Radio Times 100: Test your knowledge with our centenary quiz
It's the ultimate Radio Times-themed quiz!
To celebrate Radio Times Magazine turning 100, we've got a very challenging quiz from across the decades. Each week, we'll bring you new questions spanning the lifetime of the magazine, starting at the 1920s and 1930s. Be careful as you scroll though, because the answers can be found at the bottom of this page! Let us know how you get on by sending us a message on X, formerly known as Twitter, @RadioTimes. 1920s 1. Priced at tuppence, the first issue of The Radio Times contained a week’s listings for six regional radio stations and a message to “listeners” from BBC Chairman Lord Gainford: “This periodical will each week produce in advance the company’s programmes in a compact and attractive form for the convenience of the public. There will therefore be no chance that particularly interesting or unusual programmes will escape notice.” Which word is missing from RT’s strap line in the image above? a. Arm b. Journal c. Organ 2. In an attempt to boost sales, RT editor Leonard Crocombe commissioned artist Kay to create the first colour cover. It led to a regular Christmas colour cover and established RT as a place to showcase new British graphic art. In which year was the first Christmas and New Year double issue of Radio Times published? a. 1959 b. 1963 c. 1969 3. This second illustrated RT cover became one of the most famous in the magazine’s history. American artist Edwin Austin Abbey’s cheery, colourful Christmas family image was reworked 70 years later by artist Bob Venables and appeared on the cover of the Christmas and New Year double issue in 1994. Artist Vince McIndoe paid tribute to this issue for the 2011 Christmas cover with a pastiche based on which BBC TV series? a. Doctor Who b. Gardeners’ World c. Top Gear 4. The cover was designed by American-born artist Edward McKnight Kauffer. Known as “The Poster King”, he is mainly remembered for the work he produced for both the London Underground and London Transport. The issue included an article from author and humourist Jerome K Jerome, who reminisced on his younger days in The Art of Merrymaking. Jerome K Jerome is best known for a comic travelogue novel, published in 1889, which has been adapted multiple times for film, TV, stage and radio. What is its title? a. Three Men in a Boat b. Three Men in an Omnibus c. Three Men on the Bummel 1930s 5. The issue included an article on the Football League’s concern over the possibility of diminished gate money for matches that were broadcast. RT stated: “Commentaries are not, and can never be, anything but ‘next best’ to attending an event in person.” In the final, Birmingham City lost 2—1 to which team, whose nicknames include The Baggies? a. Derby County b. West Bromwich Albion c. Huddersfield Town 6. On 15 May, the BBC took up residence at Broadcasting House, Portland Place, leaving behind their old studios of nine years at Savoy Hill, London. When construction began of Broadcasting House on 21 November 1928, which publication was placed under the foundation stone? a. The Bible b. The Complete Works of William Shakespeare c. The first edition of Radio Times 7. The laughing cat became one of the most memorable RT covers of the 1930s. Inside, ten consecutive pages of humour from 24 radio comedians were presented in the forms of monologues, duologues, poems and cartoons. In November 2020, RT announced the results of a poll to find the top 40 best British radio comedy shows ever made. Which of these three shows topped the poll? a. I’m Sorry I Haven’t a Clue b. Just a Minute c. The News Quiz 8. The coronation of King George VI and his wife Queen Elizabeth was held at Westminster Abbey on Wednesday 12 May 1937. It was the first time that the coronation of a British sovereign was broadcast on radio and also the first outside broadcast for BBC Television Services. RT celebrated the event with a striking full-colour cover by the war artist Christopher Nevinson. How long was the reign of King George VI? a. 15 years b. 20 years c. 25 years 9. RT dedicated this issue to women, with articles offering tips on how to adjust to life in wartime Britain. Women on the home front were advised on food economy, on how to keep their fingertips in good condition and on wearing clothes that would defy the blackout but wouldn’t make them look dowdy. During the Second World War, what was the function of the Women’s Land Army? a. To manufacture munitions b. To provide medical services c. To support agricultural production 1940s 10. In this seasonal issue RT brought the country uplifting the theme of 'We Are Advancing Towards Victory,' which was also the title of the main Christmas Day programme on the Home Service in which listeners were taken on a seventy-five minute journey around the world. Released in October 1943, which American singer sang I'll Be Home for Christmas? a. Elvis Presley b. Bing Crosby c. Frank Sinatra 11. As RT marked the end of the Second World War, the Archbishop of Canterbury, answered the question that had been put to him by the British people - how do we celebrate? He proffered three hints: first celebrate together, second, do not celebrate to excess as it can spoil it for everyone and third, have great humility in all our rejoicings, as 'at the heart is the humble recognition that this it is the Lord's doing'. With celebrations in mind, Prime Minister Winston Churchill was assured by the Ministry of Foods on the morning on VE Day that there were enough supplies in London of what? a. Beer b. Scones c. Tea 12. On Saturday 8 June, Britain celebrated victory in the Second World War. As well as radio coverage, BBC television made a timely return, allowing Richard Dimbleby, from his commentary post in the Mall, to, as RT put it, add his 'word-pictures to the televised impression of the march-past'. On Friday, 7 June at 3pm, BBC Television Service reopened by showing a cartoon that had been the last item transmitted before the TV service was closed by the war. Who was the star? a. Betty Boop b. Mickey Mouse c. Felix the Cat 13. Back with a tenth series on the Home Service. The music hall star and comedian, Tommy Handley was joined by a cast of familiar characters in the tenth series of the comedy show. It began in July 1939, and played a major role in keeping up the nation's morale during the war. The show was catchphrase driven, with many becoming common with the general public. They include three that are in The Oxford English Dictionary: 'I don't mind if I do' (Colonel Chinstrap) 'TTFN' (Ta Ta For Now, Mrs Mopp) and 'Doh!' (Miss Hotchkiss) which sits near Homer Simpson's familiar cry. What does the acronym ITMA stand for? a. It's Those Merrymakers Again b. It's That Music Again c. It's That Man Again 14. The Games of the XIV Olympiad were held at the Empire Stadium in London from 29 July to 14 August A record 61 nations participated in 19 sport disciplines in the first Games to be televised. RT calculated that by the end of the Games more than fifty hours of TV coverage would have been broadcast. The BBC's only transmitter was located in North London, but one viewer said they had received pictures where? a. Channel Islands b. Isles of Scilly c. Orkney Islands 1950s 15. Opened on 3 May by King George VI & Queen Elizabeth, the Festival of Britain served to celebrate the anniversary of the Great Exhibition of 1851 and give a boost to postwar Britain. Exhibitions on British culture and industry attracted millions to various UK venues, while the event's centre piece was constructed on a 27-acre site on London's South Bank. Who was the Prime Minister who in October 1951 ordered that the South Bank site be dismantled and cleared? a. Clement Attlee b. Harold Wilson c. Winston Churchill 16. The coronation of Elizabeth II as Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms was held at Westminster Abbey on Tuesday 2 June 1953. Following the death of her father, George VI on 6 February 1952, Elizabeth was proclaimed queen and ascended the throne age 25. It was her and her husband's wish that the whole coronation be televised, so for the first time camera's were allowed inside Westminster Abbey to capture the historic occasion, making it a television event like none before, and one that would place the medium in the nation's consciousness. Many of the 27 million (from a population of 36 million) who watched it live on BBC had rented or bought a TV set for the event. But as there were only 2.7 million TV sets in the country, it became not only figuratively, but literally a shared experience. Around 11 million listened on radio. The issue sold 9,012,358 copies, a new RT record but one that would soon be broken. Who suggested televising the ceremony, with the primary purpose of modernising the monarchy? a. The Queen Mother b. Prince Philip c. The Archbishop of Canterbury 17. On Christmas night listeners to the Home Service tuned into a showbiz party at the London Colosseum to celebrate the theatre's fiftieth anniversary. While television viewers joined a celebration with stars including Tommy Copper, Petula Clarke, Bob Monkhouse, Harry Secombe, and glove puppet Sooty along with his right hand man Harry Corbett for Television's Christmas Party. The issue sold 9,253,025 copies, breaking new sales records. In C Walter Hodges' cover illustration, who is Father Christmas shaking hands with? a. Ghost of Christmas Future b. Ghost of Christmas Past c. Father Time 18. Presenter David Attenborough graced the cover told RT about the fourth series of his pioneering TV show Zoo Quest, in which he and cameraman Charles Lagus travelled for three months through Indonesia-Borneo, Java, Bali and Sumbawa. Filming as they went, they ultimately managed on the Pacific island of Komodo to take footage, that had never been seen on TV before of the colossal lizard known as the Komodo dragon. Zoo Quest was the most popular wildlife programme of its time in Britain and ran for seven series from 1954-'63. What was the primary aim of Zoo Quest? a. To capture live animals for London Zoo b. To document conservation work c. Showcase the world's national parks 19. In an early example of reality television, viewers were granted the opportunity of watching live a life-boat rescue from the English Channel. The brave volunteers who man the boats were recognised in a RT article which reported that 1956 was the busiest year the Lifeboat Service has ever known in peacetime. At Dover, during a twenty-four hour period in July, they were called out 52 times, rescuing 107 lives. One of those reporting from Dover was Raymond Baxter. Which BBC series did he go on to present? a. Bang Goes the Theory b. Click c. Tomorrow's World 1960s 20. Tony Hancock