Call My Bluff
Format	Game show
Starring	Robin Ray Frank Muir Robert Morley Joe Melia Peter Wheeler Patrick Campbell Robert Robinson Arthur Marshall Bob Holness Alan Coren Sandi Toksvig Fiona Bruce Rod Liddle
Country of origin	United Kingdom
Production
Running time	30 minutes
Broadcast
Original channel	BBC2 (1965-88) BBC One (1996-2005)
Original run	BBC2 series: 17 October 1965 – 22 December 1988 Special 16 April 1994 BBC One series 13 May 1996 – 17 July 2005

Call My Bluff was a long-running British game show (adapted for BBC television by Philip Hindin from a short-lived US Goodson-Todman show of the same title) between two teams of three celebrity contestants. Robin Ray ( 17 September 1934 – 29 November 1998) was an actor musician and broadcaster the son of comedian Ted Ray and the brother Frank Herbert Muir (5 February 1920 - 2 January 1998 was an English Comedy writer radio and television personality and raconteur Robert Morley CBE ( May 26, 1908 &ndash June 3, 1992) was an Oscar -nominated English Actor who Patrick Campbell may refer to Patrick Campbell (Royal Navy officer, (1773&ndash1841 Royal Navy officer Patrick Campbell (British Army officer Robert Robinson (born 17 December 1927 in Liverpool) is an English Radio and Television presenter. Arthur Marshall may refer to Arthur Marshall (broadcaster Arthur R Bob Holness (born 12 November 1928 in Vryheid, Natal South Africa) is an English Actor and presenter Alan Coren (27 June 1938 &ndash 18 October 2007 was an English humorist, Writer and satirist who was well known as a regular panellist Sandi Toksvig (born 3 May 1958 in Copenhagen) is a Danish born but British naturalised Comedian, Author, Fiona Elizabeth Bruce (born 25 April 1964 in Singapore) is a British Journalist and Television presenter. Rod Liddle (born Roderick EL Liddle 1960 is a British Journalist best known for his term as editor of BBC Radio 4 's ''Today'' programme. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Events 539 BC - King Cyrus The Great of Persia marches into the city of Babylon, releasing the Jews from almost Year 1965 ( MCMLXV) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the 1965 Gregorian calendar. Events 1790 - The Turkish fortress of Izmail is stormed and captured by Suvorov and his Russian armies Year 1988 ( MCMLXXXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link displays 1988 Gregorian calendar) Events 1178 BC - A Solar eclipse may have marked the return of Odysseus, legendary King of Ithaca, to his kingdom Year 1994 ( MCMXCIV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full 1994 Gregorian calendar) Events 1497 - Pope Alexander VI excommunicates Girolamo Savonarola. Year 1996 ( MCMXCVI) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar) Events 180 - Twelve inhabitants of Scillium in North Africa are executed for being Christians Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Television ( TV) is a widely used Telecommunication medium for sending ( Broadcasting) and receiving moving Images, either monochromatic The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Mark Goodson ( January 14, 1915 &ndash December 18, 1992) was a successful American Television producer who specialized The point of the game is for the teams to take it in turn to provide three definitions of an obscure word, only one of which is correct. The other team then has to guess which is the correct definition, the other two being "bluffs". It was brought back to BBC TV by producer Richard Lewis. Richard Leslie Lewis is a broadcaster, Script writer and Television producer.

Examples of words used in Call my Bluff, taken from a book published in connection with the show in 1972, are Queach, Strongle, Ablewhacket, Hickboo, Jargoon, Zurf, Morepork and Jirble. Queach, for instance, was defined as 'a malicious caricature,' 'a cross between a quince and a peach,' or 'a mini-jungle of mixed vegetation. ' The first and second of those particular definitions are bluffs.

