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The Fully Authorised History of I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue: The Clue Bible from Footlights to Mornington Crescent
The I'm Sorry Bible tells the whole story of the notorious Python gang, from Footlights to Broadway to the ferret-filled madness of Radio Prune—comedy's answer to the rock & roll revolution of the sixties. Offering an exhaustive guide to the comedy world that brought us Mornington Crescent , besides episode guides, glossaries, and rare facsimiles, the Bible will take the story right up to the present day, celebrating the lives of Willie Rushton, Sir David Hatch, and of course, the irreplaceable Humphrey Lyttelton. With exclusive input from the Teams, plus Bill Oddie, Stephen Fry, Bill Bailey, Neil Innes, and many more, this is the long overdue authoritative, entertaining, and above all, very silly lasting celebration of an unsung comic legacy that both shows so richly deserve.
466 pages, Paperback
First published October 15, 2009
27 people are currently reading
46 people want to read
About the author
Jem Roberts
22 books14 followers• Stephen Fry: "Jem manages to write about popular cultural institutions with knowledge and affection, while avoiding the dismal traps of nerdy fanboyism on the one hand or grandiose cultural pseudo-intellectualism on the other. His research is flawless and the results are readable, illuminating and delightful."
• Tim Brooke-Taylor: "An incredibly good job – and he got it right. It’s difficult for me to judge it totally objectively because it’s all about me, me, me and a few others. But I found it very readable indeed..."
• Brian Blessed: "Tell them, 'Brian loves and trusts me.' What you're doing is so worthwhile, KEEP AT IT!"
• Barry Cryer: "You're very charming, it's a pleasure to go on about it."
• The Times Literary Supplement: "J.F. Roberts's lively, warm-hearted True History of The Black Adder is a celebration of "this incredible feat of comedy production."
• The Telegraph: (The True History...) "Essential for any comprehensive comedy library..."
• Tim Brooke-Taylor: "An incredibly good job – and he got it right. It’s difficult for me to judge it totally objectively because it’s all about me, me, me and a few others. But I found it very readable indeed..."
• Brian Blessed: "Tell them, 'Brian loves and trusts me.' What you're doing is so worthwhile, KEEP AT IT!"
• Barry Cryer: "You're very charming, it's a pleasure to go on about it."
• The Times Literary Supplement: "J.F. Roberts's lively, warm-hearted True History of The Black Adder is a celebration of "this incredible feat of comedy production."
• The Telegraph: (The True History...) "Essential for any comprehensive comedy library..."
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
July 15, 2013
This is such a thorough history of ""I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue"" that over half the book is about the show's predecessor; ""I'm Sorry I'll Read That Again"" and the Cambridge Footlights where most of the protagonists began their comedy careers. With plenty of quotes from two of the funniest shows ever broadcast on BBC Radio this has some laugh out loud, side splitting, trouser wetting moments of serious hilarity; but also deals with the passing of the giants that were Willie Rushton and Humphrey Lyttelton there are also some moments of sadness and poignancy. This book really is a must read for anybody that knows the difference between strategy and tactics* or knows what 'countryside' means according to the Uxbridge English Dictionary**. If you cried when Chairman Humph passed away and left flowers at Mornington Crescent station then you have already read this book; but if you did not then give this book a chance and then tune in to BBC Radio 4 on Monday nights at 6:30 about a dozen times each year and see if you can prevent yourself from rolling on the floor laughing.
* Strategy is the plan used in a war or game of skill and tactics are small minty sweets
** Countryside - To kill Piers Morgan
* Strategy is the plan used in a war or game of skill and tactics are small minty sweets
** Countryside - To kill Piers Morgan
November 18, 2018
Nobody seems to care about radio do they? I was watching some Monty Python documentaries on Netflix recently and lamented the fact that all of them behaved as if the radio career of their subjects didn't exist in any way, shape or form. They all pretended that the only precursors to Monty Python were TV programs which is clearly not true. If you listen to I'm Sorry I'll Read That Again you can clearly hear John Cleese developing aspects of his Python style in sketches often co written with Graham Chapman or submitted by Eric Idle. The same year he was writing and performing in The Frost Report on TV, he was writing and performing in ISIRTA on radio.
