UK Sitcoms from the '70s Golden Age - Vol. 2 Quiz

Answer: Mary Elizabeth Jennifer Rachel Abergavenny

"Betty" Slocombe is remembered for her varying hair colours, orange, green, blue, violet, and for her catch-phrase "I am unanimous in that. She was the senior in the Lady's Department and owed a cat named "Tiddles" to whom she quite often referred as "my pussy".

"Are You Being Served?" was written by Jeremy Lloyd and David Croft, and ran from 1972 until 1985. It was set in the fictional Grace Brothers Department Store, in London, in the Ladies' and Gentlemens' Clothing Department. At first the BBC disliked the pilot episode and refused to put it to air. However, they decided to use it as a "filler" due to the Munich massacre at the 1972 Olympics. The show became a massive hit and episodes attracted in excess of 20 million viewers. In all, 69 episodes were made, covering ten series.

As well as Molly Sugden, the series starred John Inman as Mr Wilberforce Clayborne Humphries, Frank Thornton as Captain Stephen Peacock, Wendy Richards as Miss Shirley Brahms, Nicholas Smith as Mr Cuthbert Rumbold, and Trevor Bannister as Mr Dick Lucas, among others.

Isobel Mary "Mollie" Sugden was born in Yorkshire UK in July 1922. She has appeared in many TV shows in her long career. She reprised her role as Mrs Slocombe in "Grace and Favour" in a spin off of "Are You Being Served". In the U.S. this spin-off was known as "Are You Being Served? Again!". She died in 2009 of heart failure.

The alternate names are real people: Elizabeth Alexandra Mary (Queen Elizabeth II); Anne Elizabeth Alice Louise (The Princess Royal, Princess Anne); and Elizabeth Angela Marguerite (Elizabeth, the Queen Mother).

Answer: Hungarian

Arkwright always referred to his sister being quite promiscuous as she was a single mother. Arkwright constantly told Granville that his unknown father was "probably" a Hungarian. Poor Granville felt that life was passing him by and always seemed to be looking for love. Even when he found it with the milk woman, he was not supported by his uncle.

Arkwright, on the other hand, lusted after nurse Gladys Emanuel, who lived across the road from Arkwright's shop and who looked after her elderly mother. He was always devising plans to get her alone, even climbing a ladder to her bedroom window and telling her he "was just passing by". Arkwright was a very shrewd shopkeeper, with a stutter, and was a great salesman. One of the running gags in the show was the "dangerous till" whose drawer often snapped shut when money was being put into it.

"Open All Hours" was written by Roy Clarke, who also worked on several other UK sitcoms such as "Last of the Summer Wine", and "Keeping Up Appearances". He was born in 1930 in Yorkshire and he received an OBE in 1994 for his contribution to British comedy. Before becoming a writer he had other careers as a soldier in the Royal Signals, a police officer and a teacher.

Answer: Penelope Keith

"The Good Life" was a BBC production that starred Richard Briers and Felicity Kendal as Tom and Barbara, and Paul Eddington and Penelope Keith as Margo and Jerry. In the US it appeared under the title "Good Neighbors" on various PBS stations in the early '80s.

"The Good Life" ran from 1975 to 1978. The show was number nine on the 2004 list of "Britain's Best Sitcom". The series revolved around Tom and Barbara who wished to adopt a simple and self-sufficient lifestyle, by turning their front and back gardens into a farm, and growing fruit and vegetables, as well as keeping chickens, two pigs and a goat. All this horrified their affluent neighbours, Margo and Jerry.

The final episode of the series "When I'm Sixty-Five", was performed live in front of Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh, at a Royal Command Performance, following which, the cast was presented to the Queen and Prince Phillip.

The series was written by Bob Larbey and John Esmonde, who both together and separately, wrote many British TV shows, such as "The Dick Emery Show", "Please Sir', "Brush Strokes", and "As Time Goes By".

