IS
Lose a Million was very much the perfect example of Carlton's early output (with Tarrant the perfect presenter) in that it was trying to parody the conventions of light entertainment, while also being light entertainment. Fantastic Facts with Jonathan Ross was another one, all a bit arch and ironic.
It's the kind of thing you could get away with on Channel 4 and probably ITV today, but not the ITV of 1993 as it was all too knowing and post-modern for a mass audience. I think one of the problems with the early days of Carlton is that those involved had vast experience of TV, but not much of primetime ITV, which is a hard market to crack.
I remember loving it at the time as it felt a bit chaotic compared to other quiz shows which were played straight and not so much for laughs. When you watch that particular episode back it only confirms that it was very much before its time. Chris Tarrant is at his best but certainly not the helpful host that you'd expect at the time (and is very different to the style he would become famous for five years later.) I particularly like the fact "smoke" is obscuring so many of the camera shots during the final round but it adds to the charm.
It has to win a million surely though for fantastic set design. I love that transition to the final round, but then I've always been partial to a rotating set.
But yes, it wouldn't feel out of place on modern day ITV - if this was a modern commission with Keith Lemon as host then it'd probably do well.
Isonstine
Founding member
It’s a great format though. It’s the sort of thing I think would work better these days than it did then.
Lose a Million was very much the perfect example of Carlton's early output (with Tarrant the perfect presenter) in that it was trying to parody the conventions of light entertainment, while also being light entertainment. Fantastic Facts with Jonathan Ross was another one, all a bit arch and ironic.
It's the kind of thing you could get away with on Channel 4 and probably ITV today, but not the ITV of 1993 as it was all too knowing and post-modern for a mass audience. I think one of the problems with the early days of Carlton is that those involved had vast experience of TV, but not much of primetime ITV, which is a hard market to crack.
I remember loving it at the time as it felt a bit chaotic compared to other quiz shows which were played straight and not so much for laughs. When you watch that particular episode back it only confirms that it was very much before its time. Chris Tarrant is at his best but certainly not the helpful host that you'd expect at the time (and is very different to the style he would become famous for five years later.) I particularly like the fact "smoke" is obscuring so many of the camera shots during the final round but it adds to the charm.
It has to win a million surely though for fantastic set design. I love that transition to the final round, but then I've always been partial to a rotating set.
But yes, it wouldn't feel out of place on modern day ITV - if this was a modern commission with Keith Lemon as host then it'd probably do well.