The Unbelievable Truth (radio show)

The Unbelievable Truth

Genre	Panel game
Running time	30 minutes
Country	United Kingdom
Language(s)	English
Home station	BBC Radio 4
Starring	David Mitchell
Created by	Graeme Garden Jon Naismith
Written by	Iain Pattinson (Chairman's script, series 1–2) Dan Gaster (Chairman's script, series 3–6 & 8–9) Colin Swash (Series 7 onwards) John Finnemore (Chairman's Script, series 7–8)
Produced by	Jon Naismith
Recording studio	Shaw Theatre, London
Air dates	since 19 October 2006
No. of series	16 + pilot and 2 specials
No. of episodes	93
Opening theme	"My Patch" by Jim Noir
Website	BBC Homepage

The Unbelievable Truth is a BBC radio comedy panel game made by Random Entertainment,^[1] devised by Graeme Garden and Jon Naismith.^[2] It is very similar to the occasional I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue game "Lies, All Lies", which was first played in 1985.^[3][4] The game is chaired by David Mitchell and is described in the programme's introduction as "the panel game built on truth and lies." The object of the game is to lie on a subject, whilst also trying to include the truth without being detected. The series was first broadcast as a pilot on 19 October 2006,^[5] with the first actual series broadcast on 23 April 2007.^[6] Its latest, sixteenth, series was aired from April to May 2016.

The concept is similar to that of the radio panel game "Many a Slip", devised by Ian Messiter, which ended in 1979, in which contestants do the opposite – spot errors hidden in narrations of true facts.

Rules

As David Mitchell often says, "the rules are very simple". The panel is made up of four players. In the game each of the panellists is given a subject on which they give a short lecture. Most of the lecture is composed of lies, but during the course of the speech the lecturer must try to smuggle five true statements past the rest of the panel. The challenging panellists must buzz in when they believe that what the lecturer is saying is true. They must state what they believe the fact was. If it was true, the challenger is awarded one point. If it was a lie, then they are deducted one point. One point is given to the lecturer for each truth they smuggle successfully without it being detected at the end of the lecture. The winner is the panellist with the most points.^[7] A perfect score is 20 points (by hiding all five of their truths, and spotting the five truths in all three of the other players' routines without making any wrong challenges), plus additional points for "unintentional" truths revealed during the monologue. However, nobody has reached this score yet, and in fact many contests have been amusingly low scoring, with most panellists having a negative number of points due to high number of guesses. On occasion, panellists have included more than five truths during in their talk, often unintentionally, although Jo Brand included an extra fact about Henry VIII as she thought it was so fantastic.

Reception

Reaction to the show has been generally positive. Many reviews praised Mitchell's presentation of the programme, saying, "Mitchell's quick, intelligent wit gives it an edge that it would otherwise lack."^[8] Elizabeth Mahoney in The Guardian enthused that "From the first moments of its plinky plonky theme tune, 'The Unbelievable Truth' is a delight ... the success of the format isn't about how convincingly you can spin a tall story, but how well you can sneak incongruous true facts into a lot of silly nonsense. The pleasure here – David Mitchell's endearing squareness apart – is the depths to which this silliness sinks".^[9] Jane Anderson in The Radio Times described the show as "the funniest thing I've heard on Radio 4 in years and I'm considering suing the network for irreparable damage to my sides"^[10] and Chris Campling in The Times called it "The most consistently entertaining comedy panel show of the past few years" and praises David Mitchell's chairmanship.^[11]

However, some critics have complained that the programme is "too scripted" and would benefit from more improvisation. One review said, "However most of the programme is essentially listening to four rather silly pre-scripted stories, as if it's story time at primary school, and as such the real facts are often rather easy to spot in comparison. It may [sic] have been more dangerous fun if the contestants were supplied with their facts to be smuggled just before going on air, to allow even the pretence of some improvisation."^[12]

