The moment you’ve all been waiting for, it’s time for the grand reveal… the Answers!
Let’s Go…
Round One: Spin the Wheel – TV Year 1977
Question 1.1: In March 1977, ITV launched its epic biblical series ‘Jesus of Nazareth,’ but who played the title role?
Answer: Robert Powell
Question 1.2: In April 1977, an episode of ‘This is your Life’ had a remarkable 22.22 million viewers. Who was the subject in Eamon Andrews’s big red book?
Answer: Lord Mountbatten
Question 1.3: Still on viewing figures, how many people were estimated to have watched the Queen’s 1977 Silver Jubilee celebration on TV across the world?
Answer: According to the official royal.uk website, it was around 500 million viewers!
Question 1.4: In January 1977, Charlie’s Angels was first shown in the UK to great excitement from the viewing public. Which actresses played the original three angels?
Answer: Kate Jackson, Farrah Fawcett, and Jaclyn Smith.
Question 1.5: On Christmas Day 1977, two shows gained audiences of over 28 million. Obviously, one was The Morecambe and Wise Christmas Show, but what was the other one?
Answer: The Mike Yarwood Christmas Show
So how did you get on? Five down, fifteen to go. Plenty of time to catch up if 1977 didn’t help you.
Round Two: Marathon – Fil Rouge
Question 2.1: Way back in our early episode about shopping and ‘Are You Being Served,’ I mentioned that my parents got married on a Wednesday afternoon. Why was that?
Answer: Because my grandfather ran a gentleman’s outfitter shop and didn’t want to miss out on trade, so they got married on half-day closing.
Question 2.2: In our 50th episode, ‘What was on in 1972,’ I mentioned that a famous folk group visited our school on one occasion. Who were they?
Answer: The Spinners
Question 2.3: Which company did my family rent its TV sets from?
Answer: Radio Rentals
Question 2.4: In ‘Cosgrove and Hall: The Early Years,’ we remembered ‘The Magic Ball” which I mistakenly always thought was called ‘Sam and his Magic Ball.’ After finishing his adventures, Sam would go home to his Aunt’s antique shop, and his Aunt would say “and where have you been young man?” What did Sam always say in reply?
Answer: “Oh, nowhere much.”
Question 2.5: As part of our recent tribute to Michael Parkinson, we looked back to this summer and a photo which showed Sir Michael reunited with two of his old cricketing teammates at the Headingley test match. Who were they?
Answer: Geoffrey Boycott and Harold “Dickie” Bird
Round Three: Name That Tune
Answer 3.1: Blankety Blank
Answer 3.2: Potter
Answer 3.3: Shoestring
Answer 3.4 :Tales of the Unexpected?
Answer 3.5: Terry and June.
Round Four: TV Times – Halloween Special 👻
Question 4.1: I was personally terrified by the famous faceless nun in a rocking chair scene in an episode of Armchair Thriller. I literally couldn’t sleep for a week. But who was the lady detective who was investigating the mystery?
Answer: Jemima Shore, as created by Lady Antonia Fraser
Question 4.2: Rentaghost featured a lot of ghosts, obviously. But what was the profession of Timothy Claypole when he was alive?
Answer: He was a Jester
Question 4.3: The public information film Dark Water scared us all senseless in the 1970’s as the grim reaper lured several children to their untimely deaths by playing in and around water. But how many of them met an untimely end?
Answer: Amazingly, given how much so many of us remember the film, it was only two. With a third having a lucky escape.
Question 4.4: The deeply unsettling ITV children’s show ‘Children of the Stones’ was first broadcast in 1977. It was set in a small village surrounded by a Neolithic stone circle. What was the name of the village?
Answer: Milbury
Question 4.5: And finally, who played Lizzie Dripping in the TV series of the same name which featured a scary witch?
Answer: Tina Heath
Bonus Question:
Still on the horror theme, the 1976 series Beasts was an anthology of various disturbing tales involving animals. In the episode ‘During Barty’s Party,’ a middle-class, suburban couple are laid siege to their own house by which animals?
Answer: A pack of large intelligent rats 🐀🐀🐀
So how did you do? Are you a champion 70’s TV quizzer or do you need to do some more revision? Well done if you got a decent score, and commiserations if this week’s questions didn’t light up your scoreboard. It’s only a bit of fun after all.
Join us again for another regular episode of the podcast next week and for our next quiz in a fortnight. In the meantime, don’t forget to rate and review us wherever you get your podcasts and to tell your friends. Challenge them to a quiz night and let us know who’s the champion. Thanks for listening, and join me again soon for more from My 70’s TV Childhood and the My 70’s TV Childhood Quiz!
Take care
Oliver
