List of Games On I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue - Late Arrivals (at A Society Ball)

Late Arrivals (at A Society Ball)

Until recently, the closing round is often "Late Arrivals at the such-and-such Ball" which descends directly from frequent incidental dialogue included in the earlier, scripted BBC Radio 4 series I'm Sorry, I'll Read That Again. Late arrivals at the Drunkard's Ball could for example include Mr and Mrs Large-Whisky and their son Oliver (a pun on "I'll have a large whisky"). Adjectives were often used very effectively to qualify attendees names, for example at the Bankers' Ball, "Mr and Mrs Dingrates, and their debauched son, Base Len".

The names did not have to follow this format. The Politician's Ball famously gave rise to: "Announcing the late arrival of... the Marquis de Sade and the party whips". A phrase which invariably provoked applause was, "It's Cabaret time!", followed by the name of a fictitious group or entertainer.

One running joke (usually by Graeme Garden) is the appearance of Mr and Mrs Bennett- (Long phrase of exclamation relevant to the subject) and their son Gordon, the joke being that this is an easy cop-out (e.g., at the Builders' Ball, Mr and Mrs Bennett-That's-Twice-The-Estimate...) which plays on the once-popular exclamation of surprise "Gordon Bennett".

After the chairman has identified the ball, the panellists announce the late arrivals, in no particular order. Play is fast and fluid, often to the point that the chairman cannot end the show without shouting over the teams. One favourite from a very early show featured Humph butting-in with:

"Ladies and Gentlemen, kindly SHUT UP for Mr and Mrs N-why-I-must-interrupt-is-that-we've-overstepped-the-bounds-of-decency-and-also-reached-the-end-of-the-series, and their daughter - Theresa!"