Ian Dunn for One Giant Leap also wrote a mixed review of the show saying that it, "may not be the best panel game in the world, but it is enjoyable. It is a way of merrily passing away half-an-hour."^[13] He commented on how the show managed to be successful in the same slot as other Radio 4 panel games Just a Minute and I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue (ISIHAC), although he mentioned there was a connection between ISIHAC and The Unbelievable Truth as the latter is created by the producer and one of the regular panellists from ISIHAC. Dunn also referred to the lack of input from Mitchell despite him being well known for good performances on other panel games, saying: "This sadly means that Mitchell is almost redundant and is reduced to the roll [sic]) of an umpire."^[13]

In The Guardian, Zoe Williams was critical of Mitchell, writing: "The Unbelievable Truth, for instance, should never have been recommissioned. It's only funny when Clive Anderson is speaking. They could more profitably devise a show that was just Clive Anderson, speaking. Its failures as a quiz are admirably demonstrated by the fact that the scoring is now inverse to the drollery, so that Clive scores no points at all, and Lucy Porter sometimes wins. I don't care about scoring when it's like I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue and it's meant to mean nothing, but they can't all be spoof game-shows. Some of them have to be actual games that work."^[14]

The BBC received "almost 50" complaints after Mitchell opened the 26 October 2009 episode with the line, "There is absolutely no truth in the rumour that the last line in Anne Frank's diary reads: 'Today is my birthday and my dad bought me a drum kit.'" Complainants branded the line "insensitive".^[15]

Recent series of the show have been described in The Guardian, The Independent and The Daily Mail as a pick of the week, being "brilliantly chaired as ever by David Mitchell. More wide ranging and inventive than its TV equivalent ... this is a classic format which might well just last as long as say, Just a Minute",^[16] and Sarah Montague on Pick of the Week describing series six as "Radio 4 doesn't always get comedy right, but its comedy series The Unbelievable Truth is so funny that most presenters of this programme want to include a clip".^[17] In addition, the show received the highest AI, or Appreciation Index, figures of any comedy show on Radio 4 for 2010,^[18] and has been nominated for the 2011 Sony Radio Academy Awards.^[19] It won the category of "Best Radio Panel Show" in the British Comedy Guide's 2011 awards.^[20] In 2015 The Unbelievable Truth was nominated for the Rose d'Or in the "Radio Game Show" category.^[21]

The show's accuracy was playfully rebuffed in an episode of the television programme QI, itself having been forced to accept corrections at times, when Mitchell, one of the panellists on the subject of film and fame (Series F, Episode 11), found himself supplying answers based on information gathered from The Unbelievable Truth. The answers received klaxons on QI, causing Mitchell to acknowledge that some of the show's "unbelievable truths [turn] out, unbelievably, to be untrue." Mitchell then added in comic resignation, "People give you this shit and you read it out", and later jokingly accused QI's host Stephen Fry of trying to "kill off the medium" of radio. The show was nonetheless praised by Stephen Fry and fellow panellist Emma Thompson.

QI and The Unbelievable Truth now have something of a running gag criticising each other's lack of accuracy. Mitchell in his scripted comments for Episode 6 of the twelfth series complained that QI had referred to a lavish medieval dinner as "serving '100 eaglets' where it should have been '100 egrets'; it would be stupid to serve the offspring of eagles, whereas to serve up herons is far more sensible", and jokingly accused QI of getting "all its facts from Wikipedia".^[22]

Theme tune

The programme uses the introductory riff from Jim Noir's song "My Patch" as its theme tune.

Subjects

The following subjects have been repeated on The Unbelievable Truth. Each of them has appeared twice, except where noted: Beards (3 times), Bears, Bees, Cats (4), Cheese, Chickens, China, Dancing, Dogs (3), Football (3), Frogs, Hair (3), Hats, Kissing, Marriage, Milk, Penguins, Pigeons, Pigs, Potatoes, Queen Elizabeth II, Shoes, Teeth, The Brain, The Moon, Women (3).

Recordings

In general. recording two episodes together takes about three hours. Free tickets can be applied for from the Lost in TV website. Recordings are usually at the Shaw Theatre but in 2016 the show used the far larger Logan Hall in Bedford Way Bloomsbury for several recordings.

