Since 2001, Iain Weaver has given us a take on the week's game show programmes and related news. This is an archive page of very old columns; the recent editions are listed elsewhere.
| Date
| Topics
|
| 28th December 2008
| The Week of the Year
|
| 21st December 2008
| The Last Millionaire
|
| 14th December 2008
| Carol Singers - Countdown series final
|
| 7th December 2008
| Raven once more - series 8 reviewed
|
| 30th November 2008
| Election fever
|
| 23rd November 2008
| Bachelorette - Spin Star
|
| 16th November 2008
| The Eggheads crack'd: are you one?
|
| 9th November 2008
| A little more stay-in-the-fight - Going for Gold in English and French
|
| 2nd November 2008
| Don't Panic - Panic Attack
|
| 26th October 2008
| Britain's Got the Pop Factor
|
| 19th October 2008
| Natural Born Sellers
|
| 12th October 2008
| SM:TV 2008 - Hot Rods, Scene Stealers
|
| 5th October 2008
| Silhouette of Passage - Hole in the Wall
|
| 28th September 2008
| The What, Why, How, and Who In the World Quiz
|
| 21st September 2008
| The OC - Only Connect
|
| 14th September 2008
| What are you like, eh?
|
| 7th September 2008
| Recalling Wogan, Perfectly
|
| 31st August 2008
| Conductor School - Maestro
|
| 24th August 2008
| Sports desk
|
| 17th August 2008
| Choiring the Pitch - Last Choir Standing
|
| 10th August 2008
| Jam Spoons for All - Battle of the Brains
|
| 3rd August 2008
| Superstars V; also Countdown and fines for the BBC
|
| 27th July 2008
| This Time Tomorrow
|
| 20th July 2008
| Who Dares Sings!
|
| 13th July 2008
| How Television Changed Britain: Intelligence
|
| 6th July 2008
| Dragons, dragons everywhere - Adventure Game 1981
|
| 29th June 2008
| It's a yellow one, sir, surely you can see that! - Adventure Game 1981
|
| 22nd June 2008
| Countdown series 58 finals
|
| 15th June 2008
| Challenge daytimes - Crosswords, Wipeout
|
| 8th June 2008
| It's Not What You Know
|
| 1st June 2008
| Eurovision Song Contest post mortem
|
| 25th May 2008
| Eurovision Song Contest Semi-Finals
|
| 18th May 2008
| Young Musicians of the Year
|
| 11th May 2008
| Beat the Star, Fleece the Public - ITV's fines
|
| 4th May 2008
| Mournington Crescent - Humphrey Lyttelton, Banter
|
| 27th April 2008
| All right, other half? - The Kids are All Right, Mr and Mrs
|
| 20th April 2008
| Mark Speight, Come Dine with Me
|
| 13th April 2008
| Words and Music - Book Quiz, Counterpoint
|
| 6th April 2008
| Radio Activity - The Garden Quiz, ...Spanish Inquisition
|
| 30th March 2008
| Mastermind final, Eurovision voting
|
| 23rd March 2008
| Lightly foxed - Basil's Game Show, Stake Out
|
| 16th March 2008
| Zed 53 - Bingolotto
|
| 9th March 2008
| Finding champions - University Challenge, Eurovision Your Decision
|
| 2nd March 2008
| Brain power
|
| 24th February 2008
| Warriors, ready! - Raven
|
| 17th February 2008
| Ding Dong
|
| 10th February 2008
| ITV's weekends - Duel, Thank God You're Here
|
| 3rd February 2008
| There goes our man from the council - Jeremy Beadle
|
| 27th January 2008
| How We Used To Quiz - Spelling Bee 1938
|
| 20th January 2008
| Stars In Their Eyes Academy
|
| 13th January 2008
| Finger of suspicion
|
| Date
| Topics
|
| 30th December 2007
| The Week of the Year
|
| 23rd December 2007
| A big finals week - Countdown, Junior Mastermind
|
| 16th December 2007
| Big Brother Book
|
| 9th December 2007
| On the conveyor belt - The Generation Game Now and Then
|
| 2nd December 2007
| Not By Strength, By Guile - Who Dares Wins
|
| 25th November 2007
| Les Pretend - The Great Pretender, Codex
|
| 18th November 2007
| Performance - Classical Star, E4 School
|
| 11th November 2007
