Answer: Andrew Lincoln
The original two series were broadcast in 1996 and 1997 on BBC Two with the characters being recent graduates from law school. The careers of the group are less important in the drama than their personal lives with the focus being on the difficulties of relationships - both those established during university years and new ones. Andrew Lincoln moved on from this series to star as Rick Grimes in 'The Walking Dead' on American television. Jack Davenport played Miles Stewart and progressed to the big screen, notably in the 'Pirates of the Caribbean' films. Ramon Takarom portrayed Ferdy, and has appeared in many television roles in the UK. Scott Wilson isn't from 'This Life' at all - he acted as Hershel Greene in 'The Walking Dead'.
From Quiz: British Television 'T'easers
Answer: Andy Stewart
Born in Glasgow in 1933, Andy Stewart sprang to fame at the age of 18 when he was a stand-in Dame in a production of "Dick Whittington's Cat."
Pop stardom followed and he had a number of hit records, including "Scottish Soldier", which spent 36 weeks in the UK charts n 1961.
A versatile entertainer, he also toured in the USA - where he impersonated Dean Martin on "The Ed Sullivan Show" - and Canada.
He also dropped an Elvis Presley impersonation into his song "Donald Where's Your Troosers", which was a hit in 1969 and soared to number four in the UK on re-release in 1989.
As "The Independent" noted in an obituary in 1993: "Andy Stewart, the kilted minstrel, was the Englishman's image of Scotland in the Fifties and Sixties."
Stewart starred in "The White Heather Club", a variety show that ran from 1958 to 1968, and also the similarly named New Year's Eve special from 1957 to 1968.
While the shows were popular with TV viewers, they were often criticised for their saccharine portrayal of a Scotland that did not exist. In 2006, the "Penguin TV" companion voted "The White Heather Club" one of the '20 worst TV shows ever'.
From Quiz: The Flower Of Scottish Television
Answer: Hungarian
Granville's mother was Arkwright's sister and he says that Granville's father was Hungarian, and that this accounts for Granville's passionate and romantic nature. Poor Granville works long hours in the shop for very little pay, and really has no opportunity to display any romantic or passionate tendencies.
From Quiz: David Jason on TV
Answer: Richard and Judy
Married in 1986, Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan are one of the most endearing couples to have graced British TV.
They hosted "This Morning" from 1998 to 2001, and "Richard and Judy" from 2001 to 2009.
From Quiz: ClarkyB's British TV Quiz
Answer: University Challenge
'University Challenge' was first broadcast on ITV in 1962 and ran for twenty-five years before it was cancelled due to falling ratings in 1987. It was hosted by Bamber Gascoigne throughout its first incarnation. In 1994 the BBC relaunched the show with Jeremy Paxman at the helm. The programme is known for the difficulty of its questions and the stern presentation of Jeremy Paxman. 'University Challenge' was based on the American quiz show 'College Bowl'.
From Quiz: British Quiz Shows By Haiku
Answer: Yes, Minister
February 1980 saw the debut of the fantastic "Yes, Minister", which screened three 7-episode series over four years before being succeeded by "Yes, Prime Minister" when Jim Hacker was promoted. Reputedly a favourite of Margaret Thatcher, the two series combined for 38 episodes and lasted until 1988.
The performances by Paul Eddington CBE as Hacker, Derek Fowlds as Bernard and, particularly, the late Sir Nigel Hawthorne as Sir Humphrey Appleby rank as the standard against which actors in other sitcoms should be judged.
Of the alternatives, all of which are likely to feature in most people's list of "Top 10 Greatest All-Time Sitcoms", "Only Fools & Horses" ran from 1981-91; "Blackadder" from 1983-89, and "Fawlty Towers" from 1975-79.
From Quiz: Do You Remember UK TV From The 1980s?
Answer: Jon Pertwee
The first appearance of Jon Pertwee as the third incarnation of The Doctor took place in the opening episode of the show's seventh series, on January 3, 1970. This was the first of the "Spearhead from Space" serial and featured Caroline John as the Doctor's companion, Liz Shaw.
Pertwee would continue as The Doctor until the end of the eleventh series in 1974, when Tom Baker became the fourth Doctor.
From Quiz: Do You Remember UK TV From The 1970s?
Answer: Wellard
Wellard's name comes from the slang term 'well hard', generally used to refer to a tough or thuggish man. Wellard the dog was however a much loved member of the 'EastEnders' cast, whose storylines included fathering still-born puppies with Frieda the greyhound, saving his owner from a minibus crash, and biting Ian Beale on the bottom. Wellard was primarily played by three generations of female Belgian Tervurens (a type of Belgian Shepherd).
Wellard was killed off in 2008 after suffering theobromine poisoning when Robbie Jackson's sister Bianca fed him chocolate. His death did at least provide an opportunity to educate the millions of 'EastEnders' viewers on how dangerous chocolate can be for dogs.
