Monkey Business (1)

(Remember Derek Nimmo being on the show and being offended about the word tit being used, especially when the song Tit Willow was played.)
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Primetime midweek quiz with celebrities in a jungle-inspired set. We dimly recall Floella Benjamin being on it as a regular team captain, Jeremy Cherfas was the captain of the opposing team and, it being a mid-80s panel game, Liza Goddard was almost certainly involved too - possibly as a guest panellist, although certainly not as a regular. There was some business about blocky computer-graphic monkeys appearing on the scoreboards - the teams could try to increase their scores by hitting a button and hoping that at least one monkey would appear on the board, fruit machine-style.
Primetime midweek quiz with celebrities in a jungle-inspired set. We dimly recall Floella Benjamin being on it as a regular team captain, Jeremy Cherfas was the captain of the opposing team and, it being a mid-80s panel game, Liza Goddard was almost certainly involved too - possibly as a guest panellist, although certainly not as a regular. There was some business about blocky computer-graphic monkeys appearing on the scoreboards - the teams could try to increase their scores by hitting a button and hoping that at least one monkey would appear on the board, fruit machine-style.
-
Otherwise, the quiz was wildlife-based - but why was Floella Benjamin, who was not famed for being a naturalist, up against Jeremy Cherfas, who was? Bizarre! Anyway, the show came across as pretty cheap and tacky, especially when the computer-graphic monkeys were used and the overly jovial nature of the show detracted from the subject matter. It could be argued that it's always difficult to know how to pitch a wildlife-based quiz - it can easily end up either too serious and highbrow (like, perhaps, [[What on Earth...?]]) and therefore not popular viewing, or too jovial and OTT for the subject. Monkey Business definitely fell into the latter category. However, one good feature of the programme was that both teams had to complete an animal-based limerick by the end of every show - these were often very funny!
+
Otherwise, the quiz was wildlife-based - but why was Floella Benjamin, who was not famed for being a naturalist, up against Jeremy Cherfas, who was? Bizarre! Anyway, the show came across as pretty cheap and tacky, especially when the computer-graphic monkeys were used and the overly jovial nature of the show detracted from the subject matter. It could be argued that it's always difficult to know how to pitch a wildlife-based quiz - it can easily end up either too serious and highbrow (like, perhaps, another of Cherfas's series, [[What on Earth...?]]) and therefore not popular viewing, or too jovial and OTT for the subject. Monkey Business definitely fell into the latter category. However, one good feature of the programme was that both teams had to complete an animal-based limerick by the end of every show - these were often very funny!
Derek Nimmo was a guest on one of the shows and made an almighty fuss when during one of the rounds you  had to find the missing animal which was blanked out in a song.  Nimmo got upset at the use of a word that was not only several types of bird but also a slang term for a part of a woman's upper torso!!
Derek Nimmo was a guest on one of the shows and made an almighty fuss when during one of the rounds you  had to find the missing animal which was blanked out in a song.  Nimmo got upset at the use of a word that was not only several types of bird but also a slang term for a part of a woman's upper torso!!

Revision as of 20:21, 19 September 2009

Contents

Host

Henry Kelly

Co-hosts

Team captains: Jeremy Cherfas and Floella Benjamin

Broadcast

BBC1, 6 March to 14 April 1985 (8 episodes)

Synopsis

Primetime midweek quiz with celebrities in a jungle-inspired set. We dimly recall Floella Benjamin being on it as a regular team captain, Jeremy Cherfas was the captain of the opposing team and, it being a mid-80s panel game, Liza Goddard was almost certainly involved too - possibly as a guest panellist, although certainly not as a regular. There was some business about blocky computer-graphic monkeys appearing on the scoreboards - the teams could try to increase their scores by hitting a button and hoping that at least one monkey would appear on the board, fruit machine-style.

Otherwise, the quiz was wildlife-based - but why was Floella Benjamin, who was not famed for being a naturalist, up against Jeremy Cherfas, who was? Bizarre! Anyway, the show came across as pretty cheap and tacky, especially when the computer-graphic monkeys were used and the overly jovial nature of the show detracted from the subject matter. It could be argued that it's always difficult to know how to pitch a wildlife-based quiz - it can easily end up either too serious and highbrow (like, perhaps, another of Cherfas's series, What on Earth...?) and therefore not popular viewing, or too jovial and OTT for the subject. Monkey Business definitely fell into the latter category. However, one good feature of the programme was that both teams had to complete an animal-based limerick by the end of every show - these were often very funny!

Derek Nimmo was a guest on one of the shows and made an almighty fuss when during one of the rounds you had to find the missing animal which was blanked out in a song. Nimmo got upset at the use of a word that was not only several types of bird but also a slang term for a part of a woman's upper torso!!

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