| 4OD - Big Fat Anniversary Quiz, Don't Call Me Stupid
|
| 4th November 2007
| Saboteur Watch - Trapped, Dirty Rotten Cheater UK
|
| 28th October 2007
| Dining Out - also Alan Coren
|
| 21st October 2007
| Jiggy Pokey - Premium rate scandal continues, Mastermind analysis
|
| 14th October 2007
| Paul Coia's Pleasure - Countdown 1982, Ofcom childrens enquiry
|
| 7th October 2007
| Elven - The World's Greatest Elvis, also Ned Sherrin and Ronnie Hazlehurst
|
| 30th September 2007
| Escape for Some - Premium rate scandal, Escape From Scorpion Island
|
| 23rd September 2007
| Who are ya? - Identity, BBC fakery scandal
|
| 16th September 2007
| Changes in the air - Millionaire, Brain of Britain, Deal or No Deal
|
| 9th September 2007
| The Eurovision Song And Dance Contest, Without The Singing
|
| 2nd September 2007
| Beat the Temple - Raven, also Test the Nation
|
| 26th August 2007
| Is it all fitting together, in a stupid fashion? - The Adventure Game continued
|
| 19th August 2007
| You are in a twisty maze of television studios, all different - The Adventure Game
|
| 12th August 2007
| Wage seekers - Win My Wage, premium rate scandal rumbles on
|
| 5th August 2007
| Slightly booked - The Book Quiz
|
| 29th July 2007
| Challenge, lyrically - Sing It Back
|
| 22nd July 2007
| Sorcery Today - The Sorceror's Apprentice
|
| 15th July 2007
| Fine, then - ICSTIS and OFCOM reports on fakery scandals
|
| 8th July 2007
| Feedback - Tycoon, Golden Balls
|
| 1st July 2007
| Reasons to be grumpy - Brainteaser, People's Quiz, Britain's Got Talent
|
| 24th June 2007
| Starter for Seven - Countdown finals
|
| 17th June 2007
| Going Wild - People's Quiz Wildcard, Payday
|
| 10th June 2007
| Naive? Nincompoop? Numpty? - Big Brother naughtiness
|
| 3rd June 2007
| Repeat After Three - For the Rest of Your Life, That's the Question
|
| 27th May 2007
| Think Big - Big Brother, Eurovision voting
|
| 20th May 2007
| Flying the flag (upside down)
|
| 13th May 2007
| Peer amid song contests
|
| 6th May 2007
| Quiz Populi
|
| 29th April 2007
| Four Against One Hundred
|
| 22nd April 2007
| Headliners
|
| 15th April 2007
| A brief history of 0898
|
| 8th April 2007
| We Blame Julia Bradbury
|
| 1st April 2007
| Five, Ten
|
| 25th March 2007
| Raising the Standard
|
| 18th March 2007
| Here's one we made up earlier
|
| 11th March 2007
| On the wreck of SS Premium Rate
|
| 4th March 2007
| Checking it out
|
| 25th February 2007
| Fame but no fortune
|
| 18th February 2007
| Stranger and Stranger - also Junior Mastermind final
|
| 11th February 2007
| Sought high and low
|
| 4th February 2007
| Count Des
|
| 28th January 2007
| Bread and Circuses
|
| 21st January 2007
| A clash between pseudo-celebrity and real celebrity
|
| 14th January 2007
| He educated us all - Magnus Magnusson
|
| 7th January 2007
| View From Afar - some European shows
|
| Date
| Topics
|
| 31st December 2006
| The Week of the Year 2006
|
| 24th December 2006
| They think it's all over - Countdown
|
| 17th December 2006
| Dying off
|
| 10th December 2006
| Learning the hard way
|
| 3rd December 2006
| X Marks the Code
|
| 26th November 2006
| That's Numberplace! - Sudo-Q
|
| 19th November 2006
| Star of Fortune - Mastermind Final, All-Star Family Fortunes
|
| 12th November 2006
| Eight-one - Unanimous
|
| 5th November 2006
| Charlie Five - In The Grid
|
| 29th October 2006
| Take It or Not
|
| 22nd October 2006
| Tooning In
|
| 15th October 2006
| Those New Lottery Shows - Everyone's a Winner and 1 vs 100
|
| 8th October 2006
| Desperately Seeking Talent
|
| 1st October 2006
| Bad News and Treasure Maps
|
| 24th September 2006
| Is this entertainment?
