A British Radio Comedy Christmas Part Two Quiz

Answer: Albert and Me

The first series of 'Albert and Me' was broadcast in 1977. The show went on hiatus following Richard Beckinsale's tragically early death in 1979, though it did return for one season in 1983 with Robert Lindsay in the lead role.

'Albert and Me' hasn't dated as badly as one might expect of a sitcom from this era. Granted, some of the jokes may be a little jarring to modern sensibilities and hearing veteran comic actor Pat Coombs, who also plays Brian's mother on the show, providing the baby noises for little Albert is quite embarrassing. However, the sweet relationship between young, single father Brian and his infant son is touchingly and effectively portrayed and the premise seems quite modern.

The episode referred to in the question is 'Family Christmas' and was broadcast between series one and two.

Answer: Tom Wrigglesworth's Hang Ups

'Tom Wrigglesworth's Hang Ups' was first broadcast in 2013 and has now been running for four seasons. Tom lives in London while most of his family still live in Sheffield and much of the humour is based around their different lifestyles and perspectives. The semi-fictional portrayal of Tom's relationship with his family is extremely funny while still being touching. Despite the constant bickering and bizarre behaviour on the part of Tom's parents, their genuine love for one another really shines through.

The episode mentioned in the question is 'Christmas Not So Special' and was the final episode of the third series.

Answer: Round the Horne

'Round the Horne' was presented in the format of a magazine show with the various features being introduced by the programme's host, Kenneth Horne. An episode typically began with Kenneth Horne reading out the results of a fictional competition along with some other notices before introducing the serial of the week, which would usually be a spoof of a popular book or film. The rest of the show would be taken up with sketches featuring some of the show's regular characters. Some of 'Round the Horne's' best-loved characters were the outrageously camp Julian and Sandy, the hilariously bad folk singer Rambling Sid Rumpo and the extraordinarily hammy actors Binky Huckerback and Dame Celia Molestrangler, also known as Charles and Fiona.

Although some of the humour in 'Round the Horne' now seems a little dated, it is worth noting that the show's writers really pushed the limits of what was acceptable within the strict censorship rules of the time. Through the use of the gay slang, polari, in the 'Julian and Sandy' sketches and with the ridiculous made-up, but nontheless filthy-sounding, words in Rambling Sid Rumpo's outrageous folk songs, writers Barry Took and Marty Feldman were able to take the double entendre to a new level. Also, while Julian and Sandy might seem like crude gay stereotypes to modern listeners, they made their first appearance on radio at a time when sexual activity between men was still a crime in the UK. When this indefensible law was finally repealed in 1967 there were some who claimed that Julian and Sandy should take some of the credit for normalising gay relationships in the public eye, since they were probably one of the best known openly gay couples in the UK at the time.

The episode referred to in the question is 'Cinderella' which was first broadcast in 1967. It was one of only two seasonal episodes of 'Round the Horne' the other being 1966's 'Hunchback of Notre Dame'.

Answer: In and Out of the Kitchen

'In and Out of the Kitchen' is exquisitely written and performed and is very funny as well as being consistently sweet and good-natured. The show focuses on the travails of Damien Trench, a food writer and critic, who lives with his partner Antony. Damien is quite uptight and is something of a perfectionist, especially where cooking is concerned. The show follows Damien's attempts to navigate daily life, interspersed with frequent bouts of frantic cooking. Although Damien is somewhat neurotic and tends to cook unnecessarily large quantities of food when he is anxious, he is a very kind character who cares deeply about his family and friends. Antony is far more laid back than Damien and his failure to panic about the same things that upset Damien sometimes causes arguments. However, their relationship is strong and supportive and the fourth series of the show focuses primarily on the preparations for, and aftermath of, their wedding.

The four episodes broadcast at Christmas 2014 were entitled 'Christmas With Damien Trench' and were part of a series of shows which featured other Radio 4 comedy favourites such as Claire Barker from 'Claire in the Community' and Ed Reardon from 'Ed Reardon's Week'. The four episodes took place on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year's Eve and New Year's Day respectively and follow Damien's frantic preparations for the perfect family festivities, which naturally involve heroic amounts of cooking.

