The Monday Movie Quiz

In my previous post I presented some recordings of Ray Moore during his Radio 2 early show years. But there’s another programme that Ray was associated with for just over a decade and that’s The Monday Movie Quiz. Radio 2’s movie quiz provided the opportunity for listeners to answer about five mostly multi-part questions, usually posed with accompanying film music, songs or dialogue, and to send off their postcards in the hope of winning a cash prize, usually about a tenner. This at least kept up the listening figures across the series as you always had to wait a week for the answers. How this was dealt with for the last programme in the series I can’t now remember; I can only assume a continuity announcer read them out the following Monday night.

The programme was the idea of producer Martin Fisher, who would also research and set the questions for the first nine series, after which he was promoted to Head of Light Entertainment, Radio. Following Ray’s forced retirement from the microphone in January 1988, Chris Serle took over the role of question master. By this time David Rider was tasked with writing the questions.  

In late 1990 the programme moved to a Saturday night at 5.30 pm coupled with Cinema 2 at 5.00 pm in a timeslot that had previously been the home for Sports Report until that, and all Radio 2’s sports coverage, had been shifted over to the new Radio 5. Of course the Monday bit of the title was dropped in the process. For the 1991 series Chris Stuart became the new host for the remainder of the run of The Movie Quiz.  

The final two series in 1993 and 1994 moved to Friday nights at 7 pm by which time contestants were also invited to take part over the phone in addition to just one write-in round. Upping the budget, any winners now pocketed £20.

Later in 1994 Radio 2 would also drop Cinema 2, with any movie news now covered by the Arts Programme. Film aficionados could still test their knowledge against that of a celebrity panel on Radio 4’s Screenplay, which had been running since 1987, but that too ended in December 1994.

I’ve posted these first two editions of The Monday Movie Quiz before but they’re now on YouTube. First, from series 8 is the third programme on 28 February 1983. The theme tune, in case you’re wondering is Showtime by Neal Hefti from the 1965 film Harlow.

At least you can hear the answers to that last edition as here’s the quiz as heard the following week on 7 March 1983. Incidentally the opening and closing announcements are by Len Jackson.

Forward three years for an edition from the eleventh series and a programme broadcast on 27 January 1986. The announcer is Robin Boyle.

The final edition of the 18^th series from 23 July 1993 is also on YouTube posted by Radio Recollections.

The Monday Movie Quiz series details

Series 1 to 12 presented by Ray Moore

Series 13 and 14 presented by Chris Serle

Series 1 to 9 were devised and produced by Martin Fisher. Series 10 to 14 written by David Rider and the producers were Mark Robson (s10 & s12), Harry Thompson (s11) and Lissa Evans (s13 & s14).

Series 1: 5 April to 28 June 1976 (13 programmes)

Series 2: 14 March to 30 May 1977 (12)

Series 3: 6 March to 22 May 1978 (12)

Series 4: 22 January to 9 April 1979 (12)

Series 5: 25 February to 12 May 1980 (12)

Series 6: 5 January to 4 May 1981 (18)

Series 7: 25 January to 31 May 1982 (except 3 May) (18)

Series 8: 14 February to 13 June 1983 (18)

Series 9: 23 January to 2 April 1984 (11)

Series 10: 13 May to 24 June 1985 (7)

Series 11: 20 January to 31 March 1986 (11)

Series 12: 1 June to 3 August 1987 (10)

Series 13: 25 April to 27 June 1988 (10)

Series 14: 15 May to 17 July 1989 (10)

The Movie Quiz series details

Series 15 to 17 on Saturday night. Series 18 and 19 on Friday night.

Series 15 presented by Chris Serle and the remainder by Chris Stuart.

Producers: Paul Schlesinger (15), Philip Clarke (16-17) and Barry Littlechild (18-19)

Series 15: 10 November 1990 to 19 January 1991 (except 29 December) (10)

Series 16: 29 June to 17 August 1991 (8)

The Christmas Movie Quiz: 21 December 1991

The New Year Movie Quiz: 28 December 1991

Series 17: 8 August to 26 September 1992 (8)

Series 18: 4 June to 23 July 1993 (8)

Series 19: 25 March to 13 May 1994 (8)