Today’s Answers
Today’s first question is date-related to 3 October. The subsequent questions are not date-related but follow on a theme created in the first.
One
On this date, episode 1 of The Dick Van Dyke Show premiered. The show starred Dick Van Dyke as Rob Petrie, but who played his wife, Laura; and in what year did this episode air?
Answers: Mary Tyler Moore; 1961.
The Dick Van Dyke Show was an American sitcom that aired from 3 October 1961, to 1 June 1966, consisting of 158 episodes across five seasons. Created and produced by Carl Reiner, the series starred Dick Van Dyke, Mary Tyler Moore, Rose Marie, and others. The show focused on the life of Rob Petrie (Dick Van Dyke), a television comedy writer for the fictional Alan Brady Show. Petrie lived in suburban New Rochelle with his wife, Laura Petrie (Mary Tyler Moore), and young son, Ritchie (Larry Mathews). The series achieved critical success, winning 15 Emmy Awards, and has maintained a strong reputation among critics and industry groups, earning high rankings on lists from TV Guide and the Writers Guild of America.
Two
Which of these was a character in an episode in the first season of The Flintstones; and what was Fred a member of at that time?
- Hot Lips Hannigan; Loyal Order of Dinosaurs
- Radar Rockpile; Loyal Order of Woolly Mammoths
- Spearchucker Stone; Loyal Order of Pteranodon
Answers: Hot Lips Hannigan
The Hot Lips character predates MAS*H by some 10 years, and the Loyal Order of Water Buffaloes replaced the dinosaurs in later episodes. The Flintstones, produced by Hanna-Barbera, was the first prime-time animated sitcom on ABC, set in a romanticised Stone Age. Its popularity stems from blending modern concerns with this setting; it was the most successful animated series for three decades.
Three
It is well known that the stars of Friends negotiated their contracts collectively, but this was only true for part of their ten-season run. In which season or seasons did they get different salaries; and in which season(s) did they receive $1 million per episode? (Answers will be number(s) between 1 and 10.)
Answers: Season 2; Season 9 and 10.
Wikipedia explains it as follows:
In their original contracts for the first season, cast members were paid $22,500 per episode. The cast members received different salaries in the second season, beginning from the $20,000 range to $40,000 per episode. Before their salary negotiations for the third season, the cast decided to enter collective negotiations, despite Warner Bros.’ preference for individual deals. The stars were each paid $75,000 per episode in season three, $85,000 in season four, $100,000 in season five, $125,000 in season six, $750,000 in seasons seven and eight, and $1 million in seasons nine and ten, making Aniston, Cox, and Kudrow the highest-paid TV actresses of all time.
Four
What two actors were the co-creators and co-writers of the British sitcom Fawlty Towers, and who played the Spanish waiter Manuel in the same series?
Answers: John Cleese and Connie Booth; Andrew Sachs.
In May 1970, the members of Monty Python stayed at the Gleneagles Hotel in Torquay, where owner Donald Sinclair’s rudeness, including discarding Eric Idle’s briefcase, influenced John Cleese and Connie Booth. The building was demolished and replaced by a nursing home, Sachs Lodge, which was named after the late Andrew Sachs.
Five
In Frasier, the lead character returns to his hometown to present a radio psychiatry programme. Which two cities mark his move from and to, and which two actors played Frasier’s father and brother?
Answers: Boston, Massachusetts, to Seattle, Washington; John Mahoney (as his father Martin Crane) David Hyde Pierce (as his brother Niles Crane).
Frasier, an NBC sitcom created by David Angell, Peter Casey and David Lee, followed Frasier Crane’s return to Seattle. It won 37 Primetime Emmys, including five consecutive Outstanding Comedy Series awards.
Flowery Twats
The title draws from the opening sequence of Fawlty Towers, where the hotel sign shifts into forms such as Farty Towels and Fatty Owls; however, Flowery Twats in the penultimate episode is the sole arrangement using every letter of Fawlty Towers.
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