History Radio / TerryWogan

Sir Michael Terrence Wogan was born in 1938, grew up in Limerick and started out in the media as a continuity announcer for Creator/{{RTE}} Radio in Dublin, before beginning broadcasting for Creator/TheBBC in the late [[TheSixties 1960s]]. And then he ended up becoming a legend in his own lifetime.

Sir Michael Terrence Wogan was born in 1938, grew up in Limerick and started out in the media as a continuity announcer for RTE Radio in Dublin, before beginning broadcasting for Creator/TheBBC in the late [[TheSixties 1960s]]. And then he ended up becoming a legend in his own lifetime.

As an Irish citizen, Wogan was appointed an [[UsefulNotes/KnightFever Honorary Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE)]] in 1997 for services to broadcasting and charity, and later became an Honorary Knight Commander of the same order (KBE) in [[UsefulNotes/HMTheQueen the Queen's]] Birthday Honours in 2005. After asserting his right to British citizenship (while retaining his Irish citizenship) later that year, Sir Terry was officially knighted on 11 October 2005.

During and after Wogan's time away from national radio he was also a familiar face on UK television, hosting the prime-time chat-show ''Wogan'' on BBC-1 between 1982 and 1992, three evenings a week for its last seven years. He had already hosted the game show ''Series/BlanketyBlank'', spent a decade each presenting HilariousOuttakes show ''Auntie's Bloomers'' and viewer comments/complaints show ''Series/PointsOfView'' -- but his most enduring on-screen role would be his association with the BBC charity Series/ChildrenInNeed, for which he was a tireless cheerleader and fundraiser and the main presenter for its annual {{Telethon}} from its debut in 1980 up to 2014.

* MediumAwareness: There were jokes about the show's radio medium, such as Terry referring to a blackboard he supposedly had in the studio and telling listeners to read what he had written there today. Fans of course played along, one for example writing in that when he peers into his radio's left speaker he can clearly read every word, but when he looks into the right speaker there is nothing, and is beginning to suspect that his radio is not stereo.

* RealPersonFic: There was a trend in TheNineties for listeners to send in home-made 'bodice-ripping sagas' about the LoveDodecahedron between the people on Wogan's show (and the radio in general) such as Fran Godfrey, John Marsh and Alan Dedicoat.

** Some of the classics over the years include the obsession with the real, dark purpose behind traffic cones; the man who takes his budgerigar for a walk; a lighthouse fifty miles inland[[note]]probably [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Lift_Tower this thing]][[/note]]; the idea that Wogan had a blackboard with him in the studio and encouraged his listeners to 'look' at it through the radio speakers; and most generally of all, the problems and nostalgia associated with being a TOG.

* ArchEnemy: The entire Kingdom of Denmark for a few years after he described their Eurovision hosts as "Doctor Death and the Tooth Fairy".

* RaisedCatholic: Describes himself as being brainwashed as a child but relieved at losing his faith when he was 17.

** John Marsh became [[EverythingSoundsSexierInFrench 'Jean Marsh']]. And then at some point he became known as 'Boggy[[note]](as in marsh)[/note]] Two-Sheds' instead.

Sir Michael Terrence Wogan was born in 1938, grew up in Limerick and started out in the media as a continuity announcer for RTE Radio in Dublin. And then he ended up becoming a legend in his own lifetime.

His breakfast show, both on Radio 1 and later Radio 2, achieved listening figures approaching 10% of the entire population of the British Isles. Consistently, five days a week for ''twenty-seven years'', even with a ten-year break in the middle. Also the commentator for the Series/EurovisionSongContest for well over two decades.

He was also a familiar face on British television during the 1980s and early 1990s, hosting the chat-show ''Wogan'' on BBC-1.

His death from cancer was announced on 31 January 2016, to national mourning.

* AudienceParticipation: Letters, emails, texts and tweets from listeners were a key part of the show's surreal and occasionally deranged humour.
* BigEater: One of the many {{Running Gag}}s was the amount of food he had delivered to the studio each morning. Or "the decided lack of provender" if they didn't have any food delivered to the studio that day. On occasion they'd have similar foods delivered in a week for occasions such as "Pie Week", where they'd dine on different types of pies all that week. The BBC acknowledged this in 2015 by giving him a dream TV show. ''Terry and Mason's Great Food Trip'' saw Wogan travel the length and breadth of Great Britain for two months, in the company of cheerful Cockney taxi driver [=Mason McQueen=], stopping in at least thirty locations, presenting a show from each, and allowed to sample the local delicacies, drinks and provender. To their own satisfaction.
* BottledHeroicResolve: Four or five litres of it accompanied him into the Eurovision commentary box each year, purchased from the nearest off-license.

