Details of the next series of I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue have been released. This will be the first series without Humphrey Lyttleton acting as chair.
As a result, each of the recordings has a different guest host. These are Stephen Fry, who is recording the show in Haymarket; Jack Dee, who is recording in Southampton; and Rob Brydon, recording in Newcastle. So far, the only set recording date I have is for Brydon's show, which is being recorded on 4th June.
Got this today . . .
Dear ISIHAC Mailing List Member,
I bring news of the long-awaited return of 'I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue', back for its 51st series following the death of our beloved chairman Humphrey Lyttelton last year.
We will probably need to start looking for a permanent replacement for Humph at some stage in the future, but for this series at least, and probably for the next, we will simply be asking past panellists from the wider 'I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue' family to deputise in the role.
ISIHAC stalwarts Stephen Fry, Jack Dee and Rob Brydon have all agreed to host the shows in this series.
These are the three recordings dates:
1. Sunday 26th April at Her Majesty's Theatre, Haymarket, London, with guest host Stephen Fry.
TICKETS WILL BE AVAILABLE FROM 10am ON TUESDAY 3rd MARCH
We will be recording two editions of the programme at Her Majesty's Theatre with guest host Stephen Fry. Tickets cost £10.50, £8.50 and £6.50 and can be purchased by phone by calling See Tickets on 0844 412 4657. The lines are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Alternatively tickets can be booked online via the theatre's website at http://www.seetickets.com <http://www.seetickets.com/>
2. Sunday 17th May at the Mayflower Theatre in Southampton, with guest host Jack Dee.
TICKETS WILL BE AVAILABLE FROM 9.30am ON MONDAY 2nd MARCH
We will be recording two editions of the programme at the Mayflower with guest host Jack Dee. Tickets cost £8, £6.50 and £5 and can be purchased by phone by calling the Mayflower's Box Office on 02380 711811. The lines are open from Monday to Saturday 9.30am (10am Fridays) to 8.30pm. The phone lines close at 5.30pm on Saturdays when there is no performance. Alternatively tickets can be booked online via the theatre's website at http://www.mayflower.org.uk/bookinghow.asp <http://www.mayflower.org.uk/bookinghow.asp>
3. Thursday 4th June at the Theatre Royal in Newcastle, with guest host Rob Brydon.
TICKETS WILL BE AVAILABLE FROM 9am ON MONDAY 9th MARCH
We will be recording two editions of the programme in Newcastle Mayflower with guest host Rob Brydon. Tickets cost £8 and £6 and can be purchased by phone by calling the Theatre Royal's Box Office on 08448 11 21 21. The lines are open from Monday to Saturday, 9am - 8pm (Wednesday 10am - 8pm). On Sundays and Bank Holidays they are open from 2 hours before a performance. Alternatively tickets can be booked online via the theatre's website at http://www.theatreroyal.co.uk/whats_on/show_details.asp?Course_ID=102030
All three recordings start at 7.30pm and are likely to finish around 10.30pm latest. We don't recommend the recordings for children under the age of 14. Tickets are limited to no more than four per applicant, and you are advised to book early as they sell very fast.
Beware of purchasing tickets for the show from a non authorised source - should any show be cancelled, if you have not purchased the ticket direct from the box office, you would not be eligible for a refund.
Each theatre will keep the details of the first 30 callers to miss out on tickets, so those with tickets who suddenly find they can't attend will be able to re-sell them at the theatre's box office to a deserving member of the mailing list.
This mailout is being sent to all those who have requested to receive information related to "I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue". If you have been sent this mailout in error, or if you no longer wish to be included on the list, simply reply to this email and asked to be unsubscribed from our mailing list.
With best wishes
Jon Naismith
Producer, 'I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue'
And how many of us will be in front of our screens, poised to book tickets on 3 March? I'll be there....
Not me - I'll be waiting till the 9th for the Newcastle recording.
Quote: Ian Wolf @ February 20 2009, 7:09 PM GMTAs a result, each of the recordings has a different guest host.
Ugh.
Quote: Aaron @ February 23 2009, 10:39 AM GMTUgh.
Yes, it's very HIGNFY (which I gave up on about forty five years ago!).
I'm torn. I love the show, saw the tour twice but . . . I know it survived after Willie died but Humph? Well that's a different thing.
I've got the book Lyttleton's Britain and when I read it I can hear Humph saying the words !
Irreplaceable.
Yes, he is irreplaceable. But I want to hear from Barry Cryer, Tim Brooke-Taylor, Graeme Garden and even the pianist again. It's a strong format and it can survive. Let's not be too "precious". Humph certainly wasn't.
I've managed to get tickets for the Newcastle show - at the back of the Grand Circle. It took us about 25-30 minutes to book four seats, and even then they are not together.
I can't wait for this 
It's a worry how a new host will pick it up... Humph had a certain dismissive authority because he had been there from the start, knew all the panelists so well and because he was *so* old. I expect (hope) the new chaps will find ways of being rude about the panel in other ways. I just hope it doesn't mean we lose Rob Brydon as a player on future shows - he's excellent.
As for a selection of hosts, I'm nervous about that. Part of the charm of the old set up was that most of the time it was Humph against both teams; treating them all with equal disdain and them mocking him in return. If there's no continuity with the person in the chair I think they might lose some important ingredient.
The obvious parallel is HIGNFY, but I don't mind that because they have 2 new team members each week too - the set up is satirical so each episode can have a different direction anyway. Plus, the chair is always someone in the public eye so they usually provide fodder for the show. On ISIHAC it's a different tone.
Time will tell I suppose.... *fingers crossed*
Edited by Aaron.
I'm of the opinion that it shouldn't continue without Humph - but if they're going to try, I'll be listening and hoping that it can be as good again.
I think Brydon will be an excellent host, as he has a similar "innocent" persona to the one that allowed Humph to read out such total smut and get away with it. Dee might be alright, but Fry doesn't strike me as someone who should be there at all.
God knows who will officiate those arguments over the rules of Mornington Crescent now though 
I'm going to tonight's Newcastle recording, with host Rob Brydon and guest panellist Phill Jupitus. Should be good.
Judging by an email I got from them, they will probably select a new permanent host, just not right away. I guess a new permanent host either works or doesn't and can be quite jarring to some people (like Marr -> Amstell on Buzzcocks).
I suppose a series or two with guest hosts will soften the transition between Humph and someone else and I'd be amazed if the new permanent host wasn't someone who is already a regular guest and already feels part of the show.
It was a good recording last night. All the usual rounds were there: One Song to the Tune of Another, Sound Charades (with a brilliant Lionel Blair gag), Uxbridge English Dictionary and a special Geordie edition of Mornington Crescent based on the Newcastle Metro.
Brydon did quite a good job as a host, but I still miss Humph.
The new series starts tonight!
Also, the show was reported on BBC Breakfast news. Here is that report
Hmmmm... didn't really work for me. Fry was cheerful and often amused by the teams. I wanted him to be dismissive and rude, and a bit more aloof. I know he definitley is not Humph and he cannot be Humph, but the chairman has to have the aloof, detached quality that Humph had. That was one of the ingredients for me; that the chairman was so dismissive of the contestants.
It didn't help that some of the gags were quite old and been on before either.
Victoria Wood was fine though, should hopefully come back for more. But I am looking forward to Jack Dee as the chairman, I think he'll have some of the cynicism that Humph had.