Scores

As in most British panel games, the scoring is not taken particularly seriously and the show is played for its comedy value and not as a point-scoring exercise. In Series 5 Episode 1 the panellist Graeme Garden was announced at the start as "the co-creator of the show, and tonight's winner".

The quirky scoring is part of the attraction of the game. While the maximum possible score is 20 (not including spotting truths accidentally included by the other panellists), contestants have many opportunities to lose points since they lose one for every incorrect challenge. The highest total score for any game was 9 by Lloyd Langford (in Series 13 Episode 2) and Graeme Garden (in Series 8 Episode 4), who also had the highest non-winning score of 6 (Series 1 Episode 6). The lowest game total was -6 in Series 4 Episode 4.

Of the forty-nine players who have appeared up to Series 6, the highest individual score is 11 by Graeme Garden in the pilot episode – Garden, who is the co-creator of the show, is also the most frequent player with 22 appearances.

Lucy Porter has 5 wins from eight appearances and therefore has a better win rate than Garden. She smuggled five facts past the panel in her discourse on Japan, in Series 12 Episode 4, leaving the host Mitchell to deprecatingly remark on the lack of knowledge the British have for other countries.

The most successful players are Sandi Toksvig and Simon Evans who both have a 100% winning records and average scores over 4, but have only played two and three games respectively. Series 15 Episode 06 marked Holly Walsh as the least successful player with -7, taking over the score of -6 jointly shared by Tony Hawks, Arthur Smith and Adam Hills, who also failed to post a positive score in either of his two appearances and has an average of -4.

The only players to win with a score of 0 were Rhod Gilbert and Reginald D. Hunter who tied at the top in Series 4 Episode 1, & Victoria Coren Mitchell in Series 15 Episode 4. Series 1 Episode 4 featured the only ever four-way tie, described by Mitchell as a scenario called: "Everyone getting three".

Jo Brand, Victoria Coren-Mitchell, Alan Davies, Phill Jupitus, Rhod Gilbert and Lucy Porter are the only players to have ever managed to smuggle all five true facts past their opponents, although in Brand's case in Series 1, Clive Anderson scored a point during her lecture thanks to an incidental bonus truth she had written in. Davies has managed all five twice, once in the New Year's special, and once in Series 7. Jupitus managed his shut-out in the second episode of Series 8, Gilbert in the second episode of series 10 and Porter as previously mentioned in the fourth episode of Series 12. Coren-Mitchell did so during series 15.

The German-born comedian Henning Wehn has a distinctive clipped German accent which he plays for comedy value. He tends to be given subjects that a stereotypical German would know nothing about, such as a sense of humour or, most recently (in Episode 6 of Series 12), "The British". Wehn rarely wins, but has the studio audience's sympathy with the British stereotype of backing the underdog; these stereotypes are played for laughs and are not meant or taken as racism. He also usually introduces his talk with a mention of how something was invented by Jesus.

Often attempts are made to hide the truths in lists, with the decoy items in the list reflecting the plausibility (or implausibility) of the true item being smuggled. This can often lead to "points carnage" as the guests each try to guess the true item.

Episodes

Winners are highlighted in bold.

Pilot

Episode	First broadcast	Guests	Subjects
Pilot	19 October 2006	Jeremy Hardy, Andy Hamilton, Neil Mullarkey, Graeme Garden	Hair, Football, Cats, Bees

Series 1

Episode	First broadcast	Guests	Subjects
01x01	23 April 2007	Tony Hawks, Frankie Boyle, Neil Mullarkey, Marcus Brigstocke	Cats, Michael Jackson, Beards, Coffee
01x02	30 April 2007	Jeremy Hardy, Alan Davies, Jo Brand, Clive Anderson	Human Body, Coca-Cola, Morris Dancing, Carrots
01x03	7 May 2007	Jeremy Hardy, Alan Davies, Jo Brand, Clive Anderson	Chickens, London Underground, Queen Elizabeth I, Ancient Egyptians
01x04	14 May 2007	Sandi Toksvig, Dara Ó Briain, Jo Caulfield, Graeme Garden	George W. Bush, Women, Ants, Olympic Games
01x05	21 May 2007	Tony Hawks, Frankie Boyle, Neil Mullarkey, Marcus Brigstocke	Bras, Hemp, Barcodes, Queen Elizabeth II
01x06	28 May 2007	Jo Caulfield, Graeme Garden, Dara Ó Briain, Sandi Toksvig	Prince Philip, Trousers, Rats, Denmark

