I'm Sorry I'll Read That Again
| Genre | Sketch Comedy |
|---|---|
| Running time | 30 minutes |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Language(s) | English |
| Home station |
BBC Home Service (series 1) BBC Light Programme (series 2–5) BBC Radio 2 (series 6–9) |
| Syndicates | BBC Radio 4 Extra |
| Starring |
Tim Brooke-Taylor John Cleese Graeme Garden David Hatch Jo Kendall Bill Oddie |
| Original release | 3 April 1964 – 23 December 1973 |
| No. of episodes | 104 |
I'm Sorry, I'll Read That Again (often abbreviated as ISIRTA) is a BBC radio comedy programme that originated from the Cambridge University Footlights revue Cambridge Circus. It had a devoted youth following, with live recordings being more akin to a rock concert than a comedy show, a tradition that continued to I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue.
The pilot programme and Series 1 were broadcast on the BBC Home Service. Series 2–9 were broadcast on the BBC Light Programme (renamed BBC Radio 2 in September 1967).
It was first broadcast on 3 April 1964, the pilot programme having been broadcast on 30 December 1963 under the title "Cambridge Circus". The ninth series was transmitted in November and December 1973. An hour-long 25th anniversary show was broadcast in 1989. It is comically introduced as "full frontal radio". I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue, a spinoff panel game show, was first produced in 1972.
The title of the show comes from a sentence commonly used by BBC newsreaders following an on-air flub: "I'm sorry, I'll read that again." Having the phrase used to recover from a mistake as the title of the show set the tone for the series as an irreverent and loosely produced comedy show.
As well as giving rise to The Goodies team, ISIRTA shows the roots of the Monty Python team very clearly, with Cleese, Chapman and Eric Idle all regular script contributors. The show's creator Humphrey Barclay went on to create the TV show Do Not Adjust Your Set, featuring the rest of the Python team.
ISIRTA's roots can be traced back to classic radio comedies like ITMA, The Goon Show, and Round the Horne.
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