Give Us a Clue

Give Us a Clue is a British televised game show version of charades which was broadcast on ITV from 1979 to 1992. The original host was Michael Aspel from 1979 to 1984, followed by Michael Parkinson from 1984 to 1992. The show featured two teams, one captained by Lionel Blair and the other by Una Stubbs. Later editions of the programme had Liza Goddard as captain of the women's team. Norman Vaughan stood in for Blair for four episodes in the second series and Joyce Blair stood in for Stubbs for the 1981 Royal Wedding special.

Originally, each team consisted of the captain, two fellow celebrities and one non-celebrity, but the non-celebrity participants were soon dropped, another celebrity being added in their place. In the second episode of Series 2 (broadcast on 5 November 1979), the non-celebrity contestant, London fashion designer Leslie Dean, read the wrong side of the card handed to him and as a result started miming his own name rather than the specified film. In his autobiography, Lionel Blair stated that it was this incident that led to the dropping of non-celebrity participants.<ref>'Stage Struck'. Blair, Lionel. Littlehampton Book Services Ltd (14 March 1985). Template:ISBN</ref>

A revived version was broadcast by BBC One in 1997 over 30 episodes, hosted by Tim Clark. Teams were captained by Christopher Blake and Julie Peasgood and the show introduced a lateral thinking puzzle (which the host could "give clues to"). Give Us a Clue returned for a special Comic Relief episode in March 2011 with Sara Cox, Christopher Biggins, Lionel Blair, Una Stubbs, Holly Walsh, Jenni Falconer and David Walliams.

Format

The game is based on charades, a party game where players used mime rather than speaking to demonstrate a name, phrase, book, play, film or TV programme. Each player was given roughly two minutes to act out their given subject in front of his/her team, and if the others were unsuccessful in guessing correctly, the opposing team would have a chance to answer for a bonus point.

Episode list

The coloured backgrounds denote the result of each of the shows:

Template:Color box – indicates Una's team won

Template:Color box – indicates Lionel's team won

Template:Color box – indicates the game ended in a draw

Series 1 (1979)

Episode	First broadcast	Una's team	Lionel's team
1x01	Template:Start date<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	Liz Fraser Judy Geeson	Kenneth Williams David Wilkie
1x02	Template:Start date<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	Diana Dors Liza Goddard	Ed Stewart Colin Baker
1x03	Template:Start date	Miriam Karlin Wendy Richard	Norman Vaughan Nicholas Parsons
1x04	Template:Start date<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	Judy Carne Tessa Wyatt	Richard O'Sullivan Peter Jones
1x05	Template:Start date<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	Joyce Blair Karen Dotrice	Roy Dotrice Norman Rossington
1x06	Template:Start date<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	Libby Morris Suzanne Danielle	Don Maclean Tony Selby
1x07	Template:Start date<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	Barbara Windsor Jenny Hanley	Jimmy Young George Layton
1x08	Template:Start date<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	Gemma Craven Linda Thorson	Max Wall Brendan Price
1x09	Template:Start date<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	Nina Baden-Semper Françoise Pascal	Kenny Lynch Bernie Winters
1x10	Template:Start date<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	Janet Brown Lynsey de Paul	Peter Butterworth Derek Griffiths
1x11	Template:Start date<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	Aimi Macdonald Judith Chalmers	Alfie Bass Robin Askwith
1x12	Template:Start date<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	Julie Rogers Cheryl Hall	Dickie Davies Bill Oddie
1x13	Template:Start date<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	Amanda Barrie Maureen Lipman	Melvyn Hayes David Nixon

Series 2 (1979–80)