|
| 17th September 2006
| Alaunus Held Hostage
|
| 10th September 2006
| Five Years On
|
| 3rd September 2006
| Fore!
|
| 27th August 2006
| Big Brother 7
|
| 20th August 2006
| Marlow and Maria
|
| 13th August 2006
| Reviews in Brief
|
| 6th August 2006
| Fort Boyard
|
| 30th July 2006
| Sports Relief
|
| 23rd July 2006
| ITV In Crisis, part two - Love Island
|
| 16th July 2006
| ITV In Crisis, part one - Poker Face
|
| 9th July 2006
| Full stop, question mark
|
| 2nd July 2006
| Boss-beaters
|
| 25th June 2006
| Scrambled X
|
| 18th June 2006
| Winningest
|
| 11th June 2006
| More long words
|
| 4th June 2006
| Schulze-Condorcet, and other big words
|
| 28th May 2006
| Eurovision Countdown
|
| 21st May 2006
| "We are the winners. Of University Challenge" - also Eurovision semi
|
| 14th May 2006
| The Price is Right?
|
| 7th May 2006
| The category's still there - Bullseye, Sitcom Showdown
|
| 30th Apr 2006
| Stat and More Stat
|
| 23rd Apr 2006
| School Daze (2) - That'll Test 'Em, Top of the Form
|
| 16th Apr 2006
| School Daze (1) - School's Out
|
| 9th Apr 2006
| History Today - Classic Comeback
|
| 2nd Apr 2006
| Front Page News - Countdown, Mastermind
|
| 26th Mar 2006
| Ready... - The Games, Eurovision draw
|
| 19th Mar 2006
| The West Lothian Question - Just the Two of Us
|
| 12th Mar 2006
| Teenage Kicks - A Song for Europe
|
| 5th Mar 2006
| The worst week of the Week
|
| 26th Feb 2006
| Countdown, Deal, Poll
|
| 19th Feb 2006
| Geekdom's only skin deep - Beauty and the Geek
|
| 12th Feb 2006
| Iced Tea - Dancing on Ice
|
| 5th Feb 2006
| Great shows
|
| 29th Jan 2006
| Great hosts
|
| 22nd Jan 2006
| Whose house is it? - Finders Keepers, Big Brother
|
| 15th Jan 2006
| Do we have to spell it out? - Hard Spell, Spelling Bee
|
| 8th Jan 2006
| The year ahead
|
| Date
| Topics
|
| 30th Dec 2005
| Weaver's Year 2005
|
| 18th Dec 2005
| Wealthwatch - Golden Lot, Millionaire Manor
|
| 11th Dec 2005
| Question or number - Sudo-Q, Junior Eurovision
|
| 4th Dec 2005
| Factor X
|
| 27th Nov 2005
| Strictly Weekly
|
| 20th Nov 2005
| Channel Four, Daily - Countdown and Deal or No Deal
|
| 13th Nov 2005
| The Mastermind Champion
|
| 6th Nov 2005
| The end of the marathon
|
| 30th Oct 2005
| Congratulations - Eurovision 50
|
| 23rd Oct 2005
| Glycosaminoglycan - it's Star Spell week
|
| 16th Oct 2005
| And now the questions go up - Sale of the Century
|
| 9th Oct 2005
| Hard Hat Area - The Golden Shot
|
| 2nd Oct 2005
| Pick Your Own
|
| 25th Sep 2005
| Old Friends Return - University Challenge, The Price is Right
|
| 18th Sep 2005
| Driving Up That Hill
|
| 11th Sep 2005
| Greatest Games - ITV's history, part three
|
| 4th Sep 2005
| Would Like To Find - ITV's history, part two
|
| 28th Aug 2005
| The Prize is Right - ITV's history, part one
|
| 21st Aug 2005
| The Annual Big Brother Review
|
| 14th Aug 2005
| Ride and win - Cash Cab, Raven
|
| 7th Aug 2005
| Watching Watching the Detectives
|
| 31st Jul 2005
| Poker Nights
|
| 24th Jul 2005
| Wizard Spelling - the Spelling Bee, Harry Potter quiz
|
| 17th Jul 2005
| As easy as 1-2-3 - Sudoku Live
|
| 10th Jul 2005
| Countdown's Finals Week
|
| 3rd Jul 2005
| Richard Whiteley - a national treasure
|
| 25th Jun 2005
| It's for yoo-hoo - The Big Call
|
| 18th Jun 2005
| Mock the Cats - also a Countdown Final Preview
|
| 11th Jun 2005
| The game show review review - Our Survey Said, Back in the Day
|
| 4th Jun 2005
| Europe Votes
|
| 29th May 2005
