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How Many Millionaires Have You Met?

Last night’s new panel game, Who Said That? – where the object is to guess the sources of quotations and then discuss them, attracted the attention of the Daily Express’ Cyril Aynsley.

He records that the quotations ranged from Jean-Jacques Rousseau and Edmund Burke to Oscar Wilde and Bertrand Russell. Aynsley was, it seems, most amused by Gilbert Harding’s reaction to the Oscar Wilde remark, “The best that can be said of most modern creative art is that it is just a little less vulgar than reality.” Harding’s view: “An awfully silly thing to say.” Aynsley also repeats one of Nancy Spain’s remarks – that most millionaires she has met were small men. But he fails to extend an opinion on any merit – or lack of it – which the show has.

In the Daily Mirror, Clifford Davis was unequivocal and found the show to be “very good adult entertainment.” He main beef is with some of the panellists, noting that Joanna Kilmartin “needs to fiddle less with her hands” and John Betjeman despite “talking such sense” should “look a little happier”.

Elsewhere in the paper, Davis has something to say on the BBC’s new autumn schedule, the first which will play opposite commercial television, which is to be announced “any day now”. After counting off on his fingers what there won’t be:

  • morning transmissions
  • lunchtime transmissions for housewives
  • a daily serial
  • livelier presentations

He does say that the BBC will open up Sunday afternoons.

Davis also comments on the shortage of plays for television which “The BBC are always moaning about”. Davis seems keen on the BBC taking “the current American dramatic hit ‘Desperate Hours'” which is running in New York and London and is about to be made into a film with Humphrey Bogart. So, there are already plenty of opportunities to see it, then why isn’t Davis more interesting in persuading the BBC to look into something new instead?

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