Series 2

Episode	First broadcast	Guests	Subjects
02x01	5 May 2008	Alan Davies, Simon Evans, Tony Hawks, Phill Jupitus	Bears, Queen Victoria, Tennis, Beards
02x02	12 May 2008	Graeme Garden, Fred MacAulay, Michael McIntyre, Lucy Porter	Sandwiches, Cows, Toilets, Giraffes
02x03	19 May 2008	Adam Buxton, Ed Byrne, Lee Mack, Tim Vine	Hair, Kissing, Potatoes, Hedgehogs
02x04	26 May 2008	Alan Davies, Simon Evans, Tony Hawks, Phill Jupitus	Frogs, William Shakespeare, Skateboards, Bananas
02x05	2 June 2008	Fred MacAulay, Graeme Garden, Michael McIntyre, Lucy Porter	Beds, Sweden, Pigs, Leonardo da Vinci
02x06	9 June 2008	Adam Buxton, Ed Byrne, Lee Mack, Tim Vine	Marriage, Left-handedness, Fleas, Napoleon Bonaparte

2008 Christmas Special

Episode	First broadcast	Guests	Subjects
Sp.	15 December 2008	Graeme Garden, Jack Dee, Sean Lock, Armando Iannucci	Christmas Trees, Charles Dickens, Turkeys, Father Christmas

Series 3

Episode	First broadcast	Guests	Subjects
03x01	23 March 2009	Graeme Garden, Chris Addison, Clive Anderson, Lucy Porter	Bicycles, Albert Einstein, Money, Penguins
03x02	30 March 2009	Tony Hawks, Simon Evans, Johnny Vaughan, Milton Jones	Dogs, Iceland, Football, Charles, Prince of Wales
03x03	6 April 2009	Graeme Garden, Chris Addison, Lucy Porter, Clive Anderson	China, The Postal Service, Moustaches, The Moon
03x04	13 April 2009	Jack Dee, Fred MacAulay, Will Self, Jeremy Hardy	Smiling, Charles Darwin, Cucumbers, Dolphins
03x05	20 April 2009	Sue Perkins, Arthur Smith, Sean Lock, Miranda Hart	Henry VIII, Cockroaches, Dancing, Cricket
03x06	27 April 2009	Fred MacAulay, Jack Dee, Will Self, Jeremy Hardy	The Brain, Umbrellas, Alcohol, Cheese

Series 4

Episode	First broadcast	Guests	Subjects
04x01	5 October 2009	Rhod Gilbert, Reginald D. Hunter, Shappi Khorsandi, Adam Hills	Golf, Cats, Tea, Adolf Hitler
04x02	12 October 2009	Clive Anderson, Henning Wehn, Fi Glover, Dom Joly	Baldness, Winston Churchill, Urine, Dwarves
04x03	19 October 2009	Tony Hawks, Arthur Smith, Phill Jupitus, Graeme Garden	Teeth, Underpants, The Vikings, Birmingham
04x04	26 October 2009	Rhod Gilbert, Reginald D. Hunter, Shappi Khorsandi, Adam Hills	Milk, Julius Caesar, Kissing, Kangaroos
04x05	2 November 2009	Clive Anderson, Henning Wehn, Fi Glover, Dom Joly	Tobacco, Sausages, Frogs, Elvis Presley
04x06	9 November 2009	Tony Hawks, Arthur Smith, Phill Jupitus, Graeme Garden	Beethoven, Wigs, Honey, The Telephone

2009 New Year's / QI Special

Episode	First broadcast	Guests	Subjects
Sp.	28 December 2009	Rob Brydon, John Lloyd, Stephen Fry, Alan Davies	Snow, Tax, Champagne, Tigers

