Guess the famous person in twenty questions or fewer.

Q1 - Is this person a man who is still alive?

1. Am I a living man? YES.

Aha !  The use of 'fewer' in all it's glory Pokermonster . 

Have you been on to Tesco ? 

Afternoon, Coach.  I trust you are well, sir. :)

1. Am I a living man? YES.
2. Have I been on to Tesco? NO.

Only joking! :)

1. Am I a living man? YES.

Are you an actor be it film or tv?

1. Am I a living man? YES.
2. Am I an actor? YES.

Best start ever!

Hope you are well too ,Pokermonster.

You are permitted more than one question each, gentlemen.

Are you British/Irish?

1. Am I a living man? YES.
2. Am I an actor? YES.
3. Am I British? YES.

We could be on for a record score today.

I'm only here for another twenty-five minutes, gentlemen, so may have to call a temporary adjournment.

Have you been on television this week?

1. Am I a living man? YES.
2. Am I an actor? YES.
3. Am I British? YES.
4. Have I been on television this week? YES.

Are you considered funny?

1. Am I a living man? YES.
2. Am I an actor? YES.
3. Am I British? YES.
4. Have I been on television this week? YES.
5. Am I considered funny? YES.

Do you appear in sitcoms?

1. Am I a living man? YES.
2. Am I an actor? YES.
3. Am I British? YES.
4. Have I been on television this week? YES.
5. Am I considered funny? YES.
6. Do I appear in sitcoms? YES.

Have you done stand-up?

1. Am I a living man? YES.
2. Am I an actor? YES.
3. Am I British? YES.
4. Have I been on television this week? YES.
5. Am I considered funny? YES.
6. Do I appear in sitcoms? YES.
7. Am I a stand up comedian? NO.

Do you come from north of Birmingham?

1. Am I a living man? YES.
2. Am I an actor? YES.
3. Am I British? YES.
4. Have I been on television this week? YES.
5. Am I considered funny? YES.
6. Do I appear in sitcoms? YES.
7. Am I a stand up comedian? NO.
8. Am I from Birmingham? NO.

Are you over 40?

1. Am I a living man? YES.
2. Am I an actor? YES.
3. Am I British? YES.
4. Have I been on television this week? YES.
5. Am I considered funny? YES.
6. Do I appear in sitcoms? YES.
7. Am I a stand up comedian? NO.
8. Am I from Birmingham? NO.
9. Am I over forty? YES.

North of Birmingham was the previous question btw...

My apologies, sir.

1. Am I a living man? YES.
2. Am I an actor? YES.
3. Am I British? YES.
4. Have I been on television this week? YES.
5. Am I considered funny? YES.
6. Do I appear in sitcoms? YES.
7. Am I a stand up comedian? NO.
8. Am I from north of Birmingham? NO.
9. Am I over forty? YES.

Do you wear glasses?

Do you have a famous wife?

1. Am I a living man? YES.
2. Am I an actor? YES.
3. Am I British? YES.
4. Have I been on television this week? YES.
5. Am I considered funny? YES.
6. Do I appear in sitcoms? YES.
7. Am I a stand up comedian? NO.
8. Am I from north of Birmingham? NO.
9. Am I over forty? YES
10 Do I wear glasses? NO.

1. Am I a living man? YES.
2. Am I an actor? YES.
3. Am I British? YES.
4. Have I been on television this week? YES.
5. Am I considered funny? YES.
6. Do I appear in sitcoms? YES.
7. Am I a stand up comedian? NO.
8. Am I from north of Birmingham? NO.
9. Am I over forty? YES
10 Do I wear glasses? NO.
11. Do I have a famous wife? NO.

Sincere apologies, gentlemen, but I must call a halt now.  I will resume as soon as possible.  Many thanks indeed for taking part thus far.

Have you been on BBC TV this week?

May not be around later, it was good while it lasted!

As we have called a halt, Jack, I'll just mention that questions like [color=red]"Have you been on BBC TV this week?" could be rather difficult for me to answer with any authority and might necessitate a best guess.

As we have called a halt, Jack, I'll just mention that questions like "Have you been on BBC TV this week?" could be rather difficult for me to answer with any authority and might necessitate a best guess.

Fair enough PM.  You didn't say the questions had be easy!

John Cleese

Ken Dodd nap!

David Walliams

Mark Williams, he from Father Brown?

Martin Clunes

You lot have wasted two goes!

1. Am I a living man? YES.
2. Am I an actor? YES.
3. Am I British? YES.
4. Have I been on television this week? YES.
5. Am I considered funny? YES.
6. Do I appear in sitcoms? YES.
7. Am I a stand up comedian? NO.
8. Am I from north of Birmingham? NO.
9. Am I over forty? YES
10. Do I wear glasses? NO.
11. Do I have a famous wife? NO.
12. Am I John Cleese? NO.
13. Am I Ken Dodd? NO.
14. Am I David Walliams? NO.
15. Am I Mark Williams? NO.
16. Am I Martin Clunes? NO.