| One amazing evening
|
| 22nd May 2005
| The Awakening - Junior Mastermind, Eurovision semi
|
| 15th May 2005
| The University Challenge Final
|
| 8th May 2005
| People are coming, everyone's trying - Going For Gold remembered
|
| 1st May 2005
| They came, they had a go
|
| 24th Apr 2005
| It's All Oxford - and Splash Camp
|
| 17th Apr 2005
| Here's one we asked earlier - Perseverance
|
| 10th Apr 2005
| Growing Old Disgracefully (part three) - Ask The Family
|
| 3rd Apr 2005
| Growing Old Disgracefully (part two) - Double Your Money
|
| 27th Mar 2005
| Growing Old Disgracefully (part one) - Old Shows Reborn
|
| 20th Mar 2005
| The University Challenge Meta-Review
|
| 13th Mar 2005
| Something To Sing About - A Song for Europe, and Celeb Fame Academy
|
| 6th Mar 2005
| A new broom - The Apprentice
|
| 27th Feb 2005
| Park -v- Kielty Redux
|
| 20th Feb 2005
| Weaver's Week - Gold!
|
| 13th Feb 2005
| The Sunday Paper Review
|
| 6th Feb 2005
| Geronimo!
|
| 30th Jan 2005
| A short half hour
|
| 23rd Jan 2005
| Big Bother
|
| 16th Jan 2005
| Such Is Politics: Vote for Me
|
| 9th Jan 2005
| A new year miscellany
|
| Date
| Topics
|
| 28th Dec 2004
| Weaver's Year 2004
|
| 18th Dec 2004
| Tension mounts: Countdown's finals week
|
| 11th Dec 2004
| Spellcasting: Hard Spell and the Mastermind final
|
| 4th Dec 2004
| Scrap for All: Scrapheap Challenge, and a preview of the Countdown finals
|
| 27th Nov 2004
| Nine Live: Four hours of quiz tv
|
| 20th Nov 2004
| It Could Be Bunnies: Play the Game
|
| 13th Nov 2004
| Ten Years of the National Lottery
|
| 6th Nov 2004
| Begging the Question: Beg, Steal, and Borrow; and Paxman gets annoyed.
|
| 30th Oct 2004
| Look who's back!: An old friend returns, and we test our spelling
|
| 23rd Oct 2004
| OFCOM Rules OK: The Big Brother ruling
|
| 16th Oct 2004
| Spies Like Us: Spy
|
| 9th Oct 2004
| Let the Scrapping -- begin! Scrapheap Challenge and Jungle Run
|
| 2nd Oct 2004
| Playing Catchup: Countdown, and an unhappy winner
|
| 25th Sep 2004
| Scares on Thursday: Scary Sleepover, Mad Mad House
|
| 18th Sep 2004
| Crisis? What Crisis?: UC returns
|
| 11th Sep 2004
| Bognor? Bust?: Bognor or Bust, Crisis Command
|
| 4th Sep 2004
| Summer Review: International King of Sports
|
| 28th Aug 2004
| Ye Weyvere's Weeke: Bullseye, Catchphrase retrospective
|
| 21st Aug 2004
| Games Without Front Ears: House of Games
|
| 14th Aug 2004
| Let the Challenge - Begin!: Raven II
|
| 7th Aug 2004
| Big sigh of relief: Big Brother 5 summary
|
| 31st Jul 2004
| In the box: Dean from Big Brother's book
|
| 24th Jul 2004
| Good enough?: Simply the Best
|
| 17th Jul 2004
| Saturday Night Passport: Passport to Paradise
|
| 10th Jul 2004
| More preserve, sir?: Head Jam
|
| 3rd Jul 2004
| Results week: BB5 comments
|
| 26th Jun 2004
| Countdown Finals
|
| 19th Jun 2004
| Ask me another: The Interrogators
|
| 12th Jun 2004
| Cramming it in: The Cram
|
| 5th Jun 2004
| Kat's in the kitchen: More BB5
|
| 29th May 2004
| Voting procedures: Eurovision breakdown
|
| 22nd May 2004
| Euro Vision
|
| 15th May 2004
| A thousand times worse than Jemini: Quarantine
|
| 8th May 2004
| Looking back with Weaver's Week: Crisis Command, BBC 2 at 40
|
| 1st May 2004
| Four!: Blank Screen, Win Lose or Draw Late, Totally Top Trumps
|
| 24th Apr 2004
| Playing games: The Games return
|
| 17th Apr 2004
| University Challenge grand final
|
| 10th Apr 2004
| Smart enough?: Come and Have a Go...