Series 5

Episode	First broadcast	Guests	Subjects
05x01	29 March 2010	Marcus Brigstocke, Henning Wehn, Lucy Porter, Graeme Garden	Childbirth, Beer, Sleep, Sir Isaac Newton
05x02	5 April 2010	Tony Hawks, Arthur Smith, Phill Jupitus, Catherine Tate	Hats, Pigeons, Hairdressers, Lord Nelson
05x03	12 April 2010	Fred MacAulay, Susan Calman, Liza Tarbuck, Charlie Brooker	Skiing, Cleopatra, Elephants, Chocolate
05x04	19 April 2010	Marcus Brigstocke, Henning Wehn, Lucy Porter, Graeme Garden	Soap, Pudding, Rabbits, Taxis
05x05	26 April 2010	Tony Hawks, Arthur Smith, Catherine Tate, Phill Jupitus	Ostriches, Toast, Red, Spectacles
05x06	3 May 2010	Fred MacAulay, Liza Tarbuck, Susan Calman, Charlie Brooker	Ducks, Mozart, Make-up, Thomas Edison

Series 6

Episode	First broadcast	Guests	Subjects
06x01	27 September 2010	Chris Addison, Susan Calman, Rufus Hound, Armando Iannucci	Henry Ford, Biscuits, Rain, Squirrels
06x02	4 October 2010	Tony Hawks, Henning Wehn, Graeme Garden, Arthur Smith	Nudity, Shoes, Walt Disney, Cakes
06x03	11 October 2010	Rhod Gilbert, Tom Wrigglesworth, Lucy Porter, Kevin Bridges	Spiders, Mushrooms, Eggs, Edinburgh
06x04	18 October 2010	Chris Addison, Susan Calman, Rufus Hound, Armando Iannucci	Clocks & Watches, Funerals, Goldfish, Joseph Stalin
06x05	25 October 2010	Tony Hawks, Henning Wehn, Arthur Smith, Graeme Garden	Noses, Apples, Lord Byron, Fishing
06x06	1 November 2010	Rhod Gilbert, Tom Wrigglesworth, Kevin Bridges, Lucy Porter	Bells, Mrs. Beeton, Donkeys, The Police

Series 7

Episode	First broadcast	Guests	Subjects
07x01	4 April 2011	Marcus Brigstocke, Lucy Porter, Alan Davies, Jack Dee	Flies, Breasts, Enid Blyton, Curry
07x02	11 April 2011	Henning Wehn, Sue Perkins, Clive Anderson, Graeme Garden	Dogs, The Sun, Lewis Carroll, Lobsters
07x03	18 April 2011	Tony Hawks, Charlie Brooker, Arthur Smith, Rhod Gilbert	Mice, Television, Sir Walter Raleigh, Soup
07x04	25 April 2011	Marcus Brigstocke, Lucy Porter, Alan Davies, Jack Dee	Dieting, Snakes, Eyes, Cutlery
07x05	2 May 2011	Clive Anderson, Henning Wehn, Sue Perkins, Graeme Garden	Sheep, Furniture, The Ancient Greeks, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
07x06	9 May 2011	Rhod Gilbert, Arthur Smith, Tony Hawks, Charlie Brooker	Badgers, Ears, Divorce, Ice Cream

Series 8

Episode	First broadcast	Guests	Subjects
08x01	26 December 2011	Lee Mack, Graeme Garden, Jack Dee, Rufus Hound	Reindeer, Pantomime, Christmas Decorations, The Box
08x02	2 January 2012	Mark Watson, Henning Wehn, Ed Byrne, Phill Jupitus	The Olympics, Blood, Bees, Butter
08x03	9 January 2012	Tony Hawks, Tom Wrigglesworth, John Finnemore, Alan Davies	Hamburgers, Snoring, Crocodiles, Pens
08x04	16 January 2012	Jack Dee, Lee Mack, Graeme Garden, Rufus Hound	Boy Scouts, Nuts, Florence Nightingale, Circuses
08x05	23 January 2012	Alex Horne, Henning Wehn, Roisin Conaty, Mark Watson	The Romans, Chickens, Sweets & Confectionery, Competitions
08x06	30 January 2012	Tom Wrigglesworth, John Finnemore, Alan Davies, Tony Hawks	The Radio, Pasta, Flowers, Wool

