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Gameshow Marathon (UK game show)
Encyclopedia
Gameshow Marathon is a British
game show, broadcast from 17 September 2005 to 26 May 2007 on ITV
(ITV1
/STV/UTV
).
After a quick retrospective look at the history of the particular show, the show itself is recreated. This involved recreating the original set and using original opening programme titles, including the appropriate producer ident
. All participants are celebrities, and any prizes won go into a "Viewer Prize Mountain" which is awarded to a viewer via a phone-in competition.
Ant & Dec's Gameshow Marathon is a seven-episode special event aired in 2005 on Britain's ITV, as part of a celebration of ITV's 50th Anniversary. In it, hosts Ant & Dec
presided over recreations of seven classic game shows that had been seen on the network. Six celebrity contestants competed in a series-long tournament, receiving a donation to their favourite charity for their participation. In addition, home viewers were given the opportunity to win the cash and prizes each episode's winning contestant "won" via telephone.
Series 2 began on Saturday, 7 April 2007 with Vernon Kay
as host.
The programme is co-produced by LWT (known as Granada Productions
/ITV Productions
and talkbackTHAMES
).
The shows recreated were:
The celebrity contestants in series 1 were:
The series was run as a three-round tournament. In the first round, each show was played by every contestant who had not already won a show. The four winners from the first round then competed in single-elimination format.
Carol Vorderman was the eventual winner of the series. The Golden Shot
was broadcast live like the original show, and Sale of the Century
had a dedication at the end to comedian Ronnie Barker
, who had died five days earlier.
Following the series, several of the shows were revived; Bullseye
returned on the game show channel Challenge, followed by The Price Is Right
and Family Fortunes
(in a celebrity format) on ITV, the latter hosted by one of the Gameshow Marathon celebrities, Vernon Kay
.
Les Dennis presented the prizes each week to the winners of the home viewer competition.
Gameshow Marathon was presented by series 1 runner-up Vernon Kay
. The programme aired every Saturday night on ITV from 7 April to 26 May 2007.
The shows that were played were:
* Was previously shown on BBC One
, from 1979 to 1990 and 1997 to 1999.
Bold type indicates the pre-programme ident used
The celebrities competing in series 2 were:
There was a slight change to the format for this series. As before, each show in the first round was played by those celebrities who have not already won a show. However, the remaining rounds were each a single show played by all celebrities still in the tournament: five in the quarter-final, three in the semi-final and two in the final.
The celebrity panelists for Blankety Blank were Andrew Castle
, Fern Britton
, Joe Pasquale
, Holly Willoughby
, Vic Reeves
, and Lorraine Chase
.
The special guests on The Golden Shot were Jo Brand
and Jim Bowen
.
The celebrity conductor on Name That Tune was Noddy Holder
. The celebrity instrument players were Antony Cotton
on the tubular bells, Carley Stenson
on the recorder, Adele Silva
on the xylophone and Kelvin Fletcher
on the swanee whistle. The celebrity pianist in the Bid-A-Note round was Myleene Klass
.
In Mr. and Mrs., the celebrities invited their real-life partners to play along.
On Bullseye, the celebrities were paired up with professional dart players. Andrea Catherwood was paired with Martin Adams
, Graeme Le Saux was paired with Phil Taylor and Michael Le Vell was paired with Raymond van Barneveld
. Tony Green
reprised his role as the scorer.
On Play Your Cards Right, each celebrity invited another celebrity to play with them. Graeme Le Saux played with Kyran Bracken
and Michael Le Vell played with Kym Ryder.
On the Blankety Blank and Mr and Mrs editions, the more recent revivals of both series were not mentioned on Gameshow Marathon, due to Blankety Blank having been presented by Paul O'Grady
, who was then in a legal dispute with ITV. It is unknown why the recent Mr and Mrs was not mentioned on the Gameshow Marathon.
Lionel Blair presented the prizes each week to the winners of the home viewer competition.
, where CBS
aired its own Gameshow Marathon in June 2006. This featured The Price Is Right, Card Sharks
(Play Your Cards Right
) and Family Fortunes
(Family Fortunes
). The other games played (not featured in series 1 of the UK version) included Let's Make a Deal
, Beat the Clock
, Press Your Luck
, and Match Game
(Blankety Blank
). The US version was later broadcast in the UK on ITV2
in a run that began on 31 August 2006.
In August 2006 France 2
aired a French
version called Le Marathon des Jeux TV. It featured Le juste Prix ("The Price Is Right
"), L'academie des 9 ("Hollywood Squares") and Une Famille en Or ("Family Fortunes"). Clips were shown of each show - of particular note was that L'academie des 9 was originally hosted by Jean-Pierre Foucault, better known as the presenter of the French version of "Who Wants to be a millionaire", and that several US Family Feud clips were shown, dubbed by the announcer. French radio and TV presenters Nagui
(formermly of Que le Meilleur gagne) and Pascal Sellem (formerly of La famille on Or were the co-hosts; no prize delivery was done as the show was a one-off, with members of the studio audience winning prizes depending on how their celebrity partners did.
A German
version for Pro Sieben premiered on 15 January 2007. The games played are Der Preis ist Heiss (The Price is Right), Geh aufs Ganze! (Let's Make a Deal), Hopp oder Top (Sale of the Century), Bube, Dame, Hörig (Card Sharks), Ruck Zuck (Bruce Forsyth's Hot Streak
), Familien Duell (Family Fortunes), and Glücksrad (Wheel of Fortune). The hosts are Oliver Pocher and Oliver Petszokat. It has the same title as the US version.
In the works is an Italian
version of the Marathon for Canale 5
. It is unknown what shows will be used (though it's likely the Italian versions of The Price is Right, Password, and Family Fortunes will be included) and who will host, though it's likely there will be two people hosting, as with all other European versions aired.
It appears Mexico
also has its own version of Gameshow Marathon as well, as part of Teleton
's charity funds for 2007. Marco Antonio Regil
hosts the marathon, which includes its versions of The Price is Right
(Atínale al Precio) and Family Fortunes
(100 Mexicanos Dijeron). It's on Televisa
.
Turkey
also has its own version of the Marathon, among the games played being their own versions of Kaç Para? (The Price is Right), Seç Bakalım(Let's Make a Deal), Şansını Dene (Press Your Luck), Aşağı Yukarı (Card Sharks), Parola (Password) and Aileler Yarışıyor (Family Fortunes), though "Password" was not played on the US or UK versions.
In Hungary It had only one episode on tv2-s 10th birthday (2007.10.04), Hosted By Till Attila, the first game was Szerencsekerék(Wheel Of fortune), The second was Esti broadway(Hollywood squares), The Third Was MultiMilliomos(Die Sat1 Quizshow), An the final was Áll az alku(Deal or no deal).
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...
game show, broadcast from 17 September 2005 to 26 May 2007 on ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
(ITV1
ITV1
ITV1 is a generic brand that is used by twelve franchises of the British ITV Network in the English regions, Wales, southern Scotland , the Isle of Man and the Bailiwicks of Jersey and Guernsey. The ITV1 brand was introduced by Carlton and Granada in 2001, alongside the regional identities of their...
/STV/UTV
UTV
UTV is a television channel based in the UK region of Northern Ireland. The channel is the Channel 3 or Independent Television licensee for Northern Ireland and is operated by UTV Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of UTV Media.- Terrestrial :* Analogue: Normally tuned to 3 * Freeview : 3...
).
After a quick retrospective look at the history of the particular show, the show itself is recreated. This involved recreating the original set and using original opening programme titles, including the appropriate producer ident
Ident
The Ident Protocol, specified in RFC 1413, is an Internet protocol that helps identify the user of a particular TCP connection. One popular daemon program for providing the ident service is identd.-How ident works:...
. All participants are celebrities, and any prizes won go into a "Viewer Prize Mountain" which is awarded to a viewer via a phone-in competition.
Series 1
Ant & Dec
Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly , known collectively as Ant & Dec, are an English comedy and TV presenting duo from Newcastle upon Tyne, England...
presided over recreations of seven classic game shows that had been seen on the network. Six celebrity contestants competed in a series-long tournament, receiving a donation to their favourite charity for their participation. In addition, home viewers were given the opportunity to win the cash and prizes each episode's winning contestant "won" via telephone.
Series 2 began on Saturday, 7 April 2007 with Vernon Kay
Vernon Kay
Vernon Charles Kay is a British television presenter, radio DJ, american footballer and former model. He began television presenting on the BBC children's programme FBi, a spin-off of Fully Booked. Since he has presented various programmes, most notably T4, Beat the Star and All Star Family...
as host.
The programme is co-produced by LWT (known as Granada Productions
Granada Productions
Granada Productions was a British commercial television production and distribution company. The company took its name from the successful ITV franchise, Granada Television....
/ITV Productions
Granada Productions
Granada Productions was a British commercial television production and distribution company. The company took its name from the successful ITV franchise, Granada Television....
and talkbackTHAMES
TalkbackTHAMES
Talkback Thames is a British television production company, a division of FremantleMedia . It was formed by the merger of Talkback Productions and Thames Television, the former ITV network franchisee for London on weekdays between 1968 and 1992...
).