was back for a sixth TV series of Hancock's Half-Hour. Amongst the new batch of ten episodes, written as usual by Ray Galton and Alan Simpson were the classics The Missing Page and The Reunion Party. By the end of this run, Hancock would end his seven year comic partnership with Sid James and go solo for what became the final series the following year. In which episode of Hancock, did Anthony Aloysius St John Hancock exclaim the famous line: 'a pint - why, that's very nearly an armful.' ? a. The Lift b. The Blood Donor c. The Radio Ham 21. The BBC's first purpose built TV studios opened on 29 June 1960 in White City, West London. To mark the event, cover stars magician David Nixon, comedians Richard Hearne (in character as Mr Pastry) and Arthur Askey topped the bill in a variety show called First Night. It was preceded by This is the BBC, an award winning film that took the viewers behind the scenes of both BBC radio and television. RT provided readers with a detailed aerial diagram, drawn by Cecil W Bacon of the circular complex with it's seven studios. A RT reporter compared a tour of the building to being taken around a 'large ocean liner'. In the complex's central garden representing the radiation of television light around the world sits T B Huxley-Jones sculpture of Helios, the Greek god of what? a. Mars b. The Moon c. The Sun 22. If writer Troy Kennedy Martin had not been confined to bed with mumps and passed the time tuned into a police radio wavelength, then Z Cars would not have screeched into existence. Troy recognised that what he heard was not reflected in contemporary police TV drama series, such as Dixon of Dock Green. He wanted to mirror the real relationship between the communities and the police and the types of crime that the new era brought. Set in Newtown (fictional location near Liverpool), each episode attracted up to 15 million viewers, ran for sixteen years and spawned six spin-off series. Which one of these three series has no association with Z Cars? a. Barlow at Large b. Juliet Bravo c. Sofly, Softly: Taskforce 23. When That Was The Week That Was - or TW3 hit the screens in November 1963 it made quite a bang and contributed greatly to Britain's satire boom. Airing at 10.30pm on a Saturday, David Frost hosted the live topical show that was hard-hitting, revolutionary and ground breaking. Ridiculing the news of the week and exposing the ironies, through a mixture of sharp witted sketches, satirical songs, commentary and a fearless approach to tackling controversial subjects, it attracted up to 13 million viewers each week. Appointed by BBC Director General Hugh Carleton Greene to pull together a team for the show, producer Ned Sherrin rounded up the multi-talented company seen on the RT cover, all of whom went on to have amazing careers. The list of writers who contributed to the show was also impressive, they included Dennis Potter, Jack Rosenthal & Malcolm Bradbury. Each week, the show's opening theme song used the same melody but different lyrics to reflect topical events, which regular team member sang it? a. Millicent Martin b. Aimi MacDonald c. Lulu 24. When The Beatles appeared on the RT cover to promote two shows starring them that Saturday night on BBC TV, they already had four hits with two albums and two singles and Beatlemania was rife. That evening's TV listings page contained a light hearted warning on the two thirty minute shows: 'Parents with teenagers are advised to sit well back from the TV set: they may get trampled in the rush'. The shows, both staged at Liverpool's Empire Theatre, were Juke Box Jury hosted by David Jacobs and It's the Beatles, a concert played to a full house of 2,500 from the national fan club. In 1964, The Beatles first major movie was released, what is the title of this black and white musical comedy? a. A Hard Day's Night b. Let It Be c. Yellow Submarine 25. Dr Who first materialised onto the nation's small black and white TV screens on Saturday 23 November 1963 (the day after President JFK's assignation). Created by Sydney Newman, the series concerned a centuries old grandfather with two hearts from the distant planet Gallifrey who travels through time and space in what masquerades as a British police phone box (aka TARDIS – Time and Relative Dimensions in Space). Like the Doctor, the series would go onto regenerate through the decades capturing the imagination of children and adults alike. The Doctor made his RT cover debut with his fourth adventure, this time set in thirteenth century China where he encountered explorer Marco Polo. Inside, RT set the scene for this four-parter. In 1966 (earth years) the first Doctor played by William Hartnell vacated the role with his character regenerating into the guise of which actor? a. Jon Pertwee b. Patrick Troughton c. Peter Cushing 26. On the evening of Monday 20 April 1964, the BBC's new channel was to be introduced to viewers in London and the south-east before being rolled out across the country. But due to a fire at Battersea Power Station causing a blackout across much of West London, home of BBC Television Centre, the planned launch night of light entertainment was put in the shade. Instead, viewers were presented with an emergency broadcast from BBC Television News head quarters at Alexander Palace and a caption card which read: ‘BBC2 Will Start Shortly.’ Normal service was resumed the following morning when the channel opened with Play School. The BBC2 publicity campaign included the animated mascots Hullabaloo and Custard, what were they? a. Elephants b. Kangaroos c. Hippopotamuses 27. The popularity of Ray Galton and Alan Simpson's sitcom Steptoe and Son was phenomenal. The combination of their outstanding scripts and the excellent performances of Wilfrid Brambell and Harry H Corbett as father and son scrap dealers Albert and Harold, set a new benchmark for all that followed in the genre to aspire to. After a twenty-month absence, this fourth series hailed much attention from the press and was heralded by the BBC as the jewel in their new autumn line-up of shows, an honour indeed especially now that the corporation had two channels. RT observed ‘Surely the most astonishing fact in the success-story of the world’s most celebrated comic father and son partnership is that even after three years the complete library of Steptoe scripts can be carried under one arm. Even when this new and welcome series ends in six weeks’ time there will still be only twenty-seven episodes in the entire Steptoe saga - and each one, by any standards, a television collector’s piece.' Although intended to be the final series, the Steptoe saga returned to BBC1 in 1970 in colour running for a further four series and two Christmas specials until 1974. What was the name of the Steptoe's first carthorse? a. Hercules b. Mr Ed c. Trigger 28. The RT World Cup cover sported the flags of the sixteen countries participating in the football tournament. Hosts England kicked off the matches on 11 July at Wembley Stadium with a 0-0 draw against Uruguay, shown that evening on BBC1. RT introduced the teams with expert comment and analysis from Kenneth Wolstenholme and Brian Moore, along with a fixture list and score card to be filled in. On 30 July, a crowd of over 96,000 converged at Wembley to watch England play West Germany in the final. After extra time, England claimed the Jules Rimet Trophy with a 4-2 win. The event became the most watched TV broadcast in UK history, with around 32.30 million tuning in. Leaving many to hear those now famous words from BBC TV commentator Kenneth Wolsternholme when England scored their fourth goal: 'Some people are on the pitch. They think it's all over.. it is now!' In the final, Geoff Hurst scored a hat-trick, but who scored England's fourth goal? a. Martin Peters b. Alan Ball c. Bobby Charlton 29. Adapted from John Galsworthy's novels, The Forsyte Saga spanned the years 1879 to 1926 and charted the tumultuous lives of the Forsytes, an upper-middle class London merchant family. Starring Kenneth More, Nyree Dawn Porter and Eric Porter the BBC2 serial ran for 26 weeks and was a phenomenal success, attracting 6 million out of the 8.5 million people who could receive the channel. When repeated the following year on BBC1, it drew Sunday evening audiences of 18 million, causing disruptions to church service times and emptying pubs. It was one of the last prestigious BBC drama series produced in black and white and in 1971 was the first series that the BBC ever sold to the Soviet Union, who like the rest of the world loved it. ITV revived the series with Damian Lewis and Gina McKee - in which year? a. 2000 b. 2002 c. 2004 30. If you were a BBC2 viewer in England who lived in the North, South, Midlands and London areas and had the correct TV set, then you were all set to receive colour transmission on 1 July. But this wasn't the whole picture, a full colour service would not begin until 2 December. In the meantime while work continued on the channel's transmitters, viewers could enjoy about five hours of colour programmes a week, beginning with tennis at Wimbledon. But BBC2 Controller David Attenborough was aware that even though this was a great advancement in television it was no black and white certainty that all would welcome it. On the 15 November 1969, BBC1 launched their full colour service. The first programme was a midnight transmission of the second half of a Royal Albert Hall concert starring which singer, whose popular play list aptly included Colour My World? a. Dusty Springfield b. Petula Clark c. Sandie Shaw 31. A new wave was sweeping across the British dials, as BBC radio made radical changes to its network. On 30 September, the BBC Light Programme, which had commenced in 1945, broadcasting easy listening music and entertainment was renamed Radio 2. The BBC Third Programme was changed to Radio 3 and the BBC Home Service, which began at the start of World War II became Radio 4. The changes would be gradual, as Frank Gillard, director of BBC radio explained in the RT. But the big news was the all new swinging Radio 1, RT introduced the faces behind the voices while, a model in a paper dress displayed the station's wavelength on what was the magazine's first regular colour cover. Which disc jockey with his own cheery mixture of pop and corn launched Radio 1 with the song Flowers in the Rain by The Move? a. Ed Stewart b. Michael Aspel c. Tony Blackburn 32. Producer Richard Cawston's BBC1 fly on the wall documentary about Queen Elizabeth ll and her family was a watershed in royal coverage and as the RT cover states both a television 'first' and 'historic'. Filmed at a time when their popularity in 'swinging sixties' Britain was waning, it captures the family off duty