WTF: Weekly Trivia File

Dylan Moran on Michael McIntyre: ‘I hope he falls off his money and kills himself…’

The Bafta nomination for BBC One sitcom Mrs Brown’s Boys surprised a lot of people – including the corporation itself. Creator Brendan O'Carroll said: ‘I got a text from the BBC saying “we are amazed” to tell you that you are nominated for a Bafta,’ he said. ‘ I think they're shocked.’

Tony Hancock always claimed he came up with the idea of the Daleks in a late-night drinking session. The man usually credited with creating Doctor Who’ arch-enemies, Terry Nation, used to write for Hancock, who claimed that their distinctive form came about after a boozy night surrounded by salt and pepper pots. When Hancock left the BBC, he worked on several ideas for series, including called From Plip To Plop, a comedic history of the world which would have ended with a nuclear apocalypse, after which the survivors would be reduced to living in dustbin-like robot casings. According to biographer Cliff Goodwin, when Hancock saw the Daleks, he allegedly shouted at the screen: ‘That bloody Nation – he's stolen my robots!’

Stephen Merchant says there are some upsides to his forthcoming stand-up tour. ‘It's a joy not to be working with Gervais,’ he said. ‘It’s a huge relief.’

See, it happens to the best of them. Richard Pryor deals with a rowdy, hecklery audience:

Gavin and Stacey fan Richard Kell is planning to run the 210 miles from Billericay to Barry, the two towns where the sitcom is set, in just four days. He said: ‘It seemed like a good idea at the time. I was sat in a traffic jam on the M4 before Christmas, thinking it would be quicker if I got out and walked, so I thought I would. I wanted to come up with an unusual way of raising money for Help for Heroes and it just struck me that I was on the route travelled by Gavin and Stacey, so why not follow in their footsteps. The show was one of the funniest comedies for years, but I’m not altogether sure the run will be as much fun.’

Irish comic Jimeoin has no time for jokes about the Royal Wedding – saying he got irked by the non-deferential coverage it received in Australia, where he now lived. ‘[They] were being flippant about it, it was annoying me,’ he said. ‘Sometimes commercial TV annoys me, making jokes about everything. Just shut up.’

‘I think for years people actually thought that I didn’t know what I was doing and that it was all a mistake.’ Stewart Lee.

Tweets Of The Week:
@jacques_aih

Due to an unfortunate typo in a text message, I had banal sex with my wife last night :-(

@TwopTwips: LIB DEM COUNCILLORS. Don't forget to switch on your "Out of Office" message today. /via @MrMoth
@NickMotown: If you can find the other 999 Sarah Millicans, you can form one Sarah Can.

SOURCES: Chortle, Irish Independent, Daily Mail, This Morning, YouTube, South Wales Echo, Adelaide Advertiser, Sabotage Times, Twitter

Published: 6 May 2011