Blind Date (UK TV series)
Encyclopedia
Blind Date is a British
dating game show
produced by London Weekend Television
. An unscreened pilot was made with comic Duncan Norvelle
as presenter but it was eventually hosted by Cilla Black
, who already hosted the LWT series, Surprise, Surprise. Blind Date ran on Saturdays nights from 30 November 1985 to 31 May 2003.
or in the US as The Dating Game
. Three singles of the same sex were introduced to the audience. They were then questioned by a single of the opposite sex, who could hear but not see them, to choose with whom to go on a date. Before the decision 'Graham' (replaced on the final series by Tommy Sandhu
), who was never seen, gave an amusing reminder of each contestant. The couple then picked an envelope naming their destination, although the "random choice" was fixed as all envelopes contained the same destination. The following episode showed the couple on their date, and interviews with them about the date and about each other. Locations ranged from Bognor Regis
or a date in an ice cream factory to Anguila or the Maldives
.
. John Birt, LWT's director of programmes, and the IBA
regulatory body had reservations about Norvelle's camp style. Black had seen The Dating Game in the US and enthused about it to LWT's Alan Boyd, who produced Surprise, Surprise and who made the Norvelle pilot. After two pilots starring Black, the series was commissioned. Thelma Pickles, an old girlfriend of John Lennon, worked as a producer on the show.
accent and her catchphrases became familiar throughout the UK
. Viewing figures declined to 5 million by 2003.
, Dale Winton
, Paul O'Grady
, Ant and Dec, Claire Sweeney
and Jerry Springer
were to be in line for her replacement but the show was cancelled. However, the station briefly aired a similar show hosted by Davina McCall
, called Love on a Saturday Night
and in 2010 ITV's answer to Blind Date was called Take Me Out
and the show hosted by Paddy McGuinness.
A Comic Relief special in 1994 had Mr Bean on the show. The sketch featured Rowan Atkinson
as Bean, Barbara Durkin
as Tracy, Bean's date and Cilla Black. The skit also featured Alan Cumming
, in one of his earliest on-screen acting roles.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
dating game show
Dating game show
Dating game shows are television game shows, some say reality game shows, that incorporate a dating system in the form of a game with clear rules. Human matchmaking is involved only in selecting the game's contestants - usually for amusement value as opposed to any concern for their happiness or...
produced by London Weekend Television
London Weekend Television
London Weekend Television was the name of the ITV network franchise holder for Greater London and the Home Counties including south Suffolk, middle and east Hampshire, Oxfordshire, south Bedfordshire, south Northamptonshire, parts of Herefordshire & Worcestershire, Warwickshire, east Dorset and...
. An unscreened pilot was made with comic Duncan Norvelle
Duncan Norvelle
Duncan Norvelle is a comedian in the variety tradition who appeared on television from the early and mid-1980s. He is probably most famous for his catch phrase "Chase Me!", leading to him often being referred to as Duncan "Chase Me" Norvelle...
as presenter but it was eventually hosted by Cilla Black
Cilla Black
Cilla Black OBE is an English singer, actress, entertainer and media personality, who has been consistently popular as a light entertainment figure since 1963. She is most famous for her singles Anyone Who Had A Heart, You're My World, and Alfie...
, who already hosted the LWT series, Surprise, Surprise. Blind Date ran on Saturdays nights from 30 November 1985 to 31 May 2003.
Format
The show had a format similar to the show known in Australia as Perfect MatchPerfect Match (Australian game show)
Perfect Match is an Australian dating game show based on the format of The Dating Game. Perfect Match was produced by the Reg Grundy Organisation.It originally aired on Network Ten for 30 minutes most weekdays from 5:30pm between 1984 and 1989...
or in the US as The Dating Game
The Dating Game
The Dating Game is an ABC television show that first aired on December 20, 1965 and was the first of many shows created and packaged by Chuck Barris from the 1960s through the 1980s...
