# Give Us a Clue

Give Us a Clue is a British televised game show version of charades which was broadcast on ITV from 1979 to 1992. The original host was Michael Aspel from 1979 to 1984, followed by Michael Parkinson from 1984 to 1992. The show featured two teams, one captained by Lionel Blair and the other by Una Stubbs. Later editions of the programme had Liza Goddard as captain of the women's team. Norman Vaughan stood in for Blair for four episodes in the second series and Joyce Blair stood in for Stubbs for the 1981 Royal Wedding special.
Originally, each team consisted of the captain, two fellow celebrities and one non-celebrity, but the non-celebrity participants were soon dropped, another celebrity being added in their place. In the second episode of Series 2 (broadcast on 5 November 1979), the non-celebrity contestant, London fashion designer Leslie Dean, read the wrong side of the card handed to him and as a result started miming his own name rather than the specified film. In his autobiography, Lionel Blair stated that it was this incident that led to the dropping of non-celebrity participants.
A revived version was broadcast by BBC One in 1997 over 30 episodes, hosted by Tim Clark. Teams were captained by Christopher Blake and Julie Peasgood and the show introduced a lateral thinking puzzle (which the host could "give clues to"). Give Us a Clue returned for a special Comic Relief episode in March 2011 with Sara Cox, Christopher Biggins, Lionel Blair, Una Stubbs, Holly Walsh, Jenni Falconer and David Walliams.

## Format

The game is based on charades, a party game where players used mime rather than speaking to demonstrate a name, phrase, book, play, film or TV programme. Each player was given roughly two minutes to act out their given subject in front of his/her team, and if the others were unsuccessful in guessing correctly, the opposing team would have a chance to answer for a bonus point.

## Episode list

The coloured backgrounds denote the result of each of the shows:
    – indicates Una's team won
    – indicates Lionel's team won
    – indicates the game ended in a draw

### Series 1 (1979)

| Episode | First broadcast | Una's team | Lionel's team |
| 1x01 | 2 January 1979 (1979-01-02) | Liz Fraser Judy Geeson | Kenneth Williams David Wilkie |
| 1x02 | 9 January 1979 (1979-01-09) | Diana Dors Liza Goddard | Ed Stewart Colin Baker |
| 1x03 | 16 January 1979 (1979-01-16) | Miriam Karlin Wendy Richard | Norman Vaughan Nicholas Parsons |
| 1x04 | 23 January 1979 (1979-01-23) | Judy Carne Tessa Wyatt | Richard O'Sullivan Peter Jones |
| 1x05 | 30 January 1979 (1979-01-30) | Joyce Blair Karen Dotrice | Roy Dotrice Norman Rossington |
| 1x06 | 6 February 1979 (1979-02-06) | Libby Morris Suzanne Danielle | Don Maclean Tony Selby |
| 1x07 | 13 February 1979 (1979-02-13) | Barbara Windsor Jenny Hanley | Jimmy Young George Layton |
| 1x08 | 20 February 1979 (1979-02-20) | Gemma Craven Linda Thorson | Max Wall Brendan Price |
| 1x09 | 27 February 1979 (1979-02-27) | Nina Baden-Semper Françoise Pascal | Kenny Lynch Bernie Winters |
| 1x10 | 6 March 1979 (1979-03-06) | Janet Brown Lynsey de Paul | Peter Butterworth Derek Griffiths |
| 1x11 | 13 March 1979 (1979-03-13) | Aimi Macdonald Judith Chalmers | Alfie Bass Robin Askwith |
| 1x12 | 20 March 1979 (1979-03-20) | Julie Rogers Cheryl Hall | Dickie Davies Bill Oddie |
| 1x13 | 27 March 1979 (1979-03-27) | Amanda Barrie Maureen Lipman | Melvyn Hayes David Nixon |

### Series 2 (1979–80)

| Episode | First broadcast | Una's team | Lionel's team |
| 2x01 | 29 October 1979 (1979-10-29) | Julia McKenzie Lorraine Chase | Roy Kinnear George Layton |
| 2x02 | 5 November 1979 (1979-11-05) | Liza Goddard Jill Gascoine | Robin Nedwell George Sewell |
| 2x03 | 12 November 1979 (1979-11-12) | Lulu Katie Boyle | Bernie Winters Jim Davidson |
| 2x04 | 19 November 1979 (1979-11-19) | Barbara Windsor Anna Dawson | Alfred Marks Gareth Hunt |
| 2x05 | 26 November 1979 (1979-11-26) | Anthea Redfren Patrica Brake | Graeme Garden Barry Cryer |
| 2x06 | 3 December 1979 (1979-12-03) | Shirley Anne Field Prunella Gee | David Jason Bob Todd |
| 2x07 | 10 December 1979 (1979-12-10) | Yootha Joyce Elizabeth Estensen | Dave Lee Travis Richard O'Sullivan |
| 2x08 | 17 December 1979 (1979-12-17) | Faith Brown Suzanne Danielle | John Junkin Norman Rossington |
| 2x09 | 24 December 1979 (1979-12-24) | Paula Wilcox Clodagh Rodgers Beryl Reid Nyree Dawn Porter | Kenneth Williams Spike Milligan Russ Abbot Dickie Davies |
| 2x10 | 31 December 1979 (1979-12-31) | Libby Morris Fenella Fielding | Graham Dene Roy Hudd |
| 2x11 | 7 January 1980 (1980-01-07) | Liz Fraser Juliet Hammond-Hill | Warren Mitchell Kenny Everett |
| 2x12 | 14 January 1980 (1980-01-14) | Angela Richards Linda Bellingham | Nicky Henson Derek Waring |
| 2x13 | 21 January 1980 (1980-01-21) | Judy Geeson Linda Haydn | Jimmy Jewel Norman Eshley |
| 2x14 | 28 January 1980 (1980-01-28) | June Whitfield Georgina Hale | Daniel Abineri Dick Emery |
| 2x15 | 4 February 1980 (1980-02-04) | Dinah Sheridan Stacy Dorning | Christopher Beeny Patrick Cargill |
| 2x16 | 11 February 1980 (1980-02-11) | Sheila Steafel Barbara Murray | Lance Percival Pete Murray |

### Series 3 (1980)

| Episode | First broadcast | Una's team | Lionel's team |
| 3x01 | 25 August 1980 (1980-08-25) | Nerys Hughes Yootha Joyce Moira Lister | John Conteh Wayne Sleep Bernie Winters |
| 3x02 | 1 September 1980 (1980-09-01) | Maureen Lipman Susan Stranks Barbara Windsor | Windsor Davies Melvyn Hayes Mick McManus |
| 3x03 | 8 September 1980 (1980-09-08) | Jan Hunt Annie Ross Josephine Tewson | Jimmy Logan Kenny Lynch Pete Murray |
| 3x04 | 15 September 1980 (1980-09-15) | Barbara Kelly Beryl Reid Madeline Smith | Bernard Braden Roy Kinnear Andrew Sachs |
| 3x05 | 22 September 1980 (1980-09-22) | Floella Benjamin Shirley Anne Field Dilys Watling | Peter Blake Francis Matthews Tony Selby |
| 3x06 | 29 September 1980 (1980-09-29) | Maria Charles Liz Fraser Cyd Hayman | Christopher Biggins Kenny Everett Shaw Taylor |
| 3x07 | 6 October 1980 (1980-10-06) | Lynda Baron Sally James Jenny Lee-Wright | Dickie Davies Alvin Stardust Jack Douglas |
| 3x08 | 13 October 1980 (1980-10-13) | Jenny Hanley Nyree Dawn Porter Janet Street-Porter | Barry Cryer Gareth Hunt Bernie Winters |
| 3x09 | 20 October 1980 (1980-10-20) | Anita Harris Libby Morris Hilary Pritchard | Arthur English Don Maclean Nicholas Parsons |
| 3x10 | 27 October 1980 (1980-10-27) | Joyce Blair Irene Handl Karen Kay | Jimmy Jewel Bobby Moore Robin Nedwell |
| 3x11 | 3 November 1980 (1980-11-03) | Diana Coupland Cheryl Kennedy Sheila Steafel | Rodney Bewes Norman Rossington Simon Williams |
| 3x12 | 10 November 1980 (1980-11-10) | Paddie O'Neil Liza Goddard Ann Sidney | Roy Kinnear Alfred Marks Victor Spinetti |
| 3x13 | 17 November 1980 (1980-11-17) | Rachael Heyhoe Flint Julia McKenzie Sheila White | Ray Alan Billy Dainty David Hamilton |
| 3x14 | 24 November 1980 (1980-11-24) | Gabrielle Drake Jean Rook Barbara Windsor | Derek Fowlds Harry Fowler Bernie Winters |
| 3x15 | 1 December 1980 (1980-12-01) | Yootha Joyce Amanda Barrie Muriel Odunton | Tim Barrett Robert Lindsay Victor Spinetti |
| 3x16 | 8 December 1980 (1980-12-08) | Sandra Dickinson Jill Gascoine June Whitfield | Jim Davidson Derek Griffiths George Sewell |
| 3x17 | 15 December 1980 (1980-12-15) | Patricia Brake Anna Dawson Miriam Karlin | Ian Lavender Geoff Love Wayne Sleep |
| 3x18 | 24 December 1980 (1980-12-24) | Barbara Windsor Mollie Sugden Julia Mackenzie | Jim Davidson Kenny Everett Alfred Marks |
| 3x19 | 29 December 1980 (1980-12-29) | Janet Brown Katie Boyle Suzanne Danielle | Christopher Biggins Bryan Marshall Hugh Paddick |