and relaxed. The 1 hour 50 minute insight was edited from 43 hours of material shot over a year and debut on 21 June, with a second showing on ITV the following week, collectively attracting a UK audience of 30.6 million and an estimated 350 million worldwide. BBC2 controller David Attenborough was seriously concerned that the film was in danger of 'killing the monarchy', by revealing too much about them. Fearing over exposure, the Queen later banned it and for that year only didn't deliver a televised Christmas day message. Instead, both BBC TV channels simultaneously broadcast the documentary from 12.30pm. It was last aired in 1977 on BBC2 as part of the Queen's Silver Jubilee celebrations. What was the main aim of the candid documentary? a. To showcase the family's lifestyle b. To make the royals more popular c. To showcase their official duties 33. Prince Charles' recent and first TV interview was repeated on BBC2 the evening prior and on the morning of the ceremonial day. In it, the 20 year old spoke about the investiture, his education and his views on Welsh Nationalism. On Tuesday, 1 July at 3pm the Ceremony of Investiture was held followed by the loyal address. The event was covered by all three TV channels (BBC2 colour) and Radios 3 & 4 Wales. It attracted a UK TV audience of 19 million and 500 million worldwide. Head of production Antony Craxton told RT: 'The most difficult and massive outside broadcast operation since the Coronation and the biggest colour operation ever.' It involved 28 colour cameras with nearly five miles of cables, 180 engineering technicians and a fleet of 50 vehicles. RT devoted the majority of its 68 pages to the occasion, which included a history of the investiture and colour photos of Charles at various stages in his life. At which castle in Wales did the Ceremony take place? a. Caernarfon b. Cardiff c. Swansea 34. On 20 July 1969, a global audience of 650 million witnessed an event that was literally out of this world. The landing of Apollo 11 lunar module 'Eagle' onto the moon and humanity's first steps onto another celestial body. In the UK, an estimated 22 million were watching, both the BBC (including radio) and ITV covered the historic event, with the former giving 27 hours of televised coverage and the latter 16. In the BBC studio, Cliff Michelmore anchored with analyst from astronomer Patrick Moore and science broadcaster James Burke. RT's cover space featured a similar rocket blasting off and inside dedicated seven pages that included information on the men, the mooncraft, the mission and the race with the Soviet Union. In 1999 RT reprinted the entire issue as a historic souvenir and in 2019 celebrated 50 years with a reprint of the 1969 pages. Who was the second astronaut to step on the Moon? a. Edwin Aldrin b. Neil Armstrong c. Michael Collins 35. In 1968, after six successful series on ITV, Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise brought their sunshine to Britain's only colour channel – BBC2. Back for a second series, the duo were now joined by leading comedy writer Eddie Braben who had been Ken Dodd's joke writer for 15 years. He skilfully reinvented their comedy persona and turned them into the much loved double act that the nation took to their hearts. Asked by RT if their new writer would make any discernible difference to their comedy, Eric said 'That's for the public to decide.' In 1971, the duo performed in what became one of their most classic and best loved sketches – the piano concerto with guest Andre Preview, sorry Previn. Which Norwegian composer's concerto was it that Eric claimed he was playing all the right notes to, but not necessarily in the right order? a. Brahms b. Liszt c. Grieg 1970s 36. Lance Corporal Jones (Clive Dunn) took cover as he proudly lead the Walmington-on-Sea platoon into their fourth BBC1 series. RT asked those stars of the show, who had served what they really did in the war. Clive had been captured in Greece and spent four years in various Austrian POW camps 'I don't have any happy memories from the war'. Arnold Ridley (Pvt Godfrey) had seen action in both wars, invalided out in 1940 he joined the Home Guard. John Laurie (Pvt Frazer) fought in the first and like Arnold ended his second world war years in the Home Guard, where he recalled: 'We did our exercises with broom sticks instead of rifles and we felt like complete idiots.' What was Jones' familiar cry at the threat of danger? a. “Don't panic! Don't panic!” b. “Permission to speak, sir?” c. “They don't like it up 'em!” 37. A jewel in the BBC's drama crown, Glenda Jackson's performance as Queen Elizabeth I of England was applauded, lauded and awarded. Such was the success of the series, that after BBC2 had shown the six ninety minute episodes, BBC1 repeated them. Jackson's portrayal of the 16th century monarch took her from age 15 to a pallid, grotesque 70 year old over the course of seven months filming. For the role, Jackson shaved her head back to the crown and wore a false straight nose that became bonier as the character aged. The actress told RT what attracted her to the role 'Developing a character over this enormous width of canvas was a challenge I couldn't resist. She was like a chameleon, altering to suit the circumstances and the people she was with, keeping her central self very much to herself.' With a large budget of £237,000, the cast was like a who's who of British thespian royalty. Jackson later reprised her role of the Virgin Queen for the 1971 movie Mary, Queen of Scots. Elizabeth R was a sequel to BBC2's multi-award winning The Six Wives of Henry VIII, which originally aired in 1970 and starred Australian Shakespearean actor Keith Michell. For the episode where Elizabeth is imprisoned by her half-sister Queen Mary I, it was arranged for the scenes to be filmed on location and for Traitors' Gate to be raised for the first time in a century. At which key London building was Elizabeth locked up? a. Houses of Parliament b. Tower of London; c. Royal Observatory 38. Take cover 'Alf Garnett's back', warned the RT as East End's biggest bigot returned after four years for a fourth series in colour of the controversial sitcom starring Warren Mitchell, Dandy Nichols, Una Stubbs and Anthony Booth. Now a grizzling grandad, Alf still had plenty to say about the nation and the nation was still laughing, as the series instantly became the most watched in Britain, with typical audiences of 16 million. RT turned the attention on Johnny Speight, the show's creator and writer, and spoke to his wife, children and 81 year old parents 'I didn't expect him to be a writer, we don't know where he gets the brains from, to be quite honest,' said his dad. Not something that Alf could claim as RT commented at the end of series two in 1967 'If you laugh with Alf Garnett you have merely been entertained. If you laugh at him you have been entertained and informed – and that's a victory for Johnny Speight.' What was the title of the BBC1 sequel to Till Death Us Do Part that began in 1985? a. For Better, For Worse b. For Richer, For Poorer c. In Sickness & In Health 39. On Sunday 30 April, 1972 at the Camden Theatre, London the Goons - Spike Milligan, Peter Sellers and Harry Secombe returned after twelve years to record a special show for Radio 4 as part of the BBC's 50th Anniversary in October. Also making a comeback were their musical foils – singer Ray Ellington and harmonica player Max Geldray, who was now living in America and was flown over especially. In the audience were royal fans the Duke of Edinburgh and Princesses Anne and Margaret, but absent, much to his disappointment was Prince Charles who was on active naval service. Originally titled Crazy People with Michael Bentine, The Goon Show with its wildly named characters, hilarious sound effects and unique surreal humour ran riot for 250 episodes on the BBC Home Service from 1951 to '60. Harry shared with RT his fond memories of their weekly recordings 'We'd come alive on Sundays. It was like being let out of school. We'd be hysterical reading the scripts'. But for Spike, the pressure of writing this oral cartoon every week took its toll on his mental health 'you can say that I gave my sanity to that show.' The special raised hopes at the BBC for more reunions, but those Goon old days were no more and it proved to be The Last Goon Show of All. Throughout The Goon Shows, Harry Secombe played the central idiot around which all the craziness revolved, 'What what what what what' (as he would say) was his character's name? a. Bluebottle b. Neddie Seagoon c. Eccles 40. A powerful three part BBC1 documentary series turned the light on the world's energy crisis by looking at the likely effects of man's swift consumption of the earth's fuel resources. RT reported that world supplies of oil and gas were running out, it had already started in America and would effect Britain by 1980, despite the North Sea discoveries. Experts suggested that by 1995 oil would be exhausted. As for nuclear power, already around ten percent of Britain's grid was powered by stations, with the prediction that by the year 2000 Britain may receive 60% or more of it's electricity from reactors. But some scientists were questioning it safeness. But it wasn't all doom and gloom, on the brighter side the sun could be harnessed to provide heat and electricity on a large scale. Experiments were being carried out to ascertain the best and cheapest way of converting it, including the possibility of solar panels on homes. Geothermal energy was another option, but its possibilities were not being unearthed by many governments and big corporations, instead research was being done by small groups of amateurs. As one scientist said: 'the energy problem will solve itself – either we approach the subject rationally or the lights will go out.' During the UK energy crisis of 1974, what term was used to describe when businesses reduced their working hours? a. Three-day Week b. Energy Freeze c. Power Break 41. Watch the birdie! Smiling but feeling genuinely terrified, entertainer Cilla Black posed with two tame Brazilian macaws while their owner Brighton Pier photographer Jim Critchlow snapped away. The nervousness was due to her last encounter with a parrot 'Bit me neck, took a chunk out of it' she told RT. The cover was promoting an August Bank Holiday edition of her BBC1 variety show Cilla, which had been running since 1968 and attracting TV audiences of between 18 to 22 million. The series changed her professional life and allowed the Liverpudlian singer to do more, such as act in comedy sketches and, in a weekly filmed segment, share banter with the public. “I like talking to people on the streets, not the bloomin' jet-set.” said Cilla. The