It has been rumoured that long-running radio antidote to panel games I’m Sorry I Haven’t A Clue is set to continue following the sad loss of Humphrey Lyttleton in April.

Who on earth could replace him though? Several names have been mentioned, but here is Quintessential Comedy’s list of suggestions:

Michael Palin - would prevent him doing any more bloody travelogues.

Ian Hislop - busy with documentaries and HIGNFY he may be, but he’s the sort of unlikely candidate that could make a success of being a replacement

Angus Deayton - helmed Have I Got News For You for years, so certainly has the experience.

Stephen Fry - obvious, maybe, but he could certainly do the job.

Mark Radcliffe - no stranger to double entendre, and could work as a perfect counterbalance to the more educated tones of the regular guests.

Ken Bruce - urbane, dry, occasionally stumbling - perfect

Of course it is obvious that if the show returns, it will never be the same, regardless of the host. In his eulogy in The Guardian, Barry Cryer underlined that there had to be “an agonising reappraisal”.

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The latest series of Genius is available on BBC Audiobook, and sees Dave Gorman and celebrity guests including Chris Addison, Armando Iannucci and Brian Sewell chew over ridiculous, unworkable but sometimes genius inventions, schemes and policies of the public.
Genius invites listeners to air those incredible concepts that strike you just before falling into a nice sleep or after one-too-many drinks at the pub- not necessarily ideas that are worthy or even very well thought through but have a hint of genius such as selling Bovril as a fizzy drink, breathalysers on your mobile phone to stop you from making regrettable calls and running the House of Commons by the rules of Just A Minute.

This last one is particularly excellent, and I think the most likely to be integrated; as far as I can tell, current House of Commons rules make as much sense as Mornington Crescent.

Genius 2 will be available from all good bookshops, online at www.bbcshop.com or by BBC Audiobooks direct mail on 0800 136 919.

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Radio 4 has been accused of preventing the development of new comedy ideas, Chortle has reported.

The former head of BBC’s own radio entertainment department, John Pidgeon, has made this declaration, saying that the station was too willing to say ‘no’ to new ideas - a policy that resulted in acts such as the Mighty Boosh, Paul Merton, Tommy Tiernan and Flight of the Conchords being turned down, while Little Britain, Chris Addison and Dave Gorman were all forced to jump through hoops.

Penning a piece in the Grauniad, Pidgeon noted that Ross Noble Goes Global was dropped after two series, with a third judged to have been ‘more of the same’ – ‘a shortcoming that has kept Just A Minute on air for more than 40 years.’

So has a legendary breeding ground for new comedy been sewn up by the thought police - or is it just bad management?

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Laura Solon starred with Harry Enfield and Paul Whitehouse in last years Ruddy Hell! It’s Harry and Paul, and has a super audiobook release of her Radio 4 series available for purchase in the traditional CD manner (www.bbcshop.com) as well as via the magic of the download (see www.bbcaudiozone.com, Audible, Audioville, Audio-Read, Overdrive, Mediabay, iTunes, 7 Digital, Simply Audiobooks, Spoken Network, TuneTribe and Plays on the Net)

In 2005 Laura Solon became only the second woman in 25 years to win the prestigious Perrier Comedy Award. She was quickly snapped up by BBC Radio 4 to create this sketch and character comedy series which is now being released for the first time on Audio.
Laura Solon: Talking and Not Talking features  talking, not talking, some stories and a lion made out of china. Aided by the voices of Ben Moor, Katherine Parkinson and Ben Willbond, Laura Solon is an award winning talent with an astonishing eye for detail and ear for voice.

There’s three hours of comedy here, for £15.99 on CD or £10.80 download.

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June 15 has been announced as the day when Radio 4 will broadcast a series of tributes to Humphrey Lyttleton, jazz trumpeter and star of I’m Sorry I Haven’t a Clue, who died recently.

Shows on the day will include a new tribute documentary, as well as repeats of his Desert Island Discs appearance.  There will also be a repeat of his programme about jazz, The King of the Swingers.

A newly commissioned profile of I’m Sorry I Haven’t a Clue, with extracts of the best programmes, will be presented by Stephen Fry.

No decision has been announced over the future of the series; Rob Brydon recently filled in for Humph while the presenter was in hospital.

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The loss of Humphrey Lyttleton recently has prompted the BBC website Magazine to splash out on a quick appreciation on the art of innuendo.

And it’s not before time, either - I’ve been literally begging for something fruity to get my hands on, with the majority of the content here being about as much use as a whore in a waxworks.