The shows recreated were:
| Show | Years aired on ITV | Original producer | Date of Gameshow Marathon appearance |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Price Is Right The Price Is Right (UK game show) The Price Is Right in the UK was hosted by Leslie Crowther, Bob Warman, Bruce Forsyth, and Joe Pasquale. It ran from 24 March 1984 to 12 January 2007.-Crowther era :... |
1984–1988, 1995–2001 | Central Central Independent Television Central Independent Television, more commonly known as Central is the Independent Television contractor for the Midlands, created following the restructuring of ATV and commencing broadcast on 1 January 1982. The station is owned and operated by ITV plc, under the licensee of ITV Broadcasting... , then Yorkshire Yorkshire Television Yorkshire Television, now officially known as ITV Yorkshire and sometimes unofficially abbreviated to YTV, is a British television broadcaster and the contractor for the Yorkshire franchise area on the ITV network... |
17 September 2005 |
| Take Your Pick Take Your Pick Take Your Pick was a UK game show originally broadcast by Radio Luxembourg in the early 1950s. The show transferred to television in 1955 with the launch of ITV, where it continued until 1968... |
1955–1968, 1992–1998 | Associated Rediffusion, then Thames Thames Television Thames Television was a licensee of the British ITV television network, covering London and parts of the surrounding counties on weekdays from 30 July 1968 until 31 December 1992.... / Central Central Independent Television Central Independent Television, more commonly known as Central is the Independent Television contractor for the Midlands, created following the restructuring of ATV and commencing broadcast on 1 January 1982. The station is owned and operated by ITV plc, under the licensee of ITV Broadcasting... |
24 September |
| The Golden Shot The Golden Shot The Golden Shot is a British television game show produced by ATV for ITV between 1 July 1967 and 13 April 1975, based on the German TV show Der goldene Schuss. It is most commonly associated with host Bob Monkhouse, though, three other presenters also hosted the show during its lifetime... |
1967–1975 | ATV Associated TeleVision Associated Television, often referred to as ATV, was a British television company, holder of various licences to broadcast on the ITV network from 24 September 1955 until 00:34 on 1 January 1982... |
1 October |
| Sale of the Century Sale of the Century (UK game show) Sale of the Century was a UK game show based on a US game show of the same name. It was first shown on ITV from 1972 to 1983, hosted by Nicholas Parsons... |
1972–1983 | Anglia Anglia Television Anglia Television is the ITV franchise holder for the East Anglia franchise region. Although Anglia Television takes its name from East Anglia, its transmission coverage extends beyond the generally accepted boundaries of that region. The station is based at Anglia House in Norwich, with regional... |
8 October |
| Play Your Cards Right Play Your Cards Right Play Your Cards Right is a British television game show based on the American show known as Card Sharks. The gameplay was basically the same as in the American version.-Broadcast History:... |
1980–1987, 1994–1999, 2002–2003 | Grundy Reg Grundy Organisation The Reg Grundy Organisation was an Australian television production company founded in 1959 by businessman Reg Grundy . It has since branched out into Europe and the USA. The company first produced game shows, before branching into soap operas in 1973... , LWT 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... then Thames Thames Television Thames Television was a licensee of the British ITV television network, covering London and parts of the surrounding counties on weekdays from 30 July 1968 until 31 December 1992.... |
15 October |
| Bullseye Bullseye (UK game show) Bullseye was a popular British television programme. It was first made for the ITV network by ATV in 1981 and Central from 1982 until 1995, and hosted by Jim Bowen. The show originally aired on Monday nights from 1981, it was then moved to Sunday nights from 1982 to 1993 where it was watched by... |
1981–1995 | ATV, then Central | 22 October |
| Family Fortunes Family Fortunes Family Fortunes is a British game show, based on the American game show Family Feud. The programme ran on ITV from 6 January 1980 to 6 December 2002 before being revived by the same channel in 2006 under the title of All Star Family Fortunes... |
1980–2002 | ATV, Central, then Carlton Carlton Television Carlton Television was the ITV franchise holder for London and the surrounding counties including the cities of Solihull and Coventry of the West Midlands, south Suffolk, middle and east Hampshire, Oxfordshire, south Bedfordshire, south Northamptonshire, parts of Herefordshire & Worcestershire,... |
29 October |
The celebrity contestants in series 1 were:
- Eamonn HolmesEamonn HolmesEamonn Holmes is an Northern Irish journalist and broadcaster. He is known for his work on UK and Irish television, notably presenting GMTV and This Morning. He is married to TV presenter Ruth Langsford.-Education:...
(Sky NewsSky NewsSky News is a 24-hour British and international satellite television news broadcaster with an emphasis on UK and international news stories.The service places emphasis on rolling news, including the latest breaking news. Sky News also hosts localised versions of the channel in Australia and in New...
presenter) - Vernon KayVernon KayVernon Charles Kay is a British television presenter, radio DJ, american footballer and former model. He began television presenting on the BBC children's programme FBi, a spin-off of Fully Booked. Since he has presented various programmes, most notably T4, Beat the Star and All Star Family...
