Clued behaviour

Show's 30th birthday taping

Veteran radio producer David Hatch put in an appearance at the 30th anniversary recording of I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue - "to see if they can finally get it right."

The historic birthday show has been taped in the Playhouse, the London theatre where it all started, with Stephen Fry as guest panellist.

Several former players were in the audience, including Bill Oddie, Phill Jupitus and Jeremy Hardy. And veteran presenter Raymond Baxter made a special appearance, commentating on the now legendary Mornington Crescent game.

Before the show, Hatch recalled how the 'antidote to panel games' grew out of the anarchic sketch comedy I'm Sorry I'll Read That Again.

The programme was conceived by Graeme Garden, who found writing weekly sketches too onerous.

Hatch, who co-starred in I'm Sorry I'll Read That Again, said: "Graeme said the team were getting so much money on TV, they couldn't afford to write for radio."

So they convened to a pub - The Guinea - to thrash out ideas.

He said: "It would carry the spirit of I'm Sorry I'll Read That Again without the fag of having to write a script."

The programme would feature the stars of its predecessor - Graeme Garden, Bill Oddie, Tim Brooke-Taylor and Jo Kendall. And they decided on jazz musician Humphrey Lyttleton as host.

"It was later obvious that what the show really needed was an Old-Etonian ex-Guardsman trumpeter," said Hatch.

He thought the pilot was untransmittable, and it took more than 20 hours of editing before he played it to Radio 4 controller Tony Whitby, who loved it and commissioned more.

The show has changed little in three decades, with Kendall replaced by Barry Cryer from the second series, and Willuie Rushton taking over from Bill Oddie in 1974 until his death in 1996.

Hatch said: "It is quintessentially English," and added that the show could be proud of three achievements: "One - it has ensured anyone named Samantha will always get a second glance. Two, all foreigners believe all Tube stations lead to Mornington Crescent. And three all careers masters now know that a living can be made talking rubbish - even outside Parliament."

After the glowing tribute, panellist Tim Brooke-Taylor said: "I didn't realise we were dead."

The 30th anniversary show will be broadcast on Radio 4 at 6.15pm on Saturday. . A new series - the 39th - starts in May.

More on the history of I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue