ITV released their Autumn highlights today, the big news for us is the likely-to-come-across-as-a-bit-dodgy Simon Cowell talent show Walk the Line, Definitely Not Millionaire Hot Seat Sitting on a Fortune with Gary Lineker and what feels like the increasingly ill-fated The Moneyshotball with Ian Wright.

However it’s been pointed out that Katherine Ryan’s got a new dating show on ITV2, Ready to Mingle. In it, a singleton meets twelve people of the opposite sex and will whittle them away to one. Unfortunately half of the contestants are already in relationships and coached by their other halves, will attempt to be the chosen one for a big cash prize.

Sounds like fun!

Apropos of nothing, Channel 4 have commissioned a new dating show on Channel 4 with Joel Dommett, The Love Trap. In it, a singleton meets twelve people of the opposite sex and will whittle them away to one. Unfortunately half of the contestants are already in relationships and coached by their other halves, will attempt to be the chosen one for a big cash prize. The losers fall through a trapdoor.

Sounds like fun!

Do you remember where you were when you first discovered Jools Holland’s Annual Hootenany wasn’t live? I do, I was was watching BBC1 at the time, and he briefly showed up playing actually live at a New Year’s celebration event. My mind was blown. TV had lied to me all this time.

Anyway it was announced today that Craig Charles is to host a new weekday afternoon show on BBC Radio 6 Music. However, he’s also hosting upcoming Channel 4 daily afternoon quiz Moneybags, meaning potentially he’ll be front and centre of two different shows on different networks simultaneously.

Can anyone think of anyone else this has happened to?

In 2004, ABC commissioned a six episode run of Deal or No Deal to be fronted by Northern Irish funnyman Patrick Kielty and having recorded all the episodes, decided they weren’t going to show them. NBC picked up the rights, it was one of the biggest shows in the US, Howie Mandel gets a huge career boost, Patrick Kielty goes on to present the original laughing-stock Love Island (which becomes successful a decade later) and becomes better known as Cat Deeley’s husband.

A real Sliding Doors moment. Anyway, Wink Martindale has put up the ABC pilot on his channel.

It’s quite a strange mish-mash of colours and styles really – a lot of the set design decisions and direction seem to have been inspired by the Mexican version (dancing models, banker’s assistant coming through a door), the orange and yellow stylings are a choice and we’re not sure about Russ Landau’s sixties-esque music. I quite like the graphics. The temptation elimination game seems original to this version but takes forever and isn’t that much fun. I have no idea what the stutter dance is all about.

It seems a bit baffling that ABC passed on this, the core is as true as megamoney DoND has ever been, and you figure there are worse shows they could be broadcasting. But for one reason or another, it’s difficult to imagine this version being quite as big as the show became – maybe it’s too light. We’ll never know.

We were sad to hear about the passing of Tom O’ Connor at the weekend. He had hosted some of the greats – Gambit, Name That Tune – but probably best remembered for his many “from me, never a cross word, alright?” years hosting Crosswits.

Unfortunately though, the show he did that had the most bangeristly theme tune was The Zodiac Game, and not much exists online on the actual show itself.

Saturday, 7:15pm (UK) 8:15 (CET),
Pro Sieben and naughty internet streaming

Yo, what are you doing this evening? Not much these days I bet! So why not join us as two celebs battle it out for €100,000 in an empty studio across fifteen mystery games, one of which will be Blamieren oder Kassieren, live on German television?

As ever we will have our Discord open for live chat and quizzing and gossip and stuff. Remember it’s a privilege not a right so behave yourselves. To avoid cutting out, we advise turning Auto-sensitivity off and setting it to -85dB or so in your settings. Or! Mute yourself and go along for the ride.

To watch it would be useful to sign up for ProSieben’s catch-up service – it’s pretty simple to work out, don’t click the box if you don’t want e-mail messages. You will need to put in a proper e-mail because it will send you a confirmation. You will need some sort of VPN service to watch live.

I’m likely not going to be there for late 40th birthday reasons, but others certainly will so join in the fun!