Shooting Stars
Encyclopedia
Shooting Stars is a British television
comedy
panel game
broadcast on BBC Two
as a pilot in 1993, then as 3 full series from 1995 to 1997, then on BBC Choice
from January to December 2002 with 2 series before returning to BBC Two for another 3 series from 2008 until its axing in 2011. Created and hosted by double-act Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer
; it uses the panel show format but with the comedians' often slapstick, surreal and anarchic humour does not rely on rules in order to function, with the pair apparently ignoring existing rules or inventing new ones as and when the mood takes them.
. The hosts (Reeves and Mortimer) and the two teams of three sit behind desks. The hosts ask questions of the two teams, and points are awarded for "correct" answers. The scoring is largely arbitrary and simply a device to give a structure to the proceedings. Reeves will almost always perform a gesture of rubbing both his thighs in front of a beautiful female guest seated directly to his right, to indicate his attraction to her.
Each episode is produced by editing together excerpts of a longer session. Sometimes the number of questions asked to each team is different, or certain contestants are never asked a question at all. Props also occasionally appear on contestant's podiums for no reason, including an M-Audio Keyboard which appears regularly in front of Bob but which he never plays.
Rounds include "true or false", the filmclip round, the impressions round and "The Dove from Above" ("The Blue Suitcase" in the pilot, and later briefly replaced by "The Crow From Below", "The Vest From the West", "George Dawes from the Upper Floors," "Donald Cox – The Sweaty Fox," "The Fly From Upon High" and "The Beast From The East" using the head of Ron Atkinson
as well as various other one-off ideas). In the impressions round, contestants have to guess what song Vic Reeves is singing "in the club style" – so stylised (or perhaps drunkenly slurred) as to be incomprehensible.
", in which a contestant had to pretend playing guitar to a recording. In 2002, the Dove was replaced by "the Wonderful, Wonderful Car", which was a tiny red car with buttocks on the bumper which fired out its questions at Mortimer. In the following series, the car was replaced by "Donald Cox the Sweaty Fox", a large, drunken, tentacled fox (again, suspended from the ceiling) who was voiced by Rhys Thomas
. For the special episode, a cardboard Spitfire called "Jet 1000" was used, which had its categories listed on a series of bombs coming out from it on pieces of string (referred to by Bob as its "payload"), while the others were written on the wings. Upon arrival the teams were asked to take pictures of it "flying" over with disposable camera
s, while Bob called it a special once in a lifetime event. When "The Dove From Above" was absent, the contestants had to call down its respective replacements in various styles. One of these was going "Bzzzz, Bzzz!" to call down "The Fly From Upon High", while a shivering noise that went "Brrrrr!!!, Brrrrr!!", being used to call down "The Vest From the West". During this alternative, Vic would introduce the round only for Bob to stop him and explain that the "Dove From Above" is on vacation, before following this up with "But we've got the next best thing!". In the pilot episode, a massive suitcase with the categories on were listed in lights with all of those chosen by the contestants. In the main series not all the categories are chosen.
In the "Dove From Above" round, and subsequent versions of the same round, if a contestant answers incorrectly, Vic shouts "UVAVU" (uːˈvɑːvuː) and pulls a silly face. If the contestant chooses a certain, prize-winning option, Vic will pull another silly face and yell "ERANU" (ɪəˈrɑːnuː) The prize is invariably a bizarre and practically useless device, an example of which would be eye
-spoons, consisting of spectacle
frames with teaspoon
s attached where lenses would be. These are to be used should one's eyes pop out of their skull
when visiting a nudist beach. Another example of bizarre and practically useless prize was a fartridge, which was part fart
, part partridge. Vic often tells a poor joke before this round, followed by silence, a howling wind, and a tumbleweed
blowing across the set, accompanied sometimes by the Grim Reaper walking across shot to the sound of death knells. Occasionally, as an act of mercy, Lamarr or Mortimer would sacrifice their reputations and tell the joke, at which point it becomes exceptionally funny and is almost worshipped by the audience and guests, much to Vic's disgust. Occasionally, this was shown as a dream sequence, and Vic would wake up, convinced the joke would be a success, only to be greeted by the usual silence.