** Creator/DavidIcke turned from former football player and football commentator into a ConspiracyTheorist, his going to ''Wogan'' in the 90s, where he declared himself the "Son of God".

* DoWellButNotPerfect: When listeners sent in ideas for a 'TOG test' after suspiciously young people were reported to be sporting TOG stickers on their cars, some of the questions take this nature to reflect [=TOG=]s' forgetfulness and living in the past. For example, a question was "Who is the current leader of the Labour Party?" and points were deducted for a (then) correct answer of UsefulNotes/TonyBlair, but awarded for past examples like UsefulNotes/ClementAttlee and UsefulNotes/HaroldWilson.

* TheNicknamer: Had one for all his regular support team, none of whom seemed to mind much despite some of them being rather unflattering.
** Alan Dedicoat was spoonerised to 'Deadly Alancoat'. Also sometimes called 'the Voice of the Balls' due to doing the voiceovers for the National Lottery.
** Fran Godfrey was referred to as Frank Godfrey.
** John Birt, the then Director General of the BBC, became [[RepetitiveName Bert Birt]].
** John Marsh became [[EverythingSoundsSexierInFrench Jean Marsh]]. And then at some point he became known as Boggy Two-Sheds instead.

* PromotedFanboy: Of a sort: after years of commentating on the Eurovision Song Contest and hosting the UK's national selection shows, Wogan himself co-hosted the contest when the UK hosted it in 1998 (and still made time to do his typical snarky commentary).
* PunnyName: The pseudonyms adopted by his correspondents, mostly of the Incredibly Lame variety. Examples include "Edina Cloud", "Lucy Lastic", " Hellen Bach" and "Tess Tickles", the latter of which he didn't catch onto until it was rather too late. "Mick Sturbs" wrote the Janet and John stories

** The ''Janet and John'' stories, written by listener [[PunnyName Mick Sturbs]] are this to John "Boggy" Marsh and his actual wife Janet.

** Despite having been married to the same woman since 1965 and not being married to anyone else before her, Wogan would usually publicly refer to his wife as "the present Mrs. Wogan".
* SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute: Averted with [[ReplacementScrappy Chris Evans]] on his radio show. On Eurovision, while Graham Norton isn't really that similar, there is the oddly specific fact that they are both [[DeadpanSnarker deadpan snarkers]] from the Republic of Ireland incongruously hosting the British coverage of the contest.

* BigEater: One of the many {{Running Gag}}s was the amount of food he had delivered to the studio each morning. Or "the decided lack of provender" if they didn't have any food delivered to the studio that day. On occasion they'd have similar foods delivered in a week for occasions such as "Pie Week", where they'd dine on different types of pies all that week.
** The BBC acknowledged this in 2015 by giving him a dream TV show. ''Terry and Mason's Great Food Trip'' saw Wogan travel the length and breadth of Great Britain for two months, in the company of cheerful Cockney taxi driver [=Mason McQueen=], stopping in at least thirty locations, presenting a show from each, and allowed to sample the local delicacies, drinks and provender. To their own satisfaction.

* ConspiracyTheorist: Many of his letters came from listeners expounding bizarre conspiracy theories about things like the dark purpose behind traffic cones or a lighthouse fifty miles inland.
** Creator/DavidIcke turned from former football player and football commentator into a ConspiracyTheorist, his going to "Wogan" in the 90s, where he declared himself the "Son of God"

* MediumAwareness: There were jokes about the show's radio medium, such as Terry referring to a blackboard he supposedly had in the studio and telling listeners to read what he had written there today.
** Fans of course played along, one for example writing in that when he peers into his radio's left speaker he can clearly read every word, but when he looks into the right speaker there is nothing, and is beginning to suspect that his radio is not stereo.

* RunningGag: Plenty of them. Some of the classics over the years include the obsession with the real, dark purpose behind traffic cones; the man who takes his budgerigar for a walk; a lighthouse fifty miles inland[[note]]probably [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Lift_Tower this thing]][[/note]]; the idea that Wogan had a blackboard with him in the studio and encouraged his listeners to 'look' at it through the radio speakers; and most generally of all, the problems and nostalgia associated with being a TOG.

* ThemePark: One item in TheNineties was one listener coining the idea of a TOG-based theme park, "Wrinkly Valley" and others writing in about it. DependingOnTheWriter, it was either a normal theme park with a stereotypical old-people twist (like mobility scooters on the rollercoaster) or a recreation of a nostalgic ideal of Britain sometime between TheThirties and TheFifties.