### Royal Wedding Special (1981)

| Episode | First broadcast | Joyce's team | Lionel's team | Scores |
| Sp. | 29 July 1981 (1981-07-29) | Anna Dawson Ruth Madoc Sandra Dickinson | Brian Murphy Derek Griffiths Roy Kinnear | |

### Series 4 (1981–82)

| Episode | First broadcast | Una's team | Lionel's team |
| 4x01 | 1 September 1981 (1981-09-01) | Michele Dotrice Lucinda Prior-Palmer Jill Gascoine | Rolf Harris Glenn Hoddle Edward Woodward |
| 4x02 | 8 September 1981 (1981-09-08) | Faith Brown Rula Lenska Claire Rayner | Roy Kinnear Robin Nedwell Duncan Goodhew |
| 4x03 | 15 September 1981 (1981-09-15) | Pam Ayres Gabrielle Drake Donna Hartley | Geoff Capes Paul Eddington Kenny Everett |
| 4x04 | 22 September 1981 (1981-09-22) | Sandra Dickinson Lesley Judd Beryl Reid | Peter Davison Geoffrey Hayes Jon Pertwee |
| 4x05 | 29 September 1981 (1981-09-29) | Anna Quayle Susan Penhaligon Sharron Davies | John Inman Alex Higgins Victor Spinetti |
| 4x06 | 6 October 1981 (1981-10-06) | Maureen Lipman Maria Charles Jenny Hanley | Kenneth Williams Griff Rhys-Jones Shaw Taylor |
| 4x07 | 13 October 1981 (1981-10-13) | Lynsey de Paul Molly Parkin Anna Dawson | Andrews Sachs Christopher Biggins John L. Gardner |
| 4x08 | 3 November 1981 (1981-11-03) | Jackie Collins Angela Rippon Jenny Lee-Wright | Henry Cooper Windsor Davies Bernie Winters |
| 4x09 | 10 November 1981 (1981-11-10) | Sally James Annie Ross Madeleine Smith | Denis King Ian Lavender Henry McGee |
| 4x10 | 17 November 1981 (1981-11-17) | Jenny Lee-Wright Suzi Quatro June Whitfield | Nigel Davenport David Jacobs Tom O'Connor |
| 4x11 | 24 November 1981 (1981-11-24) | Cheryl Kennedy Madge Hindle Victoria Burgoyne | Rodney Bewes Barry Mason Brian Marshall |
| 4x12 | 1 December 1981 (1981-12-01) | Susan Anton Beryl Reid Debbie Linden | Dudley Moore Jimmy Jewel Simon Williams |
| 4x13 | 24 December 1981 (1981-12-24) | Pat Coombs Stacy Dorning Joanna Van Gyseghem | Terry Scott Joe Brown Nicholas Lyndhurst |
| 4x14 | 31 December 1981 (1981-12-31) | Mollie Sugden Patricia Brake Nanette Newman | Kenneth Williams Gareth Hunt Lonnie Donegan |
| 4x15 | 5 January 1982 (1982-01-05) | Katie Boyle Angela Douglas Lyn Paul | Dudley Moore Harry H. Corbett Brian Cant |
| 4x16 | 6 April 1982 (1982-04-06) | Suzanne Danielle Bonnie Langford Julia McKenzie | Roy Kinnear Pete Murray Shaw Taylor |
| 4x17 | 13 April 1982 (1982-04-13) | Liz Fraser Victoria Wood Denise Nolan | Richard O'Sullivan Wayne Sleep Lance Percival |
| 4x18 | 20 April 1982 (1982-04-20) | Judith Chalmers Leslie Ash Nerys Hughes | Nicky Henson Kenny Ball Justin Fashanu |