Answer: Walmington-on-Sea

The fictional Walmington-on-Sea was located on the English Channel coast of Kent and its beach was lined with barbed wire, mines and anti-tank devices. The series was written by Jimmy Perry and David Croft and aired between 1968 and 1977 for a total of eighty episodes.

"Dad's Army" is about the Home Guard that was made up from volunteers, who for reasons such as age (too young or too old) or their professions, were ineligible for military service during World War II. The majority of the characters in "Dad's Army" are older, including Captain Mainwaring (Arthur Lowe), Sergeant Wilson (John Le Mesurier), and Lance-Corporal Jones (Clive Dunn). Private Pike (Ian Lavender) was the youngest member of the platoon.

In a BBC poll to reveal Britain's Best Sitcoms, taken in 2004, "Dad's Army" was number 4, following "The Vicar of Dibley" at number 3, "Blackadder" at number 2 and "Only Fools and Horses" at number 1.

One of the show's most famous catchphrases "You stupid boy" is quite often muttered by Captain Mainwaring when referring to Private Pike.

The song "Who Do You Think You Are Kidding, Mr Hitler?" as sung by Bud Flanagan accompanied by the Band of the Coldstream Guards, is the series' theme song. "Dad's Army" was made as a feature film, a stage show and a radio series.

Answer: Major Gowen

Major Gowen, long-time resident at "Fawlty Towers" was a likeable old soldier although somewhat befuddled and a little senile at times. He usually turned up just before 6pm when the "Fawlty Tower's" bar opened for business, and was always asking Basil in the morning "Papers arrived yet, Fawlty?". Major Gowen was one of the few people that Basil actually got on with.

"Fawlty Towers" was written by John Cleese and Connie Booth, who was his wife at that time. She played the role of Polly Sherman, who worked at the hotel. The theme music was inspired by Beethoven's "Minuet in G Major".

The fictional hotel, "Fawlty Towers" is in the seaside town of Torquay in the county of Devon, and the storylines revolve around four main characters: Basil Fawlty, who is the very rude and snobbish owner of the hotel; his wife Sybil who is usually on the telephone to one of her friends, always saying "Oohhhh, I knoooooow"; Polly, who is the waitress, chambermaid and all-round helper and very competent; and lastly Manuel, the Spanish waiter from Barcelona, who is always very confused.

In the opening of each show, a view of the outside of the hotel with the name "Fawlty Towers" can be seen, but in each episode the letters were changed around to different and sometimes obscene words.

On a 2000 list of the British Film Institute, "Fawlty Towers" was named the best British TV series of all time. Basil Fawlty was number one on "Britain's Funniest Comedy Character Poll" in 2006. Three people won BAFAS for their involvement in the series, including John Cleese, who won a BAFTA in 1976 for "Best Light Entertainment performance".

Answer: Oil Drum Lane, Shepherds Bush

Oil Drum Lane is a fictional street in Shepherd's Bush, London. Their house and junkyard were very messy, with furniture and junk everywhere.

The series was written by Ray Galton and Alan Simpson, who also wrote the very successful "Hancock's Half Hour" starring Tony Hancock. They met whilst both recuperating from tuberculosis at a sanatorium in Surrey UK. The alternate answer, "Railway Cuttings, East Cheam", is where Tony Hancock lived.

Harold frequently referred to his father Albert, as "You dirty old man", and Harold found a reason to say this in practically, if not every, episode. Actor Wilfred Bambell, (Albert Steptoe), later played the role of Paul McCartney's fictitious grandfather in the Beatles' movie "A Hard Day's Night", and he was constantly referred to as being "very clean".

Harry Corbett and Wilfred Brambell reprised their "Steptoe and Son" roles in 52 BBC Radio adaptions that aired from 1966 to 1967 and 1971 to 1976.

Henry Wilfred Brambell was born in Dublin, Ireland, in 1912 and died of cancer in 1985. He was 72 years old. Harry H Corbett was born in 1925 in Rangoon, Burma when his father, a sergeant in the British Army, was stationed there. He died age 57, in 1982 of a heart attack. Brambell was only 13 years older than Corbett.

