Lucky Ladders
Contents |
Host
Co-hosts
Voiceover: Peter Simon
Broadcast
Anglia Television in association with Action Time and Basada Inc. for ITV, 21 March 1988 to 14 May 1993 (190 episodes in 6 series)
Synopsis
The man of knitted sweatshirts came back to host this 9.25am morning game show. Couples would attempt to win points by working out words on the Lucky Ladder. The top word and bottom words were given but they had to work out the rest. There was a connection between words on the ladder, not necessarily common throughout the whole ladder - just an association between connecting words. An example would be POLISH - FRENCH - CHALK - CALCIUM - TEETH - SAW - LOOK - STARE
Players could opt to "give" or "take" letters (i.e. usual play-or-pass tactics) in order to work out what those words are.
Inventor
Bob Stewart
Trivia
When losing the contestants won their "fabulous" Lucky Ladders trophies, which looked to consist of a gold-painted ladder on a piece of white polystyrene. Of course, things always look better on TV than they really are.
In the early days, the contestants had to give back their fantastic Lucky Ladders trophies because they only had six made for TV purposes. They were posted on to them later. This and many other behind-the-scenes gems were revealed on the BFI's One Day in Television documentary. It seems this changed later as Peter Harrington tells us, "as a contestant on Lucky Ladders, we had our trophies given to us straight away and it was a mug plus a clock."
It was Britain's most-watched daytime game show at the time (it says here).
Based on the US show Chain Reaction.
All the contestants in the first series came from the Anglia region.
Theme music
Mike Moran
