Some tweets about US Jeopardy to save me writing everything out again

By | August 5, 2021

Basically, it sounds like Mike Richards (who also happens to be Jeopardy‘s EP) is The Chosen One. ETA: Although worth pointing out that “advanced negotiatons” doesn’t yet mean “has the job”.

Mike Richards apparently getting the Jeopardy gig is roughly culturally equivalent to Dermot o’ Leary hosting Mastermind. Possibly worth noting that Alex Trebek hosted a load of lowbrow stuff before and in addition to working on J.

I’ve always felt Mike a smart guy, as a producer pretty good at understanding modern audiences even if he probably wouldn’t bleed gameshow if you cut him with a knife.

I’m sure he’ll do fine, but it’s quite a boring, safe choice for 2021 really. Maybe that’s what it needs, I don’t know, it gets by largely on inertia these days.

Originally tweeted by Brig Bother (@BothersBar) on August 5, 2021.

QUALITY TWITTER ANALYSIS from people with no skin in the game. Hopefully someone will try Jeopardy in the UK again just to get it out of their system. It will fail. See also: Raid the Cage.

Stool Pigeon August 2021 – The Results

By | August 2, 2021

Eyes down, look in:

  • S2 of smash hit Lightning will drop the physical challenge round. I know, I’m devastated too.

When they did the 1995 Krypton Factor revamp, producers wanted to get rid of the assault course. Gordon Burns apparently told them that this was a stupid idea, the assault course WAS The Krypton Factor and of course he was right, and he won the argument (although they moved it to the beginning of the show). Now I’m not saying Lightning is the new The Krypton Factor – one lasted almost two decades, the other one is lucky to last two series, but I feel this story tells us something, although I’m not sure I quite know what to be honest.

  • 1% Club was an absolute mess of a production – from leaving people standing outside in direct sunlight for an hour and a half to refusing to let people go to the bathroom after eight hours. There were so so many issues.

Not gonna lie, we love a production car crash.

  • Supermarket Sweep Series 3 is going to return, but the market is getting another slight makeover.

I’m not sure about the veracity of this, but my local Co-op is currently shut for a makeover. Coincidence? You decide.

  • I’m a Celeb Aftersun (or whatever it’s called) is coming back as an ITV Hub exclusive. It is going to be hosted by Martin and Roman Kemp.
  • [Redacted Fortune Favours the Brave stuff at producer’s request, but it doesn’t sound all that promising.]
  • Rumours that there’s going to be some sort of Chaser exchange trip, with three Australian Chasers coming to the UK to film some UK shows, three American Chasers going to Australia, and three British Chasers going to the US.

I reckon the rumours have been made up by the writer. I can see the UK and Australian Chasers doing an exchange with each other, the idea that an American audience would give a toss about a couple of limeys doesn’t really seem feasible – The Beast is an anomaly in that he’s massive and can convincingly(ish) pull off the wrestler attitude in a way I can’t quite see with Jenny Ryan, as much as I love her work.

  • People of the Internet are continuing to do detective work on future Taskmaster casts based on their social media profiles, with the latest theories including Rhys James, Harriet Kemsley, and Chris Addison.

Wooh.

  • Winning Combination series 2 has had a slight format change. Instead of buzz in and answer a question correctly, then pick 2 from a grid of 6, it’s now pick 2 from a board of 9 (revealed one at a time).
  • I’ve been told there’s a new Egghead (I don’t think that’s news. Jeremy Vine hinted at that in a Radio Times piece recently). I’m sorry I don’t know who it is. But someone at the Bar is bound to know.
  • Richard Osman’s House of Games returns in September with another 106 shows. (20 Weeks on BBC2, 6 episodes for BBC1, including XMAS special) Champions of Champions specials returning featuring Daily Winners as well as weekly winners. Upcoming new Guests for regular House of Games feature Sarah Millican, Nabil Abdul Rashid, Philippa Perry, Luke Kempner, Sean Fletcher, Kimberley Wyatt, Louise Minchin, Chris Washington, Sanjeev Kohli, Tiff Stevenson, Jo Brand, Roger Black, Fern Brady, Martin Lewis, Kemah Bob, Gareth Thomas, Olga Koch, Toby Tarrant, Matthew Pinsent, Suzi Perry, Thaniya Moore, Ingrid Oliver, Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall, Lucy Beaumont, Mike Wozniak and Dennis Taylor. House of Games Night guests: 1 group featuring Steph McGovern, Ed Balls, Ben Miller and Janette Manrara. Other group features Dara O’Briain with 3 other unknown guests.

That seems factual enough.

  • I have nothing except have you noticed how on All4 you can’t watch any series of The Jump, however you can for some reason watch the only series of its unwatched E4 spin-off series The Jump: On The Piste.

A casualty of its own success.

Happy Yorkshire Day!

By | August 1, 2021

And what better way to celebrate than a few minutes of what must surely be Yorkshire Television’s finest hour, Wife of the Week with Christopher Biggins?

Goodbye, England’s Rose

By | July 28, 2021

The sad news is that Sky One is being axed, to be replaced by Sky Showcase and Sky Max (“same taste, no sugar”). What gameshow legacy does it leave behind?

  • Bob Mills fronted Games World. Classic.
  • The Rose of Montreux winning Wild Things. Great.
  • A League Of Their Own.
  • The New Price Is Right
  • Sale of the Century
  • Love At First Sight
  • Er.
  • That safe breaking thing with Ben Shepherd.
  • Little Monsters?

Farewell.

Edit: Of course, we can’t forget (although I did) Liza Tarbuck’s Blockbusters. Like all reboots of Blockbusters, it’s not on any more.

Show Discussion: Take Off With Bradley and Holly

By | July 24, 2021

Saturday, 6pm,
BBC1

I forgot to watch the pilot episode ages ago but the BBC have made a four-episode series of this, where contestants compete for A PLACE ON THE PLANE! tickets to go to Las Vegas.

Suspect this is more about having a vehicle for the nation’s sweethearts Brad and Holly on BBC1 than being a top class world beating format, it is rather giving off Totally Saturday! vibes from what little I’ve seen of it. Still, though.

Let us know what you think in the comments.

Incidentally, in what feels like a bit of a waste of episodes in this heat, the new series of The Wheel starts tonight at 8:30pm also on BBC1. I don’t think the second series is going to be different enough to warrant its own Show Discussion post, so here’s a link to the original one.