original opening theme song to Cilla was composed by Black's friend Paul McCartney - what was it called? a. Alfie b. Step Inside Love c. Surprise Surprise 42. At only 26 years old, the NHS was under the microscope as Radio 4 ran a series of programmes examining it's health. RT provided statistics and reports on both GP group practices and mental health care. Launched in 1948 by Health Minister Aneurin Bevan, Park Hospital became Britain's first NHS hospital. Now known as Trafford General Hospital, which city is it in? a. Birmingham b. Manchester c. Southampton 43. Python animator Terry Gilliam brought his unique artistic and comedic talents to the cover of RT to promote the fourth series of Monty Python's Flying Circus. Now in it's fifth year, BBC2's ground breaking, zany and subversive sketch show had become a national institution attracting 10 million viewers. But changes were afoot, and this series would be the last, with only six episodes instead of the usual thirteen and minus a Python. Believing that success was threatening their enthusiasm, Terry confided to RT 'It's not quite as much fun as it used to be and that really worries me. What was nice at the beginning – and I think it really communicated – was that we were all really enjoying it. Now it is getting a bit like work. I'm sure everyone feels this, although they may not admit it.' Which member of the Pythons didn't appear in the final series? a. John Cleese b. Eric Idle c. Michael Palin 44. Ronnie Barker as Norman Stanley Fletcher was back to stir up the laughs in another helping of Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais award winning BBC1 prison sitcom Porridge. To herald in the second, penultimate series, RT, inspired by Ronnie's passion for collecting comic postcards, drew on the talents of cartoonist Peter Brookes to emulate the style of Donald McGill's famous saucy postcards for the cover's artwork. The new series opened with the fruitless task of Fletcher trying to find amongst the thieves who nicked his stolen tin of pineapple chunks. How many years was Fletcher sentenced to serve at HMP Slade? a. 3 years b. 4 years c. 5 years 45. As the USA celebrated the 200th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, BBC television and radio broadcast throughout the week a collection of programmes reflecting the country's past, present and pastimes. RT cast an eagle eye on how the country viewed itself through its TV screens, with a trio of articles, one by America's most famous artist Andy Warhol, who as a watcher of game shows wrote on the link between them and gambling. The models crafted for the cover were by British caricaturists Roger Law and Peter Fluck, whose most notable TV work featured in the ITV satirical series Spitting Image (1984-1996). In 1977, they created the RT cover for the David Frost and ex-President Richard Nixon interview. Which President was in the driving seat during America's bicentennial year? a. Gerald Ford b. Jimmy Carter c. Ronald Reagan 46. If you were a child in the seventies the idea of having your artwork on the cover of the RT and for it to be in honour of the Queen's Silver Jubilee, was something that you just couldn't picture. But for five year old Nicola Griffin from Surrey it became a reality when she won the Radio Times and Blue Peter competition to design a cover for the special occasion. Her Smiling Guardsman design was chosen out of more than 65,000 entries and was one of nine top prize winners in three age groups, the runners-up's artwork featured inside. The following week, for the Silver Jubilee souvenir issue, RT marked the occasion by commissioning artist Candice Bahouth to create a tapestry of the Queen in profile. Which British children's TV programme all about art began in 1977? a. Vision On b. Take Hart c. Art Attack 47. Spanning the years 1860 to 1886, Cyril Abraham's seafaring drama starring Peter Gilmore as Captain James Onedin made a big splash with viewers when it first set sail in 1971. The sepia tinted RT cover heralded the start of series five of BBC1's long-running (91 episodes) Sunday night saga. Up to 12 million viewers followed the tumultuous love life and risky business deals of quick tempered Liverpool shipping magnate Onedin and the voyages on his schooner the Charlotte Rhodes. Speaking of his character to RT in 1973, Peter said 'Reading through the early scripts, I can't say I much liked James. On paper, he seemed a narrow, unsympathetic sort of man. I've tried to show that, deep down, he's not half as bad as he may seem; somewhere there's more than a trace of humour.' The series rich orchestral theme tune was composed by Aram Khachaturian, and is an excerpt from his 1956 ballet about a slave who leads a rebellion against the Roman Empire. What is the title of the theme music, that shares its name with the lead character? a. Spartacus b. Markus c. Spencius 48. Pauline Ellison's cover illustration works on two levels - from a distance it looks like a Christmas tree, but on closer inspection it depicts a small busy village enjoying the festive season. This Christmas-tree-village was also used for the annual RT Christmas card. But it wasn't just the RT cover that made a great impression that festive season - BBC1's Christmas night line-up offered a trio of light entertainment shows that topped the ratings. They included Bruce Forsyths' final Generation Game (until 1990) and the Morecambe and Wise Christmas Show, their last one for the BBC, watched by an audience of more than 21 million. Sandwiched between them was one show, that with a slightly higher audience share made an even bigger impression. It starred an impressive impressionist, who was he...when he was himself? a. Alistair McGowen b. Jon Culshaw c. Mike Yarwood 49. To this day The Good Life is one of Britain's most cherished home grown shows. The self-sufficiency sitcom starring Richard Briers and Felicity Kendall as Tom and Barbara Good and Penelope Keith and Paul Eddington as neighbours Margo and Jerry Leadbetter, ran for four series, ending with a 1977 Christmas special that was watched by 17 million. When the BBC gifted the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh the opportunity of watching a comedy show being recorded, they were offered The Two Ronnies or The Good Life. The royal couple chose the latter, it had been reported to be their favourite. And so, with one final special episode The Good Life became the first sitcom to have a Royal Command Performance, leaving all those involved honoured to be chosen. Bob Larbey, co-writer with John Esmonde told RT that the episode would be like any other 'there will be no references to corgis, horses or the possibility of allotments at the Palace.' Briers gave his thoughts on the special 'a bit thrilling. I love the royal family. It's all rather frightening, but it could be enormous fun. And I'm glad we're giving them an ordinary programme'. Not that, as RT added there has been anything ordinary about The Good Life. Before the Goods started their new life of self-sufficiency, what was Tom's occupation? a. Estate Agent b. Draughtsman c. Sales Executive 50. 'It's much less about medicine than about the whole business of being alive' said Dr Jonathan Miller to RT about his new groundbreaking medical documentary series. Over 13 episodes, Miller explored all aspects of the human body and mind, including how and why it functions, ancient medical practices, diseases and healing. The final episode made TV history as it was the first programme to depict the dissection of a human cadaver, understandably causing some controversy. The series was nominated for two British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) awards in 1979 – Most Original Programme/Series and Best Factual Television Series. Jonathan Miller came to prominence in 1960 when he, Alan Bennett, Peter Cook and Dudley Moore performed their revue show at the Edinburgh Festival. What was it called? a. Beyond the Fringe b. The Goon Show c. Not Only...But Also 51. Audiences had no reservations when it came to viewing this long awaited second series on BBC2 of John Cleese and Connie Booth's five star sitcom Fawlty Towers. In the interim, the first series from 1975 had been shown three times in Britain and countless times worldwide. Although John and Connie had started writing this series in 1976, there had been a number of reasons for the slow return, one being their divorce. Another was in the writing, as John told RT 'Most thirty minute shows have about sixty-five pages of script. Ours are nearer 120 pages. We play it much faster than most people, so there's more to write.' The series two episode Waldorf Salad opens with which anagram of the Fawlty Towers sign? a. Fatty Owls b. Flay Otters c. Watery Fowls 52. Created and written by Guyana-born British writer Michael Abbensetts, Empire Road was the first British TV series to be written, directed and acted predominantly by Black artists. The BBC2 serial depicted the lives of the African Caribbean, South Asian and East Indian residents of a Birmingham street. It began in 1978 with five half hour episodes, but was soon recommissioned for a further ten. The serial's central characters, featured on the RT cover were the Bennett family, Corinne Skinner-Carter who played Hortense told RT 'The series itself was long overdue. It's always been a white version of Black people before. People who know how things are, watched it and said, “Ah! At last!”, People who didn't know said, “Oh!...It's like that?!” I always thought it would show people a little bit how we feel, as opposed to how they think we feel.' Unfortunately, only two series were produced and after 15 episodes the sun went down on Empire Road. Featuring in the soap as rogue housing landlord Sebastian Moses was Rudolph Walker. Since 2001, he has become best known as which character in EastEnders? a. Patrick Trueman b. Jim Branning c. Vincent Hubbard 1980s 53. Radio Times didn't just pull any old rabbit out of the hat for the 1980 Easter cover - relaxing with a good read was none other than Bugs Bunny, star of the Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies cartoon series. Exclusively drawn for RT by Chuck Jones, Bugs was promoting a BBC1 profile on his famous animator for the art based documentary series Omnibus. The cover also included some hopping - channel hopping that is as the line 'I never knew there was so much in it' is a riff on the slogan from ITV's telly guide TV Times. Which one of Chuck Jones' other animated characters would often appear at the end of a Looney Tunes cartoon by bursting through a bass drum head and declaring 'That's all Folks!'