Coach Trip
| Line 6: | Line 6: | ||
Andy Love (2005-6) | Andy Love (2005-6) | ||
| - | David Quantick (2009) | + | [[David Quantick]] (2009) |
==Co-host== | ==Co-host== | ||
Revision as of 07:21, 7 August 2009
Contents |
Host
Voiceover:
Andy Love (2005-6)
David Quantick (2009)
Co-host
Tour Guide: Brendan Sheerin
Broadcast
12 Yard for Channel 4, 7 March 2005 to 2006 and 25 May 2009 to present
Synopsis
Seven couples are taken on a coach trip around Europe, doing all the usual tourist-type things, but at the end of each day, and for no very good reason, they are forced to turn against each other and vote for the couple they want thrown off the tour. Lose this vote twice and they're gone, whereupon a new couple is flown over to take their place.
The irony is that it's mostly the gameshow element that spoils it. Effectively giving contestants their prize first is almost an interesting twist, but without any proper set tasks along the way, the voting element is just vindictive for the sake of creating conflict where it's not needed. In fact, there was really no need to turn this into a game show at all - just put a load of people on a bus and film it. But 12 Yard wouldn't do that, would they? There are some entertaining moments during the travelogue sequences, but add in the daily dose of wanton bitchiness and it all goes a bit pear-shaped. Despite this, I know two separate and distinct people who have admitted to setting the video so they don't miss it. For crying out loud, it's not Countdown!
Oh, and having shown us all this unpleasant backbiting, they have a viewers' phone-in competition, and guess what the prize is? Yes, it's a coach trip! I'll pass, thanks. (Perhaps many potential entrants felt the same, as in the second series the phone-in competition was for a weekend break instead.) Likely due to the 0898-gate premium phone calls scandal, the viewer phone-in did not return with the third series.
At the end of the series, the remaining couples vote one more time who they feel should be the winners, and receive an extended stay in the final destination of the trip, or in the third series a holiday voucher.
Champions
2005 Paul & Maggie
2006 Paul & Joy
2009 Hannah & Katie
Key Moments
The series three 'coach mafia' consisting of Tom & Matt and James & Tracey who colluded to manipulate the voting in order to eliminate newcomers, thereby securing their place on the coach. They did this to great effect with James & Tracey managing to stay on board for 22 days, while Tom & Matt stayed on board for a record 25 days.
As well as having the couple who stayed on board the coach for the longest period of time, series three also featured the couple who stayed on board for the shortest period of time. After a disagreement with tour guide Brendan, Delia & Jacqui decided to leave the coach after a mere 16 hours.