'Starkers' is a slang term for naked, 'grunt' can be used as an informal term for engine power and 'buster' can be an informal term for an impressive person. Buster was also the name of a dog which starred on the British TV programme, 'The Paul O'Grady Show'.
From Quiz: Soapy Dogs
Answer: Blackadder Goes Forth
First screened on BBC1 in late 1989, "Blackadder Goes Forth" was the fourth and final series in the "Blackadder" sitcom written by Richard Curtis and Ben Elton. Set in 1917, in the trenches on the Western Front during WWI, the series won the British Academy Television Award for "Best Comedy Series" in 1989 and finished #16 in the 2000 poll of "Greatest British Television Programmes". Rowan Atkinson and Tony Robinson returned playing Edmund Blackadder and Baldrick a hundred years on from series three, whilst Stephen Fry and Tim McInnerny also reappeared, this time as General Melchett and Captain Kevin Darling respectively. There were also guest appearances from Miranda Richardson, Rik Mayall and Gabrielle Glaister.
The alternatives are three more series featuring Laurie: he played various characters in "A Bit of Fry & Laurie", Bertie Wooster in "Jeeves and Wooster", and was the voice of Squire Trelawney in "The Legends of Treasure Island".
From Quiz: What's on TV Tonight?
Answer: Jon Pertwee
"Doctor Who" was first broadcast in 1963 with William Hartnell in the title role. Patrick Troughton took over as The Doctor in 1966, and was then replaced by Jon Pertwee in January 1970. Tom Baker was the fourth Doctor, taking over the role in 1974, whilst Colin Baker was Doctor number six, from 1984 until 1986.
From Quiz: British TV through the '70s
Answer: 3-2-1
"3-2-1" was designed to be a three shows in one: a quiz show, a variety show and a game show. The show ran for 10 years (1978-1998) in the UK, and was hosted by comedian Ted Rogers. The show's mascot and booby prize was "Dusty Bin".
From Quiz: It Was Called What?
Answer: Turned his back on her
Unlike many chat shows, where the host faces all the guests, Russell Harty sat in the middle of his. This meant that to talk to a guest on his right he had to turn his back on the guest on his left, and vice versa. In an infamous episode in 1980, Grace Jones took exception to this. When Russell Harty turned away from her to talk to another guest she started physically assaulting him, slapping his back and head and telling him not to ignore her. It was one of those television moments that gets replayed time and again whenever nostalgia chat show programmes are shown.
From Quiz: A Very British Experience
Answer: University Challenge
The inspiration for 'University Challenge', a quiz show specifically for university students both young and old, came from the American programme, 'College Bowl'. Bamber Gascoigne was the first presenter of 'University Challenge' and he carried out his role for a quarter of a century, starting in 1962 and ending in 1987. The show was then retired and it looked as though phrases such as "starter for ten" were a thing of the past. The retirement was, however, only temporary and the show's revival in 1994 was overseen by Jeremy Paxman (a journalist known for making politicians squirm) who went on to present the show for over twenty years.
From Quiz: The Great British Quiz Show
Answer: Cornwall
The series was based on the character of Dr. Martin Ellingham, who has to give up his career as a surgeon after developing a crippling fear of blood. This major problem leads to him taking up an alternative career as a general practitioner (family doctor) in Cornwall. The doctor views himself as efficient and professional, while his patients perceive him as unsympathetic and bad tempered. The series began in September 2004 and completed its fifth series in October 2011 on the British ITV channel.
From Quiz: Grumpy Old Men!
Answer: Emmerdale
The Woolpack meeting place of the local community is featured in the soap opera "Emmerdale". The soap until 1989 was known as "Emmerdale Farm", and mainly featured the Sugden family. Nowadays there are many families who make up the storylines.
From Quiz: Another Night in Front of the TV
Answer: Canada
Carroll Levis was born in Toronto in 1910 and came to the UK in 1935. He worked as a radio compere before going on to organise talent shows around the UK. The shows were broadcast during the 1950s, and a group which tried to get on the show in Liverpool failed to qualify even for the preliminary auditions. They were called The Quarry Men Skiffle Group. I wonder what happened to them?
From Quiz: The Dead Horse-- Beaten Again!
Answer: The Apprentice
"The Apprentice" originally had contestants work on two teams to win business-oriented tasks. The winning team got a reward, but the losing team entered a grueling boardroom where, eventually, the project manager brought back two team-mates and one of the three were fired by Alan Sugar.
In 2011, for its seventh series, the format changed. Originally, the winners worked with Alan Sugar in a high paying office job, but few of the winners actually stuck at this job for long, suggesting the apprentice role did not have longevity. For example, series 6 winner Stella English quit the job in October 2011, having been announced as the winner in late 2009.