Occasionally, there would be a "Maverick Round" where a guest would have to stand centre stage and represent something "via the medium of dance", or "The gift of the air guitar" as previously mentioned. They would then be judged by scorekeeper George Dawes (Matt Lucas
), who would invariably award them no points.
saying to watch or listen carefully. In one episode, Mark Lamarr's team were shown a clip from Citizen Smith (instead of a comedy clip created by the Shooting Stars team), and were totally unaware the question would relate directly to the clip. A serious question was asked requesting what a mans t-shirt read, only for Mark to make something up and then Vic saying his traditional "UVAVU!" wrong answer catchphrase. One of the most memorable film clips, was a spoof of The Naked Chef, with Matt Lucas playing the part of Jamie Oliver
, and Ulrika Johnson playing the part of his then wife-to-be Juliette Norton. In the sketch Lucas plays on highlighting Jamie's then constant use of the word pukka, constantly using the word while making sandwiches for a party in which he has invited his friends along (which he often used to do on his show, including the Sainsburys adverts). He keeps saying that he'll use something later which he has discarded such as an eggshell
, while Juliette twice appears asking if he would like any help, only to be turned away. At the end of the filmclip he throws a load of chips in his motorcycle
crash helmet.
and Ulrika Jonsson
– and two celebrity guests on each team. Lamarr left the series in 1997 as he disliked being in too many quiz shows at once (at the time he was hosting Never Mind the Buzzcocks
), and was replaced by novelist Will Self
when the series returned in 2002. At the same time comedian Johnny Vegas
was brought in as a regular guest on Jonsson's team, where he had a pint of Guinness on his desk where all the other contestants had water. Will Self was replaced by dead-pan comic, Jack Dee
for the 2008 15th Anniversary Special and for the 2009 series, which also saw Vegas replaced by Angelos Epithemiou, a creation of comedian Renton Skinner
. Contestants are often addressed by their surnames, in reference to University Challenge
.
In addition to the 'regulars', the panel consisted of other celebrities from music, sports, politics and other fields. Some of the most memorable episodes included members who were clearly unaware of the show's format. On one particularly famous episode Larry Hagman
is clearly totally befuddled by the experience. Writing in The Guardian
, Nancy Banks-Smith
described him as looking like a man in a nightmare.
Actress Lynne Perrie famously appeared drunk on the "Ladies Night" episode in series two and tried to sexually assault Charlie Higson who played a stripper in the episode.
Until the 2010 series, the "score" was kept by George Dawes, a bizarre, overgrown, ranting, drumming baby played by comedian Matt Lucas
. (Occasionally George's "mother" Marjorie Dawes – also played by Lucas – appears instead. She also appears in Little Britain
.) His arrival at the start of the show would be accompanied by the words "He's a baby!" sung to the tune of Led Zeppelin
's "Black Dog
". He would also provide a sound effect to signal the end of timed rounds: in earlier series this was a simple scream, but later became random phrases ("Leakage"), sometimes in regional accents ("That's it I'm turning the car around and we're going back to Dorset
!"), or advertising slogans ("Have you ever been to a Harvester
before?"). In the later series he would also perform "George's Song," on which subject questions would follow. These included "Lesbians", "Everybody's Talkin' About Football", "Hip Hop
Is The Best", "1942" (appeared in the 15 year special, while being a song about inventions such as floors, trees, shoes and the 'flu
) and even a rendition of the Rentaghost
theme song. One of the most famous songs is "Peanuts", with George shouting "Peanuts!" every so often to a backing track, while corpsing
. The costume Lucas wore for this performance later became an inspiration for his Little Britain
character Andy
.
Lucas quit the programme in the 2010 series due to scheduling conflicts with his other projects and the role of scorekeeper was taken over by Angelos Epithemiou.
made the most appearances with 19 as he was a permanent panellist on Ulrika's team during the 2002 series. Carol Vorderman
made a total of 3 appearances and Jarvis Cocker
, Stephen Fry
, Zoe Ball
, Les Dennis
and Sara Cox
each made two appearances.
returned as captain with Jack Dee
as the replacement team captain. Matt Lucas
also reprised his George Dawes character for the episode. Guests for the episode were Peter Jones
, Kate Garraway
, Christine Walkden
, and Dizzee Rascal
.
