Bob Monkhouse presenting Celebrity Squares (Image copyright British Film Institute)

Robert Allen Monkhouse OBE (June 1, 1928 – December 29, 2003) was an English entertainer in the traditional sense, though primarily known as a comedian and game show host. Image File history File links Bob_Monkhouse. ... Image File history File links Bob_Monkhouse. ... Hollywood Squares is a American television comedy and game show in which two contestants play tic-tac-toe to win money and prizes. ... The British Film Institute (BFI) is a charitable organisation established by Royal Charter to encourage the development of the arts of film, television and the moving image throughout the United Kingdom, to promote their use as a record of contemporary life and manners, to promote education about film, television and... The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by King George V. The Order includes five classes in civil and military divisions; in decreasing order of seniority, these are Knight Grand Cross or Dame Grand Cross (GBE) Knight Commander... June 1 is the 152nd day of the year (153rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1928 (MCMXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar). ... December 29 is the 363rd day of the year (364th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 2 days remaining. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Motto (French) God and my right Anthem God Save the Queen England() – on the European continent() – in the United Kingdom() Capital (and largest city) London (de facto) Official languages English (de facto) Unified  -  by Athelstan 967 AD  Area  -  Total 130,395 km²  50,346 sq mi  Population  -  2007 estimate 50... A comedian, or comic, is an entertainer who amuses an audience by making them laugh. ... “Quiz show” redirects here. ...

Biography

Monkhouse was born in Beckenham, Kent, the son of a prosperous Methodist businessman who owned a business firm (Monk and Glass) that made custard. He was educated at Dulwich College, from which he was expelled, then worked briefly as an animator before his required national service. On leaving the RAF in 1948, he was one of the first comedians to be given a contract by the BBC. Beckenham is a town in the London Borough of Bromley, England. ... coat of Arms of Kent For other uses, see Kent (disambiguation). ... The Methodist movement is a group of denominations of Protestant Christianity. ... Dulwich New College buildings. ... The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the air force branch of the British Armed Forces. ... 1948 (MCMXLVIII) was a leap year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1948 calendar). ... The British Broadcasting Corporation, usually known as the BBC, is the largest broadcasting corporation in the world in terms of audience numbers, employing 26,000 staff in the United Kingdom alone and with a budget of more than GB£4 billion. ...

He was originally employed as a scriptwriter for radio comedy in a partnership with Denis Goodwin, who also attended Dulwich College and with whom he also compered the Smash Hits program on Radio Luxembourg. Monkhouse gradually moved over to television, hosting such programmes as Candid Camera in the early 1960s. In addition to this he had an income as a gag-writer for many visiting American comedians including but not limited to Bob Hope when they wanted topical jokes for their British tours. He appeared in many comedy films, including the first movie of the Carry On film series, Carry On Sergeant. One of his biggest television successes was as the host of The Golden Shot during the late 1960s. He went on to host several quiz shows, including Celebrity Squares, Bob's Full House, Family Fortunes and Wipeout. In 1979 he starred in a sketch comedy television series called Bonkers! with the Hudson Brothers. In the late 1980s he hosted two of the series of the revival of the talent show Opportunity Knocks which aired as Bob Says Opportunity Knocks. Denis Goodwin (July 19, 1929 - February 26, 1975) was a radio and television comedy scriptwriter and actor, best known for his professional co-writing partnership with Bob Monkhouse. ... Radio Luxembourg (1933-1992, 2005-)was an important forerunner of pirate radio and modern commercial radio in Europe. ... Candid Camera is a long-running television series, created and produced by Allen Funt, which initially appeared on radio as Candid Microphone in the 1940s, then screened in the United States in the 1950s, with local versions produced around the world. ... The 1960s decade refers to the years from January 1, 1960 to December 31, 1969, inclusive. ... Bob Hope, KBE (May 29, 1903 – July 27, 2003), born Leslie Townes Hope, was an English-Born American entertainer who appeared in vaudeville, on Broadway, on radio and television, in movies, and in performing tours for U.S. Military personnel, well known for his good natured humor and career longevity. ... The Carry On films were a long-running series of British low-budget comedy films, directed by Gerald Thomas and produced by Peter Rogers. ... Carry On Sergeant is the first Carry On film, and its first public screening was on 1st August 1958 at Screen One, London. ... The Golden Shot was a British television game show produced by ATV between 1967 and 1975, based on the German TV show Der goldene Schuss. ... Quiz Show is a 1994 film which tells the true story of the Twenty One quiz show scandal of the 1950s. ... Hollywood Squares is a American television comedy and game show in which two contestants play tic-tac-toe to win money and prizes. ... This article belongs in one or more categories. ... Family Fortunes is a long-running British game show, based on the American game show Family Feud. ... Wipeout was a short-lived U.S. game show, which aired in 1988 with Peter Tomarken hosting. ... Bonkers! was an ATV variety show from 1979, distributed by ITC Entertainment. ... The Hudson Brothers are an American music group from the 1970s, consisting of Bill Hudson, Brett Hudson and Mark Hudson. ... Opportunity Knocks was a UK television talent show originally hosted by Hughie Greene. ...

