Wednesday Trivia Question

How many children did Ma and Pop Larkin have in THE DARLING BUDS OF MAY?

If you remember the 1990s series THE DARLING BUDS OF MAY, chances are it’s because it featured a young Catherine Zeta-Jones before she achieved stardom. But it was enjoyable so you may remember it for other reasons.

Based on the novels by H. E. Bates, THE DARLING BUDS OF MAY centered on the Larkin family who live on a farm in Kent in the 1960s. Their unconventional rural lives were bolstered by income from Pop’s various and not entirely legitimate enterprises. However, a tax collector shows up, threatening to upend the Larkins’ lives but soon falls in love with the eldest daughter (Zeta-Jones) and succumbs to Pop’s life philosophy.

The series (which was remade as THE LARKINS earlier this decade) starred David Jason (Only Fools And Horses) as Pop Larkin, Pam Ferris (Rosemary And Thyme) as Ma Larkin, Philip Franks (Martin Chuzzlewit) as Charley and Zeta-Jones as Mariette. It was a ratings success in the UK and was broadcast over three seasons on ITV from 1991 to 1993. UNC-TV aired it later that decade, if I recall correctly.

So obviously the Larkins were more than Ma and Pop and Mariette. There were other children as well. But how many? How many children did Ma and Pop Larkin have in THE DARLING BUDS OF MAY?

Wednesday Trivia Question

What DOCTOR WHO actor played Cole Hawlings in THE BOX OF DELIGHTS?

THE BOX OF DELIGHTS was a six-part BBC adaptation of John Masefield’s 1935 children’s fantasy novel. It aired in late 1984 in the UK and a few years later as part of the PBS anthology program WONDERWORKS here in the US. The story revolves around a young boy named Kay Harker who finds himself mixed up in a battle to possess a magical box. He receives the box from an old Punch and Judy man named Cole Hawlings after meeting him at a railway station. Kay discovers the box has fantastical properties, allowing him to shrink, shapeshift, fly and travel to the past.

The actor who played the box’s initial owner, Hawkings, was a longtime English performer who appeared on stage and screen throughout his multi-decade career. He got his start in theatre and had appearances in some major motion pictures but he’s best known for his numerous roles on television, including a starring role on the long-running British sci fi series DOCTOR WHO.

So who was it? What English actor known for DOCTOR WHO played Cole Hawlings in THE BOX OF DELIGHTS on WONDERWORKS?

Wednesday Trivia Question

What was the name of the art expert nun who hosted several PBS series in the 1990s and 2000s?

One of the great things about PBS is that many series evolved out of an individual’s love and expertise in a specific area. WOODWRIGHT’S SHOP would never have existed if it weren’t for Roy Underhill and Rick Steves’ knowledge of European travel gave rise to a virtual empire of globetrotting programming. So it certainly is understandable that one woman’s desire to showcase art would lend itself to several series.

The woman in question was a British religious sister and art historian. Born in the Union of South Africa and raised in Scotland, she entered the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, a Roman Catholic congregation of religious sisters dedicated to education, in 1946. The following decades saw her studies and religious commitment continue in various countries. She published her first book on art in 1988 and, by the mid-90s, she had hosted and narrated several television documentaries on various artistic subjects.

Some of her television presentations include ODYSSEY, GRAND TOUR, PAINS OF GLASS and THE STORY OF PAINTING. Of course, the full titles included her name since she became a brand unto herself: the art nun.

Sadly she passed away in 2018 at the Carmelite Monastery in Norfolk at the age of 88. But not before leaving behind a very interesting legacy.

So who was she? What was the name of the art-loving nun who hosted such series as THE STORY OF PAINTING in the 1990s and beyond?

Wednesday Trivia Question

What was the name of the tap-dancing horse on the BOOKWORM BUNCH?

BOOKWORM BUNCH was a programming block aimed at preschoolers which ran on PBS Kids in the early 2000s. The series featured shows based on books and included MAX SHRINKS, SEVEN LITTLE MONSTERS, CORDUROY, TIMOTHY GOES TO SCHOOL, ELLIOT MOOSE and the series which featured a titular tap-dancing horse.

The show was co-produced by Nelvana and PBS Kids and created by Michael and Betty Paraskevas. It originally ran from 2000 to 2002 and followed a dancing horse with a black mane and a tail who performed in Fast-Talking Jack’s carnival. The horse, who used to be in film and on Broadway, had tuxedo-themed hooves that made tapping sounds. He also wore a red bowtie. Other characters included a pink elephant named Diamonds, Elizabeth the Emotional Pig, Stripes the Tiger and Eddy Largo, a 9-year-old boy who works as a gofer.