Episode	First broadcast	Una's team	Lionel's team
2x01	Template:Start date	Julia McKenzie Lorraine Chase	Roy Kinnear George Layton
2x02	Template:Start date	Liza Goddard Jill Gascoine	Robin Nedwell George Sewell
2x03	Template:Start date	Lulu Katie Boyle	Bernie Winters Jim Davidson
2x04	Template:Start date<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	Barbara Windsor Anna Dawson	Alfred Marks Gareth Hunt
2x05	Template:Start date<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	Anthea Redfren Patrica Brake	Graeme Garden Barry Cryer
2x06	Template:Start date<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	Shirley Anne Field Prunella Gee	David Jason Bob Todd
2x07	Template:Start date<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	Yootha Joyce Elizabeth Estensen	Dave Lee Travis Richard O'Sullivan
2x08	Template:Start date<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	Faith Brown Suzanne Danielle	John Junkin Norman Rossington
2x09	Template:Start date<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	Paula Wilcox Clodagh Rodgers Beryl Reid Nyree Dawn Porter	Kenneth Williams Spike Milligan Russ Abbot Dickie Davies
2x10	Template:Start date<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	Libby Morris Fenella Fielding	Graham Dene Roy Hudd
2x11	Template:Start date<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	Liz Fraser Juliet Hammond-Hill	Warren Mitchell Kenny Everett
2x12	Template:Start date	Angela Richards Linda Bellingham	Nicky Henson Derek Waring
2x13	Template:Start date<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	Judy Geeson Linda Haydn	Jimmy Jewel Norman Eshley
2x14	Template:Start date<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	June Whitfield Georgina Hale	Daniel Abineri Dick Emery
2x15	Template:Start date<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	Dinah Sheridan Stacy Dorning	Christopher Beeny Patrick Cargill
2x16	Template:Start date<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	Sheila Steafel Barbara Murray	Lance Percival Pete Murray

Series 3 (1980)

Episode	First broadcast	Una's team	Lionel's team
3x01	Template:Start date<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	Nerys Hughes Yootha Joyce Moira Lister	John Conteh Wayne Sleep Bernie Winters
3x02	Template:Start date<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	Maureen Lipman Susan Stranks Barbara Windsor	Windsor Davies Melvyn Hayes Mick McManus
3x03	Template:Start date<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	Jan Hunt Annie Ross Josephine Tewson	Jimmy Logan Kenny Lynch Pete Murray
3x04	Template:Start date<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	Barbara Kelly Beryl Reid Madeline Smith	Bernard Braden Roy Kinnear Andrew Sachs
3x05	Template:Start date<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	Floella Benjamin Shirley Anne Field Dilys Watling	Peter Blake Francis Matthews Tony Selby
3x06	Template:Start date<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	Maria Charles Liz Fraser Cyd Hayman	Christopher Biggins Kenny Everett Shaw Taylor
3x07	Template:Start date<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	Lynda Baron Sally James Jenny Lee-Wright	Dickie Davies Alvin Stardust Jack Douglas
3x08	Template:Start date<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	Jenny Hanley Nyree Dawn Porter Janet Street-Porter	Barry Cryer Gareth Hunt Bernie Winters
3x09	Template:Start date<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	Anita Harris Libby Morris Hilary Pritchard	Arthur English Don Maclean Nicholas Parsons
3x10	Template:Start date<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	Joyce Blair Irene Handl Karen Kay	Jimmy Jewel Bobby Moore Robin Nedwell
3x11	Template:Start date<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	Diana Coupland Cheryl Kennedy Sheila Steafel	Rodney Bewes Norman Rossington Simon Williams
3x12	Template:Start date<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	Paddie O'Neil Liza Goddard Ann Sidney	Roy Kinnear Alfred Marks Victor Spinetti
3x13	Template:Start date<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	Rachael Heyhoe Flint Julia McKenzie Sheila White	Ray Alan Billy Dainty David Hamilton
3x14	Template:Start date<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	Gabrielle Drake Jean Rook Barbara Windsor	Derek Fowlds Harry Fowler Bernie Winters
3x15	Template:Start date<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	Yootha Joyce Amanda Barrie Muriel Odunton	Tim Barrett Robert Lindsay Victor Spinetti
3x16	Template:Start date<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	Sandra Dickinson Jill Gascoine June Whitfield	Jim Davidson Derek Griffiths George Sewell
3x17	Template:Start date<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	Patricia Brake Anna Dawson Miriam Karlin	Ian Lavender Geoff Love Wayne Sleep
3x18	Template:Start date<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	Barbara Windsor Mollie Sugden Julia Mackenzie	Jim Davidson Kenny Everett Alfred Marks
3x19	Template:Start date<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	Janet Brown Katie Boyle Suzanne Danielle	Christopher Biggins Bryan Marshall Hugh Paddick

