression on occasion.

Answer: Round The Horne

Regular participants in the shows included Kenneth Horne, Bill Pertwee, Hugh Paddick, Kenneth Williams, Betty Marsden and Douglas Smith. A fifth series was scheduled for 1969 but was cancelled due to Kenneth Horne's' unexpected death.

The show was innovative in that it propelled the concept of homosexuality into a hitherto ignorant British society through the double entendres of Williams, especially in the "Julian and Sandy" sketches.

Other popular characters included J. Peasemold Gruntfuttock, Bea Clissold, Lady Counterblast and Rambling Syd Rumpo. The latter was Williams singing classic folk songs with new suggestive lyrics heavily laden with double entendres.

Answer: It Sticks Out Half A Mile

A pilot episode of "It Sticks Out Half A Mile" was made featuring Arthur Lowe (Captain Mainwaring) who wished to buy the pier in the neighbouring town to Walmington-on-Sea in order to restore a piece of English heritage.

John Le Mesurier (Sgt. Wilson) this time is the bank manager to whom Mainwaring has to go for a loan. Sadly Arthur Lowe was in ill health when this pilot was completed and died shortly afterwards. The producers felt his slurred voice sounded drunk and the episode was scrapped.

The series was completed by re-starting with a combination of Ian Lavender (Pike) and Bill Pertwee (ARP Hodges) as the joint prospective purchasers of the pier.

Incidentally, "The Boy Who Saved England" was a one-off radio sketch in 1995 starring Pike, Hodges and the vicar from the original television series.

Answer: The Men From The Ministry

The regular cast included, at one time or another; Wilfred Hyde-White, Deryck Guyler, Richard Murdoch, Norma Ronald and Roy Dotrice.

Remarkably the show was a huge success in Finland where it is called "Knalli ja Sateenvarjo ("Bowler Hat and Umbrella") and in South Africa where they made their own versions of the shows.

Answer: I.T.M.A.

"It's That Man Again" was a phrase born from pre-war observations of the regularity of Hitler's appearances in British newsreels in the build up to war.
300 episodes were transmitted between 1939 and 1949.

E.N.S.A. is the "Entertainments National Service Association" established in 1939 to provide entertainment for British servicemen during World War Two.
C.S.E is the "Combined Services Entertainment" which superseded E.N.S.A.

S.S.V.C. is the "Serves Sound and Vision Corporation" is the modern day equivalent of E.N.S.A. and incorporates C.S.E.

The character Colonel Chinstrap, played by Jack Train made two surprise re-appearances in a "Goon Show" episodes in 1957 and 1959.

Answer: Archie

"Educating Archie" drew a huge following of 15 million listeners at its peak and a fan club of some 250,000 members. The show introduced future stars such as Tony Hancock, Harry Secombe, and Benny Hill. Max Bygraves, Bruce Forsythe, Beryl Reid and Dick Emery also featured. The show even had a 13 year old Julie Andrews as a resident singer. The show switched to television in 1956.

Answer: Take It From Here

A good many of the "Take It from Here" scripts were passed to the "Carry On" film script writers. This resulted in many comic lines from the radio show later appearing in the "Carry On" films. The most famous example is perhaps the classic Kenneth Williams line "Infamy, infamy, they've all got it infamy" ("Carry on Cleo" - 1964).

The show would feature a song in each episode from either Joy Nichols or Dick Bentley. When Joy emigrated to America following marriage it took two people to replace her, June Whitfield for the comedic element and Alma Cogan for the singing part. June Whitfield narrowly beat Prunella Scales ("Fawlty Towers") for the role.