Total Perfect Recall

When I returned to my house after a preposterous bus journey that somehow transfigured a 15 minute trip into a 50 minute one, I slumped in front of the television and was greeted by tea-time Channel 4 quiz show Wogan's Perfect Recall, a harmless mid-afternoon test of memory and general knowledge. Or so I thought...

Now I have no problems with Wogan, the great raconteur that he is, in fact I am one of the millions throughout the land who choose to 'Wake Up to Wogan' (well on the days which I wake up before 9.30 that is ((and those are rapidly decreasing in number))), however I don't know of any other gameshow that includes the host's name in the title of the show and has a title sequence composed entirely of a picture of the host's face. It's typical gameshow fayre: Four contestants are reduced to one, who plays for the big-money final round, with one subtle difference- it isn't about the show's contestants, but about its jocular host, the indefatigable Mr. Wogan. Sometimes he delivers the questions directly to the camera and not to the contestants, in what is (I imagine) a futile attempt to drag in more punters, giving the show an 'interactive' (still a buzz-word after all these years) feel.


Now I do enjoy a lot of crap telly. I quite liked Step Up To The Plate (du Beke and Grossman, together at last!) and the magnificently unpopular Identity, fronted by Donny Osmond. The memory of Donny, baring his Hollywood smile, pointing his finger at a guest and delivering the immortal line: 'Is that your Identity?', which he said in an identical manner every time, is one that I shall struggle to erase. Still that's enough nostalgia for one day...