|
| 3rd Apr 2004
| Universities Challenged: UC special
|
| 27th Mar 2004
| Saturday Night In: Ant and Dec
|
| 20th Mar 2004
| Still prejudiced?: Without Prejudice?
|
| 13th Mar 2004
| Don't forget to miss it: Memory Bank
|
| 6th Mar 2004
| Another song for Eurosong: Making Your Mind Up
|
| 28th Feb 2004
| The annual UC stats pack
|
| 21st Feb 2004
| Seventeen: 24 Hour Quiz
|
| 14th Feb 2004
| The Six o'Clock Blues: Traitor, Genies en herbe
|
| 7th Feb 2004
| Borg, ready: Beat the Cyborgs
|
| 31st Jan 2004
| Didn't They Do Well?
|
| 24th Jan 2004
| Stronger: Hercules
|
| 17th Jan 2004
| Beat the Nation
|
| 10th Jan 2004
| Stay up late with Weaver's Week: Shattered
|
| 3rd Jan 2004
| Bob Monkhouse tribute
|
| Date
| Topics
|
| 27th Dec 2003
| Weaver's Year
|
| 20th Dec 2003
| Weaver's Finals Week: Countdown
|
| 13th Dec 2003
| Fifteen to One remembered
|
| 6th Dec 2003
| University Challenged: UC, Eurovision
|
| 29th Nov 2003
| A painful read: Distraction, Junior Eurovision
|
| 22nd Nov 2003
| Eggheads, 19 Keys
|
| 15th Nov 2003
| All around the planet: Wright Around the World
|
| 8th Nov 2003
| Catchup already: Mastermind, UC
|
| 1st Nov 2003
| Thirty: Weaver's favourite gameshows
|
| 25th Oct 2003
| Revival week: Superstars, Fort Boyard
|
| 18th Oct 2003
| He is: I'm the Answer
|
| 11th Oct 2003
| Amazing talent contest shock: Fame Academy
|
| 4th Oct 2003
| In command of time: Time Commanders
|
| 27th Sept 2003
| Judgement Square
|
| 20th Sept 2003
| The Games
|
| 13th Sept 2003
| Familiar Faces
|
| 6th Sept 2003
| Journey into Space
|
| 30th Aug 2003
| Gobbet of the Week
|
| 23rd Aug 2003
| The FA:Q
|
| 16th Aug 2003
| Diluting the brand
|
| 9th Aug 2003
| On target
|
| 2nd Aug 2003
| Smartass Popularity Survey
|
| 26th Jul 2003
| Big Brother's Finished
|
| 19th Jul 2003
| A very hot week
|
| 12th Jul 2003
| The return of Mastermind
|
| 5th Jul 2003
| ITV's good night: Judgement Day
|
| 28th Jun 2003
| Transcontinental adventures
|
| 21st Jun 2003
| Going down with the ship
|
| 14th Jun 2003
| We have brains
|
| 7th Jun 2003
| Big Brother, Little Score
|
| 31st May 2003
| This Song, That Brother
|
| 24th May 2003
| Playing catch up
|
| 17th May 2003
| The Countdown To Big Brother 4
|
| 10th May 2003
| Talking with sausages
|
| 3rd May 2003
| Returning links
|
| 26th Apr 2003
| Dirty Rotten Cheaters
|
| 19th Apr 2003
| Murder, Treasure Hunt (guest reviewer: Nick Gates)
|
| 12th Apr 2003
| UC: Professionals (guest reviewer: Nick Gates)
|
| 5th Apr 2003
| One challenge ends, another begins: The Murder Game
|
| 29th Mar 2003
| A General Viewer writes...