Series 9

Episode	First broadcast	Guests	Subjects
09x01	2 April 2012	Tony Hawks, Lucy Porter, Graeme Garden, Arthur Smith	Parrots, Breakfast, Insurance, Oliver Cromwell
09x02	9 April 2012	Tom Wrigglesworth, Henning Wehn, Danielle Ward, John Finnemore	Smoking, Football, China, Pandas
09x03	16 April 2012	Marcus Brigstocke, Miles Jupp, Susan Calman, Alan Davies	Swimming, Bread, Hotels, Foxes
09x04	23 April 2012	Arthur Smith, Tony Hawks, Lucy Porter, Graeme Garden	Barbie Dolls, Restaurants, Feet, Garlic
09x05	30 April 2012	Danielle Ward, Henning Wehn, John Finnemore, Tom Wrigglesworth	Bats, Cars, Samuel Johnson, Oranges
09x06	7 May 2012	Miles Jupp, Susan Calman, Marcus Brigstocke, Alan Davies	Goats, Singing, Glue, Painting

Series 10

Episode	First broadcast	Guests	Subjects
10x01	31 December 2012	Tony Hawks, Lucy Porter, Ed Byrne, Charlie Higson	Pies, Dancing, Worms, James Bond
10x02	7 January 2013	Lloyd Langford, Henning Wehn, Celia Pacquola, Rhod Gilbert	Wine, Queen Elizabeth II, Bathtubs, Wind
10x03	14 January 2013	John Finnemore, Henning Wehn, Holly Walsh, Arthur Smith	Boris Johnson, Computers, Oscar Wilde, Wasps
10x04	21 January 2013	Tony Hawks, Lucy Porter, Ed Byrne, Charlie Higson	Gambling, Teeth, Tortoises & Turtles, Lemons
10x05	28 January 2013	Lloyd Langford, Celia Pacquola, Phill Jupitus, Marcus Brigstocke	Tomatoes, Koalas, Boats, Cheese
10x06	4 February 2013	Arthur Smith, Henning Wehn, Holly Walsh, John Finnemore	Simon Cowell, Beards, Camels, Germany

Series 11

Episode	First broadcast	Guests	Subjects
11x01	8 April 2013	Lloyd Langford, Henning Wehn, Katherine Ryan, Graeme Garden	Sharks, Photography, Sugar, Jeremy Clarkson
11x02	15 April 2013	Rhod Gilbert, Richard Osman, Lucy Beaumont, John Finnemore	Moles, Cabbages, Trains, BBC
11x03	22 April 2013	Tony Hawks, Lucy Porter, Mark Watson, Ed Byrne	Monkeys, Fingers, Windows, Horns
11x04	29 April 2013	Henning Wehn, Katherine Ryan, Graeme Garden, Lloyd Langford	Geese, Horses, Advertising, Madonna
11x05	6 May 2013	Richard Osman, John Finnemore, Lucy Beaumont, Rhod Gilbert	Octopuses, Aeroplanes, Armadillos, Socks
11x06	13 May 2013	Ed Byrne, Mark Watson, Lucy Porter, Tony Hawks	The French, Lions, Grass, Pianos

Series 12

Episode	First broadcast	Guests	Subjects
12x01	30 December 2013	Arthur Smith, Henning Wehn, Bridget Christie, Ed Byrne	Poison, Etiquette, Jelly, David Mitchell
12x02	6 January 2014	Marcus Brigstocke, Holly Walsh, John Finnemore, Rufus Hound	Eton, Babies, Russia, Hats
12x03	13 January 2014	Henning Wehn, Victoria Coren Mitchell, Graeme Garden, Jeremy Hardy	Trees, Spain, Doctors, Newspapers
12x04	20 January 2014	Lloyd Langford, Lucy Porter, Tom Wrigglesworth, Fred MacAulay	Women, Japan, Owls, Potatoes
12x05	27 January 2014	Marcus Brigstocke, Holly Walsh, John Finnemore, Rufus Hound	Board games, Salt, Guinea pigs, Actors
12x06	3 February 2014	Jeremy Hardy, Graeme Garden, Victoria Coren Mitchell, Henning Wehn	The Clergy, Beetles, Novels, The British