On 3 April 2009, it was announced that the show would return for a full sixth series. Most of the original cast returned along with Jack Dee, who continued as a permanent team captain after his appearance on the anniversary special. It began on BBC Two and BBC HD
on 26 August 2009.
The relaunched series altered the format in a number of ways:
Shooting Stars returned in July 2010 for a seventh series. This series made the following further changes:
British television
Public television broadcasting started in the United Kingdom in 1936, and now has a collection of free and subscription services over a variety of distribution media, through which there are over 480 channelsTaking the base Sky EPG TV Channels. A breakdown is impossible due to a) the number of...
comedy
Comedy
Comedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in...
panel game
Panel game
A panel game or panel show is a radio or television game show in which a panel of celebrities participates. Panelists may compete with each other, such as on The News Quiz; facilitate play by guest contestants, such as on Match Game/Blankety Blank; or do both, such as on Wait Wait.....
broadcast on BBC Two
BBC Two
BBC Two is the second television channel operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It covers a wide range of subject matter, but tending towards more 'highbrow' programmes than the more mainstream and popular BBC One. Like the BBC's other domestic TV and radio...
as a pilot in 1993, then as 3 full series from 1995 to 1997, then on BBC Choice
BBC Choice
BBC Choice was a BBC TV station which launched on 23 September 1998 and closed on 9 February 2003. It was the first British TV channel to broadcast exclusively in digital format, and was the first new channel from the BBC since BBC Two launched in 1964...
from January to December 2002 with 2 series before returning to BBC Two for another 3 series from 2008 until its axing in 2011. Created and hosted by double-act Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer
Vic and Bob
Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer , more commonly known simply as Vic and Bob or Reeves and Mortimer, are a British comedy double act...
; it uses the panel show format but with the comedians' often slapstick, surreal and anarchic humour does not rely on rules in order to function, with the pair apparently ignoring existing rules or inventing new ones as and when the mood takes them.
Format
The basic format of the show is that of a conventional panel gamePanel game
A panel game or panel show is a radio or television game show in which a panel of celebrities participates. Panelists may compete with each other, such as on The News Quiz; facilitate play by guest contestants, such as on Match Game/Blankety Blank; or do both, such as on Wait Wait.....
. The hosts (Reeves and Mortimer) and the two teams of three sit behind desks. The hosts ask questions of the two teams, and points are awarded for "correct" answers. The scoring is largely arbitrary and simply a device to give a structure to the proceedings. Reeves will almost always perform a gesture of rubbing both his thighs in front of a beautiful female guest seated directly to his right, to indicate his attraction to her.
Each episode is produced by editing together excerpts of a longer session. Sometimes the number of questions asked to each team is different, or certain contestants are never asked a question at all. Props also occasionally appear on contestant's podiums for no reason, including an M-Audio Keyboard which appears regularly in front of Bob but which he never plays.
Rounds include "true or false", the filmclip round, the impressions round and "The Dove from Above" ("The Blue Suitcase" in the pilot, and later briefly replaced by "The Crow From Below", "The Vest From the West", "George Dawes from the Upper Floors," "Donald Cox – The Sweaty Fox," "The Fly From Upon High" and "The Beast From The East" using the head of Ron Atkinson
Ron Atkinson
Ronald Ernest Atkinson, commonly known as "Big Ron" and "Bojangles" is an English former football player and manager. In recent years he has become one of Britain's best-known football pundits...
as well as various other one-off ideas). In the impressions round, contestants have to guess what song Vic Reeves is singing "in the club style" – so stylised (or perhaps drunkenly slurred) as to be incomprehensible.
Dove from Above
"The Dove from Above" is a large and shoddy prop animal made from cardboard and coloured paper, while being suspended above the contestants merely for the purpose of bearing six key words for further questions. Guests would be prompted to "coo" down the dove, referred to by Vic as "The gift of the coo" and would often use the word "Gift" for many descriptions including "Using the gift of the air guitarAir guitar
Playing air guitar is a form of dance and movement in which the performer pretends to play rock or heavy metal-style electric guitar, including riffs, solos, etc. Playing an air guitar usually consists of exaggerated strumming and picking motions and is often coupled with loud singing or lip-synching...
