First on this tape, True Bible Stories – Ark of the Covenant. A documentary about the mystery of the Ark of the Covenant – the Indiana Jones Ark, not Noah’s Ark. This man is absolutely sure he knows where it is. He’s Mike Sanders, and he’s a “self taught biblical scholar”, a phrase that should set off alarm bells
He thinks he’s found a temple of Rameses III in Palestine, but by the end of the programme he’s been unable to
After this, recording switches to Top 100 Greatest TV Characters. This is part two, 50 to 1, presented by Ardal O’Hanlon.
50: Anna Forbes – Daniela Nardini – This Life
Amy Jenkins was the writer/creator of This Life.
49: Alf Garnett – Warren Mitchell – Till Death Us Do Part
48: Desmond Ambrose – Norman Beaton – Desmond ‘s
Trix Worrall is the writer/creator of Desmond’s
Humphrey Barclay was the producer, and a producer of a lot of comedy.
Jazzie B
Vaz Blackwood remembers his own experiences of the local barbershop.
47: Beth Jordache – Anna Friel – Brookside – 1992-95
Anna Bouch remembers a formative moment – would the relationship be successful? It’s all about representation.
46: Dot Cotton – June Brown – Eastenders – 1985-Present
45: Huggy Bear – Antonio Fargas – Starsky & Hutch – 1976-81
He hadn’t changed an awful lot since the 70s.
He’s “Paul Glaser” now?
Gina Yashere: “I’m surprised that man was not shot, I mean, he was a grass.”
Wayne Hemingway is on these a lot.
44: Margo Leadbetter – Penelope Keith – The Good Life – 1975-78
Emma B: “She desperately wanted everything to be nice.”
Russell T Davies: “She was trapped in suburbia, and she wasn’t half as posh as she makes out.”
Critic Tina Baker: “She’s almost like a Jane Austen heroine, I think”
43: Arnold Jackson – Gary Coleman – Diff’rent Strokes – 1980-86
Donna McPhail: “The rumours went round that he was really 25 years old”
Paul Ross is putting on his serious voice, oozing sympathy for “the poor sod”.
Coleman himself is remarkably grounded.
His co star Todd Bridges: “My job was to set Gary up.”
Stuart Maconie: “That’s not the lost years, that’s just him knuckling down to regular employment.”
42: D.I. Jack Frost – David Jason – A Touch of Frost – 1992-Present
41: Stuart Jones – Aidan Gillen – Queer as Folk – 1999-2000
Gub Neal, Commissioning Editor: “Stuart was a Don Juan. He was a person who just liked sex.”
Russell T Davies on the American remake: “So they’ve got a new Stuart Jones, but in America he’s called… Brian. Just doesn’t work, does it?”
40: Rab C. Nesbitt – Gregor Fisher – 1986-99
Karen Dunbar talks about a whole pub going quiet to watch the show, like a family.
39: Albert Steptoe – Wolfrid Brambell – Steptoe and Son – 1962-74
Writers Galton and Simpson.
John Robb turns up again – the only place I’ve ever seen him.
WTF does AA Gill have to say about Steptoe and Son?
38: J.R. Ewing – Larry Hagman – Dallas – 1978-91
They actually use the clip where JR says “You’re a drunk, an unfit mother.” Was it a Wogan thing? “You’re a drunk, a tramp and an unfit mother. That’s what my daddy said before he died.”
37: Arthur Daley – George Cole – Minder – 1979-94
George Cole interviewed.
Co Star Dennis Waterman uses the word ‘malapropism’.
Producer Verity Lambert.
36: Fitz – Robbie Coltrane – Cracker – 1993-98
Gub Neal has put his glasses on.
Greg Proops: “Has every bad habit – Compulsive Gambler, chainsmoker, alcoholic womanizer.”
35: Capt. Hawkeye Pierce – Alan Alda – M*A*S*H – 1973-84
34: Compo Simmonite – Bill Owen – Last of the Summer Wine – 1973-2000
I’m not sure I’ve ever seen Roy Clarke interviewed, although I must have.
Bill Owen’s son was brought in to play Compo’s son, to finish off the currently filming series.
33: Emma Peel – Dame Diana Rigg – The Avengers – 1965-67
32: Sgt Ernie Bilko – Phil Silvers – The Phil Silvers Show – 1957-61
Leslie Grantham was a fan as a young man.
Michael Grade: “It’s the missing link from Vaudeville to television sitcom”
Dan Castellaneta: “He was a comedy technician”
31: Sir Humphrey Appleby – Sir Nigel Hawthorne – Yes, Minister; Yes, Prime Minister – 1980-88
Anthony Jay talks about how the character of the private secretary had never been seen before.
Andrew Rawnsley: “Seemed to epitomise what the audience thought about Whitehall”
Michael Grade: “He’s the master manipulator”
30: Chief Insp Morse – John Thaw – Inspector Morse – 1987-2000
29: Miss Piggy – Voice Of Frank Oz – The Muppet Show – 1976-Present
Jenny Eclair: “Nobody can tantrum like Miss Piggy”
Helen Mirren: “I can see a lot of myself in Miss Piggy.”
28: Dennis Pennis – Paul Kaye – The Sunday Show, Pennis Pops Out – 1995-99
Dennis Pennis? Really? Number 28? Better than Bilko? What were people thinking. Was he even a character, rather than just a single, repeated joke?