? a. Elmer Fudd b. Daffy Duck c. Porky Pig 54. The Hague, Netherlands played host to the 25th annual Eurovision Song Contest, and RT celebrated with some singing tulips on the cover (aka The Hi-Brids). Simultaneously broadcast on BBC1 and Radio 2, Terry Wogan again gave his witty commentary. RT reported on the Song for Europe competition which brought sextet Prima Donna to the contest with Love Enough for Two. It wasn't enough to win and the UK came third out of nineteen entries with 106 points. Second was Germany with 128, but the night belonged to Ireland as Johnny Logan won with 143 points singing What's Another Year. The following year the UK were popping corks when Bucks Fizz won. Which country has had the most consecutive wins and won the most contests? a. Ireland b. Netherlands c. United Kingdom 55. Messrs Barker and Corbett were back for an eighth series of eight packed programmes with their customary line up of news items, sketches, Barker's word-play speeches, music, songs, Corbett's rambling monologues and of course the weekly cliff-hanger serial which in this run was - The Worm that Turned. In it the duo played Janet and Betty two subjugated dress wearing males who rebel in a dystopian 2012 England where women rule with an iron glove. Guest starring Diana Dors as Commander of the State Police, the tale was penned by Barker under his Two Ronnies' pseudonym Gerald Wiley. Included in the opening show is without question one of the duo's classic sketches. Initially, it didn't pass writer David Renwick's standards; thankfully he changed his opinion, which sketch is it? a. Dead Parrot Sketch b. Mastermind Sketch c. Antony & Cleopatra Sketch 56. On 29 July 1981 at St Paul's Cathedral, London the wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer was held. A guest list of 2,600 and a worldwide TV audience of 750 million watched what was hailed as the wedding of the century. Adorning the RT cover was an embroidered design exclusively produced by the Royal School of Needlework. RT's 84 page souvenir issue included a detailed order of service, features on the dress, rings, cake and Diana's family tree which traced her all the way back to King Charles II. In an exclusive RT interview, Charles spoke about being in the public eye: 'I think it would be quite worrying if people weren't interested, because then there would be no point in going on.' It was the first royal wedding held at St Paul's Cathedral in 480 years. Why did the couple break from the traditional venue of Westminster Abbey? a. Westminster Abbey's maximum seating is 2,000 b. Westminster Abbey was pre-booked c. Westminster Abbey was under renovation 57. Not since Monty Python's Flying Circus had an irreverent sketch series made headlines in British comedy like Not the Nine O'Clock News. Reporting back for the fourth and final run were Rowan Atkinson, Pamela Stephenson, Mel Smith and Griff Rhys Jones, and those six episodes would be their most watched and controversial. What was the show's memorable parody Nice Video, Shame About the Song, making a humourous comment on? a. The excessive use of special effects in music videos b. The high cost of music videos c. The mismatch between visually appealing music videos & poor songs 58. Children all around the UK stood to benefit as BBC television and radio, both national and local linked up to launch the third annual marathon appeal. RT looked at where some of the money raised the previous year had been spent and heard from disadvantaged children and young people who had greatly benefited from it. Terry Wogan again hosted, supported by many stars including Lulu, Cliff Richard, Petula Clark and astronomer Patrick Moore who played When the Saints Go Marching In on the xylophone. In 1985 Pudsey Bear joined as the charity's mascot. In 2009 a shy rosy-cheeked female bear became his companion. What is her name? a. Mrs Bear b. Blush c. Soo 59. It was the dawn of a new broadcasting era: the UK's first TV breakfast show. The BBC dished theirs up just 15 days before ITV rival TV-am stepped up to the plate. Hosted by Frank Bough, Selina Scott and Nick Ross, the show not only brought the news, sport, weather and travel, but included celebrity interviews, the day's newspapers, human interest stories and astrology. But to ensure that Breakfast Time was to everyone's tastes, editor Ron Neil offered choice 'For the first six months, frankly, we will be experimenting, until we find out from the response exactly what viewers do want' he told RT. In the exercise segment and on her mission to Get Britain Fit was Diana Moran, who in the first show was at Waterloo Station, London putting commuters through their paces. Due to the colour of her leotard, fitness expert Diana Moran was known as what? a. Blue Streak b. Green Goddess; c. Pink Panther 60. Serving up more beautiful Yorkshire scenery to drink in, the seventh series of Roy Clarke's Last of the Summer Wine was back and in its new regular home of Sunday evenings. Giving us more laughs to savour were the familiar trio of Compo (Bill Owen), Foggy (Brian Wilde) and Clegg (Peter Sallis). RT visited Holmfirth, the old West Yorkshire Pennine town where the exterior scenes are filmed, and learned that when the sitcom began in 1973, the locals disliked it, as the RT reporter explained: 'The people of Holmfirth used to switch down the sound and just watch it for the local views. They thought the southerners were at their age-old game of taking the mickey out of the north. Now, if you stop people in the streets of Holmfirth, it's rare to find a person who doesn't watch the series avidly. “Everyone is really excited about it,” I was told. “We think it's getting better all the time.” 'There was one aspect of Nora Batty's (Kathy Staff) appearance that Compo didn't find attractive. What was it? a. Her Wrinkled Stockings b. Her Cardigan c. Her Curlers 61. After 19 years, television's longest running pop show, Top of the Pops was on song to celebrate its 1,000 edition. The regular Thursday evening show was extended from thirty to fifty minutes and simultaneously broadcast on both BBC1 and Radio 1, where listeners could enjoy the show for the first time in stereo. DJ and regular presenter John Peel revealed to RT how his attitude towards the programme had improved through the years. At the top of the UK charts on the day the show was aired – 5 May - was True sung by which group? a. Duran Duran b. The Police c. Spandau Ballet 62. It had been quite a year in sport, giving hosts Des Lynam, Harry Carpenter and David Coleman much to comment upon in this 30th anniversary award gala live from BBC Television Centre, London. More than 400 leading sport personalities gathered to relive memorable moments, including the gold medal wins for British athletes Tessa Sanderson, Sebastian Coe and Daley Thompson at the Los Angeles Olympic Games. In tennis, John McEnroe broke a record (not his racquet...yet) with his highest single season win rate of 82-3. The top three BBC sports personalities of the year were, in reverse order: snooker's Steve Davis, Sebastian Coe and gliding into the top spot, figure skaters Torvill & Dean. Torvill & Dean won gold in the 1984 Winter Olympics in Sarajevo for their routine to which piece of music by composer Maurice Ravel? a. Boléro b. Gelato c. Sorbet 63. Such was the effect of the shocking images seen in BBC journalist Michael Buerk's report from famine-stricken Ethiopia in 1984, that musicians Bob Geldorf and Midge Ure created Band Aid and the charity single Do They Know It's Christmas? They followed the success of that with the unique benefit concert Live Aid on 13 July 1985. Billed as the Global Jukebox, it was simultaneously held at Wembley Stadium, London, (to a crowd of 72,000) and John F Kennedy Stadium, Philadelphia (with 100,000 people). In the UK, BBC2 broadcast the first ten hours, with BBC1 covering the remaining six, both in mono, while Radio 1 played the whole concert in stereo. Worldwide it was watched by 1.9 billion and raised £100,247,450 for African famine relief. Which British band were first to perform at the Live Aid concert on 13 July 1985 with their aptly titled number Rockin' All Over the World? a. The Boomtown Rats b. Status Quo c. U2 64. Famously billed as 'an every day story of country folk' The Archers began nationally on the BBC Light Programme on New Year's Day 1951, moving to BBC Radio 4 in 1967. Now billed as 'a contemporary drama in a rural setting', the weekday serial reached its 20,000th episode in June 2023. One of the many peaks along that long country path was the much anticipated wedding of Ambridge's Shula Archer (Judy Bennett) to solicitor Mark Hebden (Richard Derrington). After having backed out of their wedding at the eleventh hour in 1981, country girl Shula finally took the bull by the horns. Fortunately, invited to the event through a family friend was royal photographer Lord Patrick Lichfield, whose cover shot graced the RT in 1985. In which fictional English county is The Archers set? a. Borsetshire b. Midsomer c. Trumptonshire 65. Instead of the traditional illustrated cover, RT Christmas and New Year double issue featured those diamond geezers, the Trotters – Del (David Jason), Uncle Albert (Buster Merryfield) and Rodney (Nicholas Lyndhurst) raising a glass of sparkly. Their hit sitcom Only Fools and Horses was BBC1's Christmas-night highlight – a feature-length special that took them to Holland and attracted 16.9 million viewers. Cushty! What was the title of this adventurous episode? a. Diamonds are for Heather b. Christmas Crackers c. To Hull and Back 66. A smile from landlady Angie (Anita Dobson) and a look of 'I'm not amused' from Queen Vic's landlord Den Watts (Leslie Grantham) graced the cover of RT to celebrate the first anniversary of BBC1's soap EastEnders. Inside, a 12 page pull-out souvenir included a review of the current plotlines such as the mystery of who fathered Michelle Fowler's baby. Also featured were celebrity fans, among them Paul McCartney, Samantha Fox and David Jason who joked: 'I can just see Del Boy in Albert Square, knowing the people. Even though it's the wrong side of the river, he'd knock out a few watches. Del Boy would turn over anybody.' That year's Christmas and New Year double issue of the RT featured more EastEnders on the cover with the Fowler family. The two Christmas night episodes included the legendary scene where Den served an astounded Angie their divorce papers, witnessed by a record TV audience of more than 31 million.When EastEnders began, the two main families, connected by matriarch Lou, were the Fowlers and which other? a. The Beales b. The Mitchells c. The Slaters 67. Dennis Potter's original six-part multi-layered drama serial starred Michael Gambon as Philip Marlow, a writer of detective pulp fiction. Hospitalised by psoriasis, a debilitating skin disease he delves through a series of hallucinations and flashbacks and into a complex world where he becomes the protagonist in his own detective story. Potter, who also suffered from psoriasis based portions of the story on his own life as well as taking extracts from his 1973 debut novel Hide and Seek. Initially, the series did not attract big viewing figures, dividing opinion, from brilliant to outrageous, but to most – confusing, until the conclusion. 