You can't really tell the full story of Monty Python without talking about ISIRTA and we should be grateful that Jem Roberts has decided to fill the void.
The Clue Bible tells the story of I'm Sorry I'll Read that Again and its evolution into I'm Sorry I haven't a Clue. There may be those who argue he doesn't do the journey justice but since he's the only one who has tried, we can't claim anyone else has done it better. Roberts might not the funniest, or most insightful, pop-culture historian writing today but he does a more than competent job of detailing the strange journey of an even stranger pair of radio shows.
Roberts does tend to assume that the reader is familiar with the subject matter to some extent and is clearly writing for those who are faithful, or at least occasional listeners. Thankfully there's a lot of episodes of both shows freely available on the internet for the ignorant to play catch up and keep up with what's going on.
The Clue Bible is an invaluable resource for anyone who has caught a recent episode and wondered how on earth the silly things they're hearing came to be. For devotees of English comedy, it fills a valuable hole in the story that nobody else has bothered to cover.
You can't really tell the full story of Monty Python without talking about ISIRTA and we should be grateful that Jem Roberts has decided to fill the void.
The Clue Bible tells the story of I'm Sorry I'll Read that Again and its evolution into I'm Sorry I haven't a Clue. There may be those who argue he doesn't do the journey justice but since he's the only one who has tried, we can't claim anyone else has done it better. Roberts might not the funniest, or most insightful, pop-culture historian writing today but he does a more than competent job of detailing the strange journey of an even stranger pair of radio shows.
Roberts does tend to assume that the reader is familiar with the subject matter to some extent and is clearly writing for those who are faithful, or at least occasional listeners. Thankfully there's a lot of episodes of both shows freely available on the internet for the ignorant to play catch up and keep up with what's going on.
The Clue Bible is an invaluable resource for anyone who has caught a recent episode and wondered how on earth the silly things they're hearing came to be. For devotees of English comedy, it fills a valuable hole in the story that nobody else has bothered to cover.
December 27, 2010
Sadly useless book about the best-loved British radio show of the last few decades. The first half shows the roots of the show in the far less well-remembered I"m Sorry I'll Read That Again - but the amateurish writing about this period is frankly awful. The author (and his lousy editor) assumes we're familiar with every last intimate detail of that show and its people, and worse, gushes about it unrestrainedly as though it was the best show in history. According to Mr Roberts it directly influenced or even inspired every funny show on British radio that followed it. Rotten writing throughout, redeemed only by the glow of nostalgia in the second section, which is really just a loose chronology strung around transcriptions of a few of the many funny rounds from Clue. Read if you must, but even as a huge fan of both shows, I thought this was poor.
March 25, 2015
The story of The Teams' long and Mornington Crescent-esque route to whichever town they're taking the piss out of the local history of this week, taking in everything from Purple People Eater and that thing with the three blokes on a bike to The Long Hot Satsuma (no, us neither) and beyond, and how the show itself evolved over the years. Quite simply the best guide to Quote Unquote anyone could have wished for!
May 3, 2019
Firstly, the title was foisted on Mr Roberts – please note that this is a ‘must-read’ for any fan of not only I'm Sorry, I Haven't a Clue but also I'm Sorry, I'll Read That Again, Monty Python, the Goodies, TW3, At Last the 1948 Show, and all that jazz. Follow the comedic threads from the players’ touring university humour beginnings to the still-going-strong ISIHAC phenomenon. A really thorough job by Jem – making for a great, long, detailed but entertaining read with lovely photos, some unavailable elsewhere (if you get the hardback there's a collage of more images on the endpapers - but you may also catch this on Jem’s website).
ISIRTA was a hugely popular radio programme, riding the wave of the swinging sixties and still making me laugh today with its silliness, wordplay, catchphrases and cheek. It was a little bit satirical, but most of its lovability comes from a more knockabout music-hall style that is easier to appreciate after the passage of years. The programmes contain many of the criminally-undervalued Bill Oddie's most daft, clever and subversive songs, supported in his parodies by Dave Lee and the Boys. (How Bill got 'Baa Baa Baa BaBaBaBa' past Auntie, a couple of years before I was even born, I can't imagine!)
