They don't make quiz shows like they used to

[Arwell]

Watching an episode of Wipeout from 2001 and it's amazing to see how long Bob talks to the contestants, 8 minutes into the episode and round 1 has only just begun. It made me realise that quiz shows nowadays don't take the time to chat to the contestants. Gone are the days of Bullseye, Wipeout, Strike it Rich/Lucky etc.

Anyone know of any recent shows that take a long time introducing the contestants?

[Richard1978]

I was watching Family Fortunes & Gino seemed to chat a lot with the families before each round.

[George 1978]

One obvious change to the way game shows are made now compared to the 1980s and 1990s are the way that what was a half-hour version seems to be padded out to an hour. The Price is Right went the other way, from an hour in the Crowther version, to half an hour in the Forsyth version (although I believe that Crowther's version was "two games" in one show). I am surprised that Family Fortunes has been stretched out to an hour with that Gino chef bloke as it has always felt like a half-hour show to me.

I preferred Bob Monkhouse's version of Wipeout because: A) Monkhouse had been a veteran of hosting game shows for over 40 years until just before he passed on; and: B) Original host Paul Daniels seemed to be wasted as a game show host as primarily I thought that his strengths and talents was as a magician. Catchphrase is another one: the Roy Walker version makes me think of middle-aged couples taking part, while come the Millennium, the Weir/Curry versions make me think of students in their early 20s taking part instead.

Michael Barrymore on Strike it Lucky used to take around a third of the show chatting to the contestants - I assume that the game was only going to happen for a couple of minutes, hence the small-talk at the start. In fact, I am sure that the producers once told Barrymore to cut down on his chatting to the contestants, and on one episode, they even had to cut the first goes of the contestants because the chatting went on for too long. A bit like Play Your Cards Right; a longer game on the show such as a tie-break or sudden death meant that not much of the talking of the contestants could be transmitted.

[beccabear67]

Definitely agree about Family Fortunes being best at shorter length. I think Radio DJs might make better quiz/game show presenters, although a magician could work if the concept of the show might make some use of their skills for illusion. I also like a certain amount of accident or ad-lib reality to such shows... if they are too slickly scripted out in every way it feels lacking.

[George 1978]

Good point about radio DJs presenting game shows (Popmaster, excepted). Wogan was an obvious example here, and his Radio 2 colleague David Hamilton wasn't too bad doing All Clued Up either.

Mind you, it made me think of Mike Read's Pop Quiz when you mentioned radio DJs.

[Richard1978]

Noel Edmonds presented Telly Addicts for many years, along with a few other programmes.

I remember Steve Wright presenting something in the late 1980s, not sure if it was quiz though.

[George 1978]

The UK Game Shows Page would argue that Noel's House Party, as well as the Saturday Roadshow and the Late, Late, Breakfast Show were game shows as well.

Apart from his radio game shows, Steve Wright presented Home Truths in early 1994 - not to be confused with a show with the same title which was made for Carlton a few years later.

[Richard1978]

Simon Mayo made quite a good version of Confessions for TV in 1995.

[George 1978]

Simon Mayo made quite a good version of Confessions for TV in 1995.

And Blockbusters for Challenge - just like the Aspel (BBC 2 in 1997) and Liza Tarbuck (Sky One in 2000) versions of the quiz, the studio set was "reversed" compared to the Bob Holness versions - in other words, the single player (white hexagons) was on the right rather than the left of the studio set.

And one of the hexagonal grids during the Holness era went "YOGIL" on the bottom row - this became "LIGOY" in the Aspel, Tarbuck, and Mayo eras. I know that I was too observant when it was originally on...

[beccabear67]

I suppose Bruce Forsythe might be a good pick for all-around game show presenter... a bit cheesy, not overly offensive, versatile... it's a very unique set of skills and maybe there really aren't too many who can do it for long without a lot of the excess drama or over-reaction that gets ratcheted up in modern shows.

Gladiators was never a quiz but I used to really love that show! It seems there were versions of it in many countries... I saw the German version maybe a year ago, and I bet they all have their baddie like Wolf.

[George 1978]

Brucie was a Briti8sh institution - as I have mentioned in a thread a few years ago, Play Your Cards Right was the perfect way to start the weekend. Bizarrely, it's been six years since he passed on, but I sometimes I still expect him to be on Strictly. Who is the new Bruce Forsyth, I wonder?

Gladiators was probably a way of introducing new superheroes onto our TV screens, as well as getting eye candy for those who was watching. Panther for example... I thought she was Diane Youdale but I am certain that she was Jet.

[beccabear67]

Panther is the one that got injured in a head-first fall once, they had to carry her off. I think Jet was very popular and would shake her hair around.

I used to wonder if I could make it up that 'travellator' at the end on Gladiators... now I don't have to wonder... the answer would be no!

They say Countdown was the 'comfort' watch among game shows, that it seemed very homey... unlike Weakest Link.

[George 1978]

Countdown was an alternative for those who were too old for kids' TV i.e. pensioners and the like - it's great "edutainment", and the numbers round makes me assume that it was born out of the Open University programmes on Mathematics. It's nice when showing how a mathematical sum is made gets a riond of applause.

[LilacLobster]

Here's another observation about old quiz shows - it used to be very rare that contestants would leave with nothing. Usually even if you went out in the first round you'd get some sort of token prize, like an umbrella on Wipeout I think, or the "bus fare home" on Bullseye. I remember a Strike It Lucky contestant winning no prizes so Barrymore just pressed a couple of screens for him at random so he had something to take home. Who Wants to be a Millionaire was probably the first I can remember where the risk of winning nothing was part of the drama, then the likes of The Weakest Link took it to a sadistic level. But now, the likes of Pointless and The Chase appear to have quietly phased out the idea of consolation prizes.

[darren]

WE HAVE A QUIZ HERE IN IRELAND THATS SHOWN IN NORTHERN IRELAND CALLED WINNING STREAK AND ITS IMOPSSIBLE TO NOT WIN AT LEAST 20 K. THERE ARE SEVERAL ROUNDS OF DIFFERENT GMES ONE GAME COULD BE A ROULETTE WHEEL WHERE SAY THE LOWEST SEGMENT COULD BE 5 THOUSAND AND THE HIGHEST 50 THOUSAND


HERES AN EPISODE.

https://youtu.be/4fQs__fvBHE?si=hKlUVECfcY2H_195