1990s Sitcom Gold – answers and explanations
Here are the answers to all 15 questions in the 1990s Sitcom Gold quiz, each with a short explanation. Catchphrases, couches and theme tunes from the golden age of sitcoms. Haven't played yet? Take the quiz first and compare your score.
Play the quiz · 15 questions1. Which band recorded "I'll Be There for You", the theme tune of Friends?
Answer: The Rembrandts
The Friends theme "I'll Be There for You" was recorded by American pop-rock duo the Rembrandts (Danny Wilde and Phil Solem) and released as a single in 1995; R.E.M. had earlier declined to let "Shiny Happy People" be used.
2. In Frasier, what are the call letters of the Seattle radio station he works at?
Answer: KACL
Frasier Crane hosted his call-in advice show on fictional Seattle talk station KACL 780 AM. The letters ACL honour the show's creators David Angell, Peter Casey and David Lee.
3. In Only Fools and Horses, what is the name of Del Boy and Rodney's firm?
Answer: Trotters Independent Traders
Del Boy and Rodney ran Trotters Independent Traders, whose initials spell TIT, from their Peckham flat in Nelson Mandela House. The name was painted on their yellow three-wheeled Reliant Regal van.
4. Which fictional tool company sponsored Tim Taylor's show "Tool Time"?
Answer: Binford Tools
Tim "The Tool Man" Taylor's show-within-a-show Tool Time on Home Improvement was sponsored by fictional Binford Tools, whose products were almost always the model 6100 as a running joke.
5. In Will & Grace, what is Grace Adler's profession?
Answer: Interior designer
Grace Adler, played by Debra Messing in Will & Grace, is a New York interior designer who runs her own firm, Grace Adler Designs, where socialite Karen Walker barely works as her assistant.
6. In Friends, which character worked behind the counter at Central Perk?
Answer: Gunther
Gunther, played by James Michael Tyler, was the blond barista and manager of Central Perk on Friends, appearing from the show's second episode in 1994 to the 2004 finale. Tyler got the part because he was the only extra who could work the espresso machine.
7. In Only Fools and Horses, Trigger always calls Rodney by which wrong name?
Answer: Dave
In Only Fools and Horses, Trigger (Roger Lloyd-Pack) persistently calls Rodney Trotter "Dave", a running gag that began in the very first episode, "Big Brother" (1981), and was never corrected despite Rodney's protests.
8. In The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Carlton's famous dance is set to which Tom Jones hit?
Answer: It's Not Unusual
The Carlton Dance, performed by Alfonso Ribeiro on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, is set to Tom Jones's 1965 hit "It's Not Unusual". Ribeiro based the moves on Courteney Cox's dancing in Bruce Springsteen's "Dancing in the Dark" video and Eddie Murphy's "white man dance".
9. What job does Ray Barone have in Everybody Loves Raymond?
Answer: Newspaper sportswriter
Ray Barone, played by Ray Romano on Everybody Loves Raymond (1996-2005), worked as a sports columnist for the Long Island newspaper Newsday, which is why he was so often parked in front of the television watching games.
10. In Frasier, what is the name of Martin Crane's scene-stealing Jack Russell terrier?
Answer: Eddie
Martin Crane's Jack Russell terrier on Frasier was named Eddie, known for silently staring at Frasier. He was played by a dog called Moose for the first seven seasons and then by Moose's son Enzo.
11. In Friends, Joey lands the role of Dr. Drake Ramoray on which soap opera?
Answer: Days of Our Lives
Joey Tribbiani's big break was playing neurosurgeon Dr. Drake Ramoray on the real NBC soap Days of Our Lives, starting in Friends season 2. His character was later killed off down an elevator shaft after Joey bragged to Soap Opera Digest that he wrote his own lines.
12. In Frasier, what is the name of Niles's wealthy wife, never seen on screen?
Answer: Maris
Niles Crane's rich, thin and neurotic first wife was Maris, who was famously never shown on screen across Frasier's eleven seasons. The running gag echoed Norm's unseen wife Vera on Cheers, and Niles eventually divorced Maris, clearing the way for Daphne.
13. In Home Improvement, what hid the lower half of neighbour Wilson's face?
Answer: The backyard fence
On Home Improvement, neighbour Wilson W. Wilson Jr. (Earl Hindman) dispensed advice from behind the tall backyard privacy fence, which hid the lower half of his face. Tim Allen based the gag on a childhood neighbour he could only partly see over a fence.
14. In Keeping Up Appearances, how does Hyacinth insist 'Bucket' is pronounced?
Answer: Bouquet
Snobbish social climber Hyacinth in the BBC sitcom Keeping Up Appearances (1990-1995) insisted her surname Bucket was pronounced 'Bouquet', and answered the phone with 'The Bouquet residence, the lady of the house speaking'.
15. In The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, what job does Uncle Phil do?
Answer: Judge
Uncle Phil (Philip Banks, played by James Avery) was a Princeton- and Harvard-trained lawyer who was appointed a Superior Court judge in 1992, partway through The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air's 1990-1996 run.