(TV presenter) - Patsy KensitPatsy KensitPatricia Jude Francis "Patsy" Kensit is an English actress, singer, model and former child star, known for her television and film appearances. Her films include Lethal Weapon 2 and she has been married to rock stars Jim Kerr and Liam Gallagher, as well as herself fronting the band Eighth Wonder...
(Actress) - William RoacheWilliam RoacheWilliam Patrick Harry Roache MBE is a British actor, best known for his role as Ken Barlow in the soap opera Coronation Street...
(Coronation StreetCoronation StreetCoronation Street is a British soap opera set in Weatherfield, a fictional town in Greater Manchester based on Salford. Created by Tony Warren, Coronation Street was first broadcast on 9 December 1960...
actor) - Carol VordermanCarol VordermanCarol Jean Vorderman MBE is a British media personality, best known for co-hosting the popular game show Countdown for 26 years from 1982 to 2008. In September 2011 she became a co-anchor of the ITV1 panel show Loose Women....
(TV presenter) - Ruby WaxRuby WaxRuby Wax is a BAFTA nominated American comedian who made a career in the United Kingdom as part of the alternative comedy scene in the 1980s.-Early life:...
(TV presenter, comedienne)
The series was run as a three-round tournament. In the first round, each show was played by every contestant who had not already won a show. The four winners from the first round then competed in single-elimination format.
Carol Vorderman was the eventual winner of the series. The Golden Shot
The Golden Shot
The Golden Shot is a British television game show produced by ATV for ITV between 1 July 1967 and 13 April 1975, based on the German TV show Der goldene Schuss. It is most commonly associated with host Bob Monkhouse, though, three other presenters also hosted the show during its lifetime...
was broadcast live like the original show, and Sale of the Century
Sale of the Century (UK game show)
Sale of the Century was a UK game show based on a US game show of the same name. It was first shown on ITV from 1972 to 1983, hosted by Nicholas Parsons...
had a dedication at the end to comedian Ronnie Barker
Ronnie Barker
Ronald William George "Ronnie" Barker, OBE was a British actor, comedian, writer, critic, broadcaster and businessman...
, who had died five days earlier.
Following the series, several of the shows were revived; Bullseye
Bullseye (UK game show)
Bullseye was a popular British television programme. It was first made for the ITV network by ATV in 1981 and Central from 1982 until 1995, and hosted by Jim Bowen. The show originally aired on Monday nights from 1981, it was then moved to Sunday nights from 1982 to 1993 where it was watched by...
returned on the game show channel Challenge, followed by The Price Is Right
The Price Is Right (UK game show)
The Price Is Right in the UK was hosted by Leslie Crowther, Bob Warman, Bruce Forsyth, and Joe Pasquale. It ran from 24 March 1984 to 12 January 2007.-Crowther era :...
and Family Fortunes
Family Fortunes
Family Fortunes is a British game show, based on the American game show Family Feud. The programme ran on ITV from 6 January 1980 to 6 December 2002 before being revived by the same channel in 2006 under the title of All Star Family Fortunes...
(in a celebrity format) on ITV, the latter hosted by one of the Gameshow Marathon celebrities, Vernon Kay
Vernon Kay
Vernon Charles Kay is a British television presenter, radio DJ, american footballer and former model. He began television presenting on the BBC children's programme FBi, a spin-off of Fully Booked. Since he has presented various programmes, most notably T4, Beat the Star and All Star Family...
.
Les Dennis presented the prizes each week to the winners of the home viewer competition.
Progression
| Round | Show | Winner | Eliminated |
|---|---|---|---|
| First | The Price is Right | Carol Vorderman | |
| Take Your Pick | Patsy Kensit | ||
| The Golden Shot | William Roache | ||
| Sale of the Century | Vernon Kay | Eamonn Holmes, Ruby Wax | |
| Semi-finals | Play Your Cards Right | Carol Vorderman | Patsy Kensit |
| Bullseye | Vernon Kay | William Roache | |
| Final | Family Fortunes | Carol Vorderman | Vernon Kay |
Series 2
Vernon Kay
Vernon Charles Kay is a British television presenter, radio DJ, american footballer and former model. He began television presenting on the BBC children's programme FBi, a spin-off of Fully Booked. Since he has presented various programmes, most notably T4, Beat the Star and All Star Family...
. The programme aired every Saturday night on ITV from 7 April to 26 May 2007.