", in which a contestant had to pretend playing guitar to a recording. In 2002, the Dove was replaced by "the Wonderful, Wonderful Car", which was a tiny red car with buttocks on the bumper which fired out its questions at Mortimer. In the following series, the car was replaced by "Donald Cox the Sweaty Fox", a large, drunken, tentacled fox (again, suspended from the ceiling) who was voiced by Rhys Thomas
Rhys Thomas (comedian)
Rhys Thomas is an English comedian and actor.-Career:His breakthrough came while working as a runner on Shooting Stars, when he showed Charlie Higson and Bob Mortimer some sketches he had performed in college...
. For the special episode, a cardboard Spitfire called "Jet 1000" was used, which had its categories listed on a series of bombs coming out from it on pieces of string (referred to by Bob as its "payload"), while the others were written on the wings. Upon arrival the teams were asked to take pictures of it "flying" over with disposable camera
Disposable camera
The disposable or single-use camera is a simple box camera sold with a roll of film installed, meant to be used once. Most use fixed-focus lenses. Some are equipped with an integrated flash unit, and there are even waterproof versions for underwater photography...
s, while Bob called it a special once in a lifetime event. When "The Dove From Above" was absent, the contestants had to call down its respective replacements in various styles. One of these was going "Bzzzz, Bzzz!" to call down "The Fly From Upon High", while a shivering noise that went "Brrrrr!!!, Brrrrr!!", being used to call down "The Vest From the West". During this alternative, Vic would introduce the round only for Bob to stop him and explain that the "Dove From Above" is on vacation, before following this up with "But we've got the next best thing!". In the pilot episode, a massive suitcase with the categories on were listed in lights with all of those chosen by the contestants. In the main series not all the categories are chosen.
In the "Dove From Above" round, and subsequent versions of the same round, if a contestant answers incorrectly, Vic shouts "UVAVU" (uːˈvɑːvuː) and pulls a silly face. If the contestant chooses a certain, prize-winning option, Vic will pull another silly face and yell "ERANU" (ɪəˈrɑːnuː) The prize is invariably a bizarre and practically useless device, an example of which would be eye
Human eye
The human eye is an organ which reacts to light for several purposes. As a conscious sense organ, the eye allows vision. Rod and cone cells in the retina allow conscious light perception and vision including color differentiation and the perception of depth...
-spoons, consisting of spectacle
Spectacle
In general, spectacle refers to an event that is memorable for the appearance it creates. Derived in Middle English from c. 1340 as "specially prepared or arranged display" it was borrowed from Old French spectacle, itself a reflection of the Latin spectaculum "a show" from spectare "to view,...
frames with teaspoon
Teaspoon
A teaspoon, an item of cutlery, is a small spoon, commonly part of a silverware place setting, suitable for stirring and sipping the contents of a cup of tea or coffee...
s attached where lenses would be. These are to be used should one's eyes pop out of their skull
Human skull
The human skull is a bony structure, skeleton, that is in the human head and which supports the structures of the face and forms a cavity for the brain.In humans, the adult skull is normally made up of 22 bones...
when visiting a nudist beach. Another example of bizarre and practically useless prize was a fartridge, which was part fart
Fart
Fart is an English language vulgarism most commonly used in reference to flatulence. The word "fart" is generally considered unsuitable in a formal environment by modern English speakers, and it may be considered vulgar or offensive in some situations. Fart can be used as a noun or a verb...
, part partridge. Vic often tells a poor joke before this round, followed by silence, a howling wind, and a tumbleweed
Tumbleweed
A tumbleweed is the above-ground part of a plant that, once mature and dry, disengages from the root and tumbles away in the wind. Usually, the tumbleweed is the entire plant apart from the roots, but in a few species it is a flower cluster. The tumbleweed habit is most common in steppe and desert...
blowing across the set, accompanied sometimes by the Grim Reaper walking across shot to the sound of death knells. Occasionally, as an act of mercy, Lamarr or Mortimer would sacrifice their reputations and tell the joke, at which point it becomes exceptionally funny and is almost worshipped by the audience and guests, much to Vic's disgust. Occasionally, this was shown as a dream sequence, and Vic would wake up, convinced the joke would be a success, only to be greeted by the usual silence.