Royal Wedding Special (1981)

Episode	First broadcast	Joyce's team	Lionel's team
Sp.	Template:Start date<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	Anna Dawson Ruth Madoc Sandra Dickinson	Brian Murphy Derek Griffiths Roy Kinnear

Series 4 (1981–82)

Episode	First broadcast	Una's team	Lionel's team
4x01	Template:Start date<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	Michele Dotrice Lucinda Prior-Palmer Jill Gascoine	Rolf Harris Glenn Hoddle Edward Woodward
4x02	Template:Start date<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	Faith Brown Rula Lenska Claire Rayner	Roy Kinnear Robin Nedwell Duncan Goodhew
4x03	Template:Start date<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	Pam Ayres Gabrielle Drake Donna Hartley	Geoff Capes Paul Eddington Kenny Everett
4x04	Template:Start date<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	Sandra Dickinson Lesley Judd Beryl Reid	Peter Davison Geoffrey Hayes Jon Pertwee
4x05	Template:Start date	Anna Quayle Susan Penhaligon Sharron Davies	John Inman Alex Higgins Victor Spinetti
4x06	Template:Start date<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	Maureen Lipman Maria Charles Jenny Hanley	Kenneth Williams Griff Rhys-Jones Shaw Taylor
4x07	Template:Start date<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	Lynsey de Paul Molly Parkin Anna Dawson	Andrews Sachs Christopher Biggins John L. Gardner
4x08	Template:Start date	Jackie Collins Angela Rippon Jenny Lee-Wright	Henry Cooper Windsor Davies Bernie Winters
4x09	Template:Start date<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	Sally James Annie Ross Madeleine Smith	Denis King Ian Lavender Henry McGee
4x10	Template:Start date<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	Jenny Lee-Wright Suzi Quatro June Whitfield	Nigel Davenport David Jacobs Tom O'Connor
4x11	Template:Start date<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	Cheryl Kennedy Madge Hindle Victoria Burgoyne	Rodney Bewes Barry Mason Brian Marshall
4x12	Template:Start date<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	Susan Anton Beryl Reid Debbie Linden	Dudley Moore Jimmy Jewel Simon Williams
4x13	Template:Start date<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	Pat Coombs Stacy Dorning Joanna Van Gyseghem	Terry Scott Joe Brown Nicholas Lyndhurst
4x14	Template:Start date<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	Mollie Sugden Patricia Brake Nanette Newman	Kenneth Williams Gareth Hunt Lonnie Donegan
4x15	Template:Start date<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	Katie Boyle Angela Douglas Lyn Paul	Dudley Moore Harry H. Corbett Brian Cant
4x16	Template:Start date<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	Suzanne Danielle Bonnie Langford Julia McKenzie	Roy Kinnear Pete Murray Shaw Taylor
4x17	Template:Start date<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	Liz Fraser Victoria Wood Denise Nolan	Richard O'Sullivan Wayne Sleep Lance Percival
4x18	Template:Start date<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	Judith Chalmers Leslie Ash Nerys Hughes	Nicky Henson Kenny Ball Justin Fashanu

Series 5 (1982)