So what was the horse’s name? Who was the tap-dancing horse seen on the BOOKWORM BUNCH?

Wednesday Trivia Question

What current Oscar nominee aired on PBS?

As you may know, the nominations for the 96th Academy Awards were announced yesterday. I’m a cinephile as well as a lover of television, so I was anxiously waiting to see what films would be up for the golden statuette. And I always keep an eye out for PBS links. No big connections in the acting categories, aside from the wonderful Carey Mulligan who has appeared in a DOCTOR WHO episode (the now classic “Blink”), a MARPLE and a few MASTERPIECE presentations (“Northanger Abbey” and “The Amazing Mrs. Pritchard” and “Bleak House”). But I did notice a familiar name among the nominees as one of the films has already aired on PBS.

Of course, it aired under the banner of a regular series and was featured last fall as a single episode of that long-running program. I don’t want to give too much away. If you’re a regular viewer, you may have watched it or seen it promoted on our airwaves. Even if you missed it, you’ll likely be able to narrow it down given the criteria. Regardless, this is a big honor for public television and I know which nominee I’m pulling for in that particular category.

So what film is it? What current Academy Award nominee has already aired on PBS?

Wednesday Trivia Question

Who played Jane Seymour on WOLF HALL?

WOLF HALL was a fictionalized biography documenting the rapid rise to power of Thomas Cromwell in the court of Henry VIII. Based on the novels by Hilary Mantel, the series aired in 2015 on MASTERPIECE and starred Mark Rylance as Cromwell and Damian Lewis as Henry. Both received Emmy nominations for their performances and the cast featured the talents of Claire Foy, Tom Holland, Jonathan Pryce, Anton Lesser and Mark Gatiss, among others. WOLF HALL was critically acclaimed and a second series is in the works.

Jane Seymour was the third wife of King Henry VIII, becoming queen following the execution of Anne Boleyn. She died of postnatal complications less than two weeks after the birth of her only child and was the only wife of Henry to receive a queen’s funeral. She was portrayed in WOLF HALL by an actress that should be well familiar to regular viewers of PBS North Carolina. The actress stars in another series that we’ve aired and is arguably best known for that title role.

So who is it? Who played Jane Seymour on WOLF HALL?

Wednesday Trivia Question

Who played Siegfried Farnon in the 1975 film ALL CREATURES GREAT AND SMALL and who played James Herriot in the 1976 sequel IT SHOULDN’T HAPPEN TO A VET?

You get a two-fer this week because I found this an interesting note on the forerunner of the original series. Basically the James Herriot books about his life as a Yorkshire veterinarian were very successful. And like any successful publications, the moviemakers soon came knocking.

And so, just a few years after the first book’s release, there was a feature film made. Released in 1975, it was titled ALL CREATURES GREAT AND SMALL. It starred Simon Ward as James and another actor who would later win multiple Oscars as Siegfried. A year later, a sequel hit cinemas with a different cast. In IT SHOULDN’T HAPPEN TO A VET, Colin Blakely played Siegfried and yet another actor starred as James. There were no more films but the BBC series soon followed.

To start with the first film, the British actor playing Siegfried has had a career spanning seven decades. At the time of ACGAS he’d been in the biz about 15 years. I can’t say how well known he was at the time but now he’s a critically-acclaimed actor known for exceptional performances on stage and screen. Arguably, he’s best known for one particular film role from about 30 years ago but his talent and reputation are A list. He’s currently won two Academy Awards and been nominated six times total.

The actor who played James in the sequel film IT SHOULDN’T HAPPEN TO A VET is less of a household name but one that should be familiar to longtime viewers of public television. He, too, has a long career, one starting in the 1960s and tapering off in the 2000s (I don’t see any credits after 2012, aside from archival footage). He’s appeared on stage and screen and in at least three of my favorite British comedies, all of which originally aired on our airwaves in the 1980s.

So there you go. Two actors of note playing roles in films that preceded the popular and long-running TV series ALL CREATURES GREAT AND SMALL starring Robert Hardy as Siegfried and Christopher Timothy as James. Both actors have appeared on public television in various places over the decades. One is best known for TV, one is best known for film, although each have done roles on both. Both actors are (at the time of this writing) still alive.