With this handbook you can go right back to the start of Clue and enjoy the building of the layers of bizarre tradition. Worship the coolness of the late, lamented Chairman Humph, the wonderfully eccentric Willie Rushton, the cardigan-wearing, sharp, left-wing anti-crooner Jeremy Hardy – and savour the many other players who are luckily still with us. There are plenty of transcribed witty exchanges to give a flavour of the show for those who may not have heard it all.
Lastly, a personal query: Can anyone please explain further the photo showing [an unnamed lady; Graeme’s wife?], Bill, his first wife, Jean Hart [I’m pretty sure] and Graeme Garden on the fifth page of the first plate section? It’s captioned ‘The winners of the 1968 Writers’ Guild of Great Britain Award enjoy their success’ and credited on the list which appears near the back of the book as ‘The Goodies live (sic), courtesy of Graeme Garden’. It’s certainly true that Bill and Graeme won that award. But what year was this photo taken, since the Goodies began in 1970? Graeme is wearing a loose shirt, what look like tights, and ankle boots – giving a somewhat ‘Sherwood’ impression. The other people are wearing a lot less (i.e. swimwear; calm down) and they are all having a drink. They are evidently in a theatre as there’s a stage curtain behind them and they are sitting on another curtain on the floor. Bill has a beard, which he never had in the 1960s – looks more like the photo was taken around early/mid-seventies (plus he’s looking trim – I know some of you will want to check this photo out by now – so buy the book!). I’m well aware of the ‘Goodies – Almost Live’ concert episode but don’t feel it was this occasion. I’d read that there was a ‘Goodies Live’ stage show planned but had thought that this idea didn’t get anywhere at all, due to the problems of recreating the filmed stunt sections. Did it make it to rehearsal stage?
There’s always something to find out!
ISIRTA was a hugely popular radio programme, riding the wave of the swinging sixties and still making me laugh today with its silliness, wordplay, catchphrases and cheek. It was a little bit satirical, but most of its lovability comes from a more knockabout music-hall style that is easier to appreciate after the passage of years. The programmes contain many of the criminally-undervalued Bill Oddie's most daft, clever and subversive songs, supported in his parodies by Dave Lee and the Boys. (How Bill got 'Baa Baa Baa BaBaBaBa' past Auntie, a couple of years before I was even born, I can't imagine!)
With this handbook you can go right back to the start of Clue and enjoy the building of the layers of bizarre tradition. Worship the coolness of the late, lamented Chairman Humph, the wonderfully eccentric Willie Rushton, the cardigan-wearing, sharp, left-wing anti-crooner Jeremy Hardy – and savour the many other players who are luckily still with us. There are plenty of transcribed witty exchanges to give a flavour of the show for those who may not have heard it all.
Lastly, a personal query: Can anyone please explain further the photo showing [an unnamed lady; Graeme’s wife?], Bill, his first wife, Jean Hart [I’m pretty sure] and Graeme Garden on the fifth page of the first plate section? It’s captioned ‘The winners of the 1968 Writers’ Guild of Great Britain Award enjoy their success’ and credited on the list which appears near the back of the book as ‘The Goodies live (sic), courtesy of Graeme Garden’. It’s certainly true that Bill and Graeme won that award. But what year was this photo taken, since the Goodies began in 1970? Graeme is wearing a loose shirt, what look like tights, and ankle boots – giving a somewhat ‘Sherwood’ impression. The other people are wearing a lot less (i.e. swimwear; calm down) and they are all having a drink. They are evidently in a theatre as there’s a stage curtain behind them and they are sitting on another curtain on the floor. Bill has a beard, which he never had in the 1960s – looks more like the photo was taken around early/mid-seventies (plus he’s looking trim – I know some of you will want to check this photo out by now – so buy the book!). I’m well aware of the ‘Goodies – Almost Live’ concert episode but don’t feel it was this occasion. I’d read that there was a ‘Goodies Live’ stage show planned but had thought that this idea didn’t get anywhere at all, due to the problems of recreating the filmed stunt sections. Did it make it to rehearsal stage?
There’s always something to find out!
May 18, 2017
I've recently managed to get into ISIHAC, but I've started with the newer ones, and been working backwards. Finding this recently on Amazon caused me to dive backwards into the history of the show, and what a history it has.