Answer: Mausoleum Club

The mysterious members of the titular Mausoleum Club each take it in turn to recount tales of their own personal brushes with the macabre, the supernatural and sometimes just the downright criminal. The show is set around the turn of the twentieth century in a stereotypical English gentleman's club and features an impressive cast of performers including Miranda Richardson, Spike Milligan, Jim Broadbent and Joss Acklund.

'The Demon Cakestand of Beastly Chase' was broadcast as a one-off Christmas special in 1984 and spawned two series set in the eponymous establishment, 1987's 'Tales from the Mausoleum Club' and 1988's 'Fall of the Mausoleum Club'.

Answer: 15 Minute Musical

'15 Minute Musical' is written by Richie Webb and was first broadcast in 2004. Though it ran for eight seasons it has only returned for special Christmas episodes since series eight was broadcast in 2013. The dialogue is delivered entirely in song and usually focuses on a topical issue such as the 2016 American presidential campaign, the popularity of Downton Abbey or the political difficulties of former British prime minister Gordon Brown.

The excellent cast includes Vicki Pepperdine, Mel Hudson, Pippa Evans and Alex Lowe.

Answer: Radio Active

'Radio Active' was first broadcast in 1980 and ran for seven seasons. It would make household names of some of its cast and writers and spawned a short-lived television spin-off in the form of 'KYTV'.

The programme takes the form of a broadcast by the eponymous fictional radio station which employs several hopeless presenters and reporters, including Mike Channel, Anna Daptor, Mike Flex and the utterly inept Martin Brown. The show was also known for its excellent musical parodies, mostly written by Philip Pope, which cleverly lampooned the popular songs and acts of the time.

Answer: Foul Play

'Foul Play ran for four seasons of six episodes. Each episode followed the same format. The episode would open with a piece of prose describing a murder or the discovery of a body and then the police officer investigating the crime would arrive to supply more details. Each crime has three suspects and they take it in turns to deliver their statements before being questioned by the guest panelists. After the guest investigators have gathered as much information as they can, they then have to deliver their verdict as to who the murderer is. A clip is then played revealing who the murderer actually was. The scripts are written by Simon Brett, who also hosts the show, but all of the roles in each murder mystery are played by versatile actors Lee Simpson and Maria McErlane. A number of distinguished crime writers have appeared as panelists including P. D. James, H. R.F. Keating and Val McDermid.

The episode referred to in the question is "'The Proof of the Pudding' which is set in an English stately home on Christmas Day. There is another seasonal episode of the show entitled 'Oh Yes She Is Dead' which, as the title would suggest, involves the murder of an actor during rehearsals for a pantomime.

Answer: Steptoe and Son

'Steptoe and Son' follows the lives of father and son Albert and Harold Steptoe, rag and bone men who run a scrapyard on Oildrum Lane. The show deals with their complicated interdependent relationship and the ways it negatively impacts both of their lives. Harold is keen to move out of the house and make a life for himself away from his aging father, but Albert frequently uses emotional manipulation and faked illnesses to prevent his son from moving out. Albert also often ruins Harold's budding romances.

Although the show can be extremely funny it can also be quite poignant, with both Harold and Albert being trapped in a mutually destructive but seemingly inescapable situation. 'Steptoe and Son' was written by legendary comedy writing duo Galton and Simpson.

Answer: The Unbelievable Truth

'The Unbelievable Truth' was created by Graeme Garden and Jon Naismith and was first broadcast in 2006. Since then it has become a fixture of the prestigious Monday evening slot on Radio 4, along with other classic panel shows such as 'I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue' and 'Just A Minute'.

The show has played host to some of the best British comedians, including Marcus Brigstocke, Holly Walsh, John Finnemore, Victoria Coren Mitchell, Susan Calman, Tom Wrigglesworth and many more. The aim of the game is to deliver a short lecture on a given subject which should be entirely untrue, with the exception of five truths which the speaker must attempt to smuggle past their opponents. If one of the other panelists buzzes in and correctly identifies a truth then they get a point, if they mistake a lie for a truth then they lose a point.

The speaker gets a point for every truth they have successfully hidden at the end of their talk.