Twenty Questions

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== Host ==
== Host ==
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[[Gilbert Harding]]
[[Gilbert Harding]]
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John Arlott (stand-in, 1951)
[[Kenneth Horne]] (1960?-67?)
[[Kenneth Horne]] (1960?-67?)
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[[Peter Jones (1)|Peter Jones]] (TV version, 1960-61)
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[[Peter Jones (1)|Peter Jones]] (1960-61 (TV), 1974 (Radio))
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David Franklin (1970?-72?)
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David Franklin (1970?-72)
-
[[Peter Jones (1)|Peter Jones]] (1974)
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[[Michael Flanders]] (1973)
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[[Terry Wogan]] (1975-6?)
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[[Terry Wogan]] (1975)
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[[Cliff Michelmore]] (1976)
== Co-hosts ==
== Co-hosts ==
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Panellists: Jack Train, [[Anona Winn]], Richard Dimbleby, Daphne Padel, Joy Adamson. In later years, 'mystery voice' Norman Hackforth was a regular.
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Panellists: Jack Train, [[Anona Winn]], [[Richard Dimbleby]], Daphne Padel, Joy Adamson. In later years, 'mystery voice' Norman Hackforth was a regular.
'''Some 'mystery voices':'''<br>
'''Some 'mystery voices':'''<br>
1947?-62?: Norman Hackforth<br>
1947?-62?: Norman Hackforth<br>
1965: Dame Flora Robson<br>
1965: Dame Flora Robson<br>
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1967: John Snagge<br>
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1967: [[John Snagge]]<br>
1974: Colin Welland<br>
1974: Colin Welland<br>
1975: Gretta Gouriet<br>
1975: Gretta Gouriet<br>
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== Broadcast ==
== Broadcast ==
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BBC Radio, 28 February 1947 to 1976
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BBC Home Service, 28 February 1947 to 28 July 1976
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BBC-tv, specials 1947, 1948, series 1956-7
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BBC Television Service, 13 June 1947 and 12 March 1948 (One-offs)
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Associated Rediffusion for ITV, 1960-1
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1 December 1956 to 30 March 1957 (18 episodes in 1 series)
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Associated Rediffusion for ITV, 17 June 1960 to 5 September 1961 (23 episodes in 2 series)
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== Trivia ==
== Trivia ==
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On one occasion, Richard Dimbleby forgot to turn up. Producer [[Ian Messiter]], thinking quickly, decided to recruit someone from the audience and make a publicity stunt out of the adversity. Unfortunately, the only man to volunteer was a bit tipsy, but thankfully not too many people noticed.
 
[[Ian Messiter]] was reprimanded by the BBC for including "sporran" and "fig leaf" as consecutive objects on the same programme.
[[Ian Messiter]] was reprimanded by the BBC for including "sporran" and "fig leaf" as consecutive objects on the same programme.
-
Messiter had to sack Gilbert Harding when he was drunk on the show. Harding bought Messiter a triple gin and tonic to 'loosen him up' before recording. Messiter refused the offer, so Harding drank the lot - probably on top of what he had already consumed. During the next 30 minutes he managed to insult Richard Dimbleby as ''"the BBC's sacred cow"'', Joy Adamson (''"Joy by name, but not by nature"'') and failed to recognise that the panel had correctly identified "a peony" after question seven and went on to announce the answer - to much commotion - after twenty questions. Harding barked back: ''"Serves them right - they shouldn't take this silly game so seriously. Let's get on with the next object."'' He closed the programme three minutes early with the diatribe: ''"I'm fed up with this idiotic game; as for the score, if you've been listening you won't need it; if you haven't, you won't want it. I'm going home."''
+
On one occasion, Richard Dimbleby forgot to turn up. Producer [[Ian Messiter]], thinking quickly, decided to recruit someone from the audience and make a publicity stunt out of the adversity. Unfortunately, the only man to volunteer was a bit tipsy, but thankfully not too many people noticed.
-
The series inspired a 1950 movie, ''The Twenty Questions Murder Mystery'', in which a murderer submits a question to the show before committing the crime. Host Stewart MacPherson, "mystery voice" Norman Hackforth and panellists Jack Train, Daphne Padel, Jeanne De Casalis and Richard Dimbleby all appeared as themselves.
+
They did notice when Gilbert Harding once got very drunk on the show. Harding bought Messiter a triple gin and tonic to 'loosen him up' before recording. Messiter refused the offer, so Harding drank the lot - probably on top of what he had already consumed. Having not been ready by the time the show was live, during the 27 minutes the programme was on air he managed to insult Richard Dimbleby as ''"the BBC's sacred cow"'', Joy Adamson (''"Joy by name, but not by nature"'') and failed to recognise that the panel had correctly identified "a peony" after question seven and went on to announce the answer - to much commotion - after twenty questions. Harding barked back: ''"Serves them right - they shouldn't take this silly game so seriously. Let's get on with the next object."'' He closed the programme three minutes early with the diatribe: ''"I'm fed up with this idiotic game; as for the score, if you've been listening you won't need it; if you haven't, you won't want it. I'm going home."'' For this, [[Ian Messiter]] fired him.
 +
 