Corbett added the "H" to his name to distinguish himself from the famous British puppeteer, Harry Corbett, who was responsible for the famous glove puppet "Sooty".

Answer: Peter Bowles

"To the Manor Born" was written by Peter Spence, who wrote for many English TV shows. The stars were Penelope Keith (Audrey), Peter Bowles (Richard), and Angela Thorne (Marjory). Daphne Heard played the role of Richard's mother Maria Polouvicka (Mrs Pooh, as called by Audrey).

The series told of a very proper upper-class woman who had to sell the manor house after her husband's death, and move into the "Old Lodge" in the grounds of the estate. The manor was bought by a millionaire supermarket owner originally from Czechoslovakia, Richard DeVere, who moved into the manor house with his mother. Throughout the series, Audrey and Richard had a love-hate relationship that finally saw them married in the final episode in 1981. This was one of the most watched Sitcom in the UK in the 1970s and was nominated for four BAFTAs. The final episode had an approximate audience of 27 million.

The manor house that featured in the exterior shots in the series, belonged to the writer's in-laws.

Answer: Michelle Dotrice

"Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em" ran for three series from 1973 to 1978. It revolved around the two main characters Frank and Betty Spencer and all the disasters and trouble Frank managed to get himself into. He was always supported by his wife Betty, who usually managed to cope with his antics. Frank Spencer was well known for his trademark beret and trench coat and his catchphrase "Ooh Betty".

Actors Norman Wisdom and Ronnie Barker both turned down the role of Frank before it went to Michael Crawford. He did all the stunt-work himself. Michael Crawford later went on to become a very successful performer in London's West End and Broadway shows, particularly for Phantom of the Opera.

Michelle Dotrice comes from an acting family. Both her parents and two sisters are also actors. She became a household name for playing Betty in "Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em". She has had a long acting career, appearing in such TV shows as an adaption of Dickens' "The Old Curiosity Shop", and more recently guest-starring in "Bramwell", "Midsomer Murders" and "Holby City". She was married to late actor Edward Woodward.

Answer: Lofty

To quote Battery Sergeant Major Tudor Byrne ("Shut Up") Williams (Windsor Davies), when referring to Gunner Sugden: "Is it a mushroom? No. Is it a soldier? No. It's Gunner Sugden". Gunner Sugden always wore a pith helmet and rather large, baggy shorts and was always made to "volunteer" by the Sergeant Major.

The Sitcom revolved around a Concert Party consisting of English, Welsh and Scottish soldiers in the Royal Artillery Regiment stationed in India during the final stages of World War II. The main characters were the two officers and the members of the concert party that entertained soldiers on their way to the front lines. They are under the control of Battery Sergeant Major "Shut Up" Williams, who was a professional soldier and scorned the enlisted men and his main goal is to get them sent "up the jungle" and into combat.

In many episodes the actors performed old time music hall and traditional songs, and the song "Whispering Grass" as performed by Don Estelle and Windsor Davies, reached number one on the British Singles Chart in 1975.

There were eight series that ran between 1974 and 1981. The writers, Jimmy Perry and David Croft had previously written "Dad's Army".

Answer: Man About the House

The writers of "Man About the House", Johnnie Mortimer and Brian Cooke, also wrote George and Mildred (which was also a spin-off from "Man About the House"), and "Robin's Nest". These three shows were recreated for American TV.

Robin has moved on from sharing a flat with Jo and Chrissie and now shared a flat, over a Chinese Take-Away, with Vicky (Tessa Wyatt), who convinced Robin to take over the take-away and turn it into a Bistro. Vicky's father, James (Tony Britton), agreed to give financial backing for the venture.

Other characters in the series are Albert Riddle (David Kelly), the one-armed kitchen hand, Vicky's mother (Honour Blackman and then Barbara Murray) who was divorced from Vicky's father, and Gertrude, Albert's girlfriend.