Gameshows - S
Sale Of The Century1980s
John Benson announces "And Now...From Norwich" as this classic game show gets underway. Nicholas Parsons is the "man with the questions...and the money!" Although popular legend has it as "Live >From Norwich!" it was never broadcast live. And in that we take immense relief!
Shipwrecked2001
The key to this game was survival. 16 people were put on a South Pacific Island where at the end of the show there was no winner and no prize.
So You Think You Can Dance2010
Another example of the current trend of audience noise throughout the opening title sequence of studio-based entertainment programmes.
Star For A Night2001
"The Cruise" singer Jane Macdonald hosts this show that shows off the public's singing abilities in this BBC1 primetime show from the early naughties.
Star Town1978
A remake of the popular Top Town where towns chose the cream of their talent which was voted upon by the other towns taking part in the series. Terry Wogan presided over the competition and each town had celebrity captains which were Leslie Crowther, Tessie O'Shea, Janet Brown, Stan Stennett, Thora Hird, Acker Bilk, Stanley Unwin, Les Dawson and Eddie Waring.
Strictly Come Dancing2009
The BBC's hit entertainment show of the noughties.
Right clip - The sister show - Strictly It Takes Two, the daily fan shown on BBC Two.
Strike It Lucky1986
From Christmas 1986 Michael Barrymore and Strike It Lucky with some TVS continuity.
Also, the announcer on this clip is the legendary John Benson.
Strike It Lucky1991
"Awight a' tha' back?" Michael Barrymore invites 3 couples to cross the studio using video monitors, strategically banking cash and prizes and avoiding hotspots. First couple across answers one final question to play the final round to win £10000, £5000 or £2000 hitting only 2, 3 or 4 hotspots respectively.
Gameshows - T
Take Your Pick1998
Take the money or Open The Box? Yes, Des O' Connor guides contestants through this popular gameshow, but not before they've endured the Yes/No game (where contestants see if they can last 1 minute while answering Des' questions without saying Yes or No or nodding or shaking their head. They then choose a key and Des tries to buy it off them with increasing amounts of money. If they "Open The Box", then they keep the prize written on a card inside. Prizes ranged from a £1000 treasure chest, A brand new car, or more useless prizes like a plate of beans or an old sock. Jodie Wilson (now Mrs Des O' Connor) was your hostess.
Tarby's Frame Game1988
The Livipudlian commedian hosts this word guessing game. The premise was that contestants has to find a missing word that would form 2 phrases, such as GRAVE____COLD (the answer is "Stone", Grave Stone and Stone Cold). Top Prize was usually a fabulous holiday for two, along with consolation prizes including luggage sets and a home computer (which was basically an electric typewriter with a disk drive in the monitor, but it was classy in them days)
Test The Nation2003
Philip Schofield and Anne Robinson host this live show that the whole country could join in with, by phone, text or online. Multiple choice questions in various catagories were given in blocks of ten and the studio based celebrities and contestants (Hairdressers, Taxi Drivers and the like) had to log in their answers. At the end, the studio winners were announced (to much cheering) and the home based audience's results were broken down into which class of people got were the brightest (men, women, under 35's, where they lived etc)
Three Little Words1985
Join ventriloquist Ray Allan (no Lord Charles I'm afraid) and Barbie for HTV West's game show, Three Little Words, shown across the ITV Network in an early afternoon slot during the mid 1980's.
Ray Alan and Barbie were asked to take over from Don Moss to host this quiz about word association.
Treasure Hunt1987
Helicopter based game show featuring Anneka Rice as the sky-runner, who dashed around like a woman possessed under the instruction of 2 studio based contestants and the school headmaster-ish host Kenneth Kendal. Wincy Willis tracked their progress on a glorified weather map and Graham the Cameraman and Frank the Soundman were regularly seen on screen too, as well as Keith the helicopter pilot. Top prize was £1000 if all 3 clues were found. The legendary theme tune was written by Ed Welch.
Treasure Hunt1989
Anneka takes some maternity leave so tennis star Annabel Croft steps in to fill the blue jumpsuit. New titles and a new pilot (Ian) kicks off a new series. Look out for the strange giant like character during the tug-o-war at 1:03...the things they made that poor woman do!
Trick or Treat1989
Ex Radio 1 DJ Mike Smith and a young Julian Clarey (sadly no Fanny The Wonder Dog) host this LWT offering of the 80's. Audience members would bring in strange items and Julian would "Buy" them off them. One particular episode, the contestant was playing for a car, hidden under a sheet, and was elated when they got all the questions right. Imagine their dismay when the car turned out to be a Peugeot 205 that had been in a head on collision. Trick or Treat!
University Challenge1985
The long-running quiz show for university students was nearing the end of its original run in 1985 and we present what must be the shortest opening and closing sequence of just about any entertainment programme ever.