So with a warm glow inside and a knowing wink, the article points newcomers to the art of double entendre to a sexy picture of Denise Van Outen, a nice video clip of Humph on stage with the ISIHAC team, as well as some audio only material in which we listen to the wonderfully filthy references to the I’m Sorry I Haven’t A Clue scorer Samantha; and references to Benny Hill, Max Miller and Frankie Howerd.

Plus there’s some nice observations from the public, who recall the great Round the Horne, as well as Radio 1 DJs Mark and Lard.

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It’s with a sad heart that I relate the news of Humphrey Lyttleton’s passing.  The jazz musician extraordinaire and host of the long running “antidote to panel games” I’m Sorry I Haven’t a Clue passed away yesterday at the age of 86, following surgery for an aortic aneurysm.

Lyttleton was born into the landed gentry, but a short career spell in Wales amongst steel workers set him on the road to socialism. His trumpet playing began soon before the war, during which he took the instrument with him wherever he went, and can (possibly) be heard on footage of VE Day in London.  the following 60 or so years saw him marry twice, develop his musical, his artistic ability and forge careers in music, broadcasting, cartoons and of course as the deadpan host of a comedy institution. (There is so much more about Humprey Lyttleton’s life in this excellent obituary in The Telegraph.)
There is little else I can add, other than to remind us of some wonderful double entrendres, from the exploits of the fictitious scoring girl Samantha…

 - Samantha’s just started keeping bees and already has three dozen or so. She says she’s got an expert handler coming round to give a demonstration. He’ll carefully take out her 38 bees and soon have them flying round his head.

- Samantha has to nip out to the House of Lords with her constituency friend. He’s looking for support for his MP who’s facing expulsion, and Samantha says it’s important to have a good peer if his member’s likely to be out.

- Samantha spent many hours in conversation with the BBC gramophone library research staff for this round, deliberating over the fine old 7-inchers they presented for inspection. She says before deciding which she was going to spin she had to think about each one long and hard

…and may he rest in peace.

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Just heard that the host of I’m Sorry I Haven’t A Clue, Humphrey Littleton, has been admitted to hospital.

From Digital Spy:

The spring series of I’m Sorry I Haven’t A Clue has been cancelled while Humphrey Lyttelton awaits an operation.

The veteran host’s official website informed fans that the 86-year-old needed surgery because of an aortic aneurysm.

A note on the site said it would give updates on his condition. It said: “He is in good spirits and is enjoying the visits of family and friends.”

Lyttelton, also a Jazz musician, has presented the comedy panel show on BBC Radio 4 since 1972.

We all hope you get well soon, Humph, and back to work as soon as you’re able.

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There’s always a bit of Doctor Who drifting around the back of my head. So what better time - with Doctor Who returning to television on Saturday - to mention Toby Hadoke and his MOTHS ATE MY DOCTOR WHO SCARF show, in which he looks at fatherhood, class and of course a lifetime of loving the Doctor.

He’s playing Southend this Thursday (one night before Jimmy Carr), so if you’re someone who enjoys standup comedy and Doctor Who, or heard Hadoke’s radio miniseries and wants to see him live, then this is a good opportunity.

You know, looking at life always brings some humour from which to work a routine from, and frankly there are few better fictional texts to dive into for some nonsense than the Doctor Who universe. Although Hadoke’s presentation isn’t to everyone’s tastes (my own included) his material is solid.

Incidentally Hadoke is scheduled to host a Doctor Who event at the Cavern in Liverpool on May 4^th; if you’re there, you might well see me, too.

Toby Hadoke’s website is here.

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I’m Sorry I Haven’t A Clue is on tour, this week kicking off at Hammermith Apollo. 

And when I say “on tour”, I mean “on tour”. 

Humphrey Lyttelton, Barry Cryer, Graeme Garden, Tim Brooke-Taylor, Jeremy Hardy and the pianist Colin Sell are appearing in the second phase of the tour that began in 2007, and comprising of favourite rounds from the shows 35 years. 

The tour is not being recorded for Radio 4, although there’s no reason why it shouldn’t end up on a special audio release.

I you haven’t come across I’m Sorry I Haven’t A Clue, then that is something you need to resolve quickly.  It is Quintessential Comedy, and can easily be purchased via download or on CD from varying outfits, including Amazon.

The series own description is “”the antidote to panel games”, and the four panel members of comedians are split into two teams and “given silly things to do” by the chairman, Humphrey Lyttleton. 

Now if that isn’t a recipe for success, I don’t know what is.

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