An expert on the history of the silent cinema and a keen movie collector, he presented Mad Movies in 1966, in which he presented clips from comic silent movies, some of which he had helped to recover and restore. His film collection was the cause of a court case at the Old Bailey in 1979 after he was charged with attempting to defraud film distributors, but he was ultimately acquitted. A silent film is a film which has no accompanying soundtrack. ... Film is a term that encompasses individual motion pictures, the field of film as an art form, and the motion picture industry. ... 1966 (MCMLXVI) was a common year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1966 calendar). ... The Old Bailey. ...

Monkhouse became a favourite with impressionists, and, as his style of comedy fell out of favour, was often mocked for his slickness and apparent insincerity. He came back into fashion during the 1990s, and appearances such as guesting on Have I Got News For You restored his popularity. In July 1995, Monkhouse was in the headlines when he appealed for the safe return of his joke book which had been lost or stolen. The book, which contained notes on sketches and one-liners, for which Monkhouse was most famous, was eventually returned to its owner. He was appointed an OBE in 1993. In 1996 he presented the National Lottery show on Saturday evenings on BBC One. See also Impressionist (entertainment): A girl with a watering can by Renoir, 1876 Impressionism was a 19th century art movement, which began as a private association of Paris-based artists who exhibited publicly in 1874. ... For the band, see 1990s (band). ... This article or section is not written in the formal tone expected of an encyclopedia article. ... The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by King George V. The Order includes five classes in civil and military divisions; in decreasing order of seniority, these are Knight Grand Cross or Dame Grand Cross (GBE) Knight Commander... A play here! sign outside a newsagent, incorporating the National Lotterys logo of a stylised hand with crossed fingers. ... BBC One is the primary television channel of the BBC, and the first in the United Kingdom. ...

Monkhouse married twice, to Elizabeth in 1949 (divorced in 1972), and then to Jacqueline in 1973, for the rest of his life. He had three children from his first marriage, but only his daughter Abigail survived him. His son Gary, who had cerebral palsy, died in 1992, while his son Simon, from whom he had been estranged for almost a whole decade, died of a heroin overdose in a Bangkok hotel in 2001. This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

In a 2005 poll to find The Comedian's Comedian, he was voted amongst the best 50 comedy acts ever by fellow comedians and comedy insiders. 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Posthumous advertisement

On 12 June 2007, Monkhouse appeared posthumously on a British TV advert promoting awareness of prostate cancer for Male Cancer Awareness Week. In the commercial, Bob is seen in a graveyard next to his own gravestone talking about the disease seriously, combined with a humourous side to the advert which includes his trademark one-liners, like "What killed me kills one man per hour in Britain. That's even more than my wife's cooking". He ends the advert by saying "As a comedian, I've died many deaths. Prostate cancer, I don't recommend. I'd have paid good money to stay out of here. What's it worth to you?" before walking away from his grave, and disappearing. The advert was created by using computer technology, by using archive footage of Bob Monkhouse, combined with a body-double who appears looking at the grave and walking around the graveyard, and a "sound-a-like" voice-over actor who voiced the script. June 12 is the 163rd day of the year (164th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... Prostate cancer is a disease in which cancer develops in the prostate, a gland in the male reproductive system. ...

