They Think It's All Over - Series 1 Compilation - BBC1, 1995

Back in 1990, Simon Bullivant and I were asked to come up with a comedy panel show about sport for a brand new BBC network, Radio 5. The result was They Think It's All Over, hosted by Desmond Lynam, which ran for two series and two specials, which were repeated on Radio 4. It was deemed to be a success and, after a protracted period when it looked more likely than it wouldn't happen than it would, it eventually transferred to BBC1 in September 1995, now hosted by Nick Hancock.

Gary Lineker and David Gower were the team captains, with Lee Hurst appearing alongside David each week and Rory McGrath (the one survivor from the radio series) with Gary. It would be fair to say - although it's hard for me to be objective - that it was an immediate success. This is a compilation of the best of Series 1, which began in September 1995. The show ran with two series a year until 2006.

It would be wrong of me not to mention that much of the success of TTIAO was due to the inspirational producer, the late Harry Thompson, who came up with the idea of Feel The Sportsman and The Name Game, and who set the tone for the series. Simon and I had both only worked in radio before, but both of us rose up through the ranks to be producers of the show - me as number 2 to Harry, and Simon as number 2 to another brilliant comedy brain who is no longer with us, Jim Pullin.