'One of the things I want to do in The Singing Detective is break up the narrative tyranny,' Potter told RT. In doing so it became influential in its genre. Since 2000, it has ranked 20th in British Film Institute's 100 Greatest British Television Programmes. In 1992, Michael Gambon began playing which pipe smoking detective on ITV? a. Hercule Poirot b. Commissioner Jules Maigret c. Inspector Jacques Clouseau 68. It's panto time! Oh yes, it is! Adorned by Lynda Gray's beautifully illustrated pantomime themed cover this edition of RT gained a place in the Guinness Book of Records as the biggest selling edition of any magazine in British history with an astonishing 11,220,666 copies sold. Inside, RT presented its own elaborate paper pantomime with photo shoots featuring some of the big comedy stars of the day as the Radio Times Players in three scenes: Babes in the Woods meets Jack and the Beanstalk, Cinderella and Dobbin the Blunder Horse. RT's resident poet Roger Woodis supplied the accompanied humourous verse. Les Dennis introduced RT's 1988 Christmas pantomime shoot dressed as Simple Simon, who is a character in which panto? a. Jack and the Beanstalk b. Aladdin c. Mother Goose 69. Revered film critic for the BBC and RT, Barry Norman mounted his hobby horse to lament the demise of the western as a cinema genre. Spurred on by the new series of Paradise which began on BBC1 that week, he found it encouraging that America were making TV westerns again. Brought up on cowboy movies, he found there was a beautiful simplicity to them: 'At its best it was a modern morality tale, the clash of good versus evil, and good always triumphant. Never mind that life is not like that: life should be like that,' he wrote. He claimed not to have one favourite movie, but many...'and why not?' One of Barry's favourite westerns is a fifties classic, which one? a. High Noon b. The Searchers c. Shane 70. Every journey begins with a single step and Michael Palin began his world travelogues for the BBC, by following in the fictional footsteps of Phileas Fogg from Jules Verne's novel, and circumnavigating by land, sea and hot air balloon the world in eighty days. In 2002, Michael recalled some of his journey's highlights 'the passage through the Corinth canal, the week on the dhow, my first visit to China and a stunningly beautiful rail crossing of America.' In the seventh and final episode, watched by over 12 million, Michael made it back to London within the time, to be precise in 79 days and seven hours. Michael Palin was not the BBC's first choice for this adventure. Which presenter, who had made the world his own, was originally chosen? a. Alan Whicker b. Noel Edmonds c. Clive James 1990s 71. The Radio Times they are a-changin'. Arnold Schwarzenegger was there to promote BBC2's new six part documentary Naked Hollywood on nineties Tinsel town. But, it wasn't what was on the cover, but what was between them that was significant about this RT. On Friday, 1 March, 1991 the duopoly that had always existed between RT and TV Times was lifted. This deregulation meant that both magazines could publish details of the other side's schedules plus the satellite and cable channels. Now available all under one cover, RT had returned to it's roots and was again the complete guide to broadcasting. But unlike before, it's oldest companion was now one of its new competitors. Tough Times - 'Hasta la vista, baby'. In which year was TV Times first published? a. 1951 b. 1953 c. 1955 72. Esther Rantzen was back to present a new series of Hearts of Gold, the show she devised to commend unsung heroes and heroines with extraordinary tales of courage and kindness. Esther told RT 'None of these people know they have been nominated, and to get them to the studio we've had to play a trick, join a conspiracy with those who love them – and often owe them their lives.' Esther's disguises in this series included being a duchess and a punk 'Playing a duchess wasn't half as much fun as being a punk.' Also in the series the RadioTimes/Hearts of Gold Wonderful Mums Awards were announced, RT met three out of the thousands nominated. What was the title of Esther Rantzen's long-running BBC1 consumer affairs show? a. Rip-Off Britain b. Watchdog c. That's Life 73. BBC2's six-part documentary Funny Business, took a serious look at what made us laugh. In the opening episode comedian Rowan Atkinson spoke about silent comedy, while his alter ego in the guise of gormless mime-artist Kevin Bartholomew approached the subject from various angles. Other areas of comedy covered in the series included episodes on stand-up and double acts. Rowan Atkinson said that his influences in developing the character of Mr Bean included legendary comedians Charlie Chaplin & Jacques Tati. Which style of comedy were they renowned for? a. Physical & Visual b. Wit & Wordplay c. Satirical 74. The Pine Marten keen to get its claws on your sarnies was just one of the many animal stars in this six-part BBC1 innovative public access series about people and the wildlife that interests them. Presented by Chris Packham and featuring wildlife cameraman Simon King, the programme invited the public to send in their camcorder tapes of any unusual wildlife events. Using the latest filming techniques, the BBC Natural History Unit would investigate. What is the collective noun for an abundance of Pine Martens? a. A Richness b. A Scarcity c. A Sparsity 75. When the BBC approached Joanna Lumley about making the desert island survival documentary Girl Friday, they suggested she did it as her Absolutely Fabulous character Patsy Stone, she rejected the idea. 'Patsy was Jennifer Saunder's creation, not mine. I thought it would be much more interesting to have a real crack at it.' she told RT. And so she did, armed with only the bare necessities and a crash course in survival techniques, Joanna was left to fend for herself for nine days on the tiny island of Tsarabajina, off the north-west coast of Madagascar. There, she single-handedly build a driftwood shelter, foraged for food, lived on a daily ration of boiled rice and became covered in septic sores from sand flies bites. At night, the film crew departed to a luxury yacht, she stayed and talked candidly to her camcorder. 'The solitude was the most extraordinary thing. I've never been anywhere where there was no sign of humanity, no books, no music, no buildings, no signs of man's achievements. After a while, you find yourself thinking, “Well, do we really need these things anyway?” Even your sense of self vanishes, and you actually become personality-free.' On the island, Joanna famously recycled a bra into a pair of what? a. Ear Muffs b. Knee Protectors c. Cave Slippers 76. A RT tradition – the woman's special issue had vanished since the outbreak of World War II, but under the editorship of Sue Robinson it was revived and back in the pink once more. Cover star Helen Mirren and 36 other notable baby boomers from the world of showbusiness, sport, politics and journalism celebrated reaching fifty and how suddenly it was the fashionable age to be. On BBC Radio 4, the weekday magazine programme Woman's Hour acknowledged its half century with a week of celebratory broadcasts. British radio broadcaster Janet Quigley MBE played a key role in creating Woman's Hour and was co-founder of which other long running BBC Radio 4 programme? a. The Archers b. Today c. Your and Yours 77. Have I Got News for You – it's the BBC's 75th anniversary! And as RT celebrated with a 16 page pull out souvenir, the topical news quiz regulars - team captains Ian Hislop, Paul Merton and host Angus Deayton were dressed for the occasion, complete with a BBC-Marconi Type A microphone. RT met the team as they prepared for series 14 of the show, that in its seven years had already become a national comic institution. Asked if he does much mugging up on the week's news, Paul said: 'When the show started, I used to spend a lot of time reading the papers. These days, I can't be bothered. I just think of all the other things I could do in the time it takes to read the tabloids – like making a cup of tea.' When Angus Deayton left the show in 2002, Paul Merton hosted the next edition. But then the countdown was on to find guest hosts, who was the first? a. Richard Ayoade b. Diane Morgan c. Anne Robinson 78. In her week as guest Editor of RT's special Comic Relief issue, comedian Victoria Wood made some fittingly funny changes. For one week only regular contributors John Peel and Polly Toynbee were replaced by Dawn French, Richard Curtis and Emma Freud. In the Andrea Duncan Interview Victoria chatted with her pal and comedy partner Julie Walters, while on the serious side questioned the Chancellor Gordon Brown about Third World debt. Commenting on the cover portrait, Victoria wrote in the RT 'I don't really know how editors act. I settle on an expression of paranoid smugness, which I think will cover most jobs in the media.' First dished up in 1998, what is the title of Victoria Wood's sitcom? a. Acorn Antiques b. Dinnerladies c. Pat & Margaret 2000s 79. RT had secured the veterinary services of Trude Mostue for their new three week creature feature – Trude's Pet Surgery, first out of the postbag were letters on ticks, fleas and pet passports. The Norwegian vet had come to prominence in 1996 when BBC documentary cameras followed the training of seven final year students at Bristol University's Vet School for the six-part series Vets' School. The sequel docusoap in 1997, Vets in Practice followed Trude and her fellow veterinary surgeons through their first five months as qualified vets. It attracted up to 10 million viewers and in 1999 won the Most Popular Documentary Series at the National Television Awards. Which actor, known for playing a TV vet narrated the series? a. Christopher Timothy b. Amanda Burton c. Tom Baker 80. In 1992, President George H W Bush stated that he wanted American families to be more like The Waltons and a lot less like The Simpsons. So no doubt his son President George Bush, who went on to win a second term in the 2004 US Presidential elections, would not be best pleased to see Homer in his seat. But that wasn't the opinion in an RT online poll that asked which US TV character should be President. Over