Britain's Top 50 Sitcoms (Part 3) Multiple Choice Quiz | Television

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Number 10: Which sitcom broke all the rules and was the first to allow its leading character to die, thus ending the successful series, with no hope of revival?

Answer: One Foot in the Grave

This popular sitcom ran for six series, and had seven Specials. The final episode, which saw Victor Meldrew being run over and killed, aired on 20 November 2000, while the very first episode was shown on 4 January 1990.

2. Number 9: When Tom Good decided to turn his back on the rat race, quit his job and, along with his wife Barbara, become self-sufficient, the Goods' life was reborn in Surbiton as 'The Good Life'. Which birthday was Tom celebrating when he made this life-changing decision in 1975?

Answer: 40th

It seems that, for Tom Good at least, life did begin at 40! Much to the horror of their neighbours, Jerry and Margo Ledbetter, Tom and Barbara embarked on a five-season journey of discovery, setbacks and triumphs by turning their backs on the established order of things to become self-sufficient.

3. Number 8: What was the name of the street in which 'Open All Hours' was filmed?

Answer: Lister Avenue

This programme was filmed on location at numbers 15, 32 and 34 Lister Avenue, Balby, Doncaster, South Yorkshire. The shop was originally called 'Helen's Boutique' and was completely turned around to form the dusty corner shop of the stingiest shopkeeper known to the BBC.

Ronnie Barker ('Porridge') and David Jason ('Only Fools and Horses') star in this sitcom; these two actors each have the honour of starring in two of the Top Ten sitcoms (David also had a minor role in 'Porridge' as Blanco). Paul Eddington ('Yes, Minister' and 'Yes, Prime Minister') had a supporting role in 'The Good Life' as Tom Good's neighbour.

4. Number 7: 'Porridge' claims to be the sitcom which gave James Bond a funny line - when asked to fill a bottle while at a medical, he said 'What, from over here?' This joke came from the first episode, but what was it called?

Answer: New Faces, Old Hands

Fletcher was demonstrating to Godber how he could get his own way by claiming to have bad feet (so he could keep his own shoes) and that he needed to have a cell to himself. During the medical in this first episode (the pilot episode showed the trip to the prison) Fletcher was asked to fill a specimen bottle, and he answered with the line which was to be repeated by Roger Moore as James Bond - 'What, from over here?'

5. Number 6: Sir Humphrey Appleby ended every single episode of 'Yes, Minister' and 'Yes, Prime Minister' with the title of the programme, when speaking to Jim Hacker, the Minister (and later Prime Minister).

Answer: False

Although Sir Humphrey says this line at the end of a good proportion of the episodes, he does not actually end each one in this way. There were a few of the 22 episodes of 'Yes, Minister' and the 16 episodes of 'Yes, Prime Minister' in which Nigel Hawthorne's magnificent character did not win through, and he did not deliver the immortal line to close. It didn't happen very often though!

There was also one episode when Mrs Hacker delivered the immortal line!

6. Number 5: Only two series were made of 'Fawlty Towers', but its legacy will remain forever! Series 1 was originally broadcast in 1975 on the BBC. When did the second series hit the airways?

Answer: 1979

It was while John Cleese was on location filming with the Monty Python team that he got the idea for 'Fawlty Towers'. He had encountered a 'wonderfully rude' manager and the sitcom started to form in his mind.

7. Number 4: 'Dad's Army' was a sitcom written about the LDV (Local Defence Volunteers) which became the largest civilian army the world has ever known. It was based in and around the fictional southern coast town of Walmington-on-Sea, but none of the filming was done on the south coast of England. Where was the series filmed?

Answer: Norfolk

All the locations, bar one, were in Norfolk (the other was in Suffolk). The real LDV was nation-wide and although not as efficient as the regular army, was well-run and, in the main, prepared for invasion, although should push have come to shove, it is doubtful they would have held out for very long against the fully trained and determined German army of the 1940s.

8. Number 3: What do Hugo and Alice Horton name their daughter in 'The Vicar of Dibley'?

Answer: Geraldine

They originally wanted to call the baby 'Vicar', after their favourite person, but Rev Gerry persuaded them that she might have an easier life being called Geraldine. The baby was born during a nativity play out on Owen's farm, much to the delight of the viewing audience!

9. Number 2: Edmund Blackadder moved in highly exalted circles throughout his chequered career, mixing with royalty and generals. But is it true that a reigning British monarch is featured in all four series?

Answer: No

Edmund is the son of Richard IV in 'The Black Adder', is a member of the court of Queen Elizabeth I in 'Blackadder II' and works for the Prince Regent in 'Blackadder the Third' - during which time we also meet George III. Although we see the likes of General Haig in 'Blackadder Goes Forth' we do not actually see any reigning British monarch. Queen Victoria was seen in the special 'Blackadder's Christmas Carol'.

10. And the Nation's favourite sitcom: After many years of striving to become millionaires, the Trotter brothers finally managed it in 1996, in the last episode of the 'Only Fools and Horses' trilogy from that year. What did Del and Rodney sell at auction for over six million pounds?

Answer: a Harrison watch

John Harrison was a country carpenter who had an incredible hand at making timepieces. He was to revolutionise sea-travel in the Georgian era by creating a series of watches which held perfect time even when at sea, thus allowing sailors to pin-point their exact position by calculating both latitude and longitude.

It is an historical fact that one of his watches has been missing for two hundred years, and it was this watch which Del and Rodney had among the junk in their lock-up. It was Rachel's father who recognised it as a Harrison watch, and the brothers put it up for auction. (NB: some sources spell her name 'Raquel', but others 'Rachel' - leaving us to assume that the fancier pronounciation was a fabrication.)

Source: Author ArleneRimmer

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor ladymacb29 before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.

Britain's Top 50 Sitcoms (Part 3) Quiz

In 2003 the people of Britain were asked to vote for their favourite sitcoms, and the top fifty were listed in a special programme in January 2004. Here are the top ten, as chosen by the British viewing public in January to March 2004!

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