Occasionally, there would be a "Maverick Round" where a guest would have to stand centre stage and represent something "via the medium of dance", or "The gift of the air guitar" as previously mentioned. They would then be judged by scorekeeper George Dawes (Matt Lucas
Matt Lucas
Matthew Richard "Matt" Lucas is an English comedian, screenwriter and actor best known for his acclaimed work with David Walliams in the television show Little Britain; as well as for his portrayals of the scorekeeping baby George Dawes in the comedy panel game Shooting Stars, Tweedledee and...
), who would invariably award them no points.
Impressions round
The impressions round saw a "random light" pick a contestant at random, and then they had to do an impression of a celebrity. In the pilot this was called by Vic "random factor". Other elements of the impressions round included the aforementioned club style singing.Film clip round
The film clip round always included a clip that was related to the question, but the answer to the question was never shown in the film just like the lyrics of George's songs, despite Bob as a running gagRunning gag
A running gag, or running joke, is a literary device that takes the form of an amusing joke or a comical reference and appears repeatedly throughout a work of literature or other form of storytelling....
saying to watch or listen carefully. In one episode, Mark Lamarr's team were shown a clip from Citizen Smith (instead of a comedy clip created by the Shooting Stars team), and were totally unaware the question would relate directly to the clip. A serious question was asked requesting what a mans t-shirt read, only for Mark to make something up and then Vic saying his traditional "UVAVU!" wrong answer catchphrase. One of the most memorable film clips, was a spoof of The Naked Chef, with Matt Lucas playing the part of Jamie Oliver
Jamie Oliver
James "Jamie" Trevor Oliver, MBE , sometimes known as The Naked Chef, is an English chef, restaurateur and media personality, known for his food-focused television shows, cookbooks and more recently his campaign against the use of processed foods in national schools...
, and Ulrika Johnson playing the part of his then wife-to-be Juliette Norton. In the sketch Lucas plays on highlighting Jamie's then constant use of the word pukka, constantly using the word while making sandwiches for a party in which he has invited his friends along (which he often used to do on his show, including the Sainsburys adverts). He keeps saying that he'll use something later which he has discarded such as an eggshell
Eggshell
An eggshell is the outer covering of a hard-shelled egg and of some forms of eggs with soft outer coats.- Insect eggs :Insects and other arthropods lay a variety of styles and shapes of eggs. Some have gelatinous or skin-like coverings, others have hard eggshells. Softer shells are mostly protein....
, while Juliette twice appears asking if he would like any help, only to be turned away. At the end of the filmclip he throws a load of chips in his motorcycle
Motorcycle
A motorcycle is a single-track, two-wheeled motor vehicle. Motorcycles vary considerably depending on the task for which they are designed, such as long distance travel, navigating congested urban traffic, cruising, sport and racing, or off-road conditions.Motorcycles are one of the most...
crash helmet.
Humour
The title of the show is a pun on the fact that much of the humour is at the expense of the guest stars. To prove this point in the pilot episode, on the final line of the opening song (".. and let's start Shooting Stars"), Vic and Bob actually produced shotguns from behind the presenters' podium and fired them at the panels where the guests sat.Participants
There are two teams – Team A and Team B. Each team has a regular team captain – originally Mark LamarrMark Lamarr
Mark Lamarr is an English comedian, radio DJ and television presenter.-Early life:Lamarr was born in the Park South area of Swindon and has three elder sisters. His father is Irish...
and Ulrika Jonsson
Ulrika Jonsson
Eva Ulrika Jonsson is a Swedish television presenter in the UK, who became famous as a TV-am weather presenter and moved on to present Gladiators and became a team captain of the show Shooting Stars.-Early life:...
– and two celebrity guests on each team. Lamarr left the series in 1997 as he disliked being in too many quiz shows at once (at the time he was hosting Never Mind the Buzzcocks
Never Mind the Buzzcocks
Never Mind the Buzzcocks is a comedy panel game television show with a pop music theme, currently without a permanent presenter. It stars Phill Jupitus and Noel Fielding as team captains. The show is produced by Talkback Thames for the BBC, and is usually aired on BBC Two...
