In Black and White and Living Colour Quiz

Answer: 'Your Show of Shows'

'Your Show of Shows' ran from 1950 until 1954, and featured the comedic talents of Sid Caesar, Imogene Coca (she of the plastic face!), Carl Reiner, and Howard Morris, among others. The talented writers were Mel Brooks, Neil Simon, Danny Simon, Larry Gelbart (who later created 'M*A*S*H'), Mel Tolkin and Carl Reiner.

There's a widely-held, but erroneous, belief that Woody Allen was one of the writers. Allen wrote for 'Caesar's Hour', which starred Sid Caesar, and ran from 1954-1957. Reiner has said that his stint with 'Your Show of Shows' was the basis for his popular comedy series 'The Dick Van Dyke Show' (in which he played the tyrranical comedy star for whom Dick Van Dyke's character was head writer). Neil Simon based his play 'Laughter of the 23rd Floor' on his experiences as a writer for 'Your Show of Shows', and the show also inspired Mel Brooks' 1982 film 'My Favourite Year'.

Answer: 'Rawhide'

'Rawhide' hit the TV tubes in 1959 and ran for eight seasons, making a star out of the heretofore-unknown Clint Eastwood. The late, great Frankie Laine, who died at aged 93 on February 7, 2007, sang the theme that was played over the opening credits.

Answer: The Ed Sullivan Show

Sullivan started his career as a sportswriter and then became an entertainment columnist, first for 'The New York Graphic' and later for 'The New York Daily News'. He made the jump to TV in 1948 when CBS hired him to host 'Toast of the Town', which quickly became North America's favourite show.

It ran until 1971. Sullivan was something of a starmaker, giving Elvis Presley, the Beatles and the Rolling Stones their first national TV exposure. He became very close to the Beatles, who appeared on his show several times, and he introduced them at their 1965 Shea Stadium concerts.

He refused to knuckle under to those who wanted him to bar African-American performers from the show, and gave the Jackson 5 their first big break when they appeared on his show in 1969. (He also paid out of his own pocket for the funeral of dancer Bojangles Robinson.) Sullivan introduced American audiences to acts from all over the world, and brought back to prominence many stars from the old vaudeville circuits. He died in 1974 of esophageal cancer.

The studio from which he broadcast his show for 23 years was re-named The Ed Sullivan Theatre in his honour in 1967 and is now home to 'The Late, Late Show' starring David Letterman.

Answer: Wickham Gascoyne Berresford

The character of Steed evolved over the years that 'The Avengers' was on the air from a man whose idea of sartorial elegance was a clean shirt to the suave, bowler-hatted, Savile Row-suited fellow we all remember. During 'The Avengers' long run, Steed had three gorgeous ladies as co-stars - Honor Blackman, Diana Rigg and Linda Thorson.

In 'The New Avengers', Joanna Lumley (of 'Absolutely Fabulous') provided the 'gorgeous quotient'.

Answer: 'Ben Casey'

It was veteran actor Sam Jaffe whose voice was heard intoning the 'Man, Woman, Birth, Death, Infinity' line over the opening credits of 'Ben Casey' which ran on ABC from 1961 to 1966. Jaffe also played Dr. David Zorba, mentor to the idealistic young surgeon Casey (played by Vince Edwards). Jaffe left the show in 1965 and Franchot Tone came on board as the new Chief of Surgery, Dr. Daniel Freeland. 'Dr. Kildare' was Dr. Casey's main rival show, and it starred Richard Chamberlain in the title role. 'Marcus Welby, MD' starred everybody's favourite television father, Robert Young, and 'General Hospital' is a long-running soap opera.

Answer: Rob Petrie

Rob Petrie was played by Dick Van Dyke on the immensely popular 'Dick Van Dyke Show' which aired from 1961 to 1966. The show's creator, Carl Reiner, based the show on his own experience as a writer for 'Your Show of Shows'. Reiner also played the autocratic Alan Brady, star of the show for which Rob was the head writer (the other writers were Buddy Sorell, played by Morey Amsterdam, and Sally Rogers, played by Rosemarie). Mary Tyler Moore played Laura, Rob's wife, and Richard Deacon played the harassed Mel Cooley, Brady's brother-in-law and lackey. The show made stars out of Van Dyke and Mary Tyler Moore. Reiner always said that he intended the show to run for only five seasons, and it is one of the few shows ever to end at the height of its popularity rather than waiting for audiences to lose interest.

