Ant & Dec's Gameshow Marathon

Since the rights to popular ITV gameshows of the past are owned by 3rd party TV production and media companies, what's
stopping any major entertainment based TV channel in the UK, not just ITV, recommissioning new series of any of them?

Example: Take Play Your Cards Right for instance. While Ant & Dec will soon be doing a one off revival of that gameshow
later in the Gameshow Marathon series, realistically, only the absolute legend that is Bruce Forsyth could do it justice.

But of course, Brucie's back with Auntie Beeb these days. And since there's probably not much chance of ITV wanting to
recommission it with Brucie now working for their biggest rival, and the fact that that show is owned by FremantleMedia,
what's to stop the BBC commissioning at least one new series of it before Brucie decides to retire from showbiz?!?

Play Your Cards Right had always been renowned as an ITV show through it's lifetime, but then Blankety Blank was
also similarly renowned for being a BBC show throughout it's lifetime. But, look what happened when Lily Savage
was presenting the newly revived Blankety Blank for the BBC. Not very long after that, Paul O'Grady jumped
ship to ITV, and Blankety Blank went along for the ride, and became an ITV show.

Similarly, (and IIRC this is something I think I mentioned here some time ago) since Granada makes a few shows
for the BBC, and the fact that Gordon Burns has been a mainstay on BBC North West Tonight since (IIRC) 1997,
maybe the BBC could even commission a new series of the Krypton Factor as well! I'm sure Granada TV Ltd
would probably jump at the chance of having that show being made at their studios again . . .

As we're mentioning Blankety Blank, I have loads and loads of uncut tapes from the BBC Lily Savage era! They are hilarious. He hates having to do retakes.

Anyway... I think they should bring back a bit of Bully out of this marathon. Lets have a new series of Bullseye on a Friday night before Corrie! Jim Bowen probably wouldn't want to host it (as he got bored of it!) so i suppose the baton goes to...well..Ant and Dec.

Nothing - but remember this is a nostalgia fest, only a couple of the shows would have any chance of returning.


In fact, earlier this year it was widely reported C4 were planning their own gameshow marathon, with adult versions of numerous gameshows planned.

It's a bit sad that Granada (insert whatever local ex-regional company actually producing the programme, here) cannot find studio space for itself without having to resort to the BBC TV Centre.

YTV have three huge studios (O.K., I know one is for Emmerdale and I'm not including the mill at Farsley, with it's six floors), Granada has three (again not including the warehouse), LWT (London Studios) has a seeming glut of facilities. Surely the mothballing of Norwich and the demolition of Southampton is now looking a little silly.

Just as an aside, does Culverhouse Cross still function these days?

Well at a guess, I would say because the audience was full of celebrities it's easier to draw a celebrity crowd from London than it is Leeds or Manchester ? Presumably the programmes would normally go out from the London Studios but they were in use for the Avenue of Stars. Maybe they will be back at the London Studios this week ?

But it's hardly a new thing for BBC or ITV to each others studio space is it ? The ironic thing I guess is that whilst The Gameshow Marathon was coming from the BBC studios, He's Having a Baby was coming from the London Studios.

You're forgetting the fact that all the studios are spun off as seperate companies thesedays, so Granada having to hire a studio from BBC Resources is just the same as hiring one from The London Studios.

Culverhouse Cross is still there but apart from ITV Wales News news and the odd regional programme for ITV Wales, nothing much else comes from there.

Isn't Channel 5's Endemol show "Brainteaser" made at Culverhouse Cross?

I didn't know that, but it's so weird seeing BBC and ITV shows in the studios of the other. They always managed to find space in the old days, why not now? And why doesn't it say filmed at the BBC studios on the credits?

Yes, Gameshow Marathon is back at LWT studios this week.

The games and props from The Price Is Right were not the originals kept in storage, but new jazzed up modern versions made by the same constructors, in the same way.

I wonder, were the 'come on down's last week already known about in advance or did all the celebrity's in the audience have to make sure they had up to 7 weeks free to appear on the following shows if they got picked.

Notice this week they are back to a 'Takeaway' style loud audience of the general public

you mist out that DUSTY BIN, appered!