), and was replaced by novelist Will Self
Will Self
William Woodard "Will" Self is an English novelist and short story writer. His fictional style is known for being satirical, grotesque, and fantastical. He is a prolific commentator on contemporary British life, with regular appearances on Newsnight and Question Time...
when the series returned in 2002. At the same time comedian Johnny Vegas
Johnny Vegas
Johnny Vegas is an English actor and comedian. He is known for his angry rants, portly figure, high husky voice and support of St Helens rugby league club. More recently he has moved into dramatic acting.-Early life:He was born in St Helens, Lancashire, the youngest of four children of Laurence...
was brought in as a regular guest on Jonsson's team, where he had a pint of Guinness on his desk where all the other contestants had water. Will Self was replaced by dead-pan comic, Jack Dee
Jack Dee
James Andrew Innes "Jack" Dee is an English stand-up comedian, actor and writer known for his sardonic, curmudgeonly, and deadpan style.-Early life:...
for the 2008 15th Anniversary Special and for the 2009 series, which also saw Vegas replaced by Angelos Epithemiou, a creation of comedian Renton Skinner
Renton Skinner
Daniel "Dan" Renton Skinner is a British actor and comedy writer, working in stage, film and television. Renton is a member of the popular British five-man sketch troupe Dutch Elm Conservatoire...
. Contestants are often addressed by their surnames, in reference to University Challenge
University Challenge
University Challenge is a British quiz programme that has aired since 1962. The format is based on the American show College Bowl, which ran on NBC radio from 1953 to 1957, and on NBC television from 1959 to 1970....
.
In addition to the 'regulars', the panel consisted of other celebrities from music, sports, politics and other fields. Some of the most memorable episodes included members who were clearly unaware of the show's format. On one particularly famous episode Larry Hagman
Larry Hagman
Larry Martin Hagman is an American film and television actor, producer and director known for playing J.R. Ewing in the 1980s primetime television soap opera Dallas and Major Anthony "Tony" Nelson in the 1960s sitcom I Dream of Jeannie.-Early life and career:Hagman was born in Fort Worth, Texas...
is clearly totally befuddled by the experience. Writing in The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
, Nancy Banks-Smith
Nancy Banks-Smith
Nancy Banks-Smith is a British television critic; she began writing for The Guardian in 1969. In 1970 she was recommended for the Order of the British Empire, which she declined.*1951- 1955: Northern Daily Telegraph, reporter...
described him as looking like a man in a nightmare.
Actress Lynne Perrie famously appeared drunk on the "Ladies Night" episode in series two and tried to sexually assault Charlie Higson who played a stripper in the episode.
Until the 2010 series, the "score" was kept by George Dawes, a bizarre, overgrown, ranting, drumming baby played by comedian Matt Lucas
Matt Lucas
Matthew Richard "Matt" Lucas is an English comedian, screenwriter and actor best known for his acclaimed work with David Walliams in the television show Little Britain; as well as for his portrayals of the scorekeeping baby George Dawes in the comedy panel game Shooting Stars, Tweedledee and...
. (Occasionally George's "mother" Marjorie Dawes – also played by Lucas – appears instead. She also appears in Little Britain
Little Britain
Little Britain is a British character-based comedy sketch show which was first broadcast on BBC radio and then turned into a television show. It was written by comic duo David Walliams and Matt Lucas...
.) His arrival at the start of the show would be accompanied by the words "He's a baby!" sung to the tune of Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band, active in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Formed in 1968, they consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham...
's "Black Dog
Black Dog (song)
"Black Dog" is a song by English rock band Led Zeppelin, the lead off track of their fourth album, released in 1971. It was also released as a single in the United States and Australia with "Misty Mountain Hop" on the B-side, and reached #15 on Billboard and #11 in Australia.In 2010, the song was...
". He would also provide a sound effect to signal the end of timed rounds: in earlier series this was a simple scream, but later became random phrases ("Leakage"), sometimes in regional accents ("That's it I'm turning the car around and we're going back to Dorset
Dorset
Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
!"), or advertising slogans ("Have you ever been to a Harvester
Harvester (restaurant)
Harvester Restaurants is a popular family farmhouse-style licensed restaurant chain with more than 170 outlets in the United Kingdom.-History:-Courage:...
before?"). In the later series he would also perform "George's Song," on which subject questions would follow. These included "Lesbians", "Everybody's Talkin' About Football", "Hip Hop
Hip hop
Hip hop is a form of musical expression and artistic culture that originated in African-American and Latino communities during the 1970s in New York City, specifically the Bronx. DJ Afrika Bambaataa outlined the four pillars of hip hop culture: MCing, DJing, breaking and graffiti writing...