 +
The series inspired a 1950 movie, ''The Twenty Questions Murder Mystery''. According to allmovie.com, "the killer sends the four players clues which are read on the air. Fortunately, two clever reporters solve the mystery and then use the players to catch the killer." Host Stewart MacPherson, "mystery voice" Norman Hackforth and panellists Jack Train, Daphne Padel, Jeanne De Casalis and Richard Dimbleby all appeared as themselves.
== See also ==
== See also ==
 +
 +
[[Animal, Vegetable or Mineral?]]
[[Guess What? (1)|Guess What?]]
[[Guess What? (1)|Guess What?]]
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==Pictures==
==Pictures==
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<div class="image">[[Image:20 questions panel.jpg|400px]]''A 1947 panel comprising, l-r, Kathleen Ryan, Daphne Padel, [[Anona Winn]] and Richard Dimbleby.''</div>
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<div class="image">[[Image:20 questions panel.jpg|400px]]''A 1947 panel comprising, l-r, Kathleen Ryan, Daphne Padel, [[Anona Winn]] and [[Richard Dimbleby]].''</div>
[[Category:Panel Game]]
[[Category:Panel Game]]

Revision as of 18:13, 4 March 2021

Contents

Host

Stewart MacPherson (original host)

Gilbert Harding

John Arlott (stand-in, 1951)

Kenneth Horne (1960?-67?)

Peter Jones (1960-61 (TV), 1974 (Radio))

David Franklin (1970?-72)

Michael Flanders (1973)

Terry Wogan (1975)

Cliff Michelmore (1976)

Co-hosts

Panellists: Jack Train, Anona Winn, Richard Dimbleby, Daphne Padel, Joy Adamson. In later years, 'mystery voice' Norman Hackforth was a regular.

Some 'mystery voices':
1947?-62?: Norman Hackforth
1965: Dame Flora Robson
1967: John Snagge
1974: Colin Welland
1975: Gretta Gouriet

Broadcast

BBC Home Service, 28 February 1947 to 28 July 1976

BBC Television Service, 13 June 1947 and 12 March 1948 (One-offs)

1 December 1956 to 30 March 1957 (18 episodes in 1 series)

Associated Rediffusion for ITV, 17 June 1960 to 5 September 1961 (23 episodes in 2 series)

Synopsis

Before that 20Q gadget came on the market, there was Gilbert Harding haranging a panel of celebrities who had to identify a mystery object within twenty questions.

A typical set of mystery objects was: Bugs Bunny; malt whisky; a connoisseur; a female weightlifter; the Mystery voice; a riddle; the Complete Works of Shakespeare; a wooden leg; a Scilly Island; top brass; Jeeves. On one occasion, the object was "the person next to me", which caused all sorts of confusion as the enquiry "Is this person female?" was correct one moment then not the next.

Inventor

Supposedly invented by Lord Palmerston, who played it with Queen Victoria. We educate as well as entertain, you see.

Trivia

Ian Messiter was reprimanded by the BBC for including "sporran" and "fig leaf" as consecutive objects on the same programme.

On one occasion, Richard Dimbleby forgot to turn up. Producer Ian Messiter, thinking quickly, decided to recruit someone from the audience and make a publicity stunt out of the adversity. Unfortunately, the only man to volunteer was a bit tipsy, but thankfully not too many people noticed.

They did notice when Gilbert Harding once got very drunk on the show. Harding bought Messiter a triple gin and tonic to 'loosen him up' before recording. Messiter refused the offer, so Harding drank the lot - probably on top of what he had already consumed. Having not been ready by the time the show was live, during the 27 minutes the programme was on air he managed to insult Richard Dimbleby as "the BBC's sacred cow", Joy Adamson ("Joy by name, but not by nature") and failed to recognise that the panel had correctly identified "a peony" after question seven and went on to announce the answer - to much commotion - after twenty questions. Harding barked back: "Serves them right - they shouldn't take this silly game so seriously. Let's get on with the next object." He closed the programme three minutes early with the diatribe: "I'm fed up with this idiotic game; as for the score, if you've been listening you won't need it; if you haven't, you won't want it. I'm going home." For this, Ian Messiter fired him.

The series inspired a 1950 movie, The Twenty Questions Murder Mystery. According to allmovie.com, "the killer sends the four players clues which are read on the air. Fortunately, two clever reporters solve the mystery and then use the players to catch the killer." Host Stewart MacPherson, "mystery voice" Norman Hackforth and panellists Jack Train, Daphne Padel, Jeanne De Casalis and Richard Dimbleby all appeared as themselves.

See also

Animal, Vegetable or Mineral?

Guess What?

Pictures

A 1947 panel comprising, l-r, Kathleen Ryan, Daphne Padel, Anona Winn and Richard Dimbleby.

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