. Three singles of the same sex were introduced to the audience. They were then questioned by a single of the opposite sex, who could hear but not see them, to choose with whom to go on a date. Before the decision 'Graham' (replaced on the final series by Tommy Sandhu
Tommy Sandhu
Tommy Sandhu is a British DJ, Remixer, producer and television presenter who shot to fame after he appeared on the dating game show Blind Date with Cilla Black. Tommy is best known for his trademark shaved head and cheeky nature....
), who was never seen, gave an amusing reminder of each contestant. The couple then picked an envelope naming their destination, although the "random choice" was fixed as all envelopes contained the same destination. The following episode showed the couple on their date, and interviews with them about the date and about each other. Locations ranged from Bognor Regis
Bognor Regis
Bognor Regis is a seaside resort town and civil parish in the Arun district of West Sussex, on the south coast of England. It is south-south-west of London, west of Brighton, and south-east of the city of Chichester. Other nearby towns include Littlehampton east-north-east and Selsey to the...
or a date in an ice cream factory to Anguila or the Maldives
Maldives
The Maldives , , officially Republic of Maldives , also referred to as the Maldive Islands, is an island nation in the Indian Ocean formed by a double chain of twenty-six atolls oriented north-south off India's Lakshadweep islands, between Minicoy Island and...
.
Production
A pilot was shot in early 1985 fronted by comedian Duncan NorvelleDuncan Norvelle
Duncan Norvelle is a comedian in the variety tradition who appeared on television from the early and mid-1980s. He is probably most famous for his catch phrase "Chase Me!", leading to him often being referred to as Duncan "Chase Me" Norvelle...
. John Birt, LWT's director of programmes, and the IBA
Independent Broadcasting Authority
The Independent Broadcasting Authority was the regulatory body in the United Kingdom for commercial television - and commercial/independent radio broadcasts...
regulatory body had reservations about Norvelle's camp style. Black had seen The Dating Game in the US and enthused about it to LWT's Alan Boyd, who produced Surprise, Surprise and who made the Norvelle pilot. After two pilots starring Black, the series was commissioned. Thelma Pickles, an old girlfriend of John Lennon, worked as a producer on the show.
Popularity
At the height of its popularity in the 1980s, 18.2 million tuned in on a Saturday night. Black's scouseScouse
Scouse is an accent and dialect of English found primarily in the Metropolitan county of Merseyside, and closely associated with the city of Liverpool and the adjoining urban areas such as the boroughs of south Sefton, Knowsley and the Wirral...
accent and her catchphrases became familiar throughout the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. Viewing figures declined to 5 million by 2003.
Cancellation
The series ended in 2003 when, during the first episode - the first to be broadcast live - Black announced she was quitting the show. The production crew had not been told. Production was halted after the series ended; Trisha GoddardTrisha Goddard
Patricia "Trisha" Goddard is a British television presenter and actress best known for her morning talk show, Trisha Goddard, which is broadcast on a mid morning slot on Channel 5 in the UK. In Australia she is known as a long time presenter of Play School.-Background:Goddard was born in London,...
, Dale Winton
Dale Winton
Dale Winton is an English radio DJ and television presenter.-Early life:Winton's father, Gary, was "domineering" and died when Winton was 13. Winton was brought up by his mother, actress Sheree Winton...
, Paul O'Grady
Paul O'Grady
Paul James Michael O'Grady MBE is an English comedian, television presenter, actor, writer and radio DJ. He is best known for presenting the daytime chat television series, The Paul O'Grady Show and, more recently, Paul O'Grady Live, as well as his drag queen comedic alter ego, Lily Savage, as...
, Ant and Dec, Claire Sweeney
Claire Sweeney
Claire Jane Sweeney is an English actress, singer and television personality best known for playing the role of Lindsey Corkhill in the Channel 4 soap opera Brookside and her appearance on the first series of the Reality TV show Celebrity Big Brother.-Early Life:Sweeney was born in Walton, Liverpool...
and Jerry Springer
Jerry Springer
Gerald Norman "Jerry" Springer is a British-born American television presenter, best known as host of the tabloid talk show The Jerry Springer Show since its debut in 1991...
were to be in line for her replacement but the show was cancelled. However, the station briefly aired a similar show hosted by Davina McCall
Davina McCall
Davina McCall is an English television presenter and actress, most notable as the presenter of the UK version of Big Brother up until its move to Channel 5.- Early life :...
