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Re: Humphrey Lyttelton: A Celebration

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Michael TobiasMay 4, 2008
 

 
--- In just-a-minute@..., "Clitheroe Kid"
<clitheroekid@...> wrote:

>
> In many ways Humphrey Lyttelton took over the mantle of that other
> wonderfully urbane straight man of BBC radio, Kenneth Horne.
>
> 'Clue' began in 1972, four years after Kenneth Horne's death. Humph
> fulfilled essentially the same role in 'Clue' that Kenneth Horne had

had in

> the Sixties, in the comedies 'Round the Horne' and the earlier

'Beyond Our

> Ken'. In panel games, it was a role that the urbane and eminently
> respectable Robert Robinson also fulfilled, whilst surrounded by

comedians

> on the show 'Call My Bluff'.
>
> Perhaps there are one or two urbane straight men around today, who

might be

> up to carrying on the role if 'Clue' was to continue. Possibly Martin
> Jarvis, perhaps even Gyles Brandreth. Maybe Stephen Fry - though he

is not

> perhaps well suited to playing the eternal straight man.
>
> Humph's was a role which also required a subversive wit. Would that

the late

> Frank Muir was still with us! Indeed, what price now Denis Norden?
>
> Regards,
> Stephen
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: lapsedcat <lapsedcat@...>
> To: <just-a-minute@...>
> Sent: Friday, May 02, 2008 8:24 AM
> Subject: [just-a-minute] Re: Humphrey Lyttleton: A Celebration (R4

April 30

> 2008)
>
>
> > While I think it would be unwise to carry on, not least because Barry
> > himself is in his mid-seventies, and to end on fifty series seems a
> > logical thing to do, I guess that Graham's sporadic appearances on
> > Holby City, Tim's occasional forays into short-lived forgetable
> > sitcoms and the pair's lack of repeat fees for the Goodies, means
> > that they need the money. Barry presumably needs beer money as well.
> >
> > That said, if they chose a particularly good replacement for Humph -
> > so far the names Jack Dee, Stephen Fry, Denise Van Outen and Kit
> > Hesketh-Hardy spring to mind (alright, I was kidding about Denise) -
> > and possibly changed the rounds around a bit to freshen up the
> > format, then it might just work. And if they could persuade Merton to
> > return occasionally as a guest, along with Phill Jupitus (his handful
> > of shows were, in my mind, standouts) then who's to say they couldn't
> > be good?
> >
> > Of course, they'd never quite recapture the same magic, but then, JAM
> > itself isn't the same as it was since the deaths of Nimmo and Jones,
> > and Freud's increasing dodderiness.
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > --- In just-a-minute@..., Dean Bedford <dbedford@>
> > wrote:
> > >
> > >
> > > On Thursday, May 1, 2008, at 09:33 PM, Paul Wimsett wrote:
> > >
> > > >
> > > > It's strange to see Denise Coffrey and Bill Tidy as guest stars on
> > > > Clue, we associate it so much with Tim Brooke-Taylor, Graeme
> > Garden,
> > > > Barry Cryer and Willie Rushton, even though I knew that Bill
> > Oddie and
> > > > Jo Kendall were on the panel to start with-maybe the first
> > episode. Of
> > > > course they still had guest stars later on.
> > > >
> > > > There it is. The past tense.
> > > >
> > >
> > > In this story both Graeme and Barry say they want the show to
> > continue.
> > >
> > > http://www.chortle.co.uk/news/2008/04/30/6713/humphrey_lyttelton_day
> > >
> >
> >
> >
> > ------------------------------------
> >
> > Yahoo! Groups Links
> >
> >
> >
> >
>

I just got back from vacation so this is the first I've heard of this
news. I'm both shocked and saddened by Humph's death, I suppose in
listening over the years I'd never really thought of how old he was.
I very much hope that the show goes on, although it would be
understandable if it doesn't. If the show does go on, I think it
would be both funny, and a suitable honor not to "replace" Humph, but
have someone "stand-in" for him. The show already has the imaginary
Samantha, I think it would be fitting if the shows were introduced, by
whoever ends up chairing it, as "Welcome to ISIHAC. Sadly Humphry
Littleton can't be with us tonight as he's off brokering a peace deal
in the Middle East," or "he's currently competing in the 500m in the
Beijing Olympics." Partially this would be great because it would be
making it seem that Humph has not been replaced, and also because I
think it would be tremendously great to hear of all the things he's
doing now that he's not being dragged down by 4 second-rate comedians.
As far as who could sit-in for Humph, I think all the suggestions
have been stellar, but the one person who immediately popped to mind
is John Cleese, who seems to both have the "curmudgeon" factor, and
yet still dignified and silly. It's good to see there are so many
other fans of the show out there.

Mike

 
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