So who are they? What Oscar-winning actor played Siegfried Farnon in the 1975 movie ALL CREATURES GREAT AND SMALL and what TV veteran played veterinarian James Herriot in the 1976 film sequel IT SHOULDN’T HAPPEN TO A VET? If you know one, you’re a true ACGAS fan and know some obscure trivia. If you know BOTH, well, I bow down to your prowess.

Wednesday Trivia Question

In what country was Nicholas Ralph born?

Since ALL CREATURES GREAT AND SMALL returns for its fourth season next month, I thought I’d ask a trivia question about the beloved series. So let’s look to star Nicholas Ralph, who plays James Herriot. I’ll admit to being skeptical of the actor being able to pull off the role since Christopher Timothy from the original series was so entrenched in my mind as the character. But I think I was hooked from that first episode. It’s a different take, almost a modern interpretation, but the heart and soul are still very much there. Of course, anyone adapting Herriot’s books would be a fool to not bring that element into it.

So Nicholas Ralph is an interesting actor to star in a hit show. It was his first on screen role since he’d started in theatre so the BBC were obviously taking a chance on an unknown. Good gamble, as it happens. He was raised in the Scottish highland town of Nairn and studied drama at Inverness College and the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. However, Nicholas Ralph was not born in Scotland.

The country of his origin is not in the United Kingdom so we’re talking some place off the island of Great Britain. And no – it’s not Ireland, in case that’s where you’re thinking. The nation of Ralph’s birth is a former British Colony, which I admit doesn’t exactly narrow it down. So I’ll add the hint of it not being European. And assuming the actor wasn’t born at McMurdo Station (he wasn’t), that leaves only five continents.

So what country was it? In what nation was ALL CREATURES GREAT AND SMALL actor Nicholas Ralph born?

Wednesday Trivia Question

Who were Shari Lewis’ special dinner guests on the 1995 special LAMB CHOP’S SPECIAL CHANUKAH?

First off, I realize Hanukkah ended a few days ago but trivia is evergreen so the question still works. (And yes, I understand the various spellings but aside from the program’s title I use Hanukkah because it doesn’t set off my spell check.) That being said, you remember Lamb Chop, right? She was the feisty sock puppet anthropomorphic sheep partnered with puppeteer and ventriloquist Shari Lewis. Lewis had her own musical comedy show in the 1960s and was often seen with Lamb Chop and her assorted sock puppet pals on variety shows and game shows over several decades. In the 1990s, PBS launched LAMB CHOP’S PLAY-ALONG, an Emmy Award-winning kids show. The show spawned a spin-off (THE CHARLIE HORSE MUSIC PIZZA) and a few specials, including LAMB CHOP’S SPECIAL CHANUKAH.

The premise was simple: Shari was preparing a Hanukkah dinner for Lamb Chop, Charlie Horse and Hush Puppy. She ran into three show business friends at the market and invited them to the meal. Each was a real actor, playing himself. Each was known for various roles in film and television and each now has passed away. Sadly, Shari Lewis died in 1998 (her daughter Mallory continues her legacy, performing with Lamb Chop).

So who were they? Who were the human (non-puppet) guests Shari Lewis invited to dinner on the 1995 special LAMB CHOP’S SPECIAL CHANUKAH?

Wednesday Trivia Question

What British comedy series could have been called BARKER & CORBETT?

Over the decades, PBS North Carolina has, in its various incarnations, aired a lot of British comedy series. From ARE YOU BEING SERVED? to MONTY PYTHON’S FLYING CIRCUS, we’ve presented situation comedy and sketch comedy alike from across the pond. Even some improv comedy. Some shows were fan faves and stuck around for years. Others quietly came and went with few eyes on them.

The series I’m talking about this week series was broadcast on our airwaves about 40 years ago. What we ran was only a portion of what was seen in the UK since sometimes public television stations are only given the rights to a season or two of a long-running program. I wasn’t working for the station at that time so I don’t know how popular it was with NC audiences. I can say the series was one of the most successful and long running light entertainment shows on British television, running for 12 series in the 1970s and 1980s.

The show’s title referred to the first names of the starring comedians. That why I say it could have been called BARKER & CORBETT had the BBC instead decided to go with the duo’s last names, as often is the case with show titles.

So what is the title of this comedy series? What Britcom could have easily been called BARKER & CORBETT (and maybe was in a parallel dimension)?