, called Love on a Saturday Night
Love on a Saturday Night
Love on A Saturday Night was a London Weekend Television produced game show that aired on ITV between 7 February and 22 May 2004. It was a replacement show for Blind Date, and lasted only one and a half series before being axed.-The main game:...
and in 2010 ITV's answer to Blind Date was called Take Me Out
Take Me Out (game show)
Take Me Out is a television dating game show, hosted by Paddy McGuinness, that started airing on ITV1 in the United Kingdom and TV3 Ireland on 2 January 2010. It is based on the Original Australian TV show Taken Out. In September 2010, Irish broadcaster TV3 started broadcating an Irish version of...
and the show hosted by Paddy McGuinness.
Famous contestants
Blind Date featured celebrities before they became well-known. These include:- Mark SpeightMark SpeightMark Warwick Fordham Speight was an English television presenter, best known as the host of children's art programme SMart. Speight grew up in Tettenhall, Wolverhampton, and left school at 16 to become a cartoonist...
(1989) - Amanda HoldenAmanda HoldenAmanda Louise Holden is an English actress and presenter. Among her roles are Mia Bevan in Cutting It, Sarah Trevanion in Wild at Heart, and the title role in Thoroughly Modern Millie, for which she was nominated for a Laurence Olivier Theatre Award...
(1990) - Howard GriffithsHoward Griffiths (presenter)Howard Griffiths is a presenter for the BBC.-Career:Howard Griffiths is a radio and television presenter. His broadcast career started on board Concorde en route to New York reporting for BBC Radio 5's Rave programme presented by Rob Brydon...
(1993) - Ed ByrneEd ByrneEd Byrne is a Perrier Award-nominated, Irish stand-up comedian, voice over artist and actor. He has presented television shows Uncut! Best Unseen Ads and Just for Laughs, and is a regular guest on various television panel games...
(1993) - Jenni FalconerJenni FalconerJennifer 'Jenni' Falconer is a British television presenter.-Early life:After her family relocated to the South of England when she was seven, Falconer moved to Leeds in 1994 to study Spanish and Italian. Whilst studying at university, she also launched her television career...
(1994) - Ortis DeleyOrtis DeleyOrtis Deley is a British television presenter, radio DJ and actor of Ghanaian/Nigerian descent. He went to Ernest Bevin College in Tooting Bec, London. He is currently one of the presenters of The Gadget Show and presenter of Choice FM on Sunday mornings....
(1995) - Nikki GrahameNikki GrahameNicola Rachele-Beth Grahame is an English model, columnist and television personality, who rose to fame in the UK when she was chosen to be a housemate on Big Brother 7 in 2006...
(2003)
A Comic Relief special in 1994 had Mr Bean on the show. The sketch featured Rowan Atkinson
Rowan Atkinson
Rowan Sebastian Atkinson is a British actor, comedian, and screenwriter. He is most famous for his work on the satirical sketch comedy show Not The Nine O'Clock News, and the sitcoms Blackadder, Mr. Bean and The Thin Blue Line...
as Bean, Barbara Durkin
Barbara Durkin
Barbara Durkin is an English actress and trained at the Manchester Polytechnic School of Theatre along with Steve Coogan.Though she made her debut in the 1987 British movie Wish You Were Here, she is better known for her television appearances. Her major credits include appearances in Mr. Bean,...
as Tracy, Bean's date and Cilla Black. The skit also featured Alan Cumming
Alan Cumming
Alan Cumming, OBE is a Scottish stage, television and film actor, singer, writer, director, producer and author. His roles have included the Emcee in Cabaret, Boris Grishenko in GoldenEye, Kurt Wagner/Nightcrawler in X2: X-Men United, Mr. Elton in Emma, and Fegan Floop in the Spy Kids trilogy...
, in one of his earliest on-screen acting roles.
Original series
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Specials
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External links
- Blind Date (UK) at BFI