Q...(1969)

Q... is a surreal sketch comedy series created by Spike Milligan that aired on BBC2 from 1969 to 1982. The show ran for six series: the first five were numbered Q5 through Q9, with the final season retitled There's a Lot of It About. Each half-hour episode blended absurdist humour with experimental television techniques that pushed the boundaries of mainstream broadcasting. The show's title origin remains debated—it may reference the QE2 ocean liner project or the BBC's technical quality scale, where higher Q ratings indicated worse picture and sound degradation. According to Milligan's autobiography, the BBC renamed the final series to avoid confusing viewers with a hypothetical Q10. Q... became a cult favourite and influential touchstone for British comedy, showcasing Milligan's distinctive anarchic sensibility and willingness to subvert television conventions.