What's On TV? Trivia Quiz

Answer: Fawlty Towers

British sitcom "Fawlty Towers" was first shown during the 1970s and ran to twelve episodes in two series. It features a social-climbing hotel owner (played by John Cleese) trying to manage his small seaside hotel in between often self-induced disasters. Polly Sherman was the waitress and general help, and the most 'normal' of the main characters. She was played by Connie Booth, who wrote the series with John Cleese and was his wife at the time. It is considered a classic comedy series.

Answer: Doctor Who

The TV series "Doctor Who" was first aired in 1963 and, as of 2012, eleven actors have played the titular role over the years. Various spin-off series have followed including "Torchwood", which follows the exploits of a small team of alien hunters and is aimed at an adult audience. It is no coincidence that "Torchwood" is an anagram of "Doctor Who" .

Answer: EastEnders

Den and Angie Watts were the landlords of The Queen Victoria pub, the main setting in the soap "EastEnders". They appeared from the first episode and had a troubled relationship ending in divorce. "EastEnders" focussed on the lives of those who lived and worked in a fictional borough of East London. It has won many awards.

Answer: The Office

British sitcom "The Office" was first screened during 2001. The question is a reference to the first episode ("Downsize") where David Brent, the office manager played by Ricky Gervais, is told that his branch of the company may be closed. His joke about Dawn stealing Post-it notes, backfires. One of the most successful British comedy exports, the show was itself nearly cancelled due to low ratings.

Answer: Emmerdale

Formerly known as "Emmerdale Farm", the Sugdens and their extended families, the Merricks and the Skilbecks, were the initial focus of the series. The Sugden family lived and worked on Emmerdale Farm. After the first 17 years, the change in name to "Emmerdale" in 1989 coincided with the arrival of the Tate family and reflected the show's change in focus to life in and around the nearby village of Beckindale (renamed Emmerdale following the 1993 plane crash).

Answer: Life on Mars

This police drama with science fiction elements starts with the main character apparently in a coma as a result of a car accident. He finds himself flitting between 1973 and the 1980s whilst solving crimes. An American version first aired in 2008, some two years after the UK series premiered. "Ashes to Ashes", first shown in 2008, served as a sequel to the British-version of "Life on Mars".

Answer: Blackadder

Baldrick was Blackadder's dogsbody in the various series of this period sitcom. Different periods in British history are used as the settings for each series. In each series Blackadder schemes to improve his fortune and social standing with Baldrick acting as his servant and foil. Baldrick's catchphrase was: "I have a cunning plan." The first series originally aired in 1983.

Answer: Changing Rooms

As suggested by the question, this was a home improvement show where couples redecorated a room in another couple's house, and visa-versa. Design guidance was provided by a series of experts and the finished rooms were then revealed to their respective house owners at the end. This series was one of several popular from the late 1990s.

Answer: Come Dancing

This talent show ran between 1949 and 1998, with a focus on ballroom dancing. It became a competition in 1953. It was re-launched in 2004 as "Strictly Come Dancing". Outside of Britain, the shows based on the "Strictly Come Dancing" format go under the name of "Dancing With the Stars".

Answer: Spitting Image

"Spitting Image" ran from 1984 to 1996 and used puppets to depict celebrities of the time in a series of skits. The "Spitting Image" puppets were also used to sing parodies of various well-known songs. Their greatest chart success came when "The Chicken Song" reached number one in the UK Singles Chart during 1986. This was a parody of such novelty songs as Black Lace's "Agadoo".