the 2,000 who voted, 24 per cent put the bumbling, beer guzzler in the top job. In second place Josiah Bartlet (West Wing) 12 per cent, third, Dr Frasier Crane (Frasier) 11 per cent and fourth, Sgt Bilko (Phil Silvers Show) 10 per cent. But although The Simpsons didn't move into the White House, they did that week find their new home on Channel Four. Woo-hoo! Featuring as his animated character on the cover of RT with Marge and Homer in 2006, which English comedian, actor and writer brought something extra to an episode of The Simpsons by co writing in addition to guest starring in it? a. Jack Whitehall b. Peter Kay c. Ricky Gervais 81. It was general election time and those tinpot dictators were back. Make of that what you will, but these two separate events - an election and the return of the Daleks to TV after 17 years were brought together with great effect. The sight of the new, chunkier, bronze 21st Century Daleks crossing Westminster Bridge with parliament in the background, was a homage to a black and white image from a 1964 Doctor Who story, The Dalek Invasion of Earth. Created in 2005, by RT art editor Paul Smith, the photo required the cooperation of Westminster Council and the photographic and digital skills of Ian McKinnell. In RT, it was offered as a double-sided A1 poster, with a trio of Daleks on the reverse and all for two RT tokens and a few stamps. But such was the impact of the Vote Dalek! cover that in 2008, it was voted by the public as the most iconic British cover of all time and in 2013 voted magazine Cover of the Century by the Professional Publishers Association. Con-grat-u-late! In this, the relaunched Dr Who, which dame played The Right Honourable Harriet Jones MP (later Prime Minister), a reoccurring character between 2005 and 2008? a. Dame Edna Everage b. Dame Maggie Smith c. Dame Penelope Wilton 82. On Sunday 25 June at 6pm, TV audiences were invited to a Buckingham Palace garden party in honour of the 80th birthday of Queen Elizabeth II. Attended by 1,000 adults and 2,000 children (aged from 4 to 14), all chosen through a national ballot, the event was themed in British Children Literature. The gardens were transformed into scenes from children's books with over 80 great literary characters appearing, including Harry Potter, Mary Poppins and seated at a giant piano the BFG (Big Friendly Giant). One of the highlights was an all-star cast pantomime style play where baddies steal the Queen's reading glasses so she can't make a speech at the party. Written by children's author and playwright David Wood with input from Oscar-winning screenwriter Julian Fellowes. The Downton Abbey creator was delighted to be involved as he passionately believes in the idea of stimulating literacy in children, he told RT 'Literacy is a gateway to another world. Teach a child to read – and to enjoy reading! - and that child has the chance to go anywhere and do anything.' What was the title of David Wood and Julian Fellowes pantomime style play? a. The Crown Jewels b. The Queen's Handbag c. The Royal Mint 83. Godfather for the day at the RT photo shoot, legendary broadcaster Terry Wogan was known by his loyal family of fans as the Don Corleone of radio. He was in his 15th year of Wake Up to Wogan, his Radio 2 weekday show, the most listened to in the UK. He insisted that his success was built on doing no more than what is required of him and his rapport with any audience he dismissed as no more than a 'slight gift.' One show that he would never give up was the annual Children in Need marathon. 'Over the years, we've raised £480 million for children's charities, and that makes me very proud indeed. So you see – I did turn out good for something in the end!' Terry affectionately referred to his Radio 2 show fans as TOGs and to himself as The Togmeister. What did the acronym stand for? a. Terry's Old Gang b. Terry's Old Geezers/Gals c. Terry's Old Goldies 85. To celebrate 21 years of Comic Relief, RT gave readers the choice to pick their own red nose - cover that is from a choice of 21 multiple images. The amount raised that year was £82.3 million, a figure not to be sneezed at. Comic Relief was actually co-founded by Lenny Henry and which leading comedy writer and director? a. Richard Curtis b. Ben Elton c. Rowan Atkinson 2010s 85. Taken from a list of 100 family films compiled by RT movie experts Barry Norman, Andrew Collins and Mark Kermode, readers were asked to rate and perhaps debate their preferred order. Over 2,500 voted for films on the list and some off it. The poll's top ten in reverse order were: The Sound of Music (1965); The Jungle Book (1967); Back to the Future (1985); Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971); Shrek (2001); Toy Story (1995); Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968); Mary Poppins (1964); The Wizard of Oz (1939) and at number one ET the Extra-Terrestrial (1982). The tale of the friendly, stranded and pursued alien was reviewed by Barry, who in his closing comment brought to light the moral of the movie: 'We should never judge others by their appearance or origin but by their nature and behaviour and that's something nobody can learn too early.' Who directed ET the Extra-Terrestrial? a. George Lucas b. Ridley Scott c. Steven Spielberg 86. To commemorate the golden anniversary of the British institution that is Coronation Street, RT issued twelve covers, each featuring a formidable woman of Weatherfield from the soap's fifty years. In an exclusive RT interview, Coronation Street creator Tony Warren, spoke about the pressure of having been so successful when aged just 23: 'It became inescapable. Once I went to Amsterdam to get away from it, put on the television and there was Ena Sharples with Dutch subtitles. I put my foot through the screen. After Coronation Street, what do you do for an encore?' What did Tony Warren originally name his serial, until it was said that it sounded too much like a lavatory cleaner? a. Florizel Street b. Rosamund Street c. Viaduct Street 87. BBC1's new 1950's drama series Call the Midwife was already four weeks old and in good health, with average UK viewing figures of over ten million, when RT celebrated the happy event. Fittingly, Mark Thomas' cover illustration was produced old style at a drawing board on paper with pencils, brushes and paints. Jessica Raine, who played leading character Jenny Lee recounted to RT in 2013 what lead to the cover: 'Radio Times tried to get Miranda (Hart) and me together to do a shoot, but we were flat out. So they said, “We'll sort something out.” Then I got a text from Miranda saying, “Oh my God, have you seen the cover?” It's really unbelievably flattering.' Which area of London's East End is the series set in? a. Stepney b. Whitechapel c. Poplar 88. Naturalist Chris Packham met his natural history hero Sir David Attenborough for a talk on the wild side as RT celebrated sixty years of Sir David's life on TV. Asked if he had one natural history highlight, what would it be: 'Watching the Vogelkop Bowerbird, that provides an undeniable truth that birds have an aesthetic sense. They use inanimate objects to attract a mate. Just seeing the lovely little male coming out, as pleased as Punch, and putting a flower in one particular place on this lawn in front of us and then cocking his head and thinking, “I don't think so...I think it needs to be another six inches to the left...” That's an extraordinary sight. A lot of the anthropomorphic things you can explain away, but you can't explain that away. It's incontrovertible.' What was the title of Attenborough's 1979 ground breaking series that was the first in his natural history life documentaries? a. Life on Earth b. The Living Planet c. The Trials of Life 89. In this souvenir issue, available in two Strictly Come Dancing gatefold covers, the dancers and celebrities of the 11th series posed in and around a big ninety representing the magazine's big anniversary. RT celebrated it with a gallery of some of their finest covers from the nine decades, along with a history of the magazine by a social historian. Also, readers were given the unique opportunity of becoming a RT cover star by downloading the Blippar app, taking their photo and following the instructions to appear on the cover of their choice. Enter it in the competition and you had a chance of appearing in a future edition and possibly winning an exclusive invitation to that year's RT Covers Party. On the Strictly front, it was Bruce Forsyth's final series as regular co-host, he and Tess Daly had been presenting the show since it began in 2004. In a RT tribute to the entertainer, television executive Michael Grade wrote 'Bruce defies television gravity. I can't think of anyone else who appeals to three generations. When we see him we really do think – nice to see you, Bruce.' Which celebrity won Strictly in 2013 with dancer Aljaz Skorjanec? a. Sophie Ellis-Bextor b. Abbey Clancy c. Susanna Reid 91. In a 2014 RT poll, readers voted Shaun the Sheep the most popular BBC children's character of the past seven decades. So when news that the silent CBBC woolly star was making his début movie, RT visited the Bristol studio Aardman Features where it was all taking sheep. While most movies are shot out of sequence, Nick Park, who created Wallace & Gromit explained why Shaun is filmed chronologically: 'It's part of the economy of it, because it's very costly and time-consuming to re-rig. This film takes place all in one day. It's like 24. With sheep.' Aardman also worked their magic on the RT cover, where Shaun and his friends have flocked to see, presumably a 'ewe' rated movie. By downloading the free Blippar app, and pointing your device over the cover, readers could watch the characters come to life in an exclusive, short original animation. In which Wallace & Gromit movie did Shaun the Sheep first appear, albeit in a cameo role? a. A Close Shave b. A Grand Day Out c. The Wrong Trousers 91. Opening on 7 September in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil the 11 day event was broadcast on Channel 4, More 4 and BBC Radio 5 Live. Sprinter Jonnie Peacock was RT's cover star and on track for his second Summer Paralympic gold. While Para-equestrian Anne Dunham was at 67 GB's oldest competitor and the first British rider to win a team gold at four consecutive Paralympic Games. She went onto win two silvers and one gold at this event, adding to her previous seven Paralympic medals. In which T44 sprint race did Jonnie Peacock win gold in Rio? a. 100m b. 200m c. 400m 92. Emulating former Desert Island Discs host Sue Lawley's RT cover from 1992, when the show had reached it's half century, host Kirsty Young was on track to celebrate seventy-five years of BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs. The show's premise where a guest (aka a castaway) chooses eight audio recordings, a book and a luxury item that they would take to a dessert island, whist discussing their choices and life was the brainchild of Roy Plomley. Beginning in 1942 on the BBC Forces Programme, Roy presented if for 43 years. Since then, nine prime ministers had been cast away, with John Major as the only serving premier when he was guest on the 50th anniversary edition. In a 2019 RT poll, a panel of 46 broadcasting industry experts voted it the greatest radio programme of all time. Which celebrity was booked as the castaway for the 75th birthday edition of Desert Island Discs? a. David Beckham b. Sir Cliff Richard c. Tracey Ullman 93. He entertained the nations for generations and it was always nice to see him. Sadly in 2017 Sir Bruce Forsyth exited the world stage aged 89. RT paid tribute to the all round entertainer and looked back on his five previous RT cover appearances from over the decades. In 1976, he told RT the secret of his staying power. 