Is The Best", "1942" (appeared in the 15 year special, while being a song about inventions such as floors, trees, shoes and the 'flu
Influenza
Influenza, commonly referred to as the flu, is an infectious disease caused by RNA viruses of the family Orthomyxoviridae , that affects birds and mammals...
) and even a rendition of the Rentaghost
Rentaghost
Rentaghost is a British children's television comedy show, broadcast by the BBC between 6 January 1976 and 6 November 1984. The show's plot centred on the antics of a number of ghosts who worked for a firm called Rentaghost, which rented out the ghosts for various tasks.-Background:The company,...
theme song. One of the most famous songs is "Peanuts", with George shouting "Peanuts!" every so often to a backing track, while corpsing
Corpsing
Corpsing is a British theatrical slang term used to describe when an actor unintentionally breaks character during a scene by laughing or by causing another cast member to laugh...
. The costume Lucas wore for this performance later became an inspiration for his Little Britain
Little Britain
Little Britain is a British character-based comedy sketch show which was first broadcast on BBC radio and then turned into a television show. It was written by comic duo David Walliams and Matt Lucas...
character Andy
Lou and Andy
Lou Todd and Andy Pipkin are fictional characters from the cult BBC TV and radio show Little Britain, played by David Walliams and Matt Lucas respectively. Andy's catchphrases include, "Yeah I know", "Want that one" and " Don't like it", while Lou's catchphrase is "What a kerfuffle!"Lou is kind,...
.
Lucas quit the programme in the 2010 series due to scheduling conflicts with his other projects and the role of scorekeeper was taken over by Angelos Epithemiou.
Most appearances
Apart from the Team Captains, Johnny VegasJohnny Vegas
Johnny Vegas is an English actor and comedian. He is known for his angry rants, portly figure, high husky voice and support of St Helens rugby league club. More recently he has moved into dramatic acting.-Early life:He was born in St Helens, Lancashire, the youngest of four children of Laurence...
made the most appearances with 19 as he was a permanent panellist on Ulrika's team during the 2002 series. Carol Vorderman
Carol Vorderman
Carol 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....
made a total of 3 appearances and Jarvis Cocker
Jarvis Cocker
Jarvis Branson Cocker is an English musician and frontman for the band Pulp. Through his work with the band, Cocker became a figurehead of the Britpop movement of the mid-1990s. Following Pulp's hiatus Cocker has led a successful solo career...
, Stephen Fry
Stephen Fry
Stephen John Fry is an English actor, screenwriter, author, playwright, journalist, poet, comedian, television presenter and film director, and a director of Norwich City Football Club. He first came to attention in the 1981 Cambridge Footlights Revue presentation "The Cellar Tapes", which also...
, Zoe Ball
Zoë Ball
Zoë Louise Ball is an English television and radio personality, most famous for becoming the first female host of the BBC Radio 1 breakfast show and for her earlier work presenting the 1990s children's show, Live & Kicking.-TV career:The daughter of the children's TV presenter Johnny Ball and his...
, Les Dennis
Les Dennis
Les Dennis is an English comedian, television presenter and actor best known as the host of Family Fortunes for 15 years.-Early life:...
and Sara Cox
Sara Cox
Sara Cox , known as "Coxy", is an English TV presenter and radio DJ, most well known for presenting the breakfast show on BBC Radio 1 between 2000 and 2003...
each made two appearances.
Merchandise
- In November 1996 the first Shooting Stars VHSVHSThe Video Home System is a consumer-level analog recording videocassette standard developed by Victor Company of Japan ....
was released entitled Shooting Stars - Unviewed and Nude. - 1996 saw the release of the Shooting Stars book and CD game. Published by BBC Books in hard cover, this 120 page book retailed at £9.99, and featured various rounds from the shows, as well as a 45 minute CD of the Club Singer round, allowing you to play a full game of Shooting Stars in your own home.