The format changed to allow someone to get investment for a business plan, probably to reflect that the show's initial role was redundant.
From Quiz: Take the Risk and the Reward
Answer: Quiz
The acid-tongued Anne Robinson was the presenter of the BBC TV quiz show "The Weakest Link". She also presented the US version.
The show featured 15 strangers who tried to build up a chain of correct answers to increase a money score. At the end of each round, the contestant voted off the colleague they believed to be the weakest link, until only two survived and they played head-to-head for the total amount all had raised. It ran in the UK from August 200 until March 2012. The format was picked up in other countries worldwide.
From Quiz: Cook, Build, Ask, Sell: British TV Genres
Answer: John Drake
Agent John Drake was played by American actor Patrick McGoohan, who was born Patrick Joseph McGoohan in Queens, New York, USA, in 1928. He died in Santa Monica, California, USA, in 2009 aged 80 following a brief illness.
The UK TV series "Danger Man" ran for 86 episodes from 1960 to 1968. It had different titles in other countries. It was "Secret Agent" in the US and "Destination Danger" in France. The status of John Drake changed over the years. First he was Irish-American and worked for a Washington based intelligence agency on behalf of N.A.T.O. Then he became a British agent working for the secret organization M9. The pilot episode "View From The Villa" was written by Brian Clemens and set in Italy. It was actually shot in Portmeirion, Wales, UK, were later Patrick McGoohan would shoot the UK TV series "The Prisoner". We all know that was were John Drake (known as Number 6) ended up, don't we?
From Quiz: Private Dicks, Agents & Spacemen
Answer: Ten
'Emergency - Ward 10' was originally shown under the title of 'Calling Nurse Roberts' and is considered to be one of the earliest British soap operas. It mixed stories about medical matters with stories about the personal lives of the hospital staff. Among its stars were Jill Browne as Nurse Carole Young and Desmond Carrington as Dr. Chris Anderson.
From Quiz: Take When Needed
Answer: Coronation Street
'Coronation Street' was first broadcast in 1960 and continued to appear on British television in the twenty-first century. Ena Sharples was one of the original characters, usually shown wearing a hairnet. She spent her free time in the snug bar of the Rovers Return with her friends, Minnie Caldwell and Martha Longhurst. From there they took great delight in commenting on the behaviour of the residents of the Street. Violet Carson played the role until 1980, when her character was written out due to the ill health of the actress. Violet died in 1983 at the age of 85.
From Quiz: My Commanding Wife
Answer: Comedy Playhouse
'Comedy Playhouse' was the birthplace of some of UK TVs best loved characters of the 1960s and 1970s. Alf, portrayed as a racist, anti feminist bigot soon became a firm favourite when the original play was developed into a series in its own right.
From Quiz: The Life and Times of Alf Garnett
Answer: Richard Wilson
Richard Wilson was born in Greenock, Renfrewshire, Scotland in 1936. Before becoming an actor he worked as a research scientist because he had had his aspirations dashed by his English teacher at school who told him that his distinctive adenoidal voice would make this prospect very unlikely.
In addition to the two series featured in this question he has also appeared in several other TV series including Dr Who, several film and stage plays. He is also a noteworthy director.
He became Rector of the University of Glasgow in 1996 and was awarded an OBE in 1994.
He has strong political beliefs and is a life long supporter of the Labour Party in the UK.
From Quiz: British Laughter Makers and their TV Comedy
Answer: Cardiac Arrest
'Cardiac Arrest' was a controversial British television comedy series based on a very dark humour. It addressed issues such as racism and irreligious attitudes which it portrayed as endemic in the National Health Service. Three series were produced between 1994 and 1996.
The character Dr Claire Maitland was played by Helen Baxendale.
From Quiz: Is There a Doctor In The House?
Answer: John Hurt
A work of fiction based on known facts, "I, Claudius" chronicled the political scheming, murder, depravity and madness within the Roman Empire's ruling families, as seen through the eyes of the stuttering Claudius.
Derek Jacobi took the title role of Claudius, Brian Blessed was Augustus and Patrick Stewart played Sejanus in this immensely popular presentation, which prompted a resurgence of interest in the novels.
John Hurt had played the part of Quentin Crisp in the 1975 TV presentation of "The Naked Civil Servant" and went on to star as John Merrick in "The Elephant Man".
Robert Graves, who described himself as primarily a poet, published "I, Claudius" in 1934 and "Claudius the God" in 1935. He died, aged 90, in 1985, at his home in Majorca
From Quiz: Read the Book?
Answer: Jennifer Saunders
They first met at the Central School of Speech and Drama where they were studying for a degree in Drama Teaching. The "French and Saunders" comedy sketches were first televised in the UK in 1987.
From Quiz: Dawn French Without Tears
Answer: She found out that he was having an affair with Christine Hewitt.