The shows that were played were:
| Show | Years aired on ITV | Original producer | Date of Gameshow Marathon appearance |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Price Is Right The Price Is Right (UK game show) The Price Is Right in the UK was hosted by Leslie Crowther, Bob Warman, Bruce Forsyth, and Joe Pasquale. It ran from 24 March 1984 to 12 January 2007.-Crowther era :... |
1984–1988, 1995–2001, 2006–2007 | Central Central Independent Television Central Independent Television, more commonly known as Central is the Independent Television contractor for the Midlands, created following the restructuring of ATV and commencing broadcast on 1 January 1982. The station is owned and operated by ITV plc, under the licensee of ITV Broadcasting... , Yorkshire Yorkshire Television Yorkshire Television, now officially known as ITV Yorkshire and sometimes unofficially abbreviated to YTV, is a British television broadcaster and the contractor for the Yorkshire franchise area on the ITV network... , then talkbackTHAMES TalkbackTHAMES Talkback Thames is a British television production company, a division of FremantleMedia . It was formed by the merger of Talkback Productions and Thames Television, the former ITV network franchisee for London on weekdays between 1968 and 1992... |
7 April |
| Blockbusters | 1983–1993 | Central | 14 April |
| Blankety Blank Blankety Blank Blankety Blank is a British comedy game show based on the 1977–1978 Australian game show Blankety Blanks .... |
2001–2002 | Grundy Reg Grundy Organisation The Reg Grundy Organisation was an Australian television production company founded in 1959 by businessman Reg Grundy . It has since branched out into Europe and the USA. The company first produced game shows, before branching into soap operas in 1973... / Thames Thames Television Thames Television was a licensee of the British ITV television network, covering London and parts of the surrounding counties on weekdays from 30 July 1968 until 31 December 1992.... * |
21 April |
| The Golden Shot The Golden Shot The Golden Shot is a British television game show produced by ATV for ITV between 1 July 1967 and 13 April 1975, based on the German TV show Der goldene Schuss. It is most commonly associated with host Bob Monkhouse, though, three other presenters also hosted the show during its lifetime... |
1967–1975 | ATV Associated TeleVision Associated Television, often referred to as ATV, was a British television company, holder of various licences to broadcast on the ITV network from 24 September 1955 until 00:34 on 1 January 1982... |
28 April |
| Name That Tune | 1983–1987 | Thames | 5 May |
| Mr. and Mrs. Mr. and Mrs. Mr. & Mrs. is a television show that originated in Canada in 1963, debuting in Britain shortly afterwards. The Canadian version was produced at CFTO-TV in Toronto and ran on the CTV network for 780 episodes, and was hosted by Roy Ward Dickson, who was also the show's creator... |
1964–1988, 1999 | Border Border Television Border Television is the ITV franchise holder for the Border region, spanning the England/Scotland border and covering Dumfries & Galloway region, a small part of the south-west area of Ayrshire, the Scottish Borders, parts of north and west Northumberland and the majority of Cumbria... , HTV then Carlton Carlton Television Carlton Television was the ITV franchise holder for London and the surrounding counties including the cities of Solihull and Coventry of the West Midlands, south Suffolk, middle and east Hampshire, Oxfordshire, south Bedfordshire, south Northamptonshire, parts of Herefordshire & Worcestershire,... |
12 May |
| Bullseye Bullseye (UK game show) Bullseye was a popular British television programme. It was first made for the ITV network by ATV in 1981 and Central from 1982 until 1995, and hosted by Jim Bowen. The show originally aired on Monday nights from 1981, it was then moved to Sunday nights from 1982 to 1993 where it was watched by... |
1981–1995 | ATV, then Central | 19 May |
| Play Your Cards Right Play Your Cards Right Play Your Cards Right is a British television game show based on the American show known as Card Sharks. The gameplay was basically the same as in the American version.-Broadcast History:... |
1980–1987, 1994–1999, 2002–2003 | Grundy Reg Grundy Organisation The Reg Grundy Organisation was an Australian television production company founded in 1959 by businessman Reg Grundy . It has since branched out into Europe and the USA. The company first produced game shows, before branching into soap operas in 1973... , LWT 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... then Thames Thames Television Thames Television was a licensee of the British ITV television network, covering London and parts of the surrounding counties on weekdays from 30 July 1968 until 31 December 1992.... |
26 May |
* Was previously shown on BBC One
BBC One
BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
, from 1979 to 1990 and 1997 to 1999.
Bold type indicates the pre-programme ident used
The celebrities competing in series 2 were:
- Andrea CatherwoodAndrea CatherwoodAndrea Catherine Catherwood is a Northern Irish television presenter and journalist.-Early life:Andrea Catherwood was born and raised in Belfast where her mother, 'Adrienne McGuill', was an announcer and newsreader at Ulster Television from 1959 to 1969, and also presented 'The Romper Room', from...
(The Sunday EditionThe Sunday EditionFor the CBC Radio One radio show, see Sunday EditionThe Sunday Edition was a television programme broadcast on the ITV Network in the United Kingdom focusing on political interview and discussion, produced by London Weekend Television...
presenter) - JameliaJameliaJamelia Niela Davis , best known mononymously as Jamelia, is an English singer-songwriter, model, entertainer, television presenter and actress. She is most famous for her use of a cappella and prolific work in the R&B genre...
