Editing I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue (section)

==History==
[[File:I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue.jpg|thumb|right| (L-R) Ross Noble, Tim Brooke-Taylor, Humphrey Lyttelton, producer [[Jon Naismith]], Graeme Garden and Barry Cryer during a 2005 recording. Naismith is sitting in the chair reserved for "Samantha".]]
''I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue'' developed from the long-running radio [[sketch show]] ''[[I'm Sorry, I'll Read That Again]]'', the writers of which were [[John Cleese]], [[Jo Kendall]], [[David Hatch]], [[The Goodies]] trio [[Bill Oddie]], [[Tim Brooke-Taylor]] and especially [[Graeme Garden]] who suggested the idea of an unscripted show<ref name="history">{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/clue/article/|title=I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue&nbsp;— A History|publisher=BBC}}</ref> which, it was decided, would take the form of a parody [[panel game]]. A panel game with no competition was not itself a new idea: the BBC had a history of successful quiz shows designed to allow witty celebrities to entertain where winning was not important. Examples include ''[[It Pays to Be Ignorant|Ignorance Is Bliss]]'', ''[[Just a Minute]]'', ''[[My Word!]]'' and ''[[My Music (radio)|My Music]]'' on the radio and ''[[Call My Bluff (UK game show)|Call My Bluff]]'' on television.{{citation needed|date=January 2020}}

The pilot episode (at that time titled ''I'm Sorry, They're At It Again'') opened with Graeme Garden and Jo Kendall singing the words of "[[Three Blind Mice]]" to the tune of "[[Ol' Man River]]" followed by Bill Oddie and Tim Brooke-Taylor performing the lyrics of "[[Sing a Song of Sixpence]]" to the melody of "[[These Foolish Things]]". [[Dave Lee (jazz musician)|Dave Lee]], who was bandleader on ''I'm Sorry, I'll Read That Again'', was at the piano and a number of rounds were introduced by a short phrase of music. Other rounds included "Dialogue Read in a Specific Accent" and "Songs Sung as Animals".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.isihac.info/Programme_Info_Page.php|title=Games Info|publisher=The I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue Info Site}}</ref> In 1974 Bill Oddie was replaced by [[Willie Rushton]], with Barry Cryer replacing Jo Kendall as Graeme Garden's teammate, and Humphrey Lyttelton as chairman, and the personnel remained constant from this point until Rushton's death in 1996, although occasional guest panellists appeared in the 1980s and early 1990s (see below). Since then the panel has featured a variety of guest comedians.<ref name="people">{{cite web|url=https://www.isihac.net/about.php|title=About|publisher=The I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue Info Site}}</ref>

The show has over two million listeners on Radio 4 and its recording sessions typically fill 1,500-seat theatres within a week of being advertised.<ref name="history" /> At least one recording for the spring 2006 series filled all its seats within three hours of the free tickets being made available, and the London recording of the autumn series in that year sold out in ten minutes. Although there are twelve ''Clue'' shows broadcast per year these are the result of just six recording sessions, with two programmes being recorded back-to-back. The show was recently voted the second funniest radio programme ever, after ''[[The Goon Show]]''. It has a large following among professional comedians such as [[Armando Iannucci]], who turned down opportunities to work on it as he preferred to remain a listener.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Duncan|first=Andrew|newspaper=[[Radio Times]]|title=placeholder|date=2006-02-11}}</ref>

[[File:RobBrydonISIHAC.JPG|thumb|right| [[Rob Brydon]] (centre) chairs the Newcastle recording of ''I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue''. Also pictured are Tim Brooke-Taylor (low left) and Colin Sell (top left). The chair next to Brydon with the microphone is 'used' by "Samantha"]]

The official, authorised history of the show and ISIRTA, ''The Clue Bible'' by Jem Roberts, was published by [[Preface Publishing]] in October 2009.