'When people see me perform they think I look like a person who can never relax. But if I sit down I can turn off the Bruce Forsyth who is the vitamin pill on legs. I know that some people in our business can't do it.' Didn't he do well? In 2012, he gained a place in the Guinness Book of World Records, for having achieved what? a. Hosting the most game & quiz show episodes b. Performing the most tap dance taps in one minute c. Having the longest TV career for a male entertainer 94. The Queen and renowned naturist Sir David Attenborough had a remarkable friendship that spanned many decades. In this documentary they discussed the importance of preserving and planting trees to combat climate change. Filmed in the gardens of Buckingham Palace, the programme highlighted her majesty's personal connection with nature and her dedication to environmental conservation. In particular, the ambitious Commonwealth Canopy project in which the aim is to eventually link all 52 Commonwealth countries to protect areas of indigenous forest, promoting sustainability and biodiversity. The documentary captured the Queen's genuine enthusiasm in safeguarding the environment. Watched by 5.2 million viewers, it brought in the third biggest factual audience for ITV in 2018. In his role as producer, Sir David worked with Her Majesty in which one of these projects? a. The 1969 TV documentary film – Royal Family b. The Queen's Christmas TV Messages c. TV coverage of HM the Queen's 1953 Coronation 95. RT produced a set of three covers to herald the third season of The Crown, one of streaming service Netflix's most popular drama serials. Created and principally written by Peter Morgan, the series charts the lives and events of Britain's royal family from 1947 to the present. Spanning the events from Harold Wilson's premiership to the Queen's Silver Jubilee, this season also brought the début, among others of Olivia Colman as Queen Elizabeth II. She told RT the effect playing the role had on her: 'I've fallen in love with the Queen. We're used to people being a little unclassy and she's the opposite of that. She's extraordinary. I hadn't spent much time thinking about it before, but now I love her. She's changed my views on everything.'Which period is covered in the third season of The Crown? a. 1956-1964 b. 1964-1977 c. 1979-1990 2020s 96. As the NHS massively struggled to cope under the extreme pressure of a pre-COVID-19 vaccinated nation, former junior doctor Adam Kay, author of the BBC 1 series This is Going to Hurt brought us this sixty-minute TV thank-you letter to our health worker heroes. 'This show is a heartfelt celebration of over 1.8 million people who make up the NHS today,' he told RT. Many well-known faces from entertainment and sport told deeply personal stories of the occasions when they relied on the NHS and the remarkable people who helped them. RT offered a tetrad of covers, showing some of the stars who had written candidly about their experiences with the NHS for Adam's book Dear NHS: 100 Stories to Say Thank You. Edited extracts of letters from seven very grateful celebrities featured across five RT pages. All profits from book sales went to NHS Charities Together and the Lullaby Trust. During the pandemic, which day and time did the nation applaud the NHS from their homes? a. Tuesdays at 6pm b. Wednesdays at 7pm c. Thursdays at 8pm 97. In a BBC1 retrospective, Sir Michael Parkinson, aged 86 reminisced on his remarkable career and his legendary talk show. It began on 19 June, 1971 and ran until 1982 on BBC1 returning to the channel in 1998 until 2004 when it switched to ITV for it's remaining three years. By his own estimate, he had chatted to over 2,000 guests which included many of his Hollywood screen idols such as Lauren Bacall from whom he fulfilled a lifetime dream when he stole a kiss in a 2004 show. RT asked what he thought the secret to longevity was in having a television career: 'I think people have to like you, it's as simple as that. It's about what they make of you, warts and all. That's crucial – and if you knew the answer to it, you'd be a rich man indeed.' Which folk singer turned comedian made his début on Parkinson in 1975, and was a guest a record fifteen times, including the final show in 2007? a. Billy Connolly b. Mike Harding c. Jasper Carrott 98. Set in the backstreets of Birmingham during the period just after the First World War, Peaky Blinders revolved around the notorious Shelby family. It followed their rise to power as leaders of the Peaky Blinders gang as they navigated the criminal underworld and out manoeuvre the law. As the BBC1 drama returned for it's sixth and final series, RT met with the show creator Steven Knight and lead actor Cillian Murphy. His portrayal of Tommy Shelby, the complex, stoic, ruthless and terrifying protagonist has earned him acclaim and awards. However, as the softly spoken Irish actor pointed out to RT: 'I do not share one thing with him. There's no iota of commonality between the two of us.' The death in April 2021 of Helen McCrory who played matriarch Aunt Polly devastated all who knew her, Cillian recalled 'She was a remarkable human being and a remarkable actor. And I feel very privileged to have got to know her so well and to work so closely with her. She really was on a different level and our scenes were my favourites.' The popularity of the series contributed greatly towards the revival of which hairstyle? a. Comb over b. Mohawk c. Undercut 99. If you like a tall tale on a large scale then Amazon Prime's Lord of the Rings prequel certainly delivered that. In 2017, the over-the-top media service paid around US$250 million for the television rights to JRR Tolkien's novel and its appendices, with a five season production commitment totalling US$1 billion, it became the most expensive television series ever made. Set thousands of years prior to The Lords of the Rings and The Hobbit, the series featured a diverse cast that included Lenny Henry. Complete with woolly white wig, prosthetic pointed ears and large furry feet, the six foot three actor, comedian and writer played Sadoc Burrows, leader of the nomadic, pre-hobbit Harfoot community. RT asked him if he would return for season two 'I don't want to spoil it, but five years is what its going to take to tell the complete story, and I'm proud to have been asked to take part. It was hard work – particularly the hobbit feet – but I really did enjoy it.' Author JRR Tolkien coined the name Harfoot from an Old English construction that translates as which one of the following? a. One with hairy feet b. One with hard feet c. One with hammertoes 100. The coronation of Charles III and his wife Camilla as king and queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms was held at Westminster Abbey on Saturday 6 May 2023. Following the death of his mother Elizabeth II on 8 September 2022, Charles was acceded to the throne age 74. The event attracted 15.5 million viewers for the BBC. Worldwide, the ceremony was watched in more than 125 countries with a cumulative viewership of over 36 million. In the RT's Coronation Issue, 25 pages were dedicated to the royal event, those contributing included historians Sir Simon Schama, Kate Williams and Lucy Worsley. As with previous RT Coronation issues, a royal procession map was drawn, on this occasion by illustrator Katherine Baxter. As suggested by the RT editors, the cover by Peter Horridge echoed that of Eric Fraser's 1953 Queen Elizabeth II coronation cover. Which year was the last time that a king and queen consort were crowned together? a. 1911 b. 1937 c. 1953 Answers 1920s & 1930s c) Organ c) 1969 a) Doctor Who a) Three Men in a Boat b) West Bromwich Albion c) First edition of Radio Times a) I’m Sorry I Haven’t a Clue a) 15 c) To support agricultural production b) Bing Crosby a) Beeb b) Mickey Mouse c) It's That Man Again a) Channel Islands c) Winston Churchill b) Prince Philip c) Father Time a) To capture live animals for London Zoo c) Tomorrow's World b) The Blood Donor c) The Sun b) Juliet Bravo a) Millicent Martin a) A Hard Day's Night b) Patrick Troughton b) Kangaroos a) Hercules a) Martin Peters b) 2002 b) Petula Clark c) Tony Blackburn b) To make the royals more popular a) Caernarfon Castle a) Edwin Aldrin c) Grieg a) “Don't panic! Don't panic!” b) Tower of London c) In Sickness & In Health b) Neddie Seagoon a) Three-day Week b) Step Inside Love b) Manchester a) John Cleese c) 5 years a) Gerald Ford b) Take Hart a) Spartacus c) Mike Yarwood b) Draughtsman a) Beyond the Fringe b) Flay Otters a) Patrick Trueman c) Porky Pig a) Ireland b) Mastermind Sketch a) Westminister Abbey's Maximum Seating is 2,000 c) The mismatch between visually appealing music videos & poor songs b) Blush b) Green Goddess a) Her Wrinkled Stockings c) Spandau Ballet a) Boléro b) Status Quo a) Borsetshire c) To Hull and Back a) The Beales b) Commissioner Jules Maigret a) Jack and the Beanstalk b) The Searchers a) Alan Whicker c) 1955 c) That's Life a) Physical & Visual a) A Richness c) Cave Slippers b) Today c) Anne Robinson b) Dinnerladies a) Christopher Timothy c) Ricky Gervais c) Dame Penelope Wilton b) The Queen's Handbag b) Terry's Old Geezers/Gals a) Richard Curtis c) Steven Spielberg a) Florizel Street c) Poplar a) Life on Earth b) Abbey Clancy a) A Close Shave a) 100m a) David Beckham c) Having the longest TV career for a male entertainer b) The Queen's Christmas TV Messages b) 1964-1977 c) Thursdays at 8pm a) Billy Connolly c) Undercut a) One with hairy feet b) 1937 If you’re looking for more to watch, check out our TV Guide and Streaming Guide. 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