The Prostate Cancer Research Foundation says the disease is killing one man every hour in Britain, but even though it is now almost as common as breast cancer, it gets just a fraction of the research funding

Partial Career Summary

TV

As a performer

• Bob's your uncle UK 1990s
• Fast And Loose UK 1954
• Christmas Box UK 1955
• The Bob Monkhouse Show UK 1956
• Beat Up The Town UK 1957
• My Pal Bob UK 1957
• The Bob Monkhouse Hour UK 1958
• The Big Noise UK 1964
• Mad Movies UK 1966
• Friends In High Places UK 1969
• The Bob Monkhouse Comedy Hour UK 1972
• I'm Bob, He's Dickie UK 1977
• Bonkers! UK 1979
• The Bob Monkhouse Show UK 1983
• An Audience With Bob Monkhouse UK 1994
• Bob Monkhouse On The Spot UK 1995
• Bob Monkhouse - Over The Limit UK 1998
• Bob Monkhouse On Campus UK 1998
• BBC New Comedy Awards UK 1999
• Aaagh! It's the Mr. Hell Show UK/Canada 2001
• $64,000 Question (UK version of The 64,000 Dollar Question)
• All or Nothing
• Celebrity Squares (UK version of Hollywood Squares)
• Family Fortunes (UK version of Family Feud)
• The Golden Shot UK 1967
• Wipeout
• Bob's Full House (Later remade as Lucky Numbers in the UK and Trump Card in the US)
• Opportunity Knocks

Bonkers! was an ATV variety show from 1979, distributed by ITC Entertainment. ... The Bob Monkhouse Show was an entertainment show presented by the late Bob Monkhouse. ... The BBC New Comedy Awards first appeared in 1995 and were considered to be one of the top UK comedy newcomer awards until they were axed in 2006. ... Aaagh! Its The Mr Hell Show was an adult animated comedy show which ran for one season of thirteen episodes in 2001, produced by a British-Canadian collaboration. ... The $64,000 Question was a popular United States television game show from 1955-1958; The $64,000 Challenge (1956-1958) was its popular spinoff show. ... The Hollywood Squares title screen The Hollywood Squares was an American television comedy and game show in which two contestants play tic-tac-toe to win money and prizes. ... It has been suggested that Family Feud broadcast history (United States), Family Feud rules and production, Family Feud around the world be merged into this article or section. ... The Golden Shot was a British television game show produced by ATV between 1967 and 1975, based on the German TV show Der goldene Schuss. ... Wipeout is the title of a series of futuristic anti-gravity racing games, originally produced by Psygnosis for the PlayStation video game console, with other versions of the game produced for the Sega Saturn, DOS, Nintendo 64, PlayStation 2, and PlayStation Portable formats. ... This article belongs in one or more categories. ... In card games, trumps frequently figure in trick-taking games such as bridge, euchre, and spades. ...

As a writer

• Fast And Loose UK 1954
• Cyril's Saga UK 1957
• Early To Braden UK 1957
• My Pal Bob UK 1957
• The Bob Monkhouse Hour UK 1958
• The Big Noise UK 1964
• The Bob Monkhouse Comedy Hour UK 1972
• I'm Bob, He's Dickie UK 1977
• Marti UK 1977
• Bonkers! UK 1979
• An Audience With Bob Monkhouse UK 1994
• Bob Monkhouse On The Spot UK 1995
• Bob Monkhouse - Over The Limit UK 1998

As a singer

• You Rang, M'Lord? 1988

You Rang MLord? was a British television series written by Jimmy Perry and David Croft, broadcast between 1990 and 1993 on the BBC (although there had earlier been a pilot episode in 1988). ...

