Worked on writing for the next hour or so. The main hall is guarded by a hungry, lean lion. Cora feeds him the sausage Florrie gave her, and he gratefully lets her pass. The door to the tallest tower is old and rusty. She oils it and makes it like new.
Put Match Game on Buzzr as I worked, then ate lunch. Buzzr is running game show episodes featuring Bob Barker all this week during the day in honor of what would have been his 100th birthday. I came in for a Match Game PM episode from 1978. Bob's so delighted to sit next to Loni Anderson, he insists on her whispering in his ear, even when she has nothing to say. The second episode from 1975 didn't feature Bob...but it did have a reference to his being on Tattletales that week and him and Gene hosting episodes of the show. And yes, that week was shown next. Gene was hosting when I headed out.
I think I'm going to take Uber at least one more week. My wrist and toe are still sore. My knee is better, but feels stiff. At least I had no trouble with them this time. I got a ride to work in 5 minutes going there and 8 minutes going home. Both rides took less than 5 and ran into no traffic.
No trouble at work, either. I swept the store twice, but spent most of the time pushing carts. It got cloudy and cold later in the evening, but nothing out of line for early December. We were fairly busy, likely due to it being the beginning of the month and many families restocking after Thanksgiving. I was in and out with no trouble other than some cranky people.
Went straight into more Match Game PM and dinner when I got home. Dick Martin, Helaine Lembeck, and Betty White joined in as a very funny older gentleman and a sweet lady. Richard had more trouble helping the winner out with "Bill of __" in the Head-to-Head.
On Match Game Syndicated, Fred Grandy and Brett brought up a previous PM episode where an overly enthusiastic contestant kicked Eva Gabor's toe and took the toenail off. She spent this episode with ice on it. Charles is less than amused by all of it - he's pretending to go "fishing" off the upper tiers by the end of the show.
Finished the night at YouTube after a shower with beloved British game shows. There's lots of shows from England that haven't traveled across the Atlantic, like The Golden Shot. Bob Monkhouse was the original host for this live archery show from ITV. Contestants, both in the studio and over the phone, would guide an arrow to a target on an exploding apple against a backdrop of Monkhouse's own goofy artwork. Models announced the prizes and the scores. Apparently, there would be a celebrity helping out and appearing in skits between shots; here, it's a comedian apparently known for playing an avid football (soccer) fan.
Monkhouse wasn't the only popular host in England during the mid-20th century. Comedian Bruce Forsyth was so loved, his name often ended up on the shows he hosted, like Bruce Forsyth's The Generation Game. The Christmas special from 1973 pits two pairs of relatives - in this case, two mothers and sons and two fathers and daughters - in goofy stunts. Here, they have to guess which BBC celebrities are dressed as snowmen, make Christmas crackers and mince pies, and appear in their own version of the Cinderella pantomime.
Countdown was such a hit, it's been running on Channel 4 since 1982. Apparently based on a French game show, it's a cross between Now You See It and a math class. Contestants alternate between finding words out of letters they choose and solving math problems. Simple and slow but fairly addictive, no wonder this has run for so long, other Channel 4 TV shows have devoted whole episodes or specials to parodying it.
Take Your Pick moves a lot faster. This one started on the radio, but eventually became one of the first shows on ITV. I couldn't find anything from its original 1955 to 1968 run, so I went with an episode from the almost as popular revival in the 90's. In the 90's show, Des O'Connor asks contestants a series of rapid-fire questions. Those who go the longest without answering "yes" or "no" come back to either keep their money or choose a prize. They might get a piano or a CD player...or what we in the US would call a "zonk," a bag of candy or a mouse trap. The gong seems a little goofy - probably a leftover from the show's radio days - but the premise is simple, addictive, and makes this one of the fastest-moving game shows I've ever seen.
Kids got in on the games in England, too. The Adventure Game was a hit children's game show on the BBC in the early 80's. This sci-fi themed show has two celebrities and a contestant traveling to the planet Arg to solve puzzles and complete some fantasy-related task, like finding a crystal to power their spaceship. BBC news anchors of the time were the hosts. I have the very first episode here. The sets look like they were borrowed from Doctor Who and once again, it moves slow, but the role-playing aspect and the puzzles are genuinely interesting.
Let's take a trip to jolly old England and check out some of the most popular game shows ever on the telly!
2 comments:
Emma, have you ever watched "QI" (QUITE INTERESTING)? It's a comedy game show where you learn a lot of trivia. There may be some old episodes on YouTube. Stephen Fry was the original host.
No, but it sounds like fun. Having enjoyed the episodes I watched last night, I will definitely be checking out more original British game shows. :D
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