- In March 1999 the second Shooting Stars VHS was released as a double VHS along with the first one. It was called Shooting Stars - Unviewed And Nude & Unpicked And Plucked.
- In November 2009, the first Shooting Stars DVDDVDA DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
was released, containing the complete series 6.
Relaunch
An anniversary edition entitled All New Shooting Stars was shown on 30 December 2008, celebrating the 15th anniversary of Shooting Stars. Ulrika JonssonUlrika Jonsson
Eva Ulrika Jonsson is a Swedish television presenter in the UK, who became famous as a TV-am weather presenter and moved on to present Gladiators and became a team captain of the show Shooting Stars.-Early life:...
returned as captain with Jack Dee
Jack Dee
James Andrew Innes "Jack" Dee is an English stand-up comedian, actor and writer known for his sardonic, curmudgeonly, and deadpan style.-Early life:...
as the replacement team captain. Matt Lucas
Matt Lucas
Matthew Richard "Matt" Lucas is an English comedian, screenwriter and actor best known for his acclaimed work with David Walliams in the television show Little Britain; as well as for his portrayals of the scorekeeping baby George Dawes in the comedy panel game Shooting Stars, Tweedledee and...
also reprised his George Dawes character for the episode. Guests for the episode were Peter Jones
Peter Jones (entrepreneur)
Peter Jones, CBE is a British entrepreneur and businessman with interests in mobile phones, television, media, leisure, and property. He became a television celebrity through his appearances on the BBC Two show Dragons' Den and on his American television show American Inventor...
, Kate Garraway
Kate Garraway
Kathryn Mary Garraway is an English journalist currently employed by ITV Breakfast.She has presented the UK version of The Biggest Loser.-Early life:...
, Christine Walkden
Christine Walkden
Christine Helen Walkden is a British television presenter and gardener, best known for her appearances on gardening programmes and The One Show...
, and Dizzee Rascal
Dizzee Rascal
Dylan Kwabena Mills , better known by his stage name Dizzee Rascal, is a Ghanaian British rapper, songwriter and record producer. His music is a blend of garage, hip hop, grime, ragga, pop and electronic music, with eclectic samples and more exotic styles...
.
On 3 April 2009, it was announced that the show would return for a full sixth series. Most of the original cast returned along with Jack Dee, who continued as a permanent team captain after his appearance on the anniversary special. It began on BBC Two and BBC HD
BBC HD
BBC HD is a high-definition television network provided by the BBC. The service was initially run as a trial from 15 May 2006 until becoming a full service on 1 December 2007...
on 26 August 2009.
The relaunched series altered the format in a number of ways:
- There are now only three rounds; a general round, the Dove from Above round, and the quick-fire round. The first general round usually contains "true or false" questions, but contains other questions as well, including a regular "Who is Hitler" question in which the contestants must identify which celebrity has been disguised as Hitler.
- The Dove from Above has only four categories, meaning that all are exhausted in every show. The rules for "Eranu" and "Uvavu" are still read out (usually with the final -u extended into a reference or comedy phrase), but these phrases are not actually used during the round, and no "hidden special prizes" are ever awarded in spite of Vic saying that they exist and every category of the Dove being used in every show. The phrases, and the references to a special prize, are finally dropped entirely in the last two episodes.
- The four categories of the Dove always correspond to classic theme skits: one is always "George's Song", another is always "a song in the club style", and another is always either a spoof video clip or a performance by the "HartlepoolHartlepoolHartlepool is a town and port in North East England.It was founded in the 7th century AD, around the Northumbrian monastery of Hartlepool Abbey. The village grew during the Middle Ages and developed a harbour which served as the official port of the County Palatine of Durham. A railway link from...
Film Re-enactment Society" in which Vic and Bob use a wendy houseWendy houseA Wendy house is small play house for children. It is big enough for one or more children to go into and should not be confused with a doll's house. Size and solidity can vary from a toddler-high cheap and cheerful plastic kit to something resembling a small garden shed...
and dolls on the end of sticks to play out a skit featuring characters from a well-known film.
- Other regular skits integrated into the show include a conversation with kebab van owner "Angelos Epithemiou" (actually comedian Renton SkinnerRenton SkinnerDaniel "Dan" Renton Skinner is a British actor and comedy writer, working in stage, film and television. Renton is a member of the