Monkey Business (1)
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== Synopsis == | == Synopsis == | ||
| - | Primetime midweek quiz with celebrities in a jungle-inspired set. We dimly recall Floella Benjamin being on it as a regular team captain, Jeremy Cherfas was the captain of the opposing team and, it being a mid-80s panel game, Liza Goddard was almost certainly involved too - possibly as a guest panellist. There was some business about blocky computer-graphic monkeys appearing on the scoreboards | + | Primetime midweek quiz with celebrities in a jungle-inspired set. We dimly recall Floella Benjamin being on it as a regular team captain, Jeremy Cherfas was the captain of the opposing team and, it being a mid-80s panel game, Liza Goddard was almost certainly involved too - possibly as a guest panellist, although certainly not as a regular. There was some business about blocky computer-graphic monkeys appearing on the scoreboards - the teams could try to increase their scores by hitting a button and hoping that at least one monkey would appear on the board, fruit machine-style. |
| - | Otherwise, the quiz was wildlife-based - but why was Floella Benjamin, who was not famed for being a naturalist, up against Jeremy Cherfas, who was? Bizarre! Anyway, the show | + | Otherwise, the quiz was wildlife-based - but why was Floella Benjamin, who was not famed for being a naturalist, up against Jeremy Cherfas, who was? Bizarre! Anyway, the show came across as pretty cheap and tacky, especially when the computer-graphic monkeys were used and the overly jovial nature of the show detracted from the subject matter. It could be argued that it's always difficult to know how to pitch a wildlife-based quiz - it can easily end up either too serious and highbrow (like, perhaps, [[What On Earth?]]) and therefore not popular viewing, or too jovial and OTT for the subject. Monkey Business definitely fell into the latter category. However, one good feature of the programme was that both teams had to complete an animal-based limerick by the end of every show - these were often very funny! |
[[Category:Panel Game]] | [[Category:Panel Game]] | ||
[[Category:Themed Quiz]] | [[Category:Themed Quiz]] | ||
[[Category:Natural History]] | [[Category:Natural History]] | ||
Revision as of 17:53, 22 March 2009
Contents |
Host
Co-hosts
Team captains: Jeremy Cherfas and Floella Benjamin
Broadcast
BBC1, 6 March to 14 April 1985 (8 episodes)
Synopsis
Primetime midweek quiz with celebrities in a jungle-inspired set. We dimly recall Floella Benjamin being on it as a regular team captain, Jeremy Cherfas was the captain of the opposing team and, it being a mid-80s panel game, Liza Goddard was almost certainly involved too - possibly as a guest panellist, although certainly not as a regular. There was some business about blocky computer-graphic monkeys appearing on the scoreboards - the teams could try to increase their scores by hitting a button and hoping that at least one monkey would appear on the board, fruit machine-style.
Otherwise, the quiz was wildlife-based - but why was Floella Benjamin, who was not famed for being a naturalist, up against Jeremy Cherfas, who was? Bizarre! Anyway, the show came across as pretty cheap and tacky, especially when the computer-graphic monkeys were used and the overly jovial nature of the show detracted from the subject matter. It could be argued that it's always difficult to know how to pitch a wildlife-based quiz - it can easily end up either too serious and highbrow (like, perhaps, What On Earth?) and therefore not popular viewing, or too jovial and OTT for the subject. Monkey Business definitely fell into the latter category. However, one good feature of the programme was that both teams had to complete an animal-based limerick by the end of every show - these were often very funny!
