Comedy Kings: Dick Clement & Ian La Frenais Quiz

Answer: The Likely Lads

"The Likely Lads" ran from 1964 to 1966 and featured Rodney Bewes as Bob and James Bolam as Terry - the work-shy one.

The show was set in the North East of England, presumably Newcastle, but that was never officially confirmed. Bob and Terry worked together in a factory and shared many of the concerns of young men of 20 - booze, football and girls. They eventually decided to make more of themselves by joining the army. Terry was accepted, but Bob had flat feet and was turned away.

The story of Bob and Terry was updated in "Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads?" in 1973 and 1974, with Terry back from the army to disrupt to the cosy aspirational life Bob had with his new (even more aspirational wife) Thelma.

James Bolam also starred in "When The Boat Comes In" and "The Beiderbecke Affair".

Answer: Porridge

"Porridge" gestated out of a one-off show "Prisoner and Escort" that Clement and La Frenais wrote for the comedy actor Ronnie Barker. This was part of the "Seven of One" series designed to find new shows for Barker. They wrote a second, "I'll Fly You for a Quid", which did not progress to a series.

Ronnie Barker played Norman Stanley Fletcher, a habitual criminal and recidivist who was sent prison for an unspecified offence. There, he took young first-time inmate Lennie Godber (Richard Beckinsale) under his wing. In 21 episodes over three seasons from 1973, Fletcher proved to be a thorn in the side of the prison authorities and the more hardened inmates.

A sequel "Going Straight" showing Fletcher out of prison followed, and a new series, also called "Porridge", and featuring Fletcher's grandson was made in 2006. "Porridge" was also made into a feature film and a stage show

Answer: Auf Wiedersehen, Pet

Forty episodes of "Auf Wiedersehen, Pet" were broadcast across five seasons from 1983 to 2005. There were time gaps in the schedule.

These showed the exploits of a group of builders who could not find enough work in England so decided to try the building sites of Germany. The tensions of their new environment and the distance from their loved ones at home provided much of the comedy.

Among a team of writers, Clement and La Frenais provided scripts bvetween 1983 and 1986 and between 2002 and 2004. As a result of the shows, actors like Tim Healy, Jimmy Nail, Kevin Whatley, and Timothy Spall beca,me household names.

Answer: Antiques dealer

Ian McShane played "Lovejoy", a rogue with a soft heart, in 71 episodes over six seasons between 1986 and 1994.

La Frenais adapted the books, and tinkered with some characterisations (fans of books and show may spot my play on words) along with John Grant (who wrote the books under the pseudonym.) La Frenais also wrote a number of individual episodes. The shows were set in East Anglia with Lovejoy - no one ever knew a first name - a little bit down at heel and not averse to the odd bit of forging - sorry 'copying'. Lovejoy was a "divvy": someone who just needed to stand beside an antique and feel in his heart and soul that it was genuine. Or not.

Answer: Otley

Tom Courtenay and Romy Schneider starred in the movie that Clement and La Frenais adapted from a novel by Martin Waddell. Clement was in the director's chair.

Courtney's free and easy character suddenly found things became serious when he got involved in murder and espionage when he was mistaken for a spy. Although it won a Writers' Guild of Great Britain Award in 1970, some critics did not like the film.

Answer: Peter Cook and Dudley Moore

Twenty-four shows were broadcast in three seasons between 1964 and 1970. Sadly, the culture vandals that were in charge of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) wiped many of the recorded episodes so they could use the video tape over again. This was not the only show lost to posterity through such penny pinching.

The show had been intended as a solo project for Dudley Moore, but Peter Cook was asked to join in on an equal basis. The shows were popular, and many viewers can remember that the two stars at times had difficulty keeping straight faces to prevent themselves laughing as the sketches unfolded.

Moore and Cook have been hailed among the best comedy duos on television on either side of the Atlantic. They were popular in the USA also, where they hosted "Saturday Night Live" and won Tony and Grammy Awards. The partnership came to an end when Moore decided that America was the place for him to pursue his acting career.

Answer: Tracey Ullman

Tracey Ullman had already hit the big time in the USA with her comedy show between 1987 and 1990. She took a break and then returned with "Tracey Ullman: A Class Act" on the UK's Independent Television network in 1993. It was picked up by HBO in the US.

Ullman played a number of characters across several sketches in each show and was joined by other actors, including ex-"Monty Python" star Michael Palin.

Clement and La Frenais were also on the comedy writing team for "Tracey Ullman Takes on New York" on HBO in 1993.

Answer: Archangel

"Archangel" was based on the book of the same name by Robert Harris - one of Britain top novelists. He helped adapt the writing for the TV movie.

Released in 2005, it starred Daniel Craig as a British professor who learnt of some secrets allegedly connected to the death of Stalin. This turned into a search for what were believed to be Stalin's diaries. Treachery and murder followed.

Answer: The Beatles

Clement and La Frenais created the story with another writer Julie Taymor, who was also the director.

The story was a musical comedy, with more than 30 Beatles songs performed. Set in New York in the 1960s, the story intertwined a romance set against the background of the Vietnam War, and the effect that it had on people in America itself.

As well as songs by the Beatles, the leading characters had names based on people in songs by Paul McCartney and John Lennon. As examples: Evan Rachel Wood starred as Lucy; Jim Sturgess as Jude; Martin Luther McCoy as Jo-Jo; and T.V. Carpio as Prudence.

"Across The Universe" - even the title was a Beatles song - was nominated for an Oscar and a Golden Globe.

Answer: To Catch A Spy

In 1971, "To Catch A Spy" was written by Clement and La Frenais from the novel "Catch Me A Spy" by George Marton and Tibor Méray. Dick Clement also directed it.

The film centred around misunderstandings: don't most comedies? Marlène Jobert played a young schoolteacher whose husband was arrested as a spy while they were on honeymoon in Bucharest. She was drugged and sent back to England by Kirk Douglas, an innocuous waiter she came to think was a spy.

More misunderstandings followed in England and Scotland and Douglas turned up again and Jobert decided he would be a suitable person to exchange for her husband. Both were abducted but escaped. Eventually in the hands of British intelligence, Douglas was destined to be exchanged for the husband, only for more confusion to arise.

The film had mixed reviews, one critic calling it "woefully lame and absolutely unfunny". Others said it was "enjoyable to watch" and a "delightful, hilarious spoof ".