As a voice actor

• Rex the Runt 1998 (Johnny Saveloy in "Johnny Saveloy's Undoing")
• "Aaagh! It's the Mr. Hell Show 2001" (Mr. Hell in all 13 episodes)

The main characters. ... Aaagh! Its The Mr Hell Show was an adult animated comedy show which ran for one season of thirteen episodes in 2001, produced by a British-Canadian collaboration. ...

Films

• Carry On Sergeant 1958
• The Secret People 1952
• Dentist in the Chair 1960
• Dentist on the Job 1961
• A Weekend with Lulu 1962
• She'll Have to Go 1962
• Thunderbirds Are GO 1966 (voice); see: Thunderbirds (television)
• The Bliss of Mrs. Blossom 1968
• Simon Simon 1970

This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... Dentist on the Job was a 1961 British comedy film, in black and white, directed by C.M. Pennington-Richards. ... Brains Thunderbirds is a mid-1960s Sylvia and Gerry Anderson television show which used a form of puppetry called Supermarionation. Cast, crew, and production notes Thunderbirds was the fourth and by far the most successful of the childrens series made by AP Films (APF) for the British television company... Family Fortunes is a long-running British game show, based on the American game show Family Feud. ... Year 1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar). ... Year 1983 (MCMLXXXIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1983 Gregorian calendar). ... Max Bygraves - CD cover Max Bygraves OBE (born 16 October 1922 in Rotherhithe, London as Walter William Bygraves) is an English singer songwriter, famous for his waving hands. ...

Quotes

• "Dulwich College takes me back after seventy years: My Mum must have written one hell of a sick note!"
• "They laughed when I said I was going to be a comedian. They're not laughing now."
• "Personally, I don't think there's intelligent life on other planets. Why should other planets be any different from this one?"
• "Silence is not only golden, it is seldom misquoted."
• "Marriage is an investment which pays dividends if you pay interest."
• "Bernie.... the bolt!" - catchphrase on The Golden Shot.
• "Growing old is compulsory - growing up is optional."
• "As a comic, you need every wrinkle. Having a facelift would be like asking a tap dancer to have his feet lopped off."
• "I came home and found that my son was taking drugs - my very best ones too!" (on Have I Got News For You)
• "I'm rather relaxed about death. From quite an early age I've regarded it as part of the deal, the unwritten guarantee that comes with your birth certificate."
• "In bingo lingo it's clickety-clicks, time to take your pick of the six!" - catchphrase on Bob's Full House.
• "So you are half Welsh and half Hungarian, that means you are well-hung!" (on V Graham Norton)
• (on stage as a veteran comic)"You'll be glad to hear, I'm still having sex"
• "I can remember when safe sex meant a padded headboard."
• "It got up to 94 degrees today - that's pretty good at my age."
• "Should you wish to piss...." (an infamous blooper when presenting The $64,000 Question in which he mispronounced the word "pass") [1]

This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... The Golden Shot was a British television game show produced by ATV between 1967 and 1975, based on the German TV show Der goldene Schuss. ... This article or section is not written in the formal tone expected of an encyclopedia article. ... This article belongs in one or more categories. ... V Graham Norton was a ground-breaking entertainment programme shown on Channel 4 in the UK starring Graham Norton. ... Former crewmembers of the battleship Missouri pose for photos shortly after the Anniversary of the End of World War II ceremony, held aboard the famous ship. ...

External links

• Bob Monkhouse at the Internet Movie Database
• BBC Obituary for Bob Monkhouse
• Television Heaven
• Give a few Bob for the Prostate Cancer Research Foundation