Elizabeth Power who played Christine Hewitt was once married to Michael Aspel of "This is Your Life" fame.
From Quiz: British Television
Answer: Cracker
This television program was introduced in an Americanized format starring Robert Pastorelli of "Murphy Brown" fame.
From Quiz: Exported British Television
Answer: "2DTV"
"2DTV" had extreme sketches about recent news and made them funny. Some sketches combined "EastEnders" with Iraq, England's injury crisis in 2002 and the war on terror with President Bush.
From Quiz: Simply Genius British Television
Answer: Drop The Dead Donkey
Susannah Doyle's performance as Joy Merryweather was one of the many highlights of this show for me. She was in the film "About a Boy" playing a bitter ex-girlfriend.
From Quiz: UK Television
Answer: Walford
The Queen Vic is set in the heart of Walford, which is home to the soap 'Eastenders.' The Vic has been burnt down, seen several births and deaths and provided a home to some of the most memorable characters of Albert Square.
From Quiz: Pubs on English TV
Answer: Ray Alan
His other 'stars' were Tich and Quackers.
From Quiz: Questions Regarding Puppets
Answer: The Two Ronnies
The hardware shop sketch remains my favourite episode of all time
From Quiz: Catchprases
Answer: Dear John
1986. Ralph Bates was incredibly funny as the poor dumped John
From Quiz: Name the Original British Show
Answer: Malcolm Tucker
The series was created by Armando Iannucci, who has established a well deserved reputation for satirising the workings of governments. The show began on BBC Four in 2005 before moving to the rather more mainstream BBC Two for its final two series. The Malcolm Tucker character was a spin doctor, said by some to be based on Alistair Campbell who performed that role for Tony Blair. Tucker was known for his bad language, and for being the enforcer of official party policy. Hugh Abbot was played by Chris Langham, Oliver Reeder by Chris Addison and Nick Hanway by Martin Savage. Ionnucci also created 'Veep' for American viewers.
From Quiz: British Television 'T'easers
Answer: Taggart
For almost a quarter of a century, the seamy side of Glasgow was portrayed in the hit TV series "Taggart".
The show was named after the lead investigator, Detective Chief Inspector Jim Taggart, when it first aired in 1983. Taggart was played by Mark McManus, who died in 1994 after appearing in 77 episodes. It was so popular that the producers decided to carry on and it continued until 2010 - though was never renamed.
At one time "Taggart" was described as "the original Nordic noir", and certainly the viewers liked it.
By 2008, though, the weeds had started to grow. In the "Guardian" newspaper, Jane Gordon wrote: "It breaks my heart as a proud Glaswegian, but it is time to zip up the body bag and put 'Taggart' in the morgue. This once great Scottish stalwart has finally flatlined. In short, 'Taggart' is now truly, embarrassingly, awful..."
At its height, "Taggart" attracted over 8 million viewers and was shown in 60 countries.
From Quiz: The Flower Of Scottish Television
Answer: Gladys Emmanuel
Nurse Gladys Emmanuel was played by the wonderful Lynda Baron. Arkwright, played by Ronnie Barker, is always trying to have his 'evil way' with Gladys but she will have none of it. She is always trying to get Arkwright to spend a little and be kinder to Granville, but with no success. She is under no illusions about what a mean old man he is.
From Quiz: David Jason on TV
Answer: Ermintrude
Brian was the snail, Dougal was the dog, and Dylan was the rabbit.
The programme also contained a jack-in-the-box called Zebedee.
From Quiz: ClarkyB's British TV Quiz
Answer: Mastermind
This iconic show was first broadcast in 1972 and was hosted by Magnus Magnusson from its inception until 1997. Following Magnusson's departure the show was hosted by a series of short-lived hosts until John Humphrys took over in 2003 bringing much-needed gravitas and stability to the role. The format of 'Mastermind' is very simple, four contestants take it in turns to answer questions on a 'specialist subject' of their own choosing and then answer a series of general knowledge questions. However, the austere set, including the scary-looking famous black chair and the bright spotlight that shines on the contestants make for an unnerving experience. 'Approaching Menace', the frankly terrifying opening music, doesn't do much to calm contestants nerves either!
From Quiz: British Quiz Shows By Haiku
Answer: Blue Peter
It seems remarkable to plan an event on the basis that a TV show will still be running almost thirty years later, but "Blue Peter" did exactly that and, what's more, the show did survive into the new century.
First airing in 1958, "Blue Peter" ended its 54-year run on BBC1 in December 2012, with more than 4,700 episodes behind it. Not that the series ended, it simply moved to the CBBC Channel, and it continues to extend its record as the world's longest-running children's TV series. When Radzi Chinyanganya joined the show in October 2013, he became the 37th presenter in the show's history.
From Quiz: Do You Remember UK TV From The 1970s?
