h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I think you'll find that was a rigged photo, WD.

http://www.snopes.com/radiotv/tv/countdwn.htm

B

Ahhh

My favourite boob was the newsreader calmly reading the news sat on the edge of a desk. In the background on the table behind him a phone starts to ring. Realising the newscaster can't answer as he's on air an over enthusiastic technician runs into frame to answer the phone as quickly as possible. In his haste however instead of lifting the receiver to his ear he smashes himself squarely in the forehead with it and drops to the floor out of shot. The newsreader never bats an eyelid. Class.

I also like "Colemanballs" (sports commentators cockups like the snooker one that started this thread)

My fave: Ron Atkinson - Well I think either team could win or it could be a draw.

Thanks Scowly....
That was the one of was trying to remember..I thought it was "The batmans holding the bowlers balls"..I knew someone would remember that cricket one correctly....

Some really good ones there that I had not heard before or had forgotten about....

Emmily

Mine's probably the incomparable Jimmy Hill, way back when he presented Match Of The Day.

He was just signing off on the programme and as a friendly bit of advice to his viewers, he thought that it would be nice to say "don't forget to put your clocks back" so that they kept up with the daylight saving time.

Unfortunately, however, he missed out the letter 'l' from 'clocks'...

There's a good one by Robbie Williams on the back of the current Colemanballs book:
"Well, we wrote this song but it didn't have any words or melody".
Er, so this would be a blank piece of paper then?

I've never heard anyone else mention this one anywhere - I surely can't have been the only one to have heard it?

Brian Perkins, preternaturally calm sounding Radio Four newsreader and definitely "the daddy"...

For or five years ago - calmly reading out an item about some deaths being attributed to the infamous Falun Gong cult (spelling?) in China.

Except, given the unfamiliar words and rather unfortunate nearby consonants... he didn't say "cult".

And there was the *tiniest* pause as of a newsreader realising in absolute horror that he's just said the worst possible word on nation radio on the BBC at six o'clock... and then he just said "cult" and carried on like a complete pro as if nothing happened.

What a

H.

- ye gods I'd pay money to hear that...

Not as good but in a similar vein did you hear the one Chris Moyles played on his radio show of a 5 Live presenter literally falling asleep on air? He was reading some sports results on the graveyard shift. His voice just drops to a mumble and he falls asleep - right on air.

Apparently, someone on Question Time referred to a certain Labour cabinet (or is it ex-cabinet now?) minister as "Robin Cock".

File under "wish I'd seen it".

The programme, or the cock?

B

If anyone remembers Hughie Green (who's probably dead by now) and "Take your Pick" like say around 1967 or so, he asked a question with very high stakes and with a very serious face and a very hushed audience listening on, asked the question "what is the okkident?"

It even makes me cringe to this day. He must have been over 60 at the time, or at least it seemed like that to me then, but you'd think someone would have told him.

Reminds me of one from Bullseye. Jim Bowen read the question: "In which US state was JF Kennedy shot in Texas?"

Oh, I love TV bloops - a healthy reminder that the people on the box is human

I've just watched a documentary about Niels Henrik Abel, and the narrator tripped in his words and said something to the effect of "...he enjoyed the company of girls of the opposite sex."

Actually, that "Countdown" one was nearly true. One time, a contestant came up with the 7-letter word "w*nkers, which Richard Whitely had to blushingly repeat. When Richard hurriedly turned to the other contestant, that chap also had 7: "A pair of w*nkers", as he delightfully described it.

I've seen the tape of that but I highly doubt it was ever shown in the programme. I wonder what they do in situations like that? I guess that, to be fair, they would have to film a fake round, where both contestants got 7 with nice, broadcastable words.

That's exactly what they did do.

B