Episode	First broadcast	Una's team	Lionel's team
5x01	Template:Start date	Honor Blackman Lorraine Chase Angela Douglas	Michael Barrymore Danny la Rue George Sewell
5x02	Template:Start date<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	Maureen Lipman Anna Dawson Debbie Arnold	Kenneth Williams Bernard Bresslaw Mike Berry
5x03	Template:Start date	Sylvia Syms Joanne Whalley Barbara Windsor	Christopher Biggins Martin Jarvis Spike Milligan
5x04	Template:Start date<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	Julia McKenzie Patricia Hayes Suzanne Dando	Edward Woodward Mike Reid Robin Cousins
5x05	Template:Start date<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	Sheila White Jenny Linden Su Pollard	Nigel Davenport Lennie Bennett Ray Alan
5x06	Template:Start date<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	Ruth Madoc Isla Blair Avril Angers	Rolf Harris Christopher Timothy Vince Hill
5x07	Template:Start date	Gemma Craven Susan Hanson Bonnie Langford	Kenneth Williams Frazer Hines Norman Collier
5x08	Template:Start date	Lorraine Chase Claire Rayner Annie Ross	Marty Feldman Martin Jarvis Felix Bowness
5x09	Template:Start date	Carol White Dana Joyce Blair	Geoffrey Bayldon Roy Castle Glyn Houston
5x10	Template:Start date	Shirley Anne Field Sue Lloyd Libby Morris	Bernie Winters Jeffrey Holland Simon Cadell
5x11	Template:Start date	Patricia Brake Lorna Dallas Anna Quayle	Jon Pertwee Christopher Timothy David Janson
5x12	Template:Start date	The Beverley Sisters	The Bachelors
5x13	Template:Start date	Anna Dawson Suzanne Danielle Jenny Lee-Wright	Derek Griffiths Roy Kinnear Freddie Starr
5x14	Template:Start date	Angela Douglas Barbara Murray Tracey Ullman	David Jacobs John Inman Brian Jacks
5x15	Template:Start date	Susan Penhaligon Sabina Franklyn Julia McKenzie	Barry Cryer William Franklyn Duggie Brown
5x16	Template:Start date	Leslie Ash Lucinda Green Dilys Watling	Rolf Harris Tom O'Connor Shaw Taylor
5x17	Template:Start date	Carol Drinkwater Hazel O'Connor Victoria Wood	Leslie Crowther Michael Barrymore The Great Soprendo
5x18	Template:Start date	Susannah York Elaine Paige Suzanne Dando	Freddie Starr Patrick Mower Christopher Biggins

Series 6 (1983–84)

Episode	First broadcast	Una's team	Lionel's team
6x01	Template:Start date	Cheryl Baker Anna Quayle Gillian Raine	Leonard Rossiter Terry Scott David Jensen
6x02	Template:Start date	Dawn Addams Anneka Rice Paula Wilcox	Ian Ogilvy Richard Murdoch Roy Kinnear
6x03	Template:Start date	Leslie Ash Honor Blackman Angela Rippon	Wayne Sleep Hank Marvin Jeffrey Holland
6x04	Template:Start date	Joyce Blair Madeline Smith Anne Diamond	Graeme Garden Jim Davidson Bill Beaumont
6x05	Template:Start date	Prunella Gee Judy Geeson Gloria Hunniford	Christopher Timothy Don Maclean Hubert Gregg
6x06	Template:Start date	Lynda Baron Ruth Madoc Deborah Watling	Kenneth Williams Mark Wynter Derek Waring
6x07	Template:Start date	Anna Dawson Stephanie Lawrence Gayle Hunnicutt	Bernie Winters Freddie Trueman Joe Brown
6x08	Template:Start date	Julia McKenzie Maureen Lipman Stephanie Beacham	Michael Bentine Barry Cryer David Kernan
6x09	Template:Start date	Rosalind Ayres Isla St Clair Paula Yates	Martin Jarvis Billy Dainty Tommy Boyd
6x10	Template:Start date	Su Pollard Julie Walters Tessa Wyatt	Richard O'Sullivan Alan Minter Stubby Kaye
6x11	Template:Start date	Pam Ayres Jenny Lee-Wright Carol Drinkwater	Lance Percival Charlie Drake William Franklyn
6x12	Template:Start date	Bonnie Langford Sonia Lannaman June Whitfield	Mike Read Brian Murphy Malcolm Macdonald
6x13	Template:Start date	Debbie Arnold Suzi Quatro Annie Ross	Derek Griffiths Michael Craig Jess Conrad
6x14	Template:Start date	Angela Rippon Victoria Wood Sylvia Syms	Gerald Harper Stu Francis Leslie Crowther
6x15	Template:Start date	Jane Asher Tracey Ullman Jilly Cooper	Bob Geldof Russell Grant Tim Brooke-Taylor
6x16	Template:Start date	Elspet Gray Karen Kay Iris Williams	Brian Rix John Junkin Christopher Biggins
6x17	Template:Start date<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	Joyce Blair Patricia Hayes Judy Loe	Frank Carson Windsor Davies Richard Stilgoe
6x18	Template:Start date	Katie Boyle Michele Dotrice Diane Solomon	Vidal Sassoon William Rushton Aiden J. Harvey
6x19	Template:Start date	Janet Brown Sheila Ferguson Fiona Fullerton	Peter Gordeno Gareth Hunt Freddie Starr
6x20	Template:Start date	Faith Brown Angela Douglas Aimi Macdonald	Henry McGee Acker Bilk Lennie Bennett

