Sad to see that Bamber Gascoigne has also left us, aged 87. Bamber presented University Challenge from 1962 until 1987 when the show was quietly retired. When it was revived in 1994, Jeremy Paxman became only the second presenter in the show's history when Bamber declined an invitation to return. Surprisingly, Jeremy has now presented the quiz for longer than Bamber did (though he returned for two 'Specials' in the '90s, one a parody), but to people of and around my age, University Challenge will always be mainly associated with the one, the only, Bamber Gascoigne.
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Bamber Gascoigne's University Challenge was always broadcast (in my ITV region anyway) at Sunday lunchtimes so I always associate it with the weekly ritual of me, my sister and my mother setting off to visit my gran who lived about a mile away.
And Barry Cryer died recently too - sad to think we'll never hear him and Graeme Garden again as Hamish & Dougal, "You'll have had your tea".
Overseas people might only know him through Griff Rhys-Jones' parody in "The Young Ones"
Yeah, I'm Sorry, I Haven't A Clue will never be quite the same again, CJ - nor will Just A minute without Nicholas Parsons. I remember University Challenge from when I was a small boy on the early '60s. I suppose my parents must've had it on in the absence of anything better, 'cos they weren't really quiz people.
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Very possibly, BS, but some of them may well have seen the show while visiting this country and knew who he was from that. It was based on the US show College Bowl, so that might also have attracted their attention. Jeremy Paxman is all right at it, but Bamber was a more alert host. Jeremy seems to be medicated and slumps in his seat, but he's getting old himself now.
Kid, on Christmas morning Radio 4-Extra broadcast 'I'm Sorry I Haven't A Christmas Carol' originally from 2003 and it was such a treat to hear the old gang of Humphrey Lyttleton, Tim Brooke-Taylor, Graeme Garden and Barry Cryer. Now only one of them is left.
And Lionel Blair died recently too, who was always the butt of jokes on 'Clue'. The pianist Colin Sell and Samantha are the only survivors from when I started listening about 25 years ago.
Wish I'd heard it, CJ, but it'll come round again. I think you can buy classic episodes on CD, so I might buy one or two if I ever see them.
I don't think Samantha exists, actually - she's a fictitious character for humorous effect.
Samantha doesn't exist????
Kid, you'll be telling me next that Bungle from Rainbow wasn't a real bear!!
CJ, Bungle from Rainbow wasn't a real bear! (Yogi IS, though.)
Incidentally, the imaginary Samantha has a surname - Cooper.
I never knew that Samantha had a surname!
Those Samantha double-entendre jokes were always funny (and the Lionel Blair ones too).
Samantha's new gentleman friend has bought an orchard to grow apples for scrumpy...
...Samantha says he'll soon be big in cider.
Ooh, err missus.
And nobody could deliver those Samantha jokes quite like Humphrey, CJ. Jack Dee isn't as good.
What I remember most about Bamber of course was his name. I don’t think I know another Bamber.
I'm not 100% sure, PS, but I think I may have heard it used as a surname, but never a first name - except in Bamber Gascoigne's case. Long may we remember him.
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