The 99p Challenge
Encyclopedia
The 99p Challenge is a spoof panel game
originally broadcast on BBC Radio 4
. The show is presented by Sue Perkins
and features a selection of regular panelists such as Armando Iannucci
and regular writers Kevin Cecil
, Andy Riley
, Jon Holmes
and Tony Roche. Panelists are given silly tasks by Perkins (in a manner not dissimilar to those given on I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue
by Humphrey Lyttelton
) and are awarded pence for being funny. The player with the most money at the end of the show is given the chance to win 99p
. It has been shown in some episodes that the gamble is compulsory, even if the winner has amassed a fortune of more than 99p in the game.
This is the second version of the panel game that was previously transmitted by BBC Radio 4 in 1998 as King Stupid. It was then hosted by William Vandyck
and featured much the same line-up of comedians and satirists. The contestants were awarded points instead of pence.
Series of the show continue to be repeated on BBC 7
.
's opera Prince Igor
. The show ends with Nena
's "99 Luftballons
". After the panellists are introduced, a brief snippet of O Fortuna
is played.
Panel game
A panel game or panel show is a radio or television game show in which a panel of celebrities participates. Panelists may compete with each other, such as on The News Quiz; facilitate play by guest contestants, such as on Match Game/Blankety Blank; or do both, such as on Wait Wait.....
originally broadcast on BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...
. The show is presented by Sue Perkins
Sue Perkins
Sue Perkins is an English comedienne, broadcaster, actress, and writer.-Education:Perkins was educated at Croham Hurst School, an independent school for girls in Croydon in South London, at the same time as the BBC Breakfast News presenter Susanna Reid...
and features a selection of regular panelists such as Armando Iannucci
Armando Iannucci
Armando Giovanni Iannucci is a Scottish comedian, satirist, writer, director, performer and radio producer. Born in Glasgow, he studied at Oxford University and left graduate work on a PhD about John Milton to pursue a career in comedy....
and regular writers Kevin Cecil
Kevin Cecil
Kevin Robert Cecil is a British screenwriter.Writing alongside Andy Riley , he has won two BAFTA awards, the first for writing the Comic Relief one-off special, Robbie the Reindeer, in 2000, and the second for Black Books in 2005...
, Andy Riley
Andy Riley
Andy Riley is a British author, cartoonist, comics scriptwriter, and television screenwriter.Riley has written several best-selling cartoon books, The Book of Bunny Suicides , Return of the Bunny Suicides, The Bumper Book of Bunny Suicides, Dawn of the Bunny Suicides, Great Lies To Tell Small...
, Jon Holmes
Jon Holmes
Jon Holmes is a seven time Sony award-winning and double Bafta winning British writer, comedian and broadcaster.-Early life:...
and Tony Roche. Panelists are given silly tasks by Perkins (in a manner not dissimilar to those given on I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue
I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue
I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue, sometimes abbreviated to ISIHAC or Clue, is a BBC radio comedy panel game broadcast since 11 April 1972 at the rate of one or two series each year , transmitted on BBC Radio 4, with occasional repeats on BBC Radio 4 Extra and the BBC's World Service...
by Humphrey Lyttelton
Humphrey Lyttelton
Humphrey Richard Adeane Lyttelton , also known as Humph, was an English jazz musician and broadcaster, and chairman of the BBC radio comedy programme I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue...
) and are awarded pence for being funny. The player with the most money at the end of the show is given the chance to win 99p
Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
. It has been shown in some episodes that the gamble is compulsory, even if the winner has amassed a fortune of more than 99p in the game.
This is the second version of the panel game that was previously transmitted by BBC Radio 4 in 1998 as King Stupid. It was then hosted by William Vandyck
William Vandyck
-Acting:William Vandyk was part of the BBC Radio 4 series And Now In Colour, which also starred Tim Firth and Michael Rutger. He was also the host of the BBC Radio 4 comedy panel series King Stupid, which later became The 99p Challenge, presented by Sue Perkins...
and featured much the same line-up of comedians and satirists. The contestants were awarded points instead of pence.