Transmissions

Series	Start date	End date	Episodes
1	2 January 1979	27 March 1979	13
2	29 October 1979	11 February 1980	16
3	25 August 1980	29 December 1980	19
Special	29 July 1981		1
4	1 September 1981	20 April 1982	18
5	4 May 1982	26 December 1982	18
6	6 September 1983	17 April 1984	20
7	4 September 1984	1 January 1985	16
8	28 May 1985	2 July 1985	6
9	12 September 1985	26 December 1985	15
10	3 July 1986	21 August 1986	8
11	4 January 1988	18 March 1988	55
12	1 November 1988	2 December 1988	20
13	14 February 1989	10 March 1989	16
14	5 December 1989	19 January 1990	16
15	15 January 1991	8 March 1991	32
16	3 September 1991	4 May 1992	33
17	10 November 1997	19 December 1997	30

DVD release

The first six series of Give Us a Clue have been released on DVD by Network, but only 98 out of the first 105 episodes were included. The seven episodes that are not in the collection had appearances of three celebrities with sexual abuse offences that were investigated in Operation Yewtree.

DVD title	Discs	Year	Episodes	Release date
Give Us a Clue	13	1979–1984	98	28 November 2022

International versions

Country	Local name	Host	Team captains	Network	Year aired
Template:Flag<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	Hints	Frank Kramer (1983–97) Anita Witzier (1997–2003) Sofie van den Enk (2010–11)	-	KRO	1983–2003 2010–11
Template:Flag<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	Give Us a Clue	Les Thompson (1980s) Brian Edwards (1993) Marcus Lush (1999) Paula Bennett (2021–22)	Peter Rowley, Jenny Maxwell (1980s) Gary McCormick, Belinda Todd (1993) Gary McCormick, Alison Wall (1999) Hilary Barry, Tom Sainsbury (2021–22)	TVNZ (1980s) TV3 (1993) TVNZ (1999; 2021–22)	1980s 1993 1999 11 August 2021 – 17 August 2022
Template:Flag<ref>Luján Argüelles vuelve a Cuatro con Dame una pista Vayatele.com. 7 de julio de 2010. Visto el 12 de noviembre de 2010.</ref>	Dame una pista	Luján Argüelles	-	Cuatro	13 July 2010 – 7 January 2011
Template:Flag<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	Gäster med gester	Lennart Swahn (1982–99) Rickard Olsson (2011–12)	-	SVT	8 September 1982 – 5 January 1999 2011–12

External links

• Template:IMDb title.
• Give Us a Clue (1979–1992) at BFI.
• Give Us a Clue (1997) at BFI.
• Template:UKGameshow