A Smoldering of Soup Strainers Quiz

Answer: Rick

Magnum, T.C. and Higgins in the show were known for their fine facial hair features. Rick, as a general rule, was the only major character to not grow any type of mustache or beard. "Magnum P.I." was set in Hawaii and was also known for its guest characters. Angela Lansbury played her well known character Jessica Fletcher from TV show "Murder She Wrote" in one of the episodes. The show ran from 1980 for eight seasons with the last season airing in 1988. The show was a young boy's dream as it featured the Ferrari 380 GTS motor car, which is now commonly known as the Magnum Ferrari.

This question was created by Phoenix Rising member zonko, who while writing this question was humming the theme tune to the "Magnum P.I." show.

Answer: Celebrity Masterchef

Richard Francis "Dick" Strawbridge appeared in the 2010 "Celebrity Masterchef", even reaching the final, losing to the winner Lisa Faulkner. This wasn't his first cookery show as he did appear in a 2009 episode of the UK TV show "Ready Steady Cook". He got his break in TV when he appeared on the show "Scrapheap Challenge" in 1998, while still serving in the British Army; hence he was often called "Colonel Dick". He was a regular on "Scrapheap Challenge" and even went on to present the show in series 11. Other TV shows that he has hosted or guested on are "The Hungry Sailors", "Planet Mechanics", "It's Not Easy Being Green" and "Coast".

The TV show "The Hairy Bikers" is also worth a mention as the pair that host that TV cooking show are known for their fine growth of facial hair. They changed the name of the show to "The Hairy Bakers" when they opted to do a show about baking.

This question was created by Phoenix Rising member zonko.

Answer: Falcon Crest

To be honest, looking back it should have been Chase's beard as the crest shown at the start of the show "Falcon Crest", as it was his beard that had a more lasting memory (for me anyway). "Falcon Crest" was set in the US state of California and was about the dealings of a family wine business. It was first shown in 1981 and ran until 1990 with a total of 227 episodes shown. It was ironic that that show was classed as "'Dallas' with grapes", as Robert Foxworth was originally cast to play the role of J.R. Ewing in the TV show "Dallas". Robert provided the voice of the character Ratchet in the 2007 movie "Transformers" and the following sequels in the franchise.

This question was created by Phoenix Rising member zonko.

Answer: King Charles of Coronia

In an episode that had it all, Max practiced his fencing skills, rescued a damsel in distress, reprised 'The Prisoner of Zenda' and indulged in a verbal exchange with Colonel von Klaus, reminiscent of Danny Kaye in The Court Jester:

"Well, there's a panel 'neath the mantle with a candle for the handle. But before you light the candle push the panel with your hand. Than the mantle will push out and the panel will push in."

I missed the part after 'Listen carefully'...

This question was created by Phoenix Rising member VegemiteKid.

Answer: Yosemite Sam

When it comes to facial hair, Yosemite Sam can stand tall. Possessed of the thickest eyebrows on television, a mustache and a bushy split beard that extends beyond his knees, Sam is a short-statured, fierce tempered, gun toting cowboy who represents, possibly, Bugs' most violent adversary. Though he's officially recorded as a cowboy/prospector, Sam has also appeared as a knight, a pirate, a royal cook and a space alien amongst others. Unlike some of Bugs Bunny's opponents, Sam has a tendency to learn from his blunders but his biggest weakness is that he cannot resist a challenge and this almost always leads to his undoing. The above named aliases all have Sam either following or preceding them.

This question was created by Phoenix Rising member pollucci19.

Answer: Wilford Brimley

Wilford Brimley played the role of Gus Witherspoon in the television series "Our House". Deidre Hall played his widowed daughter-in-law. She and her children moved in with Gus after the death of her husband (his son). It was a feel-good show that tried to teach life lessons and morals. The series lasted two seasons with the final show airing in 1988.

Brimley worked the Quaker Oats commercials in the '80s and '90s. He also could be seen on Liberty Medical ads, touting the home delivery of medical supplies. After being diagnosed with diabetes in 1979, he worked to raise awareness about the disease. The American Diabetes Association presented him with an award in 2008 recognizing his service.

This question was created by Phoenix Rising member jaknginger.

Answer: Jed Clampett

"The Beverly Hillbillies" aired from 1962 to 1971; it followed a backwoods family which relocates to Beverly Hills after oil is discovered on their land, with comedic elements arising from their misunderstanding of the ways of the wealthy. Jed Clampett was the father figure in the clan, with Granny, Jethro and Elly May as the rest of the regulars. J.R. was of course the patriarch of the Ewing clan from "Dallas", Mr. Burns was an energy magnate from "The Simpsons", and Thurston Howell was the cocktail-swilling millionaire from "Gilligan's Island".

This question was created by Phoenix Rising member pusdoc.

Answer: Paul Hogan

Paul Hogan starred in "The Paul Hogan Show" with 'Strop' (John Cornell), his friend and (later) producer of "Crocodile Dundee". Cornell's wife, Delvene Delaney, also appeared in many of the sketches. Hogan invariably addressed the audiences with the phrase "G'day viewers".

Hogan made a tourism commercial for the US market, inviting viewers to Australia, where he would "slip an extra shrimp on the barbie for you". The bane of Australians in the USA, it's impossible to visit without that commercial being mentioned. The trouble is, a shrimp in Australia is about the size of your little finger; the larger species of that edible delicacy is known as a prawn. We'd never bother barbecuing a shrimp!

This question was created by Phoenix Rising member VegemiteKid.

Answer: Sam Elliott

Sam Elliott's longest role in a television series was at the beginning of his career. He played Dr. Douglas Robert (Lang) in the series "Mission: Impossible" from 1970-1971. He then seemed to migrate more towards mini-series and television movies. He was nominated for a Golden Globe and a Primetime Emmy Award in 1995 for the character Wild Bill Hicock in the televison movie "Buffalo Girls". You can also hear him in Coors and Smokey Bear ads.

This question was created by Phoenix Rising member jaknginger. (Sam Elliott makes her swoon.)

Answer: Duck Dynasty

There could be no more appropriate group to provide the theme music for "Duck Dynasty" than the bearded men of ZZ Top: Billy Gibbons, Dusty Hill and their shaggy beards would fit in well with the men of "Duck Dynasty". It is somewhat ironic that ZZ Top's Frank Beard is the only member of the group to not sport a full beard.

"Duck Dynasty" first aired in March 2012 on A&E and has become a runaway hit. The Robertson clan's family business, Duck Commander and Buck Commander, was started by the patriarch Phil over 25 years ago. His third son Willie used his business degree to turn the company into a multi-million dollar operation and the show chronicles their lives. "Benelli Presents Duck Commander" was a short-lived show on the Outdoor Channel that aired in 2009-2010.

This question was created by Phoenix Rising member tazman6619. (The Robertson clan does not make him swoon and neither does Sam Elliott.)