My main problem with the Bullseye remake other than the fact that with 300 or so episodes already made by Central, it wasn't necessary, was that it had obviously been done on the cheap. Although the set was okay, the music was okay, the redrawn Bully was ok and even Spikey was fine, they seemed to have contestants that weren't great at darts, questions that were more difficult than the original and instead of a professional dartist throwing for charity, they had a celebrity instead (I know Central used to do this in early series too). The prizes weren't that great either, a CD player in 1989 may have been a good prize, a cheap MP3 player in 2006 not so much. Also, it was played for laughs too much. There, I said it.
I credit Challenge for their Bullseye revival because, bar a factor or two, it stayed true to the original and looked almost identical. Look at The Krypton Factor and you'll see how a revival can be ruined by being changed too much.
But neither shows lasted very long. So I guess the lesson is - Reviving old shows, whether staying true to the original or not, is pointless?
Bullseye NEVER fully stayed true to the original, and that host did not help....
In what way did it not stay true to the original?
Apart from a new set because it was filmed at Quay Street, Manchester rather than Lenton Lane, Nottingham or Gas Street, Birmingham and a new host. The rounds were exactly the same as the original and the cheesie cheap prizes in the prize round were the same as before. Only other difference, was, as mentioned the celebrity rather than darts player, in the charity round, but as also been mentioned even Central did that early on.
Anyway Dave Spikey, from Chorley and used to work at Royal Bolton Hospital, is not new to presenting gameshows as he has presenting a few in the past, with probably his longest stint being on Chain Letters, for Tyne Tees.
but Challenge could have done more of bullseye but there some problems...
* Dave spiky CRAP host and was never good pick in the first place, there should have brought back jim even if he made mistake on radio.
* Prizes was missingstuff IE white good. yes the prizes first time around were crap but there was always SOMETHING you needed for the kitchen in it.
* missing drum roll, and music etc for throwing darts.
My parents and others all turn off when there see the dave episodes......
Dave was crap on Chain letters aswell, some people are great at Gameshows, Barrymore, monkhouse, Holnes, Dave should stick to his comedy
Dave was not Jim Bowen and was never going to be Jim Bowen.
Jim Bowen had said that he did not want to go to back to do new episodes, so whoever they got was never going to be Jim Bowen.
By the second series Dave was making it his own, with his own catchphrases etc.
But by all accounts it was still the same show - even in the original they didn't have white goods for every prize-round.
So acccording to your argument, Family fortunes should only be done by the late Bob Monkhouse; The Price is Right should only be done by the late Leslie Crowther; Wheel of Fortune should only be done by Nicky Campbell; Name That Tune should only be done by Tom O'Connor; Blankety Blank should only be done by Terry Wogan...
Thing is presenters come and go and each new presenter may not be like by some but there will be some who do and will like the new ones will bring the shows to new audiencies - some will win over the viewers and some won't and will get replaced again, and again, and again.
The unanswerable question is, though, would Bullseye have won viewers over if it had been on a major channel rather than Challenge (as most successful revivals rely on not changing the format, or taking back the format to what the viewers liked, only with a new presenter and more up to date set).
There was absolutely nothing wrong with the revived Bullseye, apart from the fact the dart throwers were rubbish, and the bullseye in the category board round was only worth £150.
I credit Challenge for their Bullseye revival because, bar a factor or two, it stayed true to the original and looked almost identical. Look at The Krypton Factor and you'll see how a revival can be ruined by being changed too much.
But neither shows lasted very long. So I guess the lesson is - Reviving old shows, whether staying true to the original or not, is pointless?
I think Family Fortunes has proven that reviving an old show isn't necessarily pointless.
I thought all but the earliest series were filmed at Central East in Nottingham?
The show predated Central East, and even Central - beginning as an ATV Colour Production! I think the move occurred around half-way through the show's life.
:-(
A former member
S1 was ATV Elstree,
S2-S5 moved to Nottingham
S6 1990? went of to Brum
S7-S9 back to Notts
S1 was ATV Elstree,
S2-S5 moved to Nottingham
S6 1990? went of to Brum
S7-S9 back to Notts
Might have a job moving to Nottingham in 1982 considering Lenton Lane wasn't operational until late 1983.
Up to Series 9, Bullseye was recorded at Broad Street. After that it was moved to Lenton Lane and recorded in studio 7 until the show's demise in 1995.
With regards to Bullseys 2006, I think I said this before, but it could have been a lot worse than it actually was. Yes, admittedly, nobody of the darts players seemed "good" at darts and on occasion it appeared to be a miracle that the boards were hit at all, but on the whole it wasn't all that bad.