Unfortunately there seems to be no other place on the entire world wide web to find information about this show apart from this IMDb page. Maybe someday it will show up on Youtube to refresh all our memories, but for now this review will have to make do with my own hazy memories of watching this on Sunday evenings on the BBC in late 1992. At the time I did not realize that the entire show was basically an attempt by Auntie Beeb to copy the success of Channel 4's extremely popular improvisational comedy show 'Who's Line is it Anyway' (because we could not and indeed still can not receive C4 in the Netherlands). Indeed the Beeb must have really been kicking themselves for not picking it up themselves, as Who's Line had originated on BBC Radio. Naturally they got Who's Line regular Rory McGrath to host.
The concept of "A Word in you Era" was that three comedians would pretend to be a famous historical figure and then compete in a quiz. All three were dressed up, had to stay in character throughout and each had a buzzer with a funny noise that was somehow connected to their character. For instance, in the episode I mainly recall, Hugh Dennis played the evil King John (you know, Richard the Lionheart's younger brother) and every time he pressed his buzzer, one would hear Jimmy Dean sing the words 'Big Bad John'. This would of course cause laughter from the audience even before the contestants gave their answers (which were also supposed to tickle the funny bone rather than being accurate).
In that particular episode, King John was up against Helen Lederer as Florence Nightingale and a particularly stunning looking Josie Lawrence as Cleopatra. But then again isn't Cleo always a stunner, no matter what kind of incarnation she appears in? Of course the contestants had come up with a lot of funny material pertaining their particular character beforehand. For instance, 'John' went into a funny monologue about striving to give his name an evil aura for eons to come (like Attila, Adolph, etc). His goal was to make sure no mother would ever name their child by his name ever again. But to his dismay, his plan backfired, and he went on to list a lot of wimpy men named John such as Mayors and Inman.
The only other thing I remember was that in the last episode, Columbus faced the first boy scout and Lassie. Though I might be mistaken about the last one... Update: I was correct after all. Having just found the Radio Times listings from all 8 episodes on Genome, Tony Slattery played Lassie, Patrick Barlow was Columbus and Alan Cumming as 'Scouting' Lord Baden Powell.
8 out of 10
The concept of "A Word in you Era" was that three comedians would pretend to be a famous historical figure and then compete in a quiz. All three were dressed up, had to stay in character throughout and each had a buzzer with a funny noise that was somehow connected to their character. For instance, in the episode I mainly recall, Hugh Dennis played the evil King John (you know, Richard the Lionheart's younger brother) and every time he pressed his buzzer, one would hear Jimmy Dean sing the words 'Big Bad John'. This would of course cause laughter from the audience even before the contestants gave their answers (which were also supposed to tickle the funny bone rather than being accurate).
In that particular episode, King John was up against Helen Lederer as Florence Nightingale and a particularly stunning looking Josie Lawrence as Cleopatra. But then again isn't Cleo always a stunner, no matter what kind of incarnation she appears in? Of course the contestants had come up with a lot of funny material pertaining their particular character beforehand. For instance, 'John' went into a funny monologue about striving to give his name an evil aura for eons to come (like Attila, Adolph, etc). His goal was to make sure no mother would ever name their child by his name ever again. But to his dismay, his plan backfired, and he went on to list a lot of wimpy men named John such as Mayors and Inman.
The only other thing I remember was that in the last episode, Columbus faced the first boy scout and Lassie. Though I might be mistaken about the last one... Update: I was correct after all. Having just found the Radio Times listings from all 8 episodes on Genome, Tony Slattery played Lassie, Patrick Barlow was Columbus and Alan Cumming as 'Scouting' Lord Baden Powell.
8 out of 10