### Series 5 (1982)

| Episode | First broadcast | Una's team | Lionel's team |
| 5x01 | 4 May 1982 (1982-05-04) | Honor Blackman Lorraine Chase Angela Douglas | Michael Barrymore Danny la Rue George Sewell |
| 5x02 | 11 May 1982 (1982-05-11) | Maureen Lipman Anna Dawson Debbie Arnold | Kenneth Williams Bernard Bresslaw Mike Berry |
| 5x03 | 18 May 1982 (1982-05-18) | Sylvia Syms Joanne Whalley Barbara Windsor | Christopher Biggins Martin Jarvis Spike Milligan |
| 5x04 | 7 September 1982 (1982-09-07) | Julia McKenzie Patricia Hayes Suzanne Dando | Edward Woodward Mike Reid Robin Cousins |
| 5x05 | 14 September 1982 (1982-09-14) | Sheila White Jenny Linden Su Pollard | Nigel Davenport Lennie Bennett Ray Alan |
| 5x06 | 21 September 1982 (1982-09-21) | Ruth Madoc Isla Blair Avril Angers | Rolf Harris Christopher Timothy Vince Hill |
| 5x07 | 28 September 1982 (1982-09-28) | Gemma Craven Susan Hanson Bonnie Langford | Kenneth Williams Frazer Hines Norman Collier |
| 5x08 | 5 October 1982 (1982-10-05) | Lorraine Chase Claire Rayner Annie Ross | Marty Feldman Martin Jarvis Felix Bowness |
| 5x09 | 12 October 1982 (1982-10-12) | Carol White Dana Joyce Blair | Geoffrey Bayldon Roy Castle Glyn Houston |
| 5x10 | 19 October 1982 (1982-10-19) | Shirley Anne Field Sue Lloyd Libby Morris | Bernie Winters Jeffrey Holland Simon Cadell |
| 5x11 | 26 October 1982 (1982-10-26) | Patricia Brake Lorna Dallas Anna Quayle | Jon Pertwee Christopher Timothy David Janson |
| 5x12 | 2 November 1982 (1982-11-02) | The Beverley Sisters | The Bachelors |
| 5x13 | 9 November 1982 (1982-11-09) | Anna Dawson Suzanne Danielle Jenny Lee-Wright | Derek Griffiths Roy Kinnear Freddie Starr |
| 5x14 | 16 November 1982 (1982-11-16) | Angela Douglas Barbara Murray Tracey Ullman | David Jacobs John Inman Brian Jacks |
| 5x15 | 23 November 1982 (1982-11-23) | Susan Penhaligon Sabina Franklyn Julia McKenzie | Barry Cryer William Franklyn Duggie Brown |
| 5x16 | 30 November 1982 (1982-11-30) | Leslie Ash Lucinda Green Dilys Watling | Rolf Harris Tom O'Connor Shaw Taylor |
| 5x17 | 21 December 1982 (1982-12-21) | Carol Drinkwater Hazel O'Connor Victoria Wood | Leslie Crowther Michael Barrymore The Great Soprendo |
| 5x18 | 26 December 1982 (1982-12-26) | Susannah York Elaine Paige Suzanne Dando | Freddie Starr Patrick Mower Christopher Biggins |

### Series 6 (1983–84)

| Episode | First broadcast | Una's team | Lionel's team |
| 6x01 | 6 September 1983 (1983-09-06) | Cheryl Baker Anna Quayle Gillian Raine | Leonard Rossiter Terry Scott David Jensen |
| 6x02 | 13 September 1983 (1983-09-13) | Dawn Addams Anneka Rice Paula Wilcox | Ian Ogilvy Richard Murdoch Roy Kinnear |
| 6x03 | 20 September 1983 (1983-09-20) | Leslie Ash Honor Blackman Angela Rippon | Wayne Sleep Hank Marvin Jeffrey Holland |
| 6x04 | 27 September 1983 (1983-09-27) | Joyce Blair Madeline Smith Anne Diamond | Graeme Garden Jim Davidson Bill Beaumont |
| 6x05 | 4 October 1983 (1983-10-04) | Prunella Gee Judy Geeson Gloria Hunniford | Christopher Timothy Don Maclean Hubert Gregg |
| 6x06 | 18 October 1983 (1983-10-18) | Lynda Baron Ruth Madoc Deborah Watling | Kenneth Williams Mark Wynter Derek Waring |
| 6x07 | 25 October 1983 (1983-10-25) | Anna Dawson Stephanie Lawrence Gayle Hunnicutt | Bernie Winters Freddie Trueman Joe Brown |
| 6x08 | 1 November 1983 (1983-11-01) | Julia McKenzie Maureen Lipman Stephanie Beacham | Michael Bentine Barry Cryer David Kernan |
| 6x09 | 8 November 1983 (1983-11-08) | Rosalind Ayres Isla St Clair Paula Yates | Martin Jarvis Billy Dainty Tommy Boyd |
| 6x10 | 15 November 1983 (1983-11-15) | Su Pollard Julie Walters Tessa Wyatt | Richard O'Sullivan Alan Minter Stubby Kaye |
| 6x11 | 29 November 1983 (1983-11-29) | Pam Ayres Jenny Lee-Wright Carol Drinkwater | Lance Percival Charlie Drake William Franklyn |
| 6x12 | 6 December 1983 (1983-12-06) | Bonnie Langford Sonia Lannaman June Whitfield | Mike Read Brian Murphy Malcolm Macdonald |
| 6x13 | 13 December 1983 (1983-12-13) | Debbie Arnold Suzi Quatro Annie Ross | Derek Griffiths Michael Craig Jess Conrad |
| 6x14 | 20 December 1983 (1983-12-20) | Angela Rippon Victoria Wood Sylvia Syms | Gerald Harper Stu Francis Leslie Crowther |
| 6x15 | 26 December 1983 (1983-12-26) | Jane Asher Tracey Ullman Jilly Cooper | Bob Geldof Russell Grant Tim Brooke-Taylor |
| 6x16 | 2 January 1984 (1984-01-02) | Elspet Gray Karen Kay Iris Williams | Brian Rix John Junkin Christopher Biggins |
| 6x17 | 13 March 1984 (1984-03-13) | Joyce Blair Patricia Hayes Judy Loe | Frank Carson Windsor Davies Richard Stilgoe |
| 6x18 | 27 March 1984 (1984-03-27) | Katie Boyle Michele Dotrice Diane Solomon | Vidal Sassoon William Rushton Aiden J. Harvey |
| 6x19 | 10 April 1984 (1984-04-10) | Janet Brown Sheila Ferguson Fiona Fullerton | Peter Gordeno Gareth Hunt Freddie Starr |
| 6x20 | 17 April 1984 (1984-04-17) | Faith Brown Angela Douglas Aimi Macdonald | Henry McGee Acker Bilk Lennie Bennett |

