Children's television show from the eighties, with, originally, the fabulous Janet Ellis and the wonderful Adrian Hedley (who didn't speak at all until at least a few series in). Julia Binsted eventually took over from Ellis, as 'Dot' the little cue signal that appears before commericals on live TV (in the UK at any rate). She wasn't nearly as good: but then, she had a hard act to follow.
The show centred on a concealed six letter word. During the course of the programme, clues to each letter would be shown, allowing viewers to guess the whole word. (This sounds strangely banal now, but was gripping at the time. I have fond memories of the whole family sitting aroung to watch.)
Ellis was the main presenter, and was comfortable, and easy to watch (just as she was on Blue Peter) - and Hedley, was the mime, and played Noseybonk, too, in some great set (and usually outdoor) pieces. The character had a mask with a huge white nose. All the Noseybonk bits were backed with some very groovy music, which every British tv watching child of the 80's could hum at the drop of a hat.
Extra entertainment came in the form of the O-Men superheroes, who would be called if someone said 'six words with double-o in a row'. My memory may falter here, but I think they were played by Sylvester (Sly) McCoy (who went on to become one of the Dr Whos) and David Rappaport (of Time Bandits fame). They eventually became jigsaw pieces, trapped for ever in a jigsaw, when the show finally ended.
There was a phoenix, too, I think. Didn't it come out with proverbs every so often? Regardless, it was an excellent piece of programming from the BBC. I suspect Clive Doig probably had a hand in it. | 
