Surprised nobody has posted anything about this yet, but I thought I'd flag it up in case anyone missed it. Fascinating programme hosted by Michael Grade on various shows and stars used by the BBC and ITV over the decades to win the Saturday night ratings battle. There were lots of interesting and detailed behind the scenes stories, such as how Who Wants to Be a Millionaire was commissioned, and unseen off-air clips. They even talked about Bruce's Big Night, with a clip of him defending the show... whilst on the show!
Thanks, enjoyed watching that. Though I'm surprised they skipped the Blind Date pilot and Noel's Saturday Roadshow.
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A former member
What an enjoyable programme, I agree that there skipped few Blind date pilots and also Noels Saturday Roadshow. Mind you Cilia black was already at LWT before Blind date? ie Surprise Surprise? or did there work side by side?
Bruce's big night wasn't bad, it just needed a bit more pin pointing, It was also nice to hear from Ant and Dec and there pretty on the level about their stuff.
I think Blind Date and Surprise Surprise started around the same time. Certainly they both started post that Wogan appearance. His daily chat show started in 1985.
The pilot of Blind Date is irrelevant really as it didn't play a part in the story like some of the others shown.
Saturday Roadshow was an odd omission but it would again have just been a footnote
That's not quite right. If you'd been right about Wogan's start date, then Surprise Surprise would've started before it, as Surprise Surprise started in May 1984. Blind Date started in November 1985. However, Wogan actually started in May 1982. It just moved from Saturday night to three weeknights in February 1985.
:-(
A former member
Surprise Surprise started on 6 May 1984, So it must have been produced for at least a year. A second series went out on 14 October 1984. Blind date started on 30 November 1985, but as you say that wogan appearance was in 83. Mind you, ITV had the dating game format for a few years before hand.
I still wonder why there never really said Gem game come back in the 90s, which would have helped prove a point. There was a few shows missing from this including the "The Price Is Right" that also helped push ITV into the lead.
That's not quite right. If you'd been right about Wogan's start date, then Surprise Surprise would've started before it, as Surprise Surprise started in May 1984. Blind Date started in November 1985. However, Wogan actually started in May 1982. It just moved from Saturday night to three weeknights in February 1985.
Yes and of course the Cilla appearance was on the Saturday Wogan show so at some point between 1982 & 1985.
Presumably they signed her up for Surprise Surprise but that didn't get a mention because it was on Sundays
That's not quite right. If you'd been right about Wogan's start date, then Surprise Surprise would've started before it, as Surprise Surprise started in May 1984. Blind Date started in November 1985. However, Wogan actually started in May 1982. It just moved from Saturday night to three weeknights in February 1985.
Yes, I tx'd a few 'Surprises' from VT so it was definitely pre-1985. I remember the original pilot for 'Blind Date' too. Cilla was definitely the best choice for it which the ratings subsequently proved.
I still wonder why there never really said Gem game come back in the 90s, which would have helped prove a point.
What point would it have proved exactly?
Quote:
There was a few shows missing from this including the "The Price Is Right" that also helped push ITV into the lead.
They couldn't include everything, the main thrust of the programme was about the channels poaching stars and ideas rather than just a list of popular programmes
Last edited by Inspector Sands on 19 December 2014 7:10pm
I really enjoyed that, thought it was great. I think I could listen for hours to stories about how shows were originally commissioned!
By concentrating on a relatively few number of programmes they could talk more about them and have it not effectively just a clip show. The stuff about Millionnaire's pitch, the shock-but-not of Cilla's live resignation and Noel's no-show was particularly interesting.
:-(
A former member
I have to say Paul Jackson, REALLY shouldn;t been in control of any Television content, and clearly does not have a graps about proper content. Disliking Britain got talent, being unhappy with House party, I side with noel over this, in 97/98 98/99 it just felt it lost something and the sets were crap.