This is not just the story of one of the best radio comedy shows going, but also a history of radio comedy to a certain extent. The first third of the book is given over to the early lives of the main characters, their introduction to the stage through footlights, and to the formation of the team via the earlier radio comedy, "I'm Sorry I'll Read That Again". This show helped lay the foundations not just of ISIHAC, but also The Goodies and Monty Python.
The rest of the book takes up the story of ISIHAC, from the birth in the pub with Graeme Garden putting the idea to the producer, through the early years with Willie Rushton, up through to a couple of years ago with the passing of Chairman Humph.
In the 40 years the show has been running, it's changed, and a lot of that is down to the producers who have worked hard with the team to keep it fresh. So there are explanations as to why certain games appeared and disappeared, the birth of some of the running gags, how the decision to keep going after Rushtons death was reached, and indeed after the chairmans death. And of course there are jokes, puns and anecdotes all over the place.
The author has managed to illustrate the humour with plenty of script cuttings included, although as this is the kindle version, it would have been wonderful if he'd managed to link them to sound files.
This is a real love letter to the show, and for any fan of radio, or even British comedy I can not recommend it enough
This is not just the story of one of the best radio comedy shows going, but also a history of radio comedy to a certain extent. The first third of the book is given over to the early lives of the main characters, their introduction to the stage through footlights, and to the formation of the team via the earlier radio comedy, "I'm Sorry I'll Read That Again". This show helped lay the foundations not just of ISIHAC, but also The Goodies and Monty Python.
The rest of the book takes up the story of ISIHAC, from the birth in the pub with Graeme Garden putting the idea to the producer, through the early years with Willie Rushton, up through to a couple of years ago with the passing of Chairman Humph.
In the 40 years the show has been running, it's changed, and a lot of that is down to the producers who have worked hard with the team to keep it fresh. So there are explanations as to why certain games appeared and disappeared, the birth of some of the running gags, how the decision to keep going after Rushtons death was reached, and indeed after the chairmans death. And of course there are jokes, puns and anecdotes all over the place.
The author has managed to illustrate the humour with plenty of script cuttings included, although as this is the kindle version, it would have been wonderful if he'd managed to link them to sound files.
This is a real love letter to the show, and for any fan of radio, or even British comedy I can not recommend it enough
November 28, 2022
An exhaustive, and somewhat exhausting, history of not only I’m Sorry I Haven’t A Clue but also its predecessor, I’m Sorry I’ll Read That Again. Jem Roberts did a lot of great research on the subject, interviewing most of the major contributors to the ‘I’m Sorry’ universe (the Clueniverse?). I learned a lot of quite interesting stuff from the book, and the tribute to the late Humphrey Lyttleton was genuinely moving.
But it’s also needlessly gushing about the two shows, and far too generous with terms like “genius”. I love Clue too, otherwise I wouldn’t be reading the book, but it goes a bit overboard with the hagiography. And as I’ve seen others point out, Roberts’s narration of the audiobook leaves something to be desired, as evidenced by (for example) his inconsistent pronunciation of the surname of Miriam Margolyes. And while it may not be an issue for the print version, it feels a bit weird listening to Roberts single-handedly reciting chunks of dialogue from past episodes of ISIRTA and Clue, many of which I’ve heard in their original performances.
So overall, well researched and informative, but not a GREAT final product.
But it’s also needlessly gushing about the two shows, and far too generous with terms like “genius”. I love Clue too, otherwise I wouldn’t be reading the book, but it goes a bit overboard with the hagiography. And as I’ve seen others point out, Roberts’s narration of the audiobook leaves something to be desired, as evidenced by (for example) his inconsistent pronunciation of the surname of Miriam Margolyes. And while it may not be an issue for the print version, it feels a bit weird listening to Roberts single-handedly reciting chunks of dialogue from past episodes of ISIRTA and Clue, many of which I’ve heard in their original performances.
So overall, well researched and informative, but not a GREAT final product.
August 27, 2024
The reader/listen is in safe and funny hands with Jem Roberts through this account of the forerunners of ISIHAC, the show's own history and what its key players went on to do alongside it. There is plenty of information for even the veteran listener of the show to digest, including how and why the rounds have evolved, along with the origins of the show in a desire to save time by creating a show without a script.
At times, the thoroughness of the history slows down the account, as if there's a premium on mentioning everyone involved at any point. That though makes it stronger as a reference work, and the audio version if kept fun all the way through with the care taken to do more than just a simple reading. Sound effects feature frequently.