The U. S. version ran from September 1963-June 1964, broadcast on NBC. The National Broadcasting Company ( NBC) is an American Television network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Bill Leyden was the host; Don Pardo the announcer. Bill Leyden (died March 11, 1970) was a television Game show host and announcer who emceed aix game shows including It Could Be You Dominick George "Don" Pardo (born February 22, 1918) is an American radio and television Announcer. Despite its short run, Milton Bradley issued a home version board game during the summer of that year. The Milton Bradley Company is an American Game company established by Milton Bradley in Springfield Massachusetts, in 1860

The show ran on BBC 2 from 1965 to 1988. The original host was Robin Ray, later succeeded by Joe Melia, Peter Wheeler and finally Robert Robinson. Robin Ray ( 17 September 1934 – 29 November 1998) was an actor musician and broadcaster the son of comedian Ted Ray and the brother Robert Robinson (born 17 December 1927 in Liverpool) is an English Radio and Television presenter. Robert Morley and Frank Muir captained the teams. Robert Morley CBE ( May 26, 1908 &ndash June 3, 1992) was an Oscar -nominated English Actor who Frank Herbert Muir (5 February 1920 - 2 January 1998 was an English Comedy writer radio and television personality and raconteur Morley was succeeded by Patrick Campbell, who was in turn succeeded by Arthur Marshall. Patrick Gordon Campbell 3rd Baron Glenavy ( 6 June 1913 &ndash 10 November 1980) better known simply as Patrick Campbell, was a Arthur Marshall ( 10 May 1910 – 27 January 1989) was a British writer and broadcaster born in Surrey in the UK. It finished after Marshall's death, although a general change in the tone and atmosphere of broadcasting at the time may also have affected its temporary demise.

The show was resurrected in 1996 after an 8-year rest (apart from one special edition for BBC2's thirtieth birthday in 1994), now as a daytime series on BBC 1. Alan Coren and Sandi Toksvig became the team captains, and Bob Holness replaced Robinson as chairman. Alan Coren (27 June 1938 &ndash 18 October 2007 was an English humorist, Writer and satirist who was well known as a regular panellist Sandi Toksvig (born 3 May 1958 in Copenhagen) is a Danish born but British naturalised Comedian, Author, Bob Holness (born 12 November 1928 in Vryheid, Natal South Africa) is an English Actor and presenter

In 2003, Toksvig was replaced by the journalist Rod Liddle, and newsreader Fiona Bruce took the chair. Rod Liddle (born Roderick EL Liddle 1960 is a British Journalist best known for his term as editor of BBC Radio 4 's ''Today'' programme. Fiona Elizabeth Bruce (born 25 April 1964 in Singapore) is a British Journalist and Television presenter. The series finished again in 2005.

A similar gameshow ran on MTV3 in Finland between 2001 and 2003, called Kuutamolla ("In the Moonlight"), except with fewer celebrities and a focus on anecdotes about the lives of the guests, rather than on word meanings. MTV3 is a Finnish commercial television station owned by Bonnier. Finland, officially the Republic of Finland ( is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of northern Europe.

Book

Call my Bluff by Frank Muir and Patrick Campbell, published by Eyre Methuen, London, 1972.

Trivia

• On the musical episode of Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps (more commonly known in the UK as Two Pints) Donna Henshaw and Janet Keogh (played by Natalie Casey and Sheridan Smith) Sing:-

Smith - "Skankarific's not a word!" Casey - "It means teriffically skankified, it was on Call My Bluff"

• In the "Europe" episode of QI, Series E, a segment was featured entitled "Call My Euro Bluff", featuring stories about laws in the EU. Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps (commonly shortened to Two Pints or Two Pints of Lager) is a BBC Sitcom Natalie Casey (born 15 April 1980, Rossendale, Lancashire) is an English actress. Sheridan Smith (born 25 June 1981 in Epworth, Lincolnshire) is an English Actress. The panel then had to decide whether each story was true or a "bløff".

See also

• Balderdash (game)
• Wordplay (game show)

External links

• Call My Bluff at UKGameshows.com