Is There Anything In It?

## Bio

**Is There Anything In It?** is a British television documentary hosted by Henry McGee that investigates paranormal activity. In this episode, he examines mind-reading and clairvoyance joined by Fred Scuttle asking to be called "Mahatma Scuttle." Scuttle starts by reading McGee's mind, but it's obvious he's just reading from his list of questions. When asked to read the audience's minds, Scuttle says he can, but he won't since it's a family show.

Scuttle produces an old white gypsy he calls Prince McPotty (Jackie Wright) and says can read minds. After describing his culture and skills, Scuttle has him sit and puts him into a trance. He predicts Hugh Scanlon as the Conservative candidate in 1980, Mary Whitehouse will become a stripper (but no one will yell "Take it off.") and the next Three-Minute Mile will be won by a man who spills hot coffee in his lap. He also predicts a pop star will move to Chelsea to avoid acne and the prognosis of a doctor analyzing a boy who swallows a bullet.

When McPotty announces that McGee's father will be moving to Australia, Henry rebukes the claim by revealing his father died ten years prior. McPotty then reveals the man his mother married died ten years before, but his father is *still* moving to Australia.

The series returns on April 21, 1976 hosted by Paul Eddington and delving in palmistry and phrenology, featuring the abilities of palmist Emily Grimley (Benny Hill), who believes her abilities can be used to determine romance. She mentions she became fascinated in the subject through her husband, who has a glass eye and a crystal ball. Paul mentions she can read heads as well, and she adds feet as well. As proof of her ability, Emily boasts on a thirty-seven-year old unmarried girl wanting to know when she would be children, adding it happened four days later and resulted in twins. She also tells the story of a man who wanted to know how long he had to live. Revealing he would live to be eighty, she learned he was already eighty.

Eddington announces he's going to test her ability by bring in an ordinary man (Jackie Wright) in off the street for her to analyze. Off the start, she thinks he might be a typist, decides he must be dead by his life line and after touching his head, she decides the participant is a lady. After being blindfolded, she tries to read a melon in a plate of fruit, and after being directed to the man, she thinks he's really a melon (or a coconut since it has hair). She declares he must be forty-two years old, six feet tall and has led a life of drink and debauchery. At this point, the old-timer stands up and busts all of her claims even as she finds loopholes in her discoveries. When he calls her a fraud and announces he has no bumps on his head, she decides to give him a few.

## Trivia

* This sketch was likely based on the 1970s Arthur C. Clarke documentaries on Bigfoot, UFOs and the Bermuda Triangle among other subjects.
* Jackie can be seen visibly laughing under breath in the clairvoyant bit.
* Hugh Scanlon was the British trade union leader from 1968 to 1979.
* Mary Whitehouse was an English social activist in London during the Seventies.
* Palmistry is the art of reading lines in the palm. Phrenology is the study of the shape and size of the cranium as a supposed indication of character and mental abilities.
* Susie Baker escorts Jackie out to his chair.

## Episode(s)

* Jack and Jill
* Sale of the Half Century

## Gallery

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