Good afternoon, gentlemen.  Sincere apologies for the delay, hope a few of you are available to play. :)

Am I famous for playing one particular character?

1. Am I a living man? YES.
2. Am I an actor? YES.
3. Am I British? YES.
4. Have I been on television this week? YES.
5. Am I considered funny? YES.
6. Do I appear in sitcoms? YES.
7. Am I a stand up comedian? NO.
8. Am I from north of Birmingham? NO.
9. Am I over forty? YES
10. Do I wear glasses? NO.
11. Do I have a famous wife? NO.
12. Am I John Cleese? NO.
13. Am I Ken Dodd? NO.
14. Am I David Walliams? NO.
15. Am I Mark Williams? NO.
16. Am I Martin Clunes? NO.
17. Am I famous for playing a particular character? YES.

Good afternoon PM - was the sitcom that featured your famous  character  set in London on the south side of the River Thames?

Good afternoon, MMH.

1. Am I a living man? YES.
2. Am I an actor? YES.
3. Am I British? YES.
4. Have I been on television this week? YES.
5. Am I considered funny? YES.
6. Do I appear in sitcoms? YES.
7. Am I a stand up comedian? NO.
8. Am I from north of Birmingham? NO.
9. Am I over forty? YES
10. Do I wear glasses? NO.
11. Do I have a famous wife? NO.
12. Am I John Cleese? NO.
13. Am I Ken Dodd? NO.
14. Am I David Walliams? NO.
15. Am I Mark Williams? NO.
16. Am I Martin Clunes? NO.
17. Am I famous for playing a particular character? YES.
18. Did I star in a sitcom set in London on the south side of the Thames? NO.

Are you David Jason?

1. Am I a living man? YES.
2. Am I an actor? YES.
3. Am I British? YES.
4. Have I been on television this week? YES.
5. Am I considered funny? YES.
6. Do I appear in sitcoms? YES.
7. Am I a stand up comedian? NO.
8. Am I from north of Birmingham? NO.
9. Am I over forty? YES
10. Do I wear glasses? NO.
11. Do I have a famous wife? NO.
12. Am I John Cleese? NO.
13. Am I Ken Dodd? NO.
14. Am I David Walliams? NO.
15. Am I Mark Williams? NO.
16. Am I Martin Clunes? NO.
17. Am I famous for playing a particular character? YES.
18. Did I star in a sitcom set in London on the south side of the Thames? NO.
19. Am I David Jason? NO.

Who is going to step up with the final guess?

Anybody?

I'll have a go then, are you Geoffrey Palmer?

Excellent guess, MMH, but not correct unfortunately. :(

1. Am I a living man? YES.
2. Am I an actor? YES.
3. Am I British? YES.
4. Have I been on television this week? YES.
5. Am I considered funny? YES.
6. Do I appear in sitcoms? YES.
7. Am I a stand up comedian? NO.
8. Am I from north of Birmingham? NO.
9. Am I over forty? YES
10. Do I wear glasses? NO.
11. Do I have a famous wife? NO.
12. Am I John Cleese? NO.
13. Am I Ken Dodd? NO.
14. Am I David Walliams? NO.
15. Am I Mark Williams? NO.
16. Am I Martin Clunes? NO.
17. Am I famous for playing a particular character? YES.
18. Did I star in a sitcom set in London on the south side of the Thames? NO.
19. Am I David Jason? NO.
20. Am I Geoffrey Palmer? NO.

Arthur Bostrom

The correct answer was Timothy Spall.

Quiz results archive.

Quiz 1.  Answer: Jon Pertwee (not guessed).
Quiz 2.  Answer: Lyndon B. Johnson (guessed by Pumphol on the twentieth question).
Quiz 3.  Answer: Ruth Rendell (not guessed).
Quiz 4.  Answer: Peter Ebdon (not guessed).
Quiz 5.  Answer: Kirk Douglas (not guessed).
Quiz 6.  Answer: Roman Abramovich (not guessed).
Quiz 7.  Answer: Brian Cox (not guessed).
Quiz 8.  Answer: Douglas Adams (not guessed).
Quiz 9.  Answer: Timothy Spall (not guessed).

Many thanks for playing everyone, and apologies once again for the extended break.

I had a final shortlist of Arthur Bostrom, Rowan Atkinson, Richard Gibson and Timothy Spall.

I ruled out TS on the basis that he has had several roles since Barry and I have seen him wearing glasses.

Indeed, IAWN, some folks pitch questions that are quite tough for me to answer YES or NO.  In those instances I am forced into making a best guess.

Spall's a fantastic  actor who's   played loads of roles - but he'll always be Barry to me, nice quiz thanks.

IAGWN would probably have got it - without a few wasted guesses the day before.

Apologies if some of my questions were tough to answer accurately.  Questioning can often be either aimed at narrowing the choices down by 50-50 each time or having wild stabs at the answer.