UK Game Show FAQ
This Good Game Guide lists common questions we receive about UK game shows. If you have a question that you think should be included, please Contact us.
See also UK Game Show Records
Contents |
Q. What was the first game show to be broadcast six days a week?
Q. Has anyone ever presented a game show they've devised themselves?
Indeed they have!
- Geoffrey Wheeler was both the devisor and voiceover for the original version of Winner Takes All, and hosted a later incarnation.
- Robin Ray devised and hosted Film Buff of the Year.
- Nigel Rees devised Quote... Unquote and Challenge of the South.
- Jonathan Ross co-devised and hosted It's Only TV... But I Like It.
- Amanda Ross created and hosted Intuition.
- Maria McErlane co-devised Carnal Knowledge.
- Gordon Burns has had a lot of influence in the shows he's presented.
- Confessions was partly devised by Simon Mayo.
- Andrew Lynford created Arty Facts.
- Jason Bradbury devised Mercenaries.
- Tony Slattery devised Tibs and Fibs. Oh, the shame.
- Cathy Rogers co-devised Scrapheap Challenge/Junkyard Wars and also created Full Metal Challenge.
- Jamie Theakston came up with The Search
- Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly were responsible for both All*Star Cup and PokerFace.
- Matt Edmondson was responsible for dating programme Dress to Impress.
- There was also Fluke, which was basically a vehicle for the comedic talents of creator Tim Vine...
- ...likewise Al Murray's Fact Hunt...
- ...and Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer's Families at War.
- But leading the pack is Roy Ward Dickson, who - as well as devising numerous other shows - both devised and hosted Abracadabra, Pix and Turnabout.
Q. Have there ever been any game show hosts that have been related to one another?
Yes:
- Paul Daniels and son Martin
- Richard Baker (A Question of News) and son James (Crack It)
- Ted Ray and son Robin
- Richard Dimbleby (Top of the Form) and sons David (Television Top of the Form) and Jonathan
- Roy Walker and son Mark (Steal)
- Jim Rosenthal and son Tom (Gods of the Game)
- Jon Pertwee and son Sean, plus Jon's cousin Bill Pertwee (Spytrap). Jon's brother Michael was the devisor of Yakity Yak too.
- Alan Coren, daughter Victoria and son Giles
- Jimmy Tarbuck and daughter Liza
- Johnny Ball and daughter Zoe
- Clement Freud and daughter Emma (Worldwise)
- Barry Norman and daughter Samantha (Treasure Trail)
- Jimmy Hanley and daughter Jenny (Star Games)
- Brother and sister Keith Chegwin and Janice Long
- Brother and sister Matt Edmondson and Kate Edmondson of Hider in the House.
- Brothers Jonathan and Paul Ross, plus sister-in-law Amanda Ross
- Brothers Richard and James McCourt
- Brothers John Leslie and Grant Stott
- Brothers Tim and Jeremy Vine
- Sandra Chalmers (Tichpuzzle!) and nephew Mark Durden-Smith
- First cousins Jon and Peter Snow
- First cousins once removed John Julius Norwich and Adam Hart-Davis
- Spouses Bernard Braden and Barbara Kelly
- Spouses Tess Daly and Vernon Kay
- Spouses Paul Coia and Debbie Greenwood
- Spouses Trey Farley and Katy Hill
- Spouses Sarah Greene and Mike Smith
- Spouses Coleen McLoughlin and Wayne Rooney (Street Striker)
- Spouses Cat Deeley and Patrick Kielty
- Spouses Jim "Vic Reeves" Moir and Nancy Sorrell (Trust Me I'm a Holiday Rep)
- Spouses Charlie Brooker and Konnie Huq (Huq's credits were before they married)
- Spouses Angellica Bell and Michael Underwood (Bell's credits were before they married)
- Spouses Brian and Kerry McFadden (Brian's credits were after they divorced)
- Spouses Rochelle Humes and Marvin Humes
Q. Have there been any UK game shows in languages other than English?
There certainly have been. We know of game shows in no fewer than six other languages: Welsh (numerous shows, of which probably the most famous is Sion a Sian), Gaelic (1 2 Stri), British Sign Language (See Hear on Saturday Quiz), French (Questions Sans Frontieres) and - with language learning in mind - German and Spanish (Top!).