Series 13

Episode	First broadcast	Guests	Subjects
13x01	7 April 2014	Alex Horne, Lucy Beaumont, John Finnemore, Jack Dee	Birds, Witches, Pubs, Shoes
13x02	14 April 2014	Lloyd Langford, Katherine Ryan, Jon Richardson, Graeme Garden	Whales, Canada, Pigs, Buses
13x03	21 April 2014	Alex Horne, Lucy Beaumont, John Finnemore, Jack Dee	Legs, The Internet, Dogs, The Middle Ages
13x04	28 April 2014	Lloyd Langford, Katherine Ryan, Jon Richardson, Graeme Garden	Wales, The Mouth, Fish, Perfume
13x05	5 May 2014	Tony Hawks, Susan Calman, Phill Jupitus, Miles Jupp	The Brain, Victorians, Toads, Cooking
13x06	12 May 2014	Tony Hawks, Susan Calman, Phill Jupitus, Miles Jupp	School, Bears, Underwear, Bottles

Series 14

Episode	First broadcast	Guests	Subjects
14x01	29 December 2014	Lloyd Langford, David O'Doherty, Susan Calman, Josh Widdicombe	Penguins, Spoons, Dolls, Letters
14x02	5 January 2015	Ed Byrne, Henning Wehn, Holly Walsh, Richard Osman	Ireland, Rules, London, Beavers
14x03	12 January 2015	Arthur Smith, Sarah Millican, Sandi Toksvig, Graeme Garden	Death, Balloons, Farming, Jane Austen
14x04	19 January 2015	Ed Byrne, Holly Walsh, Richard Osman, Henning Wehn	Ancient Egypt, Ice, Rubbish, British Food
14x05	26 January 2015	Lloyd Langford, Josh Widdicombe, Susan Calman, David O'Doherty	Fakes, Holes, Cats, Marie Antoinette
14x06	2 February 2015	Arthur Smith, Sarah Millican, Sandi Toksvig, Graeme Garden	Fat, Smells, Shopping, Gardens

Series 15

Episode	First broadcast	Guests	Subjects
15x01	24 August 2015	Lloyd Langford, Henning Wehn, Sara Pascoe, Miles Jupp	Magic, Austria, Swans, Onions
15x02	31 August 2015	Arthur Smith, Jon Richardson, Susan Calman, David O'Doherty	Pets, Bacteria, Zombies, Water
15x03	7 September 2015	Lloyd Langford, Henning Wehn, Sara Pascoe, Miles Jupp	Zoos, Theft, Phones, Hands
15x04	14 September 2015	Victoria Coren Mitchell, Holly Walsh, Katherine Ryan, Sarah Millican	Princesses, Diets, Sauces, Paper
15x05	21 September 2015	Arthur Smith, Jon Richardson, Susan Calman, David O'Doherty	Yorkshire, Soft drinks, Skin, Pirates
15x06	28 September 2015	Holly Walsh, Katherine Ryan, Victoria Coren Mitchell, Sarah Millican	IKEA, Marriage, Switzerland, Chewing gum

Series 16

Episode	First broadcast	Guests	Subjects
16x01	4 April 2016	Jon Richardson, Henning Wehn, Susan Calman, Jack Dee	Milk, Tattoos, Supermarkets, Vladimir Putin
16x02	11 April 2016	Joe Lycett, Sam Simmons, Aisling Bea, Richard Osman	Kitchens, Pigeons, Breakfast cereal, The Vatican
16x03	18 April 2016	Elis James, Maeve Higgins, Reginald D. Hunter, David O'Doherty	The 1970s, The Moon, Toys, Electricity
16x04	25 April 2016	Joe Lycett, Sam Simmons, Aisling Bea, Richard Osman	Jokes, Ghosts, Reality TV, Lego
16x05	2 May 2016	Jon Richardson, Henning Wehn, Susan Calman, Jack Dee	Funerals, British aristocracy, Nudity, Rubber
16x06	9 May 2016	Elis James, Maeve Higgins, Reginald D. Hunter, David O'Doherty	Gifts, Fashion, Women, Songs

