Sale of the Half-Century

## Bio

**Sale Of The Half Century** is a British TV game show that features three contestants answering general knowledge questions toward winning prizes and merchandise. It opens with an extreme close-up of a winning cup followed by montage of stock footage, prizes and a burly and clumsy female hostess (Benny Hill), who is missing a tooth. It's hosted by Nicholas Parson (Benny) joined by a bevy of beautiful display models (Claire Lutter, Libby Roberts, Jane Eve and Susie Baker in brunette wig).
On April 21, 1976, the guests are Theresa Tingle (Bella Emburg), a housewife and authoress, Jack Ryneman (Jackie Wright), a married man from Belfast, and Melonie, a lovely blonde cookery expert with a plunging neckline (Libby Roberts). Melonie correctly answers the first questions, but when Jack points out they were both cookery questions, the contestants gets a question on a "wooden wedding" which he incorrectly answers.

Parsons next takes a moment to show the instant sale, which is a rickety "easily-assembled" wooden kitchen table the models (Jane and Susie) are struggling to assemble. When they put metal cookery on it, it falls apart.

For the next part of the show, Parsons moves on by asking the contestants to identify a song by just the tune, but they all get it wrong. The next item in the sale is a "radio grand" with records by Victor Sylvester from Nashville, Ronnie Scott and Mrs. Mills playing "Mendeleson." Another item is a garbage disposal good for for one year or "double your garbage back."

Moving on, Parsons accidentally reads a threatening note on air before catching himself. No one tries answering his "vitamin/hormone" question, and although Melonie almost tries answering his "Four wheels and flies" question, she pulls back. Parsons then reveals the answer. ("A wheel barrow full of manure.") All three attempt to answer the difference in a pint of beer and a pea, but Parsons gives them all the point and the answer. ("Five minutes.") From here, Parsons is practically giving the game to Melonie, giving her obvious clues to the next question on the location of the cup finals ("Whimbley."), and giving impossibly difficult questions to Theresa and Jack, even sticking to exact precision when they respond. The following question is answered by Melonie just ringing her buzzer.

By this point, Parsons is nervously giddy and unconsciously revealing his plan to go along with Melonie on her trip. However, when Jack answers a question on the correction pronunciation of a Basarabean Island word, his chance to refuse Jack his prize is corrected by an alert stage manager off-screen correcting his own pronunciation.

Irked and deflated, Parsons shows Jack his prizes which consist of a sink and toilet with a golden seat and fixtures, a clock that goes eight days without winding, a large leather chair, a 27-peice tea set (which Jack bumps into and shatters), a two-peice ceramic spare room toiletry set which the models (Jane and Susie) hold for him and an over-sized top hat which Parsons taps down over his face.

## Trivia

* This sketch is a parody of "Sale of the Century," an American television game show that originally debuted on September 29, 1969; it aired until July 13, 1973 after which a weekly syndicated series began the following Fall and ran for one season. An Australian reboot was created in 1980 by Australian TV mogul Reg Grundy, which revived a new American version of the show that aired from 1983 to March 1989.
* In the opening necklace spot, Susie Baker is almost unrecognizable as the sexy brunette in the necklace, but William Brown insists its her based on a beauty mark on her right cheek.
* Jane Eve and Susie Baker's characters are named Linda and Angela at the end.
* This sketch isn't listed in the menu of the A&E DVD collection and is instead combined with Who's Afraid of Virgin Wool and This is Your Life under a Humphrey Bumphrey host spot.

## Gallery

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