(singer) - Graeme Le SauxGraeme Le SauxGraeme Pierre Le Saux is a retired English footballer of French ancestry who played for the Premier League clubs Chelsea, Blackburn Rovers and Southampton, and for the England national football team. Primarily a left back, he was sometimes also played in midfield or on the left wing.After...
(footballer) - Michael Le VellMichael Le VellMichael Le Vell is an English character actor, who since 1983 has played the role of garage mechanic, Kevin Webster, in the soap opera Coronation Street....
(Coronation StreetCoronation StreetCoronation Street is a British soap opera set in Weatherfield, a fictional town in Greater Manchester based on Salford. Created by Tony Warren, Coronation Street was first broadcast on 9 December 1960...
actor) - Wendy RichardWendy RichardWendy Richard, MBE was an English actress best known for playing Miss Brahms in Are You Being Served? and Pauline Fowler in EastEnders...
(former EastEndersEastEndersEastEnders is a British television soap opera, first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 19 February 1985 and continuing to today. EastEnders storylines examine the domestic and professional lives of the people who live and work in the fictional London Borough of Walford in the East End...
actress) - Ben ShephardBen ShephardBenjamin Peter "Ben" Shephard, also known as "Sheps" is an English television presenter who currently works for Sky Sports, as well as ITV.-Personal life:...
(TV presenter)
There was a slight change to the format for this series. As before, each show in the first round was played by those celebrities who have not already won a show. However, the remaining rounds were each a single show played by all celebrities still in the tournament: five in the quarter-final, three in the semi-final and two in the final.
The celebrity panelists for Blankety Blank were Andrew Castle
Andrew Castle
Andrew Nicholas Castle is an English retired tennis professional, former British No. 1, and now television presenter.-Biography:...
, Fern Britton
Fern Britton
Fern Britton is an English television presenter, known as the former main co-presenter on the ITV magazine programme This Morning alongside Phillip Schofield. She left the show on 17 July 2009, her 52nd birthday.- Early life :...
, Joe Pasquale
Joe Pasquale
Joseph Ellis "Joe" Pasquale is an English comedian from Grays, Essex, arguably most famous for his high-pitched voice, use of visual gags and more recently being crowned "King of the Jungle", on the reality TV show I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!...
, Holly Willoughby
Holly Willoughby
Holly Marie Willoughby is an English television presenter and model, known for her work in presenting children's TV and entertainment shows. In her early career she modelled underwear and went on to present CD:UK...
, Vic Reeves
Vic Reeves
James Roderick Moir , better known by the stage name Vic Reeves, is an English comedian, best known for his double act with Bob Mortimer . He is known for his surreal and non sequitur sense of humour....
, and Lorraine Chase
Lorraine Chase
Lorraine Chase is an English actress and model. She became well known for her strong cockney accent and frequent use of cockney slang, and found fame through a series of television commercials for Campari before embarking on an acting career.-Television:After initially working as a model, Chase...
.
The special guests on The Golden Shot were Jo Brand
Jo Brand
Josephine Grace "Jo" Brand is a BAFTA winning British comedian, writer, and actor.- Early life :Jo Brand was born 23 July 1957 in Wandsworth, London. Her mother was a social worker. Brand is the middle of three children, with two brothers...
and Jim Bowen
Jim Bowen
Jim Bowen is an English stand-up comedian and TV personality. He is best known as the host of the ITV gameshow Bullseye, which he hosted between 1981 and 1995.-Early life:...
.
The celebrity conductor on Name That Tune was Noddy Holder
Noddy Holder
Neville John "Noddy" Holder MBE is an English musician and actor. He was the lead vocalist and guitarist with the rock band Slade....
. The celebrity instrument players were Antony Cotton
Antony Cotton
Antony Cotton is an English actor and singer best known for his roles in Coronation Street and the original UK version of Queer as Folk.-Early and personal life:...
on the tubular bells, Carley Stenson
Carley Stenson
Carley Anne Stenson is an English actress and singer, best known for playing Steph Cunningham in the Channel 4 series Hollyoaks. She also appeared as a performer in Abbamania, and is a member of the all-female band Diamond...
on the recorder, Adele Silva
Adele Silva
Adele Silva is an English actress and television personality who has been on stage and television since she was a young girl. She is best known for playing the role of Kelly Windsor in the television soap opera Emmerdale....
on the xylophone and Kelvin Fletcher
Kelvin Fletcher
Kelvin Warren Fletcher is an English actor and model who has played Andy Sugden in the long-running television soap opera Emmerdale since 1996....
on the swanee whistle. The celebrity pianist in the Bid-A-Note round was Myleene Klass
Myleene Klass
Myleene Angela Quinn is an English singer, pianist, media personality and occasional model. She was formerly a member of the defunct British pop band Hear'Say.-Early life:...
.
