I'm sorry I haven't a clue! BBC's Radio 4 named greatest of all time
What’s the best radio comedy ever? I’m sorry I haven’t a clue! Radio 4 favourite is named greatest of all time
- BBC Radio 4’s I’m Sorry I Haven’t A Clue named greatest radio comedy of all time
- Hancock’s Half Hour, Round The Horne and On The Hour to top Radio Times poll
- Judge Ade Edmondson called it ‘the most ridiculous, most surreal, funny show’
It has brought us 48 years of quick fire one-liners, kazoo prowess – and many gripping games of Mornington Crescent.
And it seems that BBC Radio 4’s I’m Sorry I Haven’t A Clue is as popular as ever, as it’s just been named the greatest radio comedy of all time.
Launched as a parody of comedy panel shows, it beat Hancock’s Half Hour, Round The Horne and On The Hour to top a Radio Times poll.
BBC Radio 4’s I’m Sorry I Haven’t A Clue is as popular as ever, as it’s just been named the greatest radio comedy of all time. Pictured left to right: Graeme Garden, Tim Brooke-Taylor, pianist Colin Sell, Barry Cryer and Humphrey Lyttelton
A panel of radio and comedy experts voted the show, hosted by Humphrey Lyttelton until his death in 2008, into the top spot. The magazine said it won ‘by a long stretch’.
Judge Ade Edmondson called it ‘the most ridiculous, most surreal, most incomprehensibly funny show on any medium’.
He added: ‘Why am I listening to two people with no musical ability playing swanee whistle and kazoo? I simply don’t know.’
Now hosted by Jack Dee, the show sees two teams of comedians battling it out in a series of sometimes surreal rounds – although points are rarely actually given out.
Now hosted by Jack Dee (pictured), the show sees two teams of comedians battling it out in a series of sometimes surreal rounds – although points are rarely actually given out
The panel of experts, which also includes Jo Brand, Graeme Garden, Charlie Higson and David Quantick, voted Hancock’s Half Hour into second place on the list.
Tony Hancock’s show had six series on radio, between 1954 and 1958, before moving across to television.
‘Hancock’s Half Hour was rooted in monochrome, post-war reality, although the scripts could sometimes be wild and fanciful,’ said actor and writer Christopher Douglas.
Judge Ade Edmondson called it ‘the most ridiculous, most surreal, most incomprehensibly funny show on any medium’
‘The show always had character at its heart, allowing for long, funny scenes in which nothing much happened.’ Barry Took and Marty Feldman’s 1960s sketch series Round the Horn is in third place on the list, followed by Radio 4’s current affairs parody On The Hour.
Yet another Radio 4 offering – The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy – is fifth on the list, followed by The Goon Show, which was broadcast on the BBC Home Service from 1951-1960.
Other shows that made the top 10 include Chris Morris’ Blue Jam, Mark Steel’s In Town and Cabin Pressure.
Radio Times’ top 20 greatest radio comedies of all time
1. I’m Sorry I Haven’t a Clue
2. Hancock’s Half Hour
3. Round the Horne
4. On the Hour
5. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy
6. The Goon Show
7. Mark Steel’s in Town
8. Cabin Pressure
9. Blue Jam
10. John Finnemore’s Souvenir Programme
11. Ed Reardon’s Week
12. Count Arthur Strong’s Radio Show!
13. The Shuttleworths
14. The Kenny Everett Show
15. The News Quiz 1
6. Knowing Me, Knowing You with Alan Partridge
17. Dead Ringers
18. Hello Cheeky
19. Ladies of Letters
20. The Ricky Gervais Show (with Karl Pilkington)
Source: Read Full Article