## Transmissions

| Series | Start date | End date | Episodes |
| 1 | 2 January 1979 | 27 March 1979 | 13 |
| 2 | 29 October 1979 | 11 February 1980 | 16 |
| 3 | 25 August 1980 | 29 December 1980 | 19 |
| Special | 29 July 1981 | 29 July 1981 | 1 |
| 4 | 1 September 1981 | 20 April 1982 | 18 |
| 5 | 4 May 1982 | 26 December 1982 | 18 |
| 6 | 6 September 1983 | 17 April 1984 | 20 |
| 7 | 4 September 1984 | 1 January 1985 | 16 |
| 8 | 28 May 1985 | 2 July 1985 | 6 |
| 9 | 12 September 1985 | 26 December 1985 | 15 |
| 10 | 3 July 1986 | 21 August 1986 | 8 |
| 11 | 4 January 1988 | 18 March 1988 | 55 |
| 12 | 1 November 1988 | 2 December 1988 | 20 |
| 13 | 14 February 1989 | 10 March 1989 | 16 |
| 14 | 5 December 1989 | 19 January 1990 | 16 |
| 15 | 15 January 1991 | 8 March 1991 | 32 |
| 16 | 3 September 1991 | 4 May 1992 | 33 |
| 17 | 10 November 1997 | 19 December 1997 | 30 |

## DVD release

The first six series of Give Us a Clue have been released on DVD by Network, but only 98 out of the first 105 episodes were included. The seven episodes that are not in the collection had appearances of three celebrities with sexual abuse offences that were investigated in Operation Yewtree.
| DVD title | Discs | Year | Episodes | Release date |
| Give Us a Clue | 13 | 1979–1984 | 98 | 28 November 2022 |

## International versions

| Country | Local name | Host | Team captains | Network | Year aired |
| Netherlands | Hints | Frank Kramer (1983–97) Anita Witzier (1997–2003) Sofie van den Enk (2010–11) | - | KRO | 1983–2003 2010–11 |
| New Zealand | Give Us a Clue | Les Thompson (1980s) Brian Edwards (1993) Marcus Lush (1999) Paula Bennett (2021–22) | Peter Rowley, Jenny Maxwell (1980s) Gary McCormick, Belinda Todd (1993) Gary McCormick, Alison Wall (1999) Hilary Barry, Tom Sainsbury (2021–22) | TVNZ (1980s) TV3 (1993) TVNZ (1999; 2021–22) | 1980s 1993 1999 August 11, 2021 – August 17, 2022 |
| Spain | Dame una pista | Luján Argüelles | - | Cuatro | July 13, 2010 – January 7, 2011 |
| Sweden | Gäster med gester | Lennart Swahn (1982–99) Rickard Olsson (2011–12) | - | SVT | September 8, 1982 – January 5, 1999 2011–12 |