Down You Go
Contents |
Host
Marcus Dick
Dr. Bergen Evans (guest host, 18 June 1953)
Broadcast
BBC-tv, 1 January 1953 to 1 September 1955 (56 episodes)
Synopsis
Basically, a team version of hangman. Panellists guessed letters in turn. When a panellist guessed a letter that wasn't in the phrase, they were frozen out from guessing further letters with the words "Down you go!". Originally, fan-style screens were drawn in front of frozen-out panellists, but when the show was refreshed in April 1953, along with a new quizmaster there were now miniature cardboard heads of the panellists which were folded down to indicate when they were out.
Paul Jennings, Elizabeth Gray, Kenneth Horne and Patricia Cutts with cardboard heads of themselvesPanellists could also ask for general clues about the phrase to be guessed. Some clues were quite quirky - for instance, on the first programme, a phrase that dated from the reign of King Charles I was indicated by the appearance of a King Charles spaniel.
Catchphrases
"Down you go!"
Inventor
Based on a US format by Louis G. Cowan and Polly Spiegel Cowan. The latter also appeared as a panellist on the first UK edition.
Trivia
British actress Patricia Cutts was a frequent panellist on this version; she'd previously been a regular on the original US show. The US host, Bergen Evans, also appeared as guest host for one edition here.