In Mr. and Mrs., the celebrities invited their real-life partners to play along.
On Bullseye, the celebrities were paired up with professional dart players. Andrea Catherwood was paired with Martin Adams
Martin Adams
Martin Adams is an English international darts player. Nicknamed Wolfie or Mr BDO, he is BDO world ranked number one, three-time and reigning BDO World Champion and three-time World Masters champion...
, Graeme Le Saux was paired with Phil Taylor and Michael Le Vell was paired with Raymond van Barneveld
Raymond van Barneveld
Raymond van Barneveld , nickname Barney is a professional darts player. He is a five time World Darts Champion, and two time UK Open Champion. From January to June 2008, he was the PDC world number one ranked player...
. Tony Green
Tony Green
Tony Green is a darts commentator for the British Darts Organisation on the BBC. He is also a former referee and master of ceremonies and was also co-host of the hit darts quiz show Bullseye on ITV alongside Jim Bowen and the show revived in 2006 on Challenge with Dave Spikey.- Darts career :A...
reprised his role as the scorer.
On Play Your Cards Right, each celebrity invited another celebrity to play with them. Graeme Le Saux played with Kyran Bracken
Kyran Bracken
Kyran Paul Patrick Bracken MBE is a former English rugby union footballer who played at scrum-half for Saracens, Bristol and Waterloo R.F.C....
and Michael Le Vell played with Kym Ryder.
On the Blankety Blank and Mr and Mrs editions, the more recent revivals of both series were not mentioned on Gameshow Marathon, due to Blankety Blank having been presented by 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...
, who was then in a legal dispute with ITV. It is unknown why the recent Mr and Mrs was not mentioned on the Gameshow Marathon.
Lionel Blair presented the prizes each week to the winners of the home viewer competition.
Progression
| Round | Show | Winner | Eliminated |
|---|---|---|---|
| First | The Price is Right | Graeme Le Saux | None |
| Blockbusters | Ben Shephard | ||
| Blankety Blank | Michael Le Vell | ||
| The Golden Shot | Andrea Catherwood | ||
| Name That Tune | Jamelia | Wendy Richard | |
| Quarter-final | Mr. and Mrs. | Andrea Catherwood | Jamelia Ben Shephard |
| Semi-final | Bullseye | Graeme Le Saux | Andrea Catherwood |
| Final | Play Your Cards Right | Michael Le Vell | Graeme Le Saux |
International versions
The format was later sold to the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, where CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
aired its own Gameshow Marathon in June 2006. This featured The Price Is Right, Card Sharks
Card Sharks
Card Sharks is an American television game show created by Chester Feldman for Mark Goodson-Bill Todman Productions. Two contestants compete for control of a row of oversized playing cards by answering questions posed by the host and then guessing if the next card is higher or lower in value than...
(Play Your Cards Right
Play Your Cards Right
Play Your Cards Right is a British television game show based on the American show known as Card Sharks. The gameplay was basically the same as in the American version.-Broadcast History:...
) and Family Fortunes
Family Fortunes
Family Fortunes is a British game show, based on the American game show Family Feud. The programme ran on ITV from 6 January 1980 to 6 December 2002 before being revived by the same channel in 2006 under the title of All Star Family Fortunes...
(Family Fortunes
Family Fortunes
Family Fortunes is a British game show, based on the American game show Family Feud. The programme ran on ITV from 6 January 1980 to 6 December 2002 before being revived by the same channel in 2006 under the title of All Star Family Fortunes...
). The other games played (not featured in series 1 of the UK version) included Let's Make a Deal
Let's Make a Deal
Let's Make a Deal is a television game show which originated in the United States and has since been produced in many countries throughout the world. The show is based around deals offered to members of the audience by the host. The traders usually have to weigh the possibility of an offer being...
, Beat the Clock
Beat the Clock
Beat the Clock is a Goodson-Todman game show which has aired on American television in several versions since 1950.The original show, hosted by Bud Collyer, ran on CBS from 1950–1958 and ABC from 1958–1961. The show was revived in syndication as The New Beat the Clock from 1969–1974, with Jack Narz...
, Press Your Luck
Press Your Luck
Press Your Luck is an American television daytime game show created by Bill Carruthers and Jan McCormack. It premiered on September 19, 1983 on CBS and ended on September 26, 1986. In the show, contestants collected "spins" by answering trivia questions and then used the spins on an 18-space game...
, and Match Game
Match Game
Match Game is an American television game show in which contestants attempted to match celebrities' answers to fill-in-the-blank questions...
(Blankety Blank
Blankety Blank
Blankety Blank is a British comedy game show based on the 1977–1978 Australian game show Blankety Blanks ....
