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Room 101 (British TV series)

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Room 101 is a BBC comedy radio and television series, running since 1994, in which celebrities are invited to discuss their pet hates with the host in order to have them consigned to the eponymous chamber. It is produced independently for the corporation by Hat Trick Productions, and screened on BBC Two. The audience will often take part in deciding what enters the room, although the host makes the final decision. The title refers to the location in George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four within which, for each person, is the worst fear they can imagine. Appropriately, this is supposedly named after a conference room at BBC Broadcasting House where Orwell used to sit through tedious meetings [citation needed].

The radio series was originally broadcast on BBC Radio 5 in 1992, where it was hosted by Nick Hancock. Hancock was also the first presenter when the series transferred to television two years later. The first ever guest on the TV version was comedian Bob Monkhouse. In 1999 Hancock left and was replaced by the current host, Paul Merton. Merton's first guest was none other than Nick Hancock. Usually there are five pieces discussed in each show — represented by several surreal props — and the last one invariably goes in, usually for a forfeit.

Under Hancock, the rules were fairly tight. Hancock clearly thought out his argument and could be quite strict. Should the guest succeed in getting items into the room, they would be allowed to choose one rejected item to go in. Un-related music (supposedly from "Radio Room 101") would be played as the item went along the conveyer belt into oblivion. When Merton became keeper in 1999, the rules were relaxed, the music removed and the conveyer belt replaced with an elevated trap door. The conversation tended to be more relaxed and surreal, reflecting Merton's nature.

The TV programme is one of BBC Two's most successful, and memorable guests have included Will Self, Stephen Fry and Anne Robinson. In fact, Fry went as far as to put Room 101 itself into Room 101.

Some of the items nominated to be cast into Room 101 are:

See also

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