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The Morecambe and Wise TV Quiz

Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise were British comedy's best-loved double act. How much do you know about their television work?

A multiple-choice quiz by comedynerd. Estimated time: 4 mins.

Author
comedynerd

Time
4 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
355,020

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Tough

Avg Score
6 / 10

Plays
357

Last 3 plays: Guest 82 (5/10), Guest 185 (9/10), Phillox (7/10).

Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. What was the name of Morecambe and Wise's ill-fated first television series, which aired on the BBC in 1954? Hint

Running Joke

Running Wild

Hopping Mad

The Magnificent Two

NEXT>

Question 2 of 10

2. Morecambe and Wise finally found television success with their ATV series "Two Of A Kind" in 1961. Their writers were Sid Green and Dick Hills, but who was their producer? Hint

John Ammonds

Colin Clews

Ernest Maxin

Keith Beckett

NEXT>

Question 3 of 10

3. The Beatles famously made a guest appearance on Morecambe and Wise's ATV series in 1963. Which girl group did Eric Morecambe mistake them for? Hint

The Nolan Sisters

The Kaye Sisters

The Supremes

The Ronettes

NEXT>

Question 4 of 10

4. Eric and Ernie made the switch from ATV to the BBC in 1968, and after their first series they gained a new writer. What was his name? Hint

Eddie Braben

Barry Cryer

Johnny Speight

Ben Elton

NEXT>

Question 5 of 10

5. What was the name of the actress who appeared alongside Eric and Ernie in many of their sketches? Hint

Ann Smith

Ann Hamilton

Ann Browne

Carol Cleveland

6. Their shows attracted numerous guest stars over the years, many of whom appeared in the 'plays what Ernie wrote'. Which 007 star desperately wanted to appear on the show but was always held back by filming commitments? Hint

George Lazenby

Sean Connery

Roger Moore

Timothy Dalton

NEXT>

Question 7 of 10

7. The duo became noted for their Christmas specials, which were considered essential festive viewing. In 1979 they were unable to record a proper Christmas show, and instead were interviewed by David Frost. What was the reason for this? Hint

Eric was recovering from heart surgery

None of the guest stars could make it

Ernie had the flu

They just didn't want to

NEXT>

Question 8 of 10

8. Which popular British cop show did Eric and Ernie make a guest appearance on? Hint

Special Branch

Dixon of Dock Green

The Sweeney

The Bill

NEXT>

Question 9 of 10

9. Arthur Tolcher was a harmonica player who often popped up on the show, but never actually got to do his party piece. Which catchphrase did Eric and Ernie always direct at poor Arthur? Hint

"Not now, Arthur"

"Go away, Arthur"

"Go home, Arthur"

"Please stop, Arthur"

NEXT>

Question 10 of 10

10. Morecambe and Wise would always finish with a song. "Bring Me Sunshine" was their most famous one, but there were several others. Which of these songs did Morecambe and Wise not perform at the end of their shows? Hint

Following You Around

Just Around The Corner

Positive Thinking

Underneath The Arches

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Most Recent Scores

Dec 20 2024 : Guest 82: 5/10
Dec 14 2024 : Guest 185: 9/10
Dec 04 2024 : Phillox: 7/10
Dec 04 2024 : Guest 157: 4/10
Nov 29 2024 : Guest 91: 0/10
Nov 23 2024 : Guest 2: 1/10
Nov 13 2024 : Guest 165: 0/10
Nov 04 2024 : Guest 94: 9/10

Score Distribution

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. What was the name of Morecambe and Wise's ill-fated first television series, which aired on the BBC in 1954?

Answer: Running Wild

"Running Wild" was slated by critics. One review famously declared that the definition of a television was "the box they buried Morecambe and Wise in." No record of the show exists today.

2. Morecambe and Wise finally found television success with their ATV series "Two Of A Kind" in 1961. Their writers were Sid Green and Dick Hills, but who was their producer?

Answer: Colin Clews

As well as producing Morecambe and Wise in the '60s, Colin Clews also produced shows for the likes of Des O'Connor, Marty Feldman and Englebert Humperdinck. John Ammonds and Ernest Maxin produced the duo's BBC shows in the '70s, while Keith Beckett was briefly their producer at ITV in the '80s.

3. The Beatles famously made a guest appearance on Morecambe and Wise's ATV series in 1963. Which girl group did Eric Morecambe mistake them for?

Answer: The Kaye Sisters

As well as mistaking the band for The Kaye Sisters, Eric also repeatedly refers to Ringo Starr as 'Bongo'. One of Morecambe and Wise's long-running jokes throughout their television career was their failure to recognise famous stars.

4. Eric and Ernie made the switch from ATV to the BBC in 1968, and after their first series they gained a new writer. What was his name?

Answer: Eddie Braben

Eddie Braben had previously written for Ken Dodd. He wrote for Morecambe and Wise right up until their last BBC show in 1977, returning in 1980 while they were at ITV.

5. What was the name of the actress who appeared alongside Eric and Ernie in many of their sketches?

Answer: Ann Hamilton

Ann Hamilton worked with Morecambe and Wise from 1968 right up until 1982. Much like Carol Cleveland in Monty Python, whenever a female role was called for, Ann played it.

Answer: Roger Moore

Roger Moore loved Morecambe and Wise and always regretted not having made an appearance. For this reason, he appeared many times in "The Play What I Wrote", the Morecambe and Wise-inspired West End and Broadway hit.

Answer: Eric was recovering from heart surgery

Eric Morecambe suffered from heart problems all his life and had his first heart attack in 1968. He suffered a second one in 1979 and underwent a life-saving heart bypass operation. This was why there was no proper Christmas special in 1979.

8. Which popular British cop show did Eric and Ernie make a guest appearance on?

Answer: The Sweeney

They appeared in an episode of "The Sweeney" in 1978 entitled 'Hearts and Minds'. "Sweeney" stars John Thaw and Dennis Waterman had appeared on the Morecambe and Wise Christmas show in 1976, and so when Eric and Ernie moved to ITV, they returned the favour.

9. Arthur Tolcher was a harmonica player who often popped up on the show, but never actually got to do his party piece. Which catchphrase did Eric and Ernie always direct at poor Arthur?

Answer: "Not now, Arthur"

"Not now, Arthur" remains one of the most memorable Morecambe and Wise catchphrases. Arthur Tolcher was a good friend of Eric and Ernie from their days as variety performers.

Answer: Underneath The Arches

"Underneath The Arches" was a song by the wartime double act Flanagan and Allen. However, Eric and Ernie did cover it for a Flanagan and Allen tribute album in 1973.

Source: Author comedynerd

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor guitargoddess before going online.
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