Series 17

Episode	First broadcast	Guests	Subjects
17x01	3 October 2016	Holly Walsh, Lloyd Langford, Rich Hall, Henning Wehn	Mosquitoes, Flags, Roads, North Korea
17x02	10 October 2016	Holly Walsh, Henning Wehn, Rich Hall, Lloyd Langford	Tom Cruise, Basketball, Wood, McDonald's
17x03	17 October 2016	Tony Hawks, Vicki Pepperdine, Clive Anderson, Richard Osman	Chairs, Medicine, Prisons, Video games
17x04	24 October 2016	Tony Hawks, Vicki Pepperdine, Clive Anderson, Richard Osman	Australia, Leather, Oil, Crisps
17x05	31 October 2016	John Finnemore, Jeremy Hardy, Lucy Porter, Frankie Boyle	Donald Trump, Musicals, Weddings, Oxbridge
17x06	7 November 2016	John Finnemore, Jeremy Hardy, Lucy Porter, Frankie Boyle	Spies, Fire, Norfolk, The Beatles

International versions

Members from the Australian comedy group The Chaser, including Craig Reucassel, Andrew Hansen and Julian Morrow, have produced a TV series based on the British series.^[23]

See also

• I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue
• Many a Slip

References

General

• Wolf, Ian. "The Unbelievable Truth - Episode Guide". British Comedy Guide. Retrieved 25 September 2009.

Specific

1. Wolf, Ian. "The Unbelievable Truth". British Comedy Guide. Retrieved 14 November 2008.
2. Radio Times, 14–20 October 2006
3. "Isihac Games – Series Info". G0akh.f2s.com. Retrieved 2013-09-15.
4. The Fully Authorised History of I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue: The Clue Bible ... By Jem Roberts, P.408
5. "The Unbelievable Truth". BBC. Retrieved 10 September 2007.
6. "The Unbelievable Truth". BBC. Retrieved 10 September 2007.
7. "Pilot". The Unbelievable Truth. 19 October 2006.
8. Widdicombe, Henry (23 April 2007). "The Unbelievable Truth". Such Small Portions. Retrieved 10 September 2007.
9. Mahoney, Elisabeth (30 March 2010). "The Unbelievable Truth – Radio review". The Guardian. London.
10. "The Unbelievable Truth – Reviews and Press Articles – British Comedy Guide". Comedy.co.uk. 2007-04-23. Retrieved 2013-09-15.
11. Asthana, Anushka. "(unknown)". The Times. London.
12. "The Unbelievable Truth". UK Game Shows.com. Retrieved 10 September 2007.
13. Dunn, Ian (24 March 2009). "Radio Review: The Unbelievable Truth". One Giant Leap. Retrieved 24 March 2009.
14. Williams, Zoe (25 March 2009). "Radio head". London: The Guardian. Retrieved 2009-03-25.
15. Elgot, Jessica (4 November 2009). "Peep Show's David Mitchell in Anne Frank row". Jewish Chronicle. Retrieved 2009-11-04.
16. The Daily Mail, TV Guide 27/09/2010
17. Pick of the Week, Radio 4, broadcast 10/10/2010
18. BBC MC&A, 18/03/2011
19. Sony Radio Award Nominations 2011
20. The Comedy.co.uk Awards 2011 – British Comedy Guide
21. "Rose d'Or nominees announced with more master class speakers". Rose d'Or. 9 November 2015. Retrieved 10 November 2015.
22. "The Unbelievable Truth". 12. BBC. 10 February 2014. episode 6. Retrieved 22 February 2014.
23. http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/lifestyle/comedians-the-chaser-are-filming-a-panel-show-for-their-former-nemesis-channel-seven/story-fn9k9n4t-1226243857292

External links

• The Unbelievable Truth at BBC Programmes
  
• The Unbelievable Truth at British Comedy Guide