27: Number Six – Patrick McGoohan – The Prisoner – 1967-68
Paul Morley: “Closest we’ll get to philosophy on television”
26: Norman Stanley Fletcher – Ronnie Barker – Porridge – 1973-77
David Quantick: “The first words in the show are ‘Norman Stanley Fletcher, you are an habitual criminal…” Voiced by Ronnie Barker, which is even better.”
Writers Clement and La Fresnais
25: Ally McBeal – Calista Flockhart
24: Rigsby – Leonard Rossiter – Rising Damp – 1974-78
23: Mr Spock – Leonard Nimoy – Star Trek – 1969-71
Simon Donald from Viz is a proper fan.
22: Frank Spencer – Michael Crawford – Some Mothers Do ‘Ave ‘Em – 1973-78
21: Capt. Mainwaring – Arthur Lowe – Dad’s Army – 1968-77
Co-writer Jimmy Perry
20: Patsy Stone – Joanna Lumley – Absolutely Fabulous – 1992-Present
19: Ted And Ralph – Paul Whitehouse & Charlie Higson – The Fast Show – 1994-2000
Performer Charlie Higson
Co-creators Arthur Mathews and Graham Linehan
18: Lt. Columbo – Peter Falk – Columbo – 1972-93
Peter Falk tells us Bing Crosby was originally up for the role, but he preferred to go golfing. “Thank God for golf.”
A psychologist speaks.
17: Alan B’Stard – Rik Mayall – The New Statesman – 1987-94
Writers Maurice Gran and Laurence Marks
16: Tubbs – Steve Pemberton – The League of Gentlemen – 1999-Present
Performers Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton
15: Kevin The Teenager – Harry Enfield – Harry Enfield and Chums – 1994-Present
Comedy supremo Harry Thompson
14: Rick – Rik Mayall – The Young Ones – 1982-84
(I had always assumed his name was ‘Rik’.)
13: The Fonz – Henry Winkler – Happy Days – 1975-85
Gordon Ramsay
Derek Hatton probably thinks he’s just like The Fonz.
12: B.A. Baracus – Mr. T – The A-Team – 1983-88
11: Jim Royle – Ricky Tomlinson – The Royle Family – 1998-2000
10: Dr Niles Crane – David Hyde Pierce – Frasier – 1994-Present
Historian Dick Fiddy
9: Victor Meldrew – Richard Wilson – One Foot in the Grave – 1990-2000
Performer Richard Wilson
Kathy Airey was the proprietor of the Bridge Hotel, outside of which Victor died.
8: Ali G – Sacha Baron Cohen – 1998-Present
An unfeasibly high showing for Ali G. I guess we should be glad that he isn’t still being performed.
Paul Daniels took it remarkably seriously. “I now find him boring.”
7: Alan Partridge – Steve Coogan – 1994-Present
Producer Armando Iannucci
6: The Doctor – Various – Doctor Who – 1963-89
Nice high showing for Doctor Who, although he usually does well in polls.
Those are real fans.
5: Father Dougal McGuire – Ardal O’Hanlon – Father Ted – 1995-98
4: Derek ‘Del Boy’ Trotter – David Jason – Only Fools and Horses – 1987-96
3: Edmund Blackadder – Rowan Atkinson – Blackadder – 1983-89
Producer John Lloyd
Critic Kathryn Flett: “Undoubtedly Rowan Atkinson’s greatest role on TV”
2: Basil Fawlty – John Cleese – Fawlty Towers – 1975-79
1: Homer Simpson – Dan Castellaneta – The Simpsons – 1990-Present
Sigh. I guess The Simpsons were in their ascendancy, so they came top in everything around this time.
The tape stops just after this, just an an episode of Frasier is starting.
Adverts:
- Apple iBook
- Rover Dealers
- The Times
- Virgin Atlantic – Steven Berkoff Steve Buscemi
- Garnier Synergie
- BT
- Nat West
- Renault Scenic
- Wickes
- Ty-phoo
- DHL
- trail: Brookside
- Dr Pepper – Jesse Eisenberg
- Fiat Punto – Dante’s Peak
- Sainsbury’s – Jamie Oliver
- AA Insurance
- AOL
- Diamond
- Fiat Punto
- British Airways
- trail: As Good as it Gets
- Buzz
- fimatex.co.uk
- Alpen
- Kit Kat
- HMV
- Homebase
- workthing.com
- Holsten Pils – Ray Winstone
- Garnier Fructis
- trail: The Priory
- Honda Civic
- The Dish in cinemas
- Burger King
- Walt Disney World
- Vodafone
- Carling
- Standard Life
- Coca Cola
- Magnet
- Computer Associates
- Direct Line Rescue
- Guardian Unlimited
- Renault Laguna
- Doritos Dippas
- National Lottery
- trail: Nigella Bites
- Bacardi Breezer
- Pantene
- Pizza Hut
- Boots
- Miele
- Clarks
- Census 2001
- Teacher Training Agency
- Clover
- Volvo S60
- trail: Secret Rulers of the World
- HP
- Barclaycard – Angus Deayton
- Census 2001
- Pimm’s
- Magnet
- Goodbye Charlie Bright in cinemas
- Pampers New baby
- Nissan Almera
- HP
- trail: As Good as it Gets
- trail: Multiplicity
- Fiat Punto
- Pimm’s
- Direct Line Rescue
- Eddy Grant Greatest Hits
- Census 2001
- Destiny’s Child – Survivor
- Antitrust in cinemas
- The Look of Love – The Burt Bacharach Collection
- Fiat Punto
- Alpen
- trail: Sex and the City
- trail: Cutting Edge: Brian’s Story
VHiStory 