Muir, Frank (1920–1998)

British humorist, scriptwriter, and broadcaster. He was one of the pioneers of post-war radio comedy, and went on to establish himself as a popular television personality, known for his distinctive, lisping voice and his dapper bow-ties. From the mid-1960s, he featured as team captain on the TV quiz show Call My Bluff, where he demonstrated his inimitable gift for punning; a talent which he had turned into an art form during his years on the hit radio quiz My Word!.

Before TV audiences got to know the face, they had for years enjoyed the voice of Frank Muir as one of the doyens of BBC Radio after World War II. Together with his friend and colleague Denis Norden (1922– ), Muir wrote some classic radio comedy series, such as Take It From Here, before moving into TV comedy, creating Whack-O!. Muir also proved himself an able program maker, producing light entertainment programmes at the BBC and later at London Weekend Television, where he took charge of hit series like Please Sir and On the Buses. Muir also wrote a series of children's books, as well as publishing several collections of humorous prose and anecdotes, notably The Oxford Book of Humorous Prose (1990).