Career: Atkinson's first professional success came in 1978 via the radio show The Atkinson People; it was co-written by Curtis and produced by Griff Rhys Jones. He then became part of the Not the Nine O'Clock News team before creating the character of Edmund in The Black Adder 1983. The sitcom ran for four series and a number of specials. He also created the affable idiot Mr Bean, who appeared in a number of one-off TV specials and two hugely successful films. Other projects include Johnny English and its sequel, The Thin Blue Line, The Witches, Four Weddings and a Funeral and Rat Race. Atkinson also appeared at the Olympics opening ceremony and returned to the West End stage to star in Quartermaine's Terms. He was awarded a CBE in 2013.

Career: Wilson has film credits, sitcoms and top dramas to his name. Only When I Laugh, Tutti Frutti and A Passage to India are among them, but it is probably for the character of Victor Meldrew in One Foot in the Grave that he will be best remembered. The series was written with him in mind by David Renwick, though Wilson turned it down at first, believing he was too young to play a retired man. Luckily, he changed his mind and a TV legend was born. Since then he's appeared in such projects as Born and Bred, Doctor Who, and he had a regular role in BBC hit Merlin. Away from the small screen, he continues to direct plays and was awarded an OBE in 1994.

Career: During the 1980s, Quentin had small, supporting roles in a number of projects. In the early 1990s she made appearances in Harry Enfield and Chums before landing the role of Dorothy on Men Behaving Badly in 1992, which eventually ended in 1998. Jonathan Creek offered Quentin a chance to delve into slightly more serious territory. Acting projects since include Life Begins, Blue Murder, Life of Riley, Just William, Dead Boss, Switch and Dancing on the Edge. Quentin also presents Restoration Home (she has dabbled in property restoration herself on numerous occasions) and has begun a second TV career as a travelogue presenter thanks to series such as A Passage Through India and Caroline Quentin's Cornwall.

Career: In the early 1980s, Richard became a regular writer on Not the Nine O'Clock News, which starred Atkinson, and they went on to work together on Blackadder and Mr Bean. In 1989, Richard gained plaudits for writing the film The Tall Guy, but his real movie breakthrough came five years later when he penned Four Weddings and a Funeral, which went on to become the most successful British movie of all time. In 1999 he scored another huge hit with Notting Hill, and went on to work on the adaptation of Bridget Jones's Diary before making his directorial debut with Love Actually in 2003. His new film, The Boat That Rocked, hits cinemas this week. Curtis is also behind the sitcom the Vicar of Dibley, acclaimed TV film The Girl in the Cafe, and is one of the founders of Comic Relief.