His breakfast show, both on Radio 1 and later Radio 2, achieved listening figures approaching 10% of the entire population of the British Isles. Consistently, five days a week for ''twenty-seven years'', even with a ten-year break in the middle. Also the commentator for the EurovisionSongContest for well over two decades.

* DoWellButNotPerfect: When listeners sent in ideas for a 'TOG test' after suspiciously young people were reported to be sporting TOG stickers on their cars, some of the questions take this nature to reflect [=TOG=]s' forgetfulness and living in the past. For example, a question was "Who is the current leader of the Labour Party?" and points were deducted for a (then) correct answer of TonyBlair, but awarded for past examples like UsefulNotes/ClementAttlee and UsefulNotes/HaroldWilson.

* PunnyName: The pseudonyms adopted by his correspondents, mostly of the Incredibly Lame variety. Examples include "Edina Cloud", "Lucy Lastic" and "Tess Tickles", the latter of which he didn't catch onto until it was rather too late.

Michael Terrence Wogan was born in 1938, grew up in Limerick and started out in the media as a continuity announcer for RTE Radio in Dublin. And then he ended up becoming a legend in his own lifetime.

* AudienceParticipation: Letters, emails, texts and tweets from listeners are a key part of the show's surreal and occasionally deranged humour.

* ConspiracyTheorist: Many of his letters come from listeners expounding bizarre conspiracy theories about things like the dark purpose behind traffic cones or a lighthouse fifty miles inland.

* KnightInSourArmour: You could make a case for him being both, but either way he doesn't ''have'' to appear on ''Series/ChildrenInNeed'' every year, let alone donate all the profits from his tie-in merchandise to it.
* MediumAwareness: There are jokes about the show's radio medium, such as Terry referring to a blackboard he supposedly has in the studio and telling listeners to read what he has written there today.
** Fans of course play along, one for example writing in that when he peers into his radio's left speaker he can clearly read every word, but when he looks into the right speaker there is nothing, and is beginning to suspect that his radio is not stereo.

* TheNicknamer: Has one for all his regular support team, none of whom seem to mind much despite some of them being rather unflattering.

* NWordPrivileges: He could (and can) do Irish jokes long after they had become verboten for any British-born radio presenter.

* RunningGag: Plenty of them. Some of the classics over the years include the obsession with the real, dark purpose behind traffic cones; the man who takes his budgerigar for a walk; a lighthouse fifty miles inland[[note]]probably [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Lift_Tower this thing]][[/note]]; the idea that Wogan has a blackboard with him in the studio and encourages his listeners to 'look' at it through the radio speakers; and most generally of all, the problems and nostalgia associated with being a TOG.
** Despite having been married to the same woman since 1965 and not being married to anyone else before her, Wogan will usually publicly refer to his wife as "the present Mrs. Wogan".

* FanNickname: "The Togmeister", after the {{Fandom}}'s own nickname of [=TOG=]s and [=TYG=]s, or "Terry's Old/Young Geezers".

** The BBC acknowledged this in 2015 by giving him a dream TV show. ''Terry and Mason's Great Food Trip'' saw Wogan travel the length and breadth of Great Britain for two months, in the company of cheerful Cockney taxi driver Mason McQueen, stopping in at least thirty locations, presenting a show from each, and allowed to sample the local delicacies, drinks and provender. To their own satisfaction.

* [[MemeticSexGod Memetic Sex Goddess]]: Fran "Frank" Godfrey is referred to this way {{in-universe}}.

** Don't forget how DavidIcke turned from former football player and football commentator into a ConspiracyTheorist, his going to "Wogan" in the 90s, where he declared himself the "Son of God"

* DoWellButNotPerfect: When listeners sent in ideas for a 'TOG test' after suspiciously young people were reported to be sporting TOG stickers on their cars, some of the questions take this nature to reflect [=TOG=]s' forgetfulness and living in the past. For example, a question was "Who is the current leader of the Labour Party?" and points were deducted for a (then) correct answer of TonyBlair, but awarded for past examples like ClementAttlee and HaroldWilson.

* KnightInSourArmour: You could make a case for him being both, but either way he doesn't ''have'' to appear on ChildrenInNeed every year, let alone donate all the profits from his tie-in merchandise to it.

* MesACrowd: A gag in the 1970s involved the idea that there was actually a factory in Limerick stamping out Terry Wogan clones or androids, to explain why he could be in so many places at once on television and radio. A similar joke was used decades later on HarryAndPaul about [[TopGear Jeremy Clarkson]].