At times, the thoroughness of the history slows down the account, as if there's a premium on mentioning everyone involved at any point. That though makes it stronger as a reference work, and the audio version if kept fun all the way through with the care taken to do more than just a simple reading. Sound effects feature frequently.
March 25, 2018
Abandoned on page 20 of 417. I wanted a history of I’m Sorry I Haven’t A Clue, not a nerdy break down of every review at Footlights. Looking ahead the radio show doesn’t appear until page 195. The author normally writes for comedy fanzines and it tells. It’s very detailed but at the same time reads as if he assumes you know of all this. For someone like me who doesn’t know that much about comedy history it lacked explanation.
March 27, 2022
Labour of love tracing the history of radio comedy through the goons, round the horne , I'm sorry I'll read that again and then I'm sorry I haven't a clue . Excellent pen pictures of the main protagonists . Ends with death of Humphrey Lyttleton in 2008 so another 10+ years to be covered. Some hilarious moments from the show . A long book but well worth reading.
May 30, 2011
Following through on its biblical styling, this book is split into two "Testaments". The first deals with the origins of I'm Sorry I'll Read That Again, the precursor to I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue. I have to admit I'd never heard of this show before reading this book, but have listened to a couple of episodes this past week and it is surreal fun.
The second testament deals with I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue itself. It begins with Graeme Garden's plans for a version of I'm Sorry I'll Read That Again that was improvised, his reasons being that radio didn't pay well enough to warrant him and Bill Oddie slaving over scripts every week, thus an ad-libbed version would be preferable. And it carries on until Humphrey Lyttleton's very sad death a few years ago and essentially ends with the decision to carry on with either Stephen Fry, Jack Dee, or Rob Brydon taking over chairmanship duties.
The first testament comes across as the better researched and written, although many of the references are unfathomable if you aren't au fait with ISIRTA, as I'm not. Similarly the second testament is more a recap of everything that's happened on ISIHAC over the last forty years, if you're a big fan of the show there's very little new here. Roberts' insistence on playing up to the show's in-jokes gets a little weary at times, he briefly mentions the genesis of Mornington Crescent at the end of one chapter before slipping into the "no, it's a real game, really!" line of the show and giving the "official" history from some of the ISIHAC spin off episodes.
There's plenty of laughs, and indeed some tears, to be had in the book, but these come from excerpts from the show and the chapter about Humphrey's death. If you're a fan of ISIHAC, and especially a fan of both that and ISIRTA, then this book is certainly worth the read, but a newcomer to the show would most definitely spend their time better with some of the many episodes now available from the BBC.
The second testament deals with I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue itself. It begins with Graeme Garden's plans for a version of I'm Sorry I'll Read That Again that was improvised, his reasons being that radio didn't pay well enough to warrant him and Bill Oddie slaving over scripts every week, thus an ad-libbed version would be preferable. And it carries on until Humphrey Lyttleton's very sad death a few years ago and essentially ends with the decision to carry on with either Stephen Fry, Jack Dee, or Rob Brydon taking over chairmanship duties.
The first testament comes across as the better researched and written, although many of the references are unfathomable if you aren't au fait with ISIRTA, as I'm not. Similarly the second testament is more a recap of everything that's happened on ISIHAC over the last forty years, if you're a big fan of the show there's very little new here. Roberts' insistence on playing up to the show's in-jokes gets a little weary at times, he briefly mentions the genesis of Mornington Crescent at the end of one chapter before slipping into the "no, it's a real game, really!" line of the show and giving the "official" history from some of the ISIHAC spin off episodes.
There's plenty of laughs, and indeed some tears, to be had in the book, but these come from excerpts from the show and the chapter about Humphrey's death. If you're a fan of ISIHAC, and especially a fan of both that and ISIRTA, then this book is certainly worth the read, but a newcomer to the show would most definitely spend their time better with some of the many episodes now available from the BBC.
October 3, 2022
Update following audiobook 2022:
I was kindly gifted a free copy of the audiobook version by the author. The 2022 release meant updates about OBEs since the original publishing, and the recent deaths of a few major players in the story could be included. With so many changes since Humphs worldly departure and the original publication of the Clue Bible, I hope to see updates dealing with new games, fresh performers, loss of old performers, and the 50th anniversary of Clue.
