I recently found (by coincidence) this great video, a part of the famous BBC show that aired from 1971 to 1987, The Two Ronnies. This is one of the most popular sketches from the show. This episode is a parody of the quiz show “Mastermind” with Barker as host Magnus Magnusson and Coret as a contestant named Charlie Smithers, whose specialist subject was “answering the question before last”.
So, here is the video and the tape script:
Q: And so, to our first contestant. Good evening! Your name, please!
A: Good evening!
Q: Your chosen subject was answering questions before you are asked. This time, you`ve choson to answer the question before last, each time, is that correct?
A: Charlie Smithers.
Q: And your time starts now. What is palaeontology?
A: Yes, absolutely correct.
Q: What is the name of the directory that lists members of the peerage?
A: A study of old fossils.
Q: Correct. Who are Len Murray and Sir Geoffrey Howe?
A: Burkes.
Q: Correct. What is the difference between a donkey and an ass?
A: One is a Trade Union leader, the other one is a member of the cabinet.
Q:Correct. Complete the quotation “To be or not to be…”
A:They are both the same.
Q:Correct. What is Bernard Manning famous for?
A: That is the question.
Q: Correct. Who is the current Archbishop of Canterbury?
A: He is a fat man who tells blue jokes.
Q: Correct. What do people kneel on in church?
A: The Right Reverend Robert Runcey
Q: Correct. What do tarantulas pray on?
A: Cassocks
Q: Correct. What would you use a rip cord to pull open?
A: Large flies.
Q: Correct. What sort of person lives in Bedlam?
A: A parachute
Q: Correct. What is a jockstrap?
A: A nut case.
Q:For what purpose would a decorator use ethylene chlorides?
A: A form of athletic support.
Q: What did Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec do?
A: Paint strippers.
Q: Who is Dean Martin?
A: He is a kind of artist.
Q: Yes, what sort of artist?
A: Err… Pass.
Q: That’s near enough.
Q: What make of vehicle is the standard London bus
A: A singer.
Q: In 1892 Brandon Thomas wrote a famous long running British farce, what was it?
A: British Leyland.
Q: Correct. Complete the following quota…(a beep is heard)…I started, so I finish! Complete the following quotation about Mrs Thatcher: “Her heart may be in the right place but her ..”
A:Charlies aren’t.
Q: Correct!
So, tell me what you think about this kind of “old entertainment”.
The sketch is simply BRILLIANT!! I think this is one of the best ideas The Two Ronnies ever had! I have to say at this point I LOVE British Comedy and being an EL teacher/trainer I find such sketches most useful in class – they are equally popular with students and trainee teachers…
…Which is why I thought I would help popularise some of them (both Video AND Audio clips) by uploading (or re-uploading) them on YouTube so people / colleagues can find them all in the same place. If you like this kind of Comedy, just go to YouTube and type ‘Comedy for ELT’. There are only 10 clips there so far, but I hope to make them 100 or so by the end of the year…
I would be very interested in feedback…
brilliant !
Just one question: how to add your blog into my rrs reader, thanks so much.