History Series / WhodunnitUK

** When ''Series/LoveThyNeighbour'' castmates Creator/NinaBadenSemper and Creator/JackSmethurst were on the panel for "Nothing to Declare", Jack, having already said that he was sure he'd seen porter Sam Austin (Edward Sinclair) in ''Series/DadsArmy'' (as Mr Yeatman, the Verger) for the past seven years, then followed the revelation that young Sally Gray was possibly the product of an extramarital affair involving fellow suspect Mr Campbell by quipping, "The moral of that incident appears to be: Love thy neighbour, but don't get caught." Later in the same episode, in response to Patrick Mower's request for one final question, Creator/JonPertwee asks Creator/FrankThornton, here playing inspector Gerald Harvey, "are you free, Mr Harvey?", in reference to his catchphrase as Captain Peacock in '' Series/AreYouBeingServed''.

Each week it featured a short murder-mystery drama enacted in front of a panel of celebrity guests who then had to establish who the murderer was. Anouska Hempel and Patrick Mower became permanent panellists from series 3 onwards, with two guest celebrities each episode.[[note]] Not coincidentally, Hempel and Mower were both appearing in TV crime dramas at the time they became ''Whodunnit?'' regulars, Hempel on the short-lived ''Zodiac'' and Mower on the longer-running ''Special Branch''.[[/note]] In series 5, Liza Goddard replaced Anouska Hempel as a permanent panellist. The panel members could interview the remaining characters, with the only clue being that only the murderer could lie. Each panellist could also request to see a short replay of one section of the initial drama, which would often include events as they occurred and flashbacks as seen and narrated by individual suspects. (The video technology used at the time meant that it usually took a few minutes to set up each replay.)

* InterchangeableAsianCultures: Patrick Mower falls into this while interrogating Dr. Ling in "Evidence of Death", as he asks why he rides a Matchless motorbike instead of "something more patriotic" like a Suzuki; the unamused Ling points out that Suzuki is a Japanese company, and he is Chinese (although he then tells Anouska Hempel that he was born in Warrington in Lancashire).[[note]] Ling was played by Burt Kwouk, who really ''was'' born in Warrington; his parents lived in Shanghai at the time but had come to England on business.[[/note]]

** When ''Series/LoveThyNeighbour'' castmates Nina Baden-Semper and Creator/JackSmethurst were on the panel for "Nothing to Declare", Jack, having already said that he was sure he'd seen porter Sam Austin (Edward Sinclair) in ''Series/DadsArmy'' (as Mr Yeatman, the Verger) for the past seven years, then followed the revelation that young Sally Gray was possibly the product of an extramarital affair involving fellow suspect Mr Campbell by quipping, "The moral of that incident appears to be: Love thy neighbour, but don't get caught." Later in the same episode, in response to Patrick Mower's request for one final question, Creator/JonPertwee asks Creator/FrankThornton, here playing inspector Gerald Harvey, "are you free, Mr Harvey?", in reference to his catchphrase as Captain Peacock in '' Series/AreYouBeingServed''.

* PoliticallyIncorrectHero: "Nothing to Declare" features both a black panellist and black cast member, who are made the subject of puns about their ethnicity by ''Love Thy Neighbour'' actor Jack Smethurst, to their obvious discomfort.

** When ''Series/LoveThyNeighbour'' castmates Nina Baden-Semper and Jack Smethurst were on the panel for "Nothing to Declare", Jack, having already said that he was sure he'd seen porter Sam Austin (Edward Sinclair) in ''Series/DadsArmy'' (as Mr Yeatman, the Verger) for the past seven years, then followed the revelation that young Sally Gray was possibly the product of an extramarital affair involving fellow suspect Mr Campbell by quipping, "The moral of that incident appears to be: Love thy neighbour, but don't get caught." Later in the same episode, in response to Patrick Mower's request for one final question, Jon Pertwee asks Frank Thornton, here playing inspector Gerald Harvey, "are you free, Mr Harvey?", in reference to his catchphrase as Captain Peacock in '' Series/AreYouBeingServed''.

It was created and written by comic actor Creator/LancePercival and writer Jeremy Lloyd (co-creator of ''Series/AreYouBeingServed'', ''Series/AlloAllo'' and so on) so there was a fair amount of comedy leveaning the murders.

It was created and written by comic actor Lance Percival and writer Jeremy Lloyd (co-creator of ''Series/AreYouBeingServed'', ''Series/AlloAllo'' and so on) so there was a fair amount of comedy leveaning the murders.

** In "Adieu Monsieur Chips", the primary investigator is the bungling head of security for the Monte Carlo casino who has more than a touch of [[Franchise/ThePinkPanther Inspector Clouseau]] about him. Host Creator/JonPertwee notes that he is still clueless about the killer's identity even after it has been revealed. As he is played by Lance Percival, co-creator of the series and co-writer of the episode, this is also a CreatorCameo.