In audio form, the frequent passages of script are more effective (I find myself skipping quotes in print when I am familiar with the material), and further audio decorations help to divide and shape the text in a logical way (i.e. a clown horn introducing the biography highlight sections).
As with all Roberts' book, The Clue Bible is for the super-fan, and takes the phrase "excruciating detail" to a new level. It's a long book--it bloody well has to be, covering 60 years of comedy history-- and explores the influences that lead to ISIRTA/ISIHAC, the context behind material, the lives of the writers/performers and their relationship with producers, the audience and the BBC, and the long-lasting love of the greatest and (hopefully) eternal radio programme.
***
As a huge fan of ISIHAC and ISIRTA, I lapped up the intimate details that this history covers. Incredible detail with nothing left untouched and no player, no matter how small, left out of the story.
I was kindly gifted a free copy of the audiobook version by the author. The 2022 release meant updates about OBEs since the original publishing, and the recent deaths of a few major players in the story could be included. With so many changes since Humphs worldly departure and the original publication of the Clue Bible, I hope to see updates dealing with new games, fresh performers, loss of old performers, and the 50th anniversary of Clue.
In audio form, the frequent passages of script are more effective (I find myself skipping quotes in print when I am familiar with the material), and further audio decorations help to divide and shape the text in a logical way (i.e. a clown horn introducing the biography highlight sections).
As with all Roberts' book, The Clue Bible is for the super-fan, and takes the phrase "excruciating detail" to a new level. It's a long book--it bloody well has to be, covering 60 years of comedy history-- and explores the influences that lead to ISIRTA/ISIHAC, the context behind material, the lives of the writers/performers and their relationship with producers, the audience and the BBC, and the long-lasting love of the greatest and (hopefully) eternal radio programme.
***
As a huge fan of ISIHAC and ISIRTA, I lapped up the intimate details that this history covers. Incredible detail with nothing left untouched and no player, no matter how small, left out of the story.
January 11, 2013
I've never laughed so much, reading a Bible. (Well, to be honest - I never finished reading the other one.)
This book, which I read in portions over nearly nine months to keep it lasting longer, is pure joy to anyone who is a fan of any of the people or shows mentioned in the book. (If you've never heard of any of these, you can regard this book as a splendid introduction that will perhaps clue you in on how much they are all loved. There are some in-jokes, but don't worry - listen to a few shows and you'll soon understand more. I hope.)
The book contains not only the straight forward history of I'm Sorry I'll Read That Again and I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue, but it also weaves in all the paralel shows and work by participants and producers. It is, in short an all-round history book about the radio comedy phenomenon which started with ISIRTA and flowed onwards into ISIHAC.
And not only is the subject wonderful and brilliant (after all, it IS very close to my heart), but the way the author uses language is absolutely super. On my wish list are more books by Jem Roberts, it's as simple as that.
This book, which I read in portions over nearly nine months to keep it lasting longer, is pure joy to anyone who is a fan of any of the people or shows mentioned in the book. (If you've never heard of any of these, you can regard this book as a splendid introduction that will perhaps clue you in on how much they are all loved. There are some in-jokes, but don't worry - listen to a few shows and you'll soon understand more. I hope.)
The book contains not only the straight forward history of I'm Sorry I'll Read That Again and I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue, but it also weaves in all the paralel shows and work by participants and producers. It is, in short an all-round history book about the radio comedy phenomenon which started with ISIRTA and flowed onwards into ISIHAC.
And not only is the subject wonderful and brilliant (after all, it IS very close to my heart), but the way the author uses language is absolutely super. On my wish list are more books by Jem Roberts, it's as simple as that.
August 21, 2015
A thorough, if repetitive, study of the history of the antidote to panel games, this read is full of familiar gags. It takes a similar format to From fringe to flying circus: Celebrating a unique generation of comedy, 1960-1980 and covers much the same people as it starts with the college shows and works its way through ISIRTA and beyond.
If you are looking for sexy photos of Samantha, forget it. She's apparently not giving out - photos, anyway.
It was all very amusing until I came to the death of Humph at the end and I cried at that and at the description of the funeral, where they played the recording of him playing "We'll Meet Again." Oh, gosh!