University Challenge1996
Jeremy Paxman takes control of this long running battle of brains, superceding Bamber Gascoigne as quizmaster. Famous for its "Starter For Ten" questions, this seemingly impossible quiz was a favourite among young and old, even though nobody except the brainiest of us could answer any of the questions. It has now been turned into a film starring Mark Gatiss of League of Gentlemen fame as the irreplacable Bamber.
University Challenge2010
Still going strong in 2010 but with a strings-based arrangement of the famous theme tune. The programme regularly rates as one of the most watched programme on BBC2.
The Vault2003
Earn the most Money and you have the chance to open the vault. Fail, and someone at home gets the chance. Davina McCall was the original host of the quiz, our clip shows her replacement Melanie Sykes at the helm
The Weakest Link2001
She of the strange wink and icy stare, Anne Robinson, presides over the show where conestants vote off the person that they feel is stopping them winning the most money. Famous for her lines like "who's wheel is still spinning even though the hamster is dead?" and "Who's a few fries short of a Happy Meal", this show has taken the world by storm and has been syndicated to Australia (where the host is Cornelia Francis who played Morag in "Home And Away") and the US (hosted by Anne but when it went to daytime, was hosted by George Gray....no me neither) as well as Ireland, Japan and Azerbaijan!
Totally Saturday2009
Totally Saturday was another Graham Norton-hosted entertainment show which was indeed broadcast on Saturdays.
Gameshows - W
We Love TV1984
A quick note saying that tonight's News at Ten will be extended before linking into this LWT-made quiz show hosted by Gloria Hunniford.
What's My Line?1988
Angela Rippon chairs the "Miming what I do for a living" and yes/no question based format which was a favourite on ITV at teatime. 3 celebrities would have to guess what someone did for a living by asking questions that gave a yes or no response. If they got 10 no's the contestant would have "beaten the panel" and was given a scroll as a memento of their day. Such was the prize fund budget at Thames at that time....
Wheel Of Fortune1988
Responsible for giving the world Carol Smillie, this was another favourite word guessing show from the Cowcaddens studios of STV. Based loosely on Hangman and imported from the US, contestants had to spin a large wheel with various point totals on it and guess letters from a phrase. Top prize was usually a car or £20,000 depending on the contestants choice (although during its daily teatime phase, the prize was only £10,000 and included the car option, it later went to £5,000 with no car option) Nicky Campbell and, according to Tyne Tees continuity at the start of the clip, hostess Angela "ekkyetti" (actually pronounced "A-ky-et-ee") present the show that fashion forgot.
Wheel Of Fortune2000
More of the same with a new-ish set and a new presenters. John Leslie takes over as host and Jenny Powell as hostess.
Winner Takes All1970s
The multiple choice betting game hosted by Jimmy Tarbuck. Watch what happens when you don't have a floor manager to cue the audience to applaud!
Winner Takes All1976
This time the audience claps at the right time. Interesting that Challenge TV left in the YTV chevron as often old ITV programmes have the company's logo removed from the start of the programme.
Winner Takes All1988
Same format, different title and host. Geoffrey Wheeler, the former voice over artist of the game when Tarby was host, now presents. Wheeler invented the show, then hosted and did the V/O.
A Word In Your Era1992
Rory McGrath hosts a challenge where 3 comedians dress up as historical characters and humourously debate who is the best.
Whose Baby?1983
The end of Anglia's birthday slot leads into this edition of Whose Baby, which was shown between the end of Children's ITV and the ITN News at 5.45. The name of the game was to identify the celebrity by asking questions of their children.
Who Wants To Be A Millionaire2001
Chris Tarrant is your host as contestants try to answer 15 questions to win £1,000,000. The first person to do so was Judith Keppel who is now one of BBC's Eggheads. The format has now been tweaked so that only 12 questions can win you the top prize. There have been celebrity versions of the show and the highest earning celebrity to date is Laurence Llewellyn-Bowen with £500,000.
Who Wants To Be A Millionaire2009
Still going a decade later, Chris Tarrant remains in charge although the theme tune has had a makeover, which rather takes away from the intended tension that the theme tune had tried to build up.
Wipeout1995
A daytime quizshow hosted by Paul Daniels where contestants can have their winnings instantly wiped out.
Wipeout1998
The late, great Bob Monkhouse presents this answer elimination game where contestants could win "Wipeout Wings" to the destination of their choice. The voice over at the start is none other than former Thames Television announcer Tom Edwards. Wipeout was filmed in the former Studio A of BBC Manchester.
Gameshows - X
The X Factor2006
This clip is from 2006 when your hostess was Kate Thornton. This clip is from the year Leona Lewis won the X Factor and her subsequent single release was the one she sang in the final "A Monent Like This"
A year later Kate Thornton was dropped as main presenter by Simon Cowell and ITV replaced by Dermot O'Leary.
Gameshows - Y
