Hosts with the most
Everyone’s a TV winner. MARION McMULLEN looks at the original telly favourites that have inspired Alan Carr’s Epic Gameshow
ALAN CARR is about to take his final plunge into the world of game show classics. The last episode of Alan Carr’s Epic Gameshow is on ITV on Saturday and the series has seen the comedian reviving some of Britain’s best-loved game show formats ... and giving them a supersized, updated twist. Here, we take a look back at the original ITV shows that were watched by millions of viewers every week.
BULLSYEYE (1981-1995)
Format: Comedian Norman Vaughan came up with the format of combining darts and general knowledge questions to win prizes.
MILLIONS watched this 30-minute game show at its peak. Former deputy headmaster Jim Bowen played host to three pairs of contestants in each show – one throwing the darts and the other answering questions to win prizes.
Jim let losing players look at what they could have won and sent them away with their BFH (bus fare home) and a Bendy Bully – a toy version of the show’s mascot.
Professional darts players like Eric Bristow, Jocky Wilson and Phil Taylor appeared playing for charity and celebrity guests over the years included footballer George Best, boxer Henry Cooper, Rod Hull and Les Dennis.
Jim presented the show for 14 years and became famous for saying “super, smashing, great”. His charm lay in the fact that he never got too excited and never felt the need to play up to the audience.
His neat line in self-deprecation was seen in his description of Bullseye as “the second-best darts-based game show on television” – It was the only darts-based game show.
On Sunday teatimes in the 1980s 17 million viewers agreed “You can’t beat a bit of Bully.”
Jim’s best catchphrase was “Look at what you could’ve won.” (It was usually a speedboat.)