This is all the more touching because Tim, Graeme, and Bill brought me and my husband together. Okay, maybe it was Alison Bean, but we've already thanked her.
If you are looking for sexy photos of Samantha, forget it. She's apparently not giving out - photos, anyway.
It was all very amusing until I came to the death of Humph at the end and I cried at that and at the description of the funeral, where they played the recording of him playing "We'll Meet Again." Oh, gosh!
This is all the more touching because Tim, Graeme, and Bill brought me and my husband together. Okay, maybe it was Alison Bean, but we've already thanked her.
June 17, 2014
If you're a fan of the long-running Radio 4 antidote to panel games, you'll find this book packed with interesting and amusing information. If you're not a fan there's a good chance you won't find it at all.
It's a long book and for at least the first 50% you could be forgiven for thinking that it was one book to the theme of another. It traces the protagonists' pre-Clue careers from the Cambridge Footlights. It also devotes a lot of time to the anarchic forerunner of Clue, the fusion of Goodies and Python that was I'm Sorry I'll Read That Again.
None of this makes it a bad book, it's all good stuff, with the odd script extract to keep you laughing as you go. It also stops shortly after Humph's death so there's little about the show's more modern incarnation.
In summary, entertaining but probably one for the die hard fans.
It's a long book and for at least the first 50% you could be forgiven for thinking that it was one book to the theme of another. It traces the protagonists' pre-Clue careers from the Cambridge Footlights. It also devotes a lot of time to the anarchic forerunner of Clue, the fusion of Goodies and Python that was I'm Sorry I'll Read That Again.
None of this makes it a bad book, it's all good stuff, with the odd script extract to keep you laughing as you go. It also stops shortly after Humph's death so there's little about the show's more modern incarnation.
In summary, entertaining but probably one for the die hard fans.
February 19, 2017
Dear Mr. Parsons: it's about time somebody wrote a book about your long running comedy quiz show, preferably in English. In the meantime, I suppose we'll just have to make do with this. Yrs faithfully, Mrs. Trellis, North Wales.
This is actually two books: a history of ISIRTA, which doubles as a love-letter to Jo Kendall, and a history of ISIHAC, which doubles as a napkin, if you fold it nicely. Admirably comprehensive, both books cover all the ground you would expect, and have enough excerpts from the shows for you to annoy your spouse with if reading in bed. I particularly liked the credit given to Jon Naismith and Iain Pattinson for making Clue what it is today. So now you know who to blame.
Well, as the short-sighted rhinoceros of fate mounts the VW Beetle of time, I see I've run out of sp
This is actually two books: a history of ISIRTA, which doubles as a love-letter to Jo Kendall, and a history of ISIHAC, which doubles as a napkin, if you fold it nicely. Admirably comprehensive, both books cover all the ground you would expect, and have enough excerpts from the shows for you to annoy your spouse with if reading in bed. I particularly liked the credit given to Jon Naismith and Iain Pattinson for making Clue what it is today. So now you know who to blame.
Well, as the short-sighted rhinoceros of fate mounts the VW Beetle of time, I see I've run out of sp
August 23, 2010
The title is slightly misleading as only the second half of the book is really about 'I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue' itself. The first half details the formation of the group of comedians that would eventually go on to produce the series 'I'm Sorry I'll Read That Again', which would itself result in the creation of 'Clue'. What you get therefore is more than just the history of one radio series. It's a fascinating history of radio comedy (and TV comedy, for that matter)in the latter half of the 20th Century.
May 20, 2020
A friendly and respectful tribute to a national treasure. An enjoyable read.
April 2, 2017
Half this book is about something other than I'm Sorry I haven't a Clue. i understand the need to provide history of how the show got started, but it took just over half of the length of the book to do so.
Once we get into the topic at hand things start to improve, it is still badly written, and the author, although obviously a comedy fan has no sense of how to write humorously himself, and the book would have been improved without his attempts at humour.
Most of all this book made me want to go back and revisit old episodes of Clue, which is no back things to do.
Once we get into the topic at hand things start to improve, it is still badly written, and the author, although obviously a comedy fan has no sense of how to write humorously himself, and the book would have been improved without his attempts at humour.
Most of all this book made me want to go back and revisit old episodes of Clue, which is no back things to do.
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