Elizabeth I on the Telly Trivia Quiz

Answer: Elizabeth the Queen

"Elizabeth the Queen" was originally produced as a stage play written by Maxwell Anderson and later adapted into the film "The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex" in 1939. In the mid 1960s, George Schaefer, the producer of NBC's "Hallmark Hall of Fame" series, stated that, as pageantry was hard to depict on television, he would not produce an adaptation of Maxwell Anderson's play.

However, he subsequently changed his mind and, in 1967, signed Australian actress Judith Anderson to play Elizabeth, alongside Charlton Heston as the Earl of Essex. Anderson had previously appeared in the stage play's lead role in 1966 on Broadway.

Answer: Monty Python's Flying Circus

Graham Chapman's portrayal of Elizabeth comes in the sketch entitled "Erizabeth L" in the third episode of Series 3 of "Monty Python's Flying Circus". A spoof of the contemporary drama series "Elizabeth R", the sketch sees the characters transpose the letters L and R all through the script.

Although not clear who wrote the script, the nature of the writing suggests it was likely to have been written by Eric Idle, who was known for basing sketches around complicated wordplay.

Answer: The Virgin Queen

"The Virgin Queen" was a four-part mini-series produced by the BBC and featured Anne-Marie Duff playing Elizabeth from the time of her imprisonment in the Tower by Mary I in 1554, to her death in 1603, a span of almost 50 years. The series was produced with the intention that it be broadcast in September 2005.

However, this would have seen it coincide with the broadcast of the two-part serial "Elizabeth I" produced by Channel 4. As a result, the UK broadcast of "The Virgin Queen" was delayed until November 2005, following its broadcast as part of the PBS "Masterpiece Theatre" strand.

Answer: Horrible Histories

"Horrible Histories" is a BBC children's programme based on the children's book series of the same name by Terry Deary. Featuring various periods of history, the programme includes several sketches in which Elizabeth I plays a major part. Played throughout by actress Martha Howe-Douglas, Elizabeth is shown as a domineering monarch, hard to please, and somebody her courtiers lived in fear of.

As an educational series, the show also features facts about the queen and the age.

Answer: Elizabeth R

Glenda Jackson made her first appearance as Elizabeth I in the six-part BBC drama series "Elizabeth R", which was broadcast between February and March 1971. The series served as a sequel to the previous BBC production "The Six Wives of Henry VIII", and featured a number of actors reprising the same role. Jackson won two Emmy Awards for the series, as well as receiving a BAFTA nomination.

At the end of 1971, she reprised the role of Elizabeth in the film "Mary, Queen of Scots", opposite Vanessa Redgrave in the title role. For this, Jackson received a Golden Globe nomination.

Answer: Elizabeth I

Helen Mirren signed up to play Elizabeth in the mini-series "Elizabeth I", which is focused on the last 24 years of her reign, while the script was still being written. Originally intended as a two-hour piece focusing on the queen's relationship with the Earl of Essex, Mirren provided significant input into the plotline to increase the content about the politics and events of the era.

This expanded the production to a total of four hours, split into two 2-hour episodes, with the first looking at Elizabeth's relationship with the Earl of Leicester. Amongst the awards received by the production, Helen Mirren won Emmy, Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild Awards for her portrayal.

Answer: Doctor Who

Elizabeth I first appeared in the modern (2005 onwards) version of "Doctor Who" in the 2007 episode "The Shakespeare Code", played by actress Angela Pleasance. Set in 1599, the queen seeks to arrest the Doctor, who she describes as her sworn enemy, although the Doctor has yet to meet her.

This plot is eventually resolved in the 50th Anniversary episode "The Day of the Doctor", when we see the Doctor involved with Elizabeth, played by Joanna Page, at a much younger age (in the year 1562). In this, the Doctor actually goes as far as marrying the queen, but departs before the end of the ceremony.

Answer: Blackadder II

When Miranda Richardson auditioned for the part of Elizabeth I in sitcom "Blackadder II", she brought a childish demeanour to the character that was not originally envisaged by the writers. However, this comedic portrayal seemed a perfect fit for the series, and led to elements of the series being rewritten to accommodate the new characterisation of the queen.

Her character is flirtatious, fickle and fiery, and the central character of Blackadder is forever walking a tightrope as a favourite always liable to fall from grace. Richardson played the character in all six episodes of "Blackadder II", as well as in the specials "Blackadder's Christmas Carol" and "Blackadder: Back & Forth".

Answer: Upstart Crow

Emma Thompson appeared in a single scene in the episode "A Christmas Crow" from Ben Elton's sitcom "Upstart Crow". She portrayed Elizabeth I in her court during the Christmas festivities when William Shakespeare, the lead character in the series, visits to present her with a gift and stage a new play he has penned.

Although a comedic role, Elizabeth is portrayed in "Upstart Crow" in a more traditional manner than we saw in "Blackadder II", which was also written by Ben Elton. The plot of the episode involves a parody of the film "Love Actually", which Emma Thompson stars in. Elton sought permission from his friend and collaborator Richard Curtis to use material from "Love Actually" directly in the script for "A Christmas Crow", including an entire speech delivered by Emma Thompson in the film.

Answer: Gloriana

"Gloriana" is an opera in three acts by Benjamin Britten that was composed to form part of the celebrations for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953. The plot revolves around the Tudor Queen Elizabeth and her relationship with the Earl of Essex.

In 1984, the opera was revived by the English National Opera with mezzo-soprano Sarah Walker in the lead role. This production was recorded live and broadcast on the BBC.