). The US version was later broadcast in the UK on ITV2
ITV2
ITV2 is a 24 hour, free-to-air entertainment television channel in the United Kingdom owned by ITV Digital Channels Ltd, a division of ITV plc. It was launched on 7 December 1998, and is available on digital television via satellite, cable, IPTV and terrestrial platforms. The channel has the...
in a run that began on 31 August 2006.
In August 2006 France 2
France 2
France 2 is a French public national television channel. It is part of the state-owned France Télévisions group, along with France 3, France 4, France 5 and France Ô...
aired a French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
version called Le Marathon des Jeux TV. It featured Le juste Prix ("The Price Is Right
The Price Is Right
The Price Is Right is a television game show franchise originally produced by Mark Goodson and Bill Todman, and created by Bob Stewart, and is currently produced and owned by FremantleMedia. The franchise centers on television game shows, but also includes merchandise such as video games, printed...
"), L'academie des 9 ("Hollywood Squares") and Une Famille en Or ("Family Fortunes"). Clips were shown of each show - of particular note was that L'academie des 9 was originally hosted by Jean-Pierre Foucault, better known as the presenter of the French version of "Who Wants to be a millionaire", and that several US Family Feud clips were shown, dubbed by the announcer. French radio and TV presenters Nagui
Nagui
Nagui Fam is an Egyptian-born French TV and radio personality of Egyptian and Italian descent. In his professional life, he goes by his first name Nagui.- Biography :...
(formermly of Que le Meilleur gagne) and Pascal Sellem (formerly of La famille on Or were the co-hosts; no prize delivery was done as the show was a one-off, with members of the studio audience winning prizes depending on how their celebrity partners did.
A German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
version for Pro Sieben premiered on 15 January 2007. The games played are Der Preis ist Heiss (The Price is Right), Geh aufs Ganze! (Let's Make a Deal), Hopp oder Top (Sale of the Century), Bube, Dame, Hörig (Card Sharks), Ruck Zuck (Bruce Forsyth's Hot Streak
Bruce Forsyth's Hot Streak
Bruce Forsyth's Hot Streak is an American television game show that aired on ABC from January 6 to April 4, 1986. British television personality Bruce Forsyth hosted the series, the only time he hosted a series outside of his native United Kingdom...
), Familien Duell (Family Fortunes), and Glücksrad (Wheel of Fortune). The hosts are Oliver Pocher and Oliver Petszokat. It has the same title as the US version.
In the works is an Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
version of the Marathon for Canale 5
Canale 5
Canale 5 is an Italian private television network of Mediaset, the media branch of Fininvest. Canale 5 was the first private television network to have a national coverage in Italy in 1980, based on a local channel, TeleMilano 58, founded in 1978....
. It is unknown what shows will be used (though it's likely the Italian versions of The Price is Right, Password, and Family Fortunes will be included) and who will host, though it's likely there will be two people hosting, as with all other European versions aired.
It appears Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
also has its own version of Gameshow Marathon as well, as part of Teleton
Teletón (Mexico)
The Teletón in Mexico is an annual 24-plus-hour TV and radio broadcast, started in 1996, to raise money for children's rehabilitation centers for disabled children. Mexico's proposal was due to the initiative of Fernando Landeros...
's charity funds for 2007. Marco Antonio Regil
Marco Antonio Regil
Marco Antonio Regil is a Mexican television personality and game show host, born in Tijuana, Mexico. He began his career as a Radio D.J. when he was 15 years old...
hosts the marathon, which includes its versions of The Price is Right
The Price Is Right
The Price Is Right is a television game show franchise originally produced by Mark Goodson and Bill Todman, and created by Bob Stewart, and is currently produced and owned by FremantleMedia. The franchise centers on television game shows, but also includes merchandise such as video games, printed...
(Atínale al Precio) and Family Fortunes
Family Fortunes
Family Fortunes is a British game show, based on the American game show Family Feud. The programme ran on ITV from 6 January 1980 to 6 December 2002 before being revived by the same channel in 2006 under the title of All Star Family Fortunes...
(100 Mexicanos Dijeron). It's on Televisa
Televisa
Televisa is a Mexican multimedia conglomerate, the largest mass media company in Latin America and in the Spanish-speaking world. It is a major international entertainment business, with much of its programming airing in the United States on Univision, with which it has an exclusive contract...
.
Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
also has its own version of the Marathon, among the games played being their own versions of Kaç Para? (The Price is Right), Seç Bakalım(Let's Make a Deal), Şansını Dene (Press Your Luck), Aşağı Yukarı (Card Sharks), Parola (Password) and Aileler Yarışıyor (Family Fortunes), though "Password" was not played on the US or UK versions.
In Hungary It had only one episode on tv2-s 10th birthday (2007.10.04), Hosted By Till Attila, the first game was Szerencsekerék(Wheel Of fortune), The second was Esti broadway(Hollywood squares), The Third Was MultiMilliomos(Die Sat1 Quizshow), An the final was Áll az alku(Deal or no deal).