A Question Of Sport celebrates its 40th birthday tonight, making it the longest-running sports quiz in British TV history.

But has the programme been lying about its age?

One reference source mentions an edition, or perhaps editions, shown only in the North of England from 1968-9. It’s a Knockout presenter Stuart Hall was the host.

The official BBC A Question Of Sport website makes no mention of this. The BBC press office can’t shed any light on it. The current edition of the Radio Times does rather better, referring to this Northern edition as a pilot show.

Officially, this week marks the 40th birthday with current presenter Sue Barker and team captains Matt Dawson and Phil Tufnell in party mood with a special episode tonight.

The show has always attracted the Tonight’sTV By Steve Pratt email: steve.pratt@nne.co.uk biggest names in British and international sport. Tonight is no exception with the regulars joined for the anniversary edition by Michael Johnson, Laura Davies, Pat Cash and David Coulthard.

All the regular rounds feature – including Picture Board, Sports Action, What Happened Next?, Home Or Away, Mystery Guest and The One Minute Round – plus a celebratory blend of archive and nostalgia capturing some of the great moments from the programme from the last 40 years.

Dawson and Tufnell are faced with their former selves when their first appearances on the show as contestants are revealed – dodgy haircuts and all – and try to answer their original home questions.

A Question Of Sport is just past its 890th episode and in its 39th series. The first edition – ignoring that Northern only one – aired on January 5, 1970 and was hosted by David Vine. He was the first of only three presenters in the show’s history. David Coleman and current presenter Sue Barker being the others.

The first team captains were boxer Henry Cooper and Wales rugby union star Cliff Morgan. They were joined by George Best, Ray Illingworth, Lillian Board and Tom Finney.

Others who’ve taken on the role of team captain over the years include Ian Botham, Bill Beaumont, Emlyn Hughes, Brendan Foster and Willie Carson.

There’ll be a special edition of A Question Of Sport in aid of Sports Relief later in the year on BBC1.

THOSE missing their weekly fix of celebrity talent shows can breathe a sigh of relief – Dancing On Ice is back, with a preview show tonight in advance of tomorrow’s main event.

The final line-up was revealed at long last this week, although rumours about the identity of contestants have been circulating for ages. So it was no surprise to find Heather Mills among the contenders.

She’s already competed in the US show Dancing With The Stars, although doing it on skates poses many more problems.

Like staying upright. We can expect plenty of footage of celebrities falling over as they try to find their ice legs. But who will be this year’s Todd Carty, the skating equivalent of John Sergeant on Strictly Come Dancing?

Todd Carty’s dodgy routine in last year’s show – when he went zooming off the rink into the backstage tunnel – was more comedy than skating. Those who saw him performing in the subsequent stage show will have seen him do exactly the same routine. He couldn’t skate, but he could do this particular comic ice dance to perfection.

In this special programme, last year’s winner Ray Quinn will take to the ice to perform again with skating partner Maria Filippov. Since last year he’s starred in the West End in the musical Grease – without skates.

There’s a change in the judges’ line-up.

Out goes Ruthie Henshall and into the Ice Panel comes former Spice Girl Emma Bunton.

In addition, Nicky Slater, Karen Barber, Jason Gardiner and Robin Cousins all return – along with Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean, who give the show more than a touch of class.