From Paula to Rupert to Missy E

TV Part 2 of Off The Telly's history of Have I Got News For You. More memories:

"The Hislop-Yates argument - in which guest Gordon Kennedy was a bamboozled spectator and Merton a peacemaker - has prompted many points of view. The consensus was that as Yates went into the programme with bad PR from her marriage dissolution and beau-pleasing surgery, she had it coming. The truth may not be far from that, and she didn't help matters by ferociously protesting Deayton's claim that, according to her publication, she had her surgery after meeting Hutchence. Hislop's touch paper was lit: "You mean the book's rubbish? Well I know that, but ..." She had already asked him to "stop being unkind" while also admitting both she and Hutchence would smack photographers taking pictures if they weren't from the right organisation, thus prompting Hislop's subsequent mention of two "black eyes". This led Merton to exclaim: "Who's going to get two black eyes? You're not going jogging are you?"

Yet again I say -- complete season boxsets soon please ... OTT also features an interview with Ron Roker, who wrote the music for the original Rupert The Bear tv series:

"I was a songwriter and record producer signed to Welbeck Music, the publishing arm of ATV, when in 1969, I was asked to come up with a song for the first ever series about Rupert. As a child, I had always received the books for Christmas from my Gran every year, so I obviously knew and loved these beautifully illustrated stories and all the characters from Nutwood, as much as many kids did in those post-war years. So, together with my old pal Len Beadle (alias Frank Weston), we wrote the Rupert song as the theme for the show, never knowing if it would even be released. After we had finished, Len suggested his wife Jackie Lee, who had been a singer with him in the vocal group The Raindrops, should perform it. I agreed, because not only was Jackie a fabulous vocalist, she had that something extra that not all female singers have, a "Doris Day" smile in her voice. She was perfect and her performance proved it."

"Rupert ... Rupert The Bear! Everyone come and join ... in all of his games...."