Transmission Dates & Cast List
| Episode | Air Date | Guests |
|---|---|---|
| 1st Series 1998 King Stupid | ||
| 1. 1-1 | 1998-09-22 | Peter Baynham Peter Baynham Peter Baynham is a screenwriter and a British comedian, writer, and performer. He often collaborates with Armando Iannucci and Chris Morris and has worked with Stewart Lee and Richard Herring. He is first heard on Morris' early radio DJ slots, often going out to places... , Simon Pegg Simon Pegg Simon Pegg is an English actor, comedian, writer, film producer, and director. He is best known for having co-written and stared in various Edgar Wright features, mainly Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, and the comedy series Spaced.He also portrayed Montgomery "Scotty" Scott in the 2009 Star Trek film... , Sue Perkins Sue Perkins Sue Perkins is an English comedienne, broadcaster, actress, and writer.-Education:Perkins was educated at Croham Hurst School, an independent school for girls in Croydon in South London, at the same time as the BBC Breakfast News presenter Susanna Reid... , Dave Green Dave Green (journalist) Dave Green is a journalist, broadcaster and snack food expert. He was Production Editor on Amiga Power magazine and Reviews Editor for the brief UK edition of Wired magazine. Together with Danny O'Brien, he is jointly responsible for publishing the email newsletter Need To Know... |
| 2. 1-2 | 1998-09-29 | Peter Baynham, Simon Pegg, Sue Perkins, Dave Green |
| 3. 1-3 | 1998-10-06 | Peter Baynham, Morwenna Banks Morwenna Banks Morwenna Banks is a British comedy actress, writer and producer.Banks is perhaps best known in the UK as a cast member of the British Channel 4 comedy series Absolutely, where her best-known character was a schoolgirl who sat on the edge of a desk.She appeared as the Keeper of the Rules in the... , Tom Binns Tom Binns Tom Binns is a British writer, actor, stand-up comic, television presenter and radio presenter.-Career:Binns was nominated at the Edinburgh Festival for the Edinburgh Comedy Award 2007 - as the hospital radio DJ Ivan Brackenbury.... , Dave Green |
| 4. 1-4 | 1998-10-13 | Peter Baynham, Simon Pegg, Sue Perkins, Dave Green |
| 5. 1-5 | 1998-10-20 | Peter Baynham, Morwenna Banks, Dave Green, Tom Binns |
| 6. 1-6 | 1998-10-27 | Peter Baynham, Sue Perkins, Simon Pegg, Dave Green |
| 2nd Series 2000 The 99p Challenge | ||
| 7. 2-1 | 2000-06-22 | Simon Pegg, Peter Baynham, Armando Iannucci Armando Iannucci Armando Giovanni Iannucci is a Scottish comedian, satirist, writer, director, performer and radio producer. Born in Glasgow, he studied at Oxford University and left graduate work on a PhD about John Milton to pursue a career in comedy.... , Jack Docherty Jack Docherty Jack Docherty is a Scottish writer, actor, presenter and producer.-Early career:He first performed at the 1980 Edinburgh Festival Fringe with the comedy sketch group The Bodgers which he formed with George Watson's College schoolfriends Moray Hunter, Gordon Kennedy and Pete Baikie. They performed... |
| 8. 2-2 | 2000-06-29 | Simon Pegg, Peter Baynham, Richard Herring Richard Herring Richard Keith Herring is a British comedian and writer, whose early work includes his involvement in the double-act, Lee and Herring... , David Quantick David Quantick David Quantick is a freelance journalist, writer and critic who specialises in music and comedy.-Career history:... |
| 9. 2-3 | 2000-07-06 | Simon Pegg, Peter Baynham, Tom Binns, David Schneider David Schneider (actor) David Schneider is an English actor and comedian.Schneider studied modern languages at the University of Oxford, and studied for a DPhil in Yiddish Drama. During his time at university, Schneider performed a predominantly physical comedy act that contrasted with the trend towards stand-up comedy... |
| 10. 2-4 | 2000-07-13 | Simon Pegg, Peter Baynham, Richard Herring, Mel Giedroyc Mel Giedroyc Mel Giedroyc is an English television presenter, actress, and writer.-Mel and Sue:Giedroyc is best known for presenting comedy items alongside Sue Perkins. The two women met whilst students at Cambridge and both were members of the famous Footlights comedy club.As Mel and Sue, the duo were... |
| 11. 2-5 | 2000-07-20 | Simon Pegg, Peter Baynham, Tom Binns, David Schneider |
| 12. 2-6 | 2000-07-27 | Simon Pegg, Peter Baynham, Armando Iannucci, Jack Docherty |
| 3rd Series 2001 | ||
| 13. 3-1 | 2001-07-19 | Armando Iannucci, Simon Pegg, Bill Bailey Bill Bailey Bill Bailey is an English comedian, musician and actor. As well as his extensive stand-up work, Bailey is well known for his appearances on Black Books, Never Mind the Buzzcocks, Have I Got News for You, and QI.Bailey was listed by The Observer as one of the 50 funniest acts in British comedy in... , Peter Serafinowicz Peter Serafinowicz Peter Szymon Serafinowicz is an English actor, comedian, writer, composer, voice artist and occasional director.-Early life:Serafinowicz was born in Liverpool, England. He attended Our Lady of the Assumption Roman Catholic Primary School and St Francis Xavier Secondary School... |
