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Three years after his acrimonious split with ITV and eight years after he presented his last Generation Game, Bruce Forsyth is returning to the BBC with his own prime time entertainment show.
Named after another of the veteran entertainer's catchphrases - Didn't They Do Well? - the show is described as a "TV quiz where the contestants don't need to know anything about TV."
It completes the rehabilitation of the 75-year-old presenter, who guest hosted an episode of Have I Got News For You? earlier this year and is one of the names fronting the multimillion pound ad campaign for Sky Plus.
"I'm very excited to be doing this show, and I'm looking forward to working for the BBC again," said Forsyth, who recently celebrated half a century in showbusiness.
A BBC spokesman said the general knowledge quiz will use classic TV archive footage and boast a weekly prize fund of up to £36,000.
"All of the questions are supplied or driven by memorable moments from the television archive - but the key is that the contestants are not being tested on the programmes themselves, rather the subjects and the content of the clips.
"Three teams of two players will battle their way through four rounds of questions. In order to reach the prize money, the contestants must prove themselves experts in a variety of different fields, from politics and current affairs to arts and sciences."
Forsyth said it felt like a "rebirth" when he was asked to host Have I Got News For You?.
"I can't tell you how rejuvenating it is," said the veteran presenter, insisting he had no intention of quitting showbusiness but that he did not want to have to "scrape around" for shows.
"I don't want to be a silly old fool hanging on when everyone knows he is past it," he said. "When I do go, it will be with dignity. But it won't be for a while yet. It doesn't half give you a boost to prove that you still have it."
Forsyth, who was replaced on the BBC1's Generation Game by Jim Davidson eight years ago, spectacularly fell out with his ITV bosses three years ago over the future of quiz show The Price is Right.
The presenter claimed the show had been axed behind his back and vowed he would never again work for ITV's then director of programmes, David Liddiment. "He has lied to me, stripped me of my dignity and humiliated me. He has embarrassed me and shown me no respect whatsoever."
Didn't They Do Well? will be recorded next month and air on BBC1 in the New Year.
(Media Guardian)
Named after another of the veteran entertainer's catchphrases - Didn't They Do Well? - the show is described as a "TV quiz where the contestants don't need to know anything about TV."
It completes the rehabilitation of the 75-year-old presenter, who guest hosted an episode of Have I Got News For You? earlier this year and is one of the names fronting the multimillion pound ad campaign for Sky Plus.
"I'm very excited to be doing this show, and I'm looking forward to working for the BBC again," said Forsyth, who recently celebrated half a century in showbusiness.
A BBC spokesman said the general knowledge quiz will use classic TV archive footage and boast a weekly prize fund of up to £36,000.
"All of the questions are supplied or driven by memorable moments from the television archive - but the key is that the contestants are not being tested on the programmes themselves, rather the subjects and the content of the clips.
"Three teams of two players will battle their way through four rounds of questions. In order to reach the prize money, the contestants must prove themselves experts in a variety of different fields, from politics and current affairs to arts and sciences."
Forsyth said it felt like a "rebirth" when he was asked to host Have I Got News For You?.
"I can't tell you how rejuvenating it is," said the veteran presenter, insisting he had no intention of quitting showbusiness but that he did not want to have to "scrape around" for shows.
"I don't want to be a silly old fool hanging on when everyone knows he is past it," he said. "When I do go, it will be with dignity. But it won't be for a while yet. It doesn't half give you a boost to prove that you still have it."
Forsyth, who was replaced on the BBC1's Generation Game by Jim Davidson eight years ago, spectacularly fell out with his ITV bosses three years ago over the future of quiz show The Price is Right.
The presenter claimed the show had been axed behind his back and vowed he would never again work for ITV's then director of programmes, David Liddiment. "He has lied to me, stripped me of my dignity and humiliated me. He has embarrassed me and shown me no respect whatsoever."
Didn't They Do Well? will be recorded next month and air on BBC1 in the New Year.
(Media Guardian)
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