I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue: Live on Stage

DVD review

Allowed to go on tour after a dispute with the BBC over format and name rights, the much-missed Humphrey Lyttelton officiates the long-running antidote to panel games with weary lack of interest as Graeme Garden, Tim Brooke-Taylor, Barry Cryer and Jeremy Hardy are given the usual roster of ‘silly things to do’.

Anyone who’s ever heard the Radio 4 series will know exactly what to expect: dreadful puns, filthy double entendres, the same old games and a familiar chumminess between the participants that is surprisingly endearing rather than twee. Any newcomers, on the other hand, will be baffled by the in-jokes.

However, even die-hard fans of the might like to brace themselves for disappointment with this cheaply-made DVD. The no-frills production doesn’t even bother with a backdrop, just six men (including the much-maligned Colin Sell on piano) on a bare stage and microphones that seem to be barely working properly.

And the comedy itself drags, too; what is a hugely entertaining half-hour radio diversion becomes tiresome when stretched to nearly two plodding hours. The teams appear to be merely going through the motions, giving the same jokes they’ve done countless times before one more airing. Touring the show seems to have drained a lot of the life and fun out of it.

It’s poignant to see the wonderful Humph in action, of course, but this isn’t the best memorial to him. Best listen to the radio shows, frequently repeated on BBC7, or buy or download any of the audio release of same. In radio, it seems, not only are the pictures better, but the jokes are funnier, too.

Sample joke: On my breakfast sausages, I see there’s a picture of Anthony Worrell Thompson. Underneath, it says “Prick With A Fork”.’
No clips available
Extras: A 24-minute talking heads documentary with Graeme, Tim, Barry, Jeremy, Humph, pianist Colin Sell and producer Jon Naismith
Recorded at: The Lowry, Salford

To buy:

Main show running time: 107 mins

Certificate: 15

Release date: November 10, 2008

RRP: £19.99

Published: 3 Dec 2008

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