| 14. 3-2 | 2001-07-26 | Armando Iannucci, Simon Pegg, Peter Baynham, David Quantick |
| 15. 3-3 | 2001-08-02 | Armando Iannucci, Simon Pegg, Nick Frost Nick Frost Nicholas John "Nick" Frost is an English actor, comedian and screenwriter. He is best known for his work with Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg in the role of Mike Watt in the television comedy Spaced, as well as the film characters Ed in Shaun of the Dead, PC/Sgt... , Ben Moor |
| 16. 3-4 | 2001-08-09 | Peter Serafinowicz, Tom Binns, Nick Frost, Marcus Brigstocke Marcus Brigstocke Marcus Alexander Brigstocke is an English comedian, actor and satirist who has worked extensively in stand-up comedy, television, radio and in 2010-2011 musical theatre. He is particularly associated with the 6.30pm comedy slot on BBC Radio 4, having frequently appeared on several of its shows... |
| 17. 3-5 | 2001-08-16 | Armando Iannucci, Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Peter Baynham |
| 18. 3-6 | 2001-08-23 | Peter Serafinowicz, Tom Binns, Nick Frost, Ben Moor |
| 4th Series 2003 | ||
| 19. 4-1 | 2003-02-04 | Armando Iannucci, Simon Pegg, David Quantick, Bill Bailey |
| 20. 4-2 | 2003-02-11 | Armando Iannucci, Simon Pegg, Peter Serafinowicz, Marcus Brigstocke |
| 21. 4-3 | 2003-02-18 | Armando Iannucci, Simon Pegg, Peter Serafinowicz, Jon Holmes Jon Holmes Jon Holmes is a seven time Sony award-winning and double Bafta winning British writer, comedian and broadcaster.-Early life:... |
| 22. 4-4 | 2003-02-25 | Armando Iannucci, Peter Baynham, Marcus Brigstocke, Nick Frost |
| 23. 4-5 | 2003-03-04 | Armando Iannucci, Peter Baynham, Jack Docherty, Sean Lock Sean Lock Sean Lock is an English comedian and actor. He began his comedy career as a stand-up comedian. He won the British Comedy Award in 2000 in the category of Best Live Comic, and was nominated for the Perrier Comedy Award. He is also well known for his appearances on television and radio... |
| 24. 4-6 | 2003-03-11 | Armando Iannucci, Simon Pegg, Marcus Brigstocke, Jon Holmes |
| 5th Series 2004 | ||
| 25. 5-1 | 2004-08-25 | Armando Iannucci, Peter Baynham, Simon Pegg, Jon Holmes |
| 26. 5-2 | 2004-09-01 | Armando Iannucci, Peter Serafinowicz, Miranda Hart Miranda Hart Miranda Katharine Hart Dyke , known professionally as Miranda Hart, is an English actress, writer and stand-up comedienne. She writes and stars in the BBC sitcom Miranda... , Rob Rouse Rob Rouse Rob Rouse is an English comedian known for his hyperactive brand of humour.-Overview:Before becoming a comedian, Rouse was a geography teacher... |
| 27. 5-3 | 2004-09-08 | Armando Iannucci, Peter Baynham, Simon Pegg, Dan Antopolski Dan Antopolski For the rowing coach and commentator, see Daniel TopolskiDan Antopolski is a British stand-up comic, actor and writer, mostly known for his surreal stand-up.- Stand-up comedy :Shows at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe include:... |
| 28. 5-4 | 2004-09-15 | Armando Iannucci, Rob Rouse, Jon Holmes, Marcus Brigstocke |
| 29. 5-5 | 2004-09-22 | Armando Iannucci, Nick Frost, Marcus Brigstocke, Miranda Hart |
| 30. 5-6 | 2004-09-29 | Armando Iannucci, Nick Frost, Rob Rouse, Peter Serafinowicz |
Series of the show continue to be repeated on BBC 7
BBC 7
BBC Radio 4 Extra, formerly known as BBC 7 and BBC Radio 7, is a British digital radio station broadcasting comedy, drama, and children's programming nationally 24 hours a day. It is the principal broadcasting outlet for the BBC's archive of spoken-word entertainment...
.
Theme Tune
The show's theme is an excerpt from Alexander BorodinAlexander Borodin
Alexander Porfiryevich Borodin was a Russian Romantic composer and chemist of Georgian–Russian parentage. He was a member of the group of composers called The Five , who were dedicated to producing a specifically Russian kind of art music...
's opera Prince Igor
Prince Igor
Prince Igor is an opera in four acts with a prologue. It was composed by Alexander Borodin. The composer adapted the libretto from the East Slavic epic The Lay of Igor's Host, which recounts the campaign of Russian prince Igor Svyatoslavich against the invading Polovtsian tribes in 1185...
. The show ends with Nena
Nena
Gabriele Susanne Kerner , better known by her stage name Nena, is a German singer and actress. She rose to international fame in 1983 with the New German Wave song "99 Luftballons". In 1984, she re-recorded this song in English as "99 Red Balloons". Nena was also the name of the band with whom she...
's "99 Luftballons
99 Luftballons
"99 Luftballons" is a protest song by the German pop-rock band Nena from their 1983 self-titled album. Originally sung in German, it was later re-recorded in English as "99 Red Balloons" for their album 99 Luftballons in 1984...
". After the panellists are introduced, a brief snippet of O Fortuna
O Fortuna
"O Fortuna" is a medieval Latin Goliardic poem written early in the thirteenth century, part of the collection known as the Carmina Burana. It is a complaint about fate, and Fortuna, a goddess in Roman mythology and personification of luck....
is played.