Ralph Kramden and Ed Norton were played by Jackie Gleason and Art Carney respectively on 'The Honeymooners'.

Answer: Eamonn Andrews

'What's My Line' ran on CBS from 1950 to 1967, and on BBC from 1951 to 1963. The first UK show was hosted by notable British personality Gilbert Harding, who was often referred to as the rudest man on earth*. Indeed he was so rude to to the contestants (at least one of them left the set in tears) that he was replaced by affable Irishman Eamonn Andrews. Jerry Desmonde, Marghanita Laski and David Nixon were all panellists on the UK version of 'What's My Line'.

*Gilbert Harding (who was a classmate of my father's at school in Hereford) was on a speaking engagement in Toronto and sat beside Lady Eaton at the dinner at which he was speaking. Lady Eaton asked him where he was staying in Toronto and he responded with an address in Cabbagetown (this was long before its gentrification occurred). "Oh, my dear, " said Lady Eaton, "Cabbagetown is a very bad address." "Madam," retorted Harding, "Toronto is a very bad address!"

Answer: True

'Dragnet', which had its television debut in January 1952, was a gritty police drama that depicted the behind-the-scenes routine and often downright drudgery of police work in Los Angeles. Jack Webb, who created the series, played Sergeant (later Lieutenant) Joe Friday, a no-nonsense, straight-arrow cop who was always seeking "just the facts" in every case. 'Dragnet' had two runs at television, from 1952 to 1959, with Ben Alexander as Friday's partner, Ben Romero, and from 1967 to 1970, with Harry Morgan as Friday's partner, Bill Gannon.

It was about to make another comeback in 1982, with Kent McCord as Friday's partner, but Webb died suddenly and the series was shelved. The Los Angeles Police Department, which had fully supported the series, announced that it was retiring 714, Joe Friday's badge number.

Answer: Upstairs, Downstairs

From 1971 to 1975 'Upstairs, Downstairs' was seen on ITV in the UK and on PBS in the US and developed a loyal fan following. The series, devised by actress Jean Marsh (who played Rose Buck), followed the fortunes of a well-to-do British family, the Bellamys (upstairs) and their servants, notably Rose, Mrs. Bridges the housekeeper and Hudson the butler (downstairs).

The show covered the period from the Edwardian era to the 1930s. Lady Marjorie Bellamy was the character who lost her life in the sinking of the Titanic. 'The Forsyte Saga' and 'The Duchess of Duke Street' were other British shows which gained popularity in North America, and 'The Passing Show' was a history of British theatre - primarily of music hall - which was seen on BBC in the late 1940s.

Answer: Hop Sing

'Bonanza' was the first network TV series to be filmed entirely in colour. It made its debut in 1961 and ran until 1973. From its beginning until 1972, it aired on Sunday nights, but in its last season, after the sudden death of Dan Blocker who played Hoss, it ran on Tuesday nights against CBS' popular 'Maude'. It is felt that a combination of the loss of Blocker and the move to run against 'Maude' brought about the show's cancellation in January of 1973. Hop Sing, the Ponderosa cook, was played by Victor Sen Yung. Yung had also co-starred in the Charlie Chan movies and in the film version of 'Flower Drum Song'. Lorne Greene, who played patriarch Ben Cartwright, had been known in Canada, his homeland, as 'The Voice of Doom' because he had been a CBC newsreader during World War II. Following the cancellation of 'Bonanza', Greene starred in 'Griff', 'Code Red' and 'Battlestar Galactica'. He died of cancer in 1987. Michael Landon, who played Little Joe, the youngest of Ben's sons, also went on to star in 'Little House on the Prairie' (which he also produced) and 'Highway to Heaven'. He died of pneumonia in 1987. Pernell Roberts (Adam) starred in 'Trapper John, MD' following his 'Bonanza' stint.

Mrs. Murphy was the lady in a popular song who cooked the chowder into which someone threw overalls, Ho Chi Minh was the Communist leader in North Vietnam, and Aunt Bea lived in Mayberry and kept house for her nephew Sheriff Andy Taylor and his son Opie on the 'Andy Griffith Show'.