Going, Going, Gone
Contents |
Host
Andy Craig (1995-97)
Stuart Hall (1997-98)
Broadcast
Bazal (formerly Lomond) and BBC Scotland for BBC2, 16 October 1995 to 10 March 1998 (144 episodes in 3 series)
Synopsis
Going Going Gone. That's the smile on Tony Slattery's face when he dropped a studio audience's valuable antique on Going for a Song.
But this is Going Going Gone, but you can't blame us for putting an anecdote for a different show on for this because the BBC had a spate of antique game shows because they suddenly became the in thing. Suddenly it became very cool to rummage around your attic, find something old, and find out that it's worth approximately five pence.
The thing is though, there isn't much you can do with antiques other than a) determine what it is and b) value it. This show concentrates on the b) bit.
So then, this is The Price is Right in old money. We'd get a look in on an auction house and an item. Three celebs describe the item and give their price for it (including the antique version of Ainsley Harriott: Eric Knowles). Two of them are lying, one is telling the truth about the object and the price it went for. The players have to decide who is telling the truth. Once decided, we cross over to some recorded coverage of the auction where we find out what it actually went for. If they were correct they'd win points. Lawks!
In the final round, both players 'bid' for an item by trying to guess the value that something went for with the person finishing with the nearest price winning the mega-bonanza bonus points. It was hardly Hot Auction House Action though.
So there we have it then, a moderately enjoyable (read: dull) teatime antiques quiz replacement for the word game Catchword in the 5.30pm slot where it was pitted against a teatime repeat of Neighbours on BBC1. Pass the 16th century clay bucket.
Inventor
Format devised by Bazal Productions
Theme music
Paul Wilson
Trivia
One viewer wrote into Radio Times with the request, "Would someone please take the gavel from Stuart Hall and hit him over the head with it? He uses it far too much." In truth, this was probably little more than Hall showing off his usual over-enthusiastic (not to say manic) personality, but equally, one can appreciate that the constant and unnecessary banging of said instrument could well have proved irritating and/or distracting, which is probably why Hall's tenure started off at an earlier time of 4.30pm and then shunted to a lunchtime slot of 2.10pm after six weeks in.
Web links
Opening titles from the BBC Motion Graphics Archive
Videos
An episode from 1997