It was created and written by comic actor Lance Percival and writer Jeremy Lloyd (author of ''Series/ItAintHalfHotMum'', ''Series/AlloAllo'' and so on) so there was a fair amount of comedy leveaning the murders.

* NastyParty: In "Final Verdict", the eight surviving members of a jury who sentenced a man to life imprisonment invited to to a dinner party on the 20th anniversary of the day they delivered the verdict. However, one of them is the killer in disguise, and announces (via tape recording) that all of them will die unless they can identify the imposter.

* ShoutOut: When ''Series/LoveThyNeighbour'' castmates Nina Baden-Semper and Jack Smethurst were on the panel for "Nothing to Declare", Jack, having already said that he was sure he'd seen porter Sam Austin (Edward Sinclair) in ''Series/DadsArmy'' (as Mr Yeatman, the Verger) for the past seven years, then followed the revelation that young Sally Gray was possibly the product of an extramarital affair involving fellow suspect Mr Campbell by quipping, "The moral of that incident appears to be: Love thy neighbour, but don't get caught." Later in the same episode, in response to Patrick Mower's request for one final question, Jon Pertwee asks Frank Thornton, here playing inspector Gerald Harvey, "are you free, Mr Harvey?", in reference to his catchphrase as Captain Peacock in '' Series/AreYouBeingServed''.
** In "Portrait in Black" Police Constable Piper is asked the name of his superior officer, and he gives the name [[Theatre/TheRealInspectorHound Inspector Hound]]. (Pertwee then makes a joke about him being [[Literature/TheHoundOfTheBaskervilles 'of the Baskervilles']])

** At the start of "All Part of the Service", Inspector Godfrey and Sergeant Coop have a bet about how long they'll be at the crime scene.

* TenLittleMurderVictims: In "Final Verdict", the eight surviving members of a jury who sentenced a killer to life imprisonment 20 years ago are invited to a dinner. Via tape recording, the killer reveals that he is one of the people attending the dinner in disguise, and that they have to find him before they all die.

* PirateGirl: Captain Dorothea 'Treasure Chest' Magee (played by the incomparable Kate O'Mara) in "Which Eye Jack". She is the only woman present at a meeting of pirate captains when a murder occurs. She earned her nickname because of her impressive [[UnusualEuphemism fo'c'sles]].

Each week it featured a short murder-mystery drama enacted in front of a panel of celebrity guests who then had to establish who the murderer was. Anouska Hempel and Patrick Mower became permanent panelists from series 3 onwards, with two guest celebrities each episode.[[note]] Not coincidentally, Hempel and Mower were both appearing in TV crime dramas at the time they became ''Whodunnit?'' regulars, Hempel on the short-lived ''Zodiac'' and Mower on the longer-running ''Special Branch''.[[/note]] In series 5, Liza Goddard replaced Anouska Hempel as a permanent panelist. The panel members could interview the remaining characters, with the only clue being that only the murderer could lie. Each panelist could also request to see a short replay of one section of the initial drama, which would often include events as they occurred and flashbacks as seen and narrated by individual suspects. (The video technology used at the time meant that it usually took a few minutes to set up each replay.)

* CutAndPasteNote: In "The Rajah's Ruby", Captain Nickerson receives a note made up of words cut out of the Times newspaper warning that the eponymous ruby is going to be stolen. The note turns out to be one of the more important clues in unraveling the mystery.

* DeathByFallingOver: In "Teddy Bears Picnic", the VictimOfTheWeek interrupts a thief stealing her jewelery. They struggle and she is pushed over, hitting her head on the dresser and dying.

** The killer being left-handed is an important clue in [[spoiler:"Pop Goes the Weasel"]]. In an ironic twist, several of the panelists picked up the fact that the killer must be left-handed, but then completely failed to identify which characters were left-handed, resulting in three of them naming a completely innocent ''right-handed'' suspect as the murderer, because they all thought he was left-handed, except one who chose them '' despite'' knowing they were right-handed, to the bafflement of host Jon Pertwee.

* LeaningOnTheFourthWall: In series one episode three, "A Knife in the Back", Jon Pertwee (appearing on the show for the first time as a panelist) asks one suspect about the letters she posted.

* OhWaitThisIsMyGroceryList: Done (apparently as a spur-of-the-moment gag) on "Too Many Cooks". When Creator/JonPertwee is collecting the cards from the panelists, he takes Anouska Hempel's and starts to read "Take a half a spoonful of sugar, a tablespoon of...? This is a recipe!" and playfully baffs her on the back of the head with it. A giggling Anouska then hands him the card with her real guess on it.

** In "Portrait in Black" Police Constable Piper is asked the name of his superior office, and he gives the name [[Theatre/TheRealInspectorHound Inspector Hound]]. (Pertwee then makes a joke about him being [[Literature/TheHoundOfTheBaskervilles 'of the Baskervilles']])