|
| 22nd Mar 2003
| Weaver's Miscellany - HS, B&G, Nicked, Eurovision
|
| 15th Mar 2003
| Continuing topics
|
| 8th Mar 2003
| Boys and Girls
|
| 1st Mar 2003
| Are you sitting comfortably?
|
| 22nd Feb 2003
| Trading futures
|
| 15th Feb 2003
| All University Challenge statistics
|
| 8th Feb 2003
| More for the children
|
| 1st Feb 2003
| XX
|
| 25th Jan 2003
| Champion Countdown
|
| 18th Jan 2003
| Here comes the sun
|
| 11th Jan 2003
| No prejudice
|
| 4th Jan 2003
| Raving about old shows
|
| Date
| Topics
|
| 31st Dec 2001
| Weaver's Year 2001
|
| 24th Dec 2001
| Christmas game show guide
|
| 17th Dec 2001
| You Say We Pay, Make My Day
|
| 10th Dec 2001
| Stake Out, Jet Set Departure Lounge
|
| 3rd Dec 2001
| Shafted Shafted, Millionaire Interactive
|
| 26th Nov 2001
| WWTBAM meets Nicked!
|
| 19th Nov 2001
| Mastermind, Hot Property
|
| 12th Nov 2001
| Shafted!
|
| 5th Nov 2001
| No Win No Fee, Nicked!
|
| 29th Oct 2001
| Televised Democracy
|
| 22nd Oct 2001
| Under Crossfire
|
| 15th Oct 2001
| The Race begins
|
| 8th Oct 2001
| Get Lost
|
| 1st Oct 2001
| Some polite disagreements
|
| 25th Sep 2001
| Ahem...
|
| 18th Sep 2001
| Big Game hunting
|
| 11th Sep 2001
| UC, foreigners and real-life
|
| 4th Sep 2001
| Countdown goes Mental
|
| 28th Aug 2001
| Charmless pt. 2, Weakest Link one year on
|
| 21st Aug 2001
| Reality, Charming, Weak
|
| 14th Aug 2001
| Countdown rumours, Heat is On, King of the Castle
|
| 7th Aug 2001
| After the storm
|
| 31st Jul 2001
| TPV, UC, Survivor, BB
|
| 24th Jul 2001
| The week before the storm
|
| 17th Jul 2001
| Forging through
|
| 10th Jul 2001
| Back in the loop
|
| 3rd Jul 2001
| American vacation
|
| 19th Jun 2001
| BB and Survivor update
|
| 12th Jun 2001
| Flags on the beach: Survivor flops, BB
|
| 5th Jun 2001
| Big Brother vs Survivor, ticket call, what's new?
|
| 29th May 2001
| It's all go! BB2, Survivor, Number One
|
| 22nd May 2001
| Greed, Survivor
|
| 15th May 2001
| Coming attractions
|
| 8th May 2001
| Ted Rogers, Big Brother 2, Greed
|
| 1st May 2001
| Familiar formats
|
| 24th Apr 2001
| Coming and over there
|
| 17th Apr 2001
| Dog Eat Dog, Channel hopping
|
| 10th Apr 2001
| Irene Thomas, Weakest Merchandise, Gopherman
|
| 3rd Apr 2001
| Twister, University Challenge
|
| 27th Mar 2001
| University Challenge semis, Chained
|
| 13th Mar 2001
| UC, Touch the Truck, Celeb Big Brother
|
| 6th Mar 2001
| Hull, Wales, Truck, Mole
|
| 27th Feb 2001
| The Mole gives a winner
|
| 20th Feb 2001
| UC Quarter Finals, Mole
|
| 13th Feb 2001
| Strong Link, UC, Mole
|
| 6th Feb 2001
| Mole, UC, The Weakest Link: US
|
| 30th Jan 2001
| The usual suspects plus Jet Set
|
| 23rd Jan 2001
| Scheduling, UC, The Mole 2
|
| 16th Jan 2001
| Weakest Link, The Mole
|
| 9th Jan 2001
| It's Not the Answer, Millionaire Couples
|
