Partners in Comedy Trivia Quiz

Answer: Ernie Wise

Morecambe and Wise first met as teenagers when they were both touring the Variety Theatres. Eric's mother suggested that the two young men shared a bed to save on lodging costs. In the late sixties and the early seventies their Christmas show was the highlight of the year's viewing for most British families.

Answer: Jennifer Saunders

Dawn and Jennifer worked together as French and Saunders, on their very popular TV shows. Later Jennifer wrote and starred in 'Absolutely Fabulous', and Dawn was a big hit as 'The Vicar of Dibley'. Jennifer Saunders appeared in the show 'Friends' as the mother of Emily Ross's English fiancé.

Answer: Lou Costello

Abbott and Costello were a very popular American comedy duo of the 1940s and 1950s. Bud was previously a burlesque theatre manager and learned his craft from watching many of the best comics of the day from backstage. The two were the originators of the comedy sketch 'Who's on First', which is famous to this day.

Answer: Oliver Hardy

Laurel and Hardy were one of the most popular comedy partnerships of all time. Their comedy films were made in black and white and Oliver Hardy's catchphrase was 'Another fine mess you've gotten me into Stanley'. In 2018 a movie called 'Stan and Ollie' was made about them with Steve Coogan playing Laurel and John C. Reilly as Oliver.

Answer: Gracie Allen

George and Gracie a real life American couple had a comedy show in which Gracie was portrayed as a dizzy housewife, and George was her wise cracking, cigar smoking husband. Later in life George starred opposite Walter Matthau in the movie 'The Sunshine Boys', based on a play by Neil Simon, about two elderly comedians who have not seen each other for many years who come together for one last performance of their most famous sketch.

Answer: Hugh Laurie

Fry and Laurie first met when they were both at Cambridge university. They did a sketch show together on British television called 'A Bit of Fry and Laurie', and then recorded the show 'Jeeves and Wooster' based on P.G. Wodehouse's stories about a rich gormless young man Wooster, and his highly intelligent valet Jeeves.

Answer: Mel Giedroyc

Mel and Sue have appeared in many comedy shows together, but perhaps are better known as the original presenters of 'The Great British Bake Off'. They started their career together at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival performing material they had written themselves, and then managed to get writing work with Radio 4 before moving on to television.

Answer: Griff Rhys-Jones

Mel and Griff both appeared on the British 1970s show 'Not the Nine O'clock News', together with Pamela Stevenson and Rowan Atkinson. They also did a comedy show together called 'Alas Smith on Jones', a play on the name of the popular TV show 'Alias Smith and Jones'. Mel was also a film director, and the two of them founded the company Talkback which became one of the biggest providers of comedy shows on British TV.

Answer: Peter Cook

Dudley Moore and Peter Cook looked funny together as Dudley was very short and Peter very tall. They invented a pair of characters called Dud and Pete who wore flat caps and talked together about the world in general. Pete was the pompous know all who really knew nothing and Dud was his admiring audience.

Answer: David Mitchell

Robert Webb and David first met, as so many comedians do, at Cambridge University when they both took part in the drama group Footlights. Together they wrote and appeared in many comedy shows including 'That Mitchell and Webb look' and 'Peepshow'.