Latest news with #YouMustBeJoking
Otago Daily Times
14-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Otago Daily Times
Old photographs and the memorable folk captured within
For years there's been a cardboard box atop the wardrobe which housed old photos, newspaper clippings and invitations to now-forgotten social occasions. The detritus of an ill-spent life, I guess. Last week came the time to throw out the old box, but looking through the contents produced an attack of nostalgia. Many of the faded and crinkled treasures came from the 1970s and featured a time when I was employed by the NZBC as an announcer, a job description never heard these days when "personality", "celebrity" and "beloved media icon" have taken over. NZBC announcers weren't celebrities. The NZBC controlled both television and radio, and its announcers were used to say words on both. In my case I might start the day doing a breakfast show on 4ZB and later (having tidied myself up a bit) be sent to the Garrison Hall to read the news on DNTV2. Then, from time to time, an announcer would be told he was fronting some television show or other as each of the four channels was expected to churn out material which would then be used in nationwide broadcasts. A photo from those days sparked memories of one of those programmes and it was the people in the picture rather than the show itself which had me reminiscing with some fondness. The programme was called You Must Be Joking and it involved two teams of "personalities" providing explanations, only one of which was true, for the origin of pictures which would be shown on a screen at the back of the set. The opposing team then had to guess which was the correct explanation. My job was to act as chairman or moderator or dogsbody. The humour, such as it was, was to be provided by the false explanations and some photos, like a brass band on bicycles, gave plenty of scope for laughs. The show ran for its dozen or so episodes on Saturday nights during 1972 and was never given a second series. Perhaps it wasn't worth it. I never saw it as no playbacks were organised at the studio, and I never watched television. Indeed, I never owned an instrument. However, we were supplied with newspaper clippings in the hope that we might find ways to make the show more acceptable to the viewers. Ivy Trew, the wife of a distinguished military man who contributed to Punch , wrote to the Press in appreciation of "the divinely imaginative interpretation of the pictures' contents which would do credit to the Goons. To crown a most amusing entertainment all six competitors are easy on the eye." In spite of Ivy ignoring the chairman's good looks, I warmed to her and hoped for more similar verdicts. They never came. Indeed, the most memorable, and perhaps most honest verdict, came from a reviewer who simply wrote, "Last night saw the start of a new NZBC programme called You Must Be Joking . They must be!" No copies of You Must Be Joking seem to have survived (video tape was too expensive to be wasted on archiving so it was erased and reused again and again) and thus no-one can prove it was actually that bad. But, good or bad, You Must Be Joking gave me a chance to work with some fine people. Eileen Cook, gracious and witty, fronted the afternoon television show On Camera and later produced arts programmes for Radio New Zealand. Charles Joye, smooth-voiced and affable, specialised in acting the fumbling frontman being taught how to do it in shows like Tricks of the Trade and Greenfingers . Peggy Turvey (Colin Lehmann's wife) was a Mosgiel girl for whom the phrase "bubbly personality" was invented. She rose to stage stardom with the Southern Comedy Players and by the 1970s was teaching speech and drama, a calling she has followed in recent times in Wellington. Colin Lehmann himself was 4ZB's breakfast host (with Charlie Mouse) who included Miss New Zealand shows and Note for Note among his television repertoire. Later Radio Dunedin's breakfast man, he was a broadcaster's broadcaster. Shirley La Hood, for whom "larger than life" might have been coined, produced numerous stage shows in Dunedin and Paul Savage, an epitome of the NZBC-trained announcer, later worked with the ABC to teach Australians how to speak properly. A hopeless task. Behind the scenes were the floor crew and production team who made the Garrison Hall specifically and Dunedin generally such great fun in those far off times. Many of them, and most of the You Must Be Joking panellists are no longer with us. It's one photo I'll hang on to. No joking. — Jim Sullivan is a Patearoa writer.
Edinburgh Live
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Edinburgh Live
ITV fans say the same thing as Bradley Walsh series comes to an end
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info The dynamic duo of ITV star Bradley Walsh and his son Barney wrapped up the sixth series of 'Breaking Dad' on Tuesday (May 6) with an exhilarating finale in Chiang Mai, Thailand. The father-son pair has been on an epic journey through Japan and Thailand, engaging in a variety of activities. They have participated in sumo wrestling in Tokyo and bungee jumping in Gifu, gone go-karting in Osaka, and honed their Muay Thai skills in Bangkok. In the final episode, Barney upped the ante with a heart-stopping jungle roller coaster ride through Chiang Mai's green landscape. They also braved the world's stinkiest fruit, with Bradley more taken aback by its hefty £36 price tag than its notorious odour and flavour. (Image: ITV) The duo competed in a wooden go-kart race that seemed like a surefire way to void any travel insurance policy. Reflecting on the show's six-season run, Bradley and Barney shared cherished memories from their adventures, stirring nostalgia among fans. However, the trip down memory lane sparked concern among viewers about the show's future. Fans took to social media to express their hopes and fears. One viewer posted: "Really hope this wasn't the last series! I really enjoy watch Bradley and Barney's adventures!! #breakingdad" Another shared their apprehension: "Genuinely hope this isn't the final episode of #BreakingDad that I've watched tonight, this father and son are great to watch together!" (Image: ITV) Another chimed in, "Awww, I hope that isn't the last series. Such an entertaining show." There's buzz around whether Bradley Walsh and his son Barney will be back for another run, as ITV has yet to confirm a seventh series, reports the Express. A well-recognised face since the late 1980s, Bradley first graced our screens with the show 'You Must Be Joking', before going on to star in 'Coronation Street', 'The Larkins', and 'Doctor Who'. But it's as the charismatic quizmaster of ITV's The Chase – a post he's held since its 2009 debut – that Bradley is perhaps best known. Venturing into new territory, Bradley has joined forces with Barney for the BBC's fresh take on Gladiators. While chatting to BBC's Tommy Tiernan, Bradley shared the joy the show brings him. He revealed: "It's one of the most wonderful things I've ever done because spending time with my lad. From the age of 18, he's now 26 by the way, that's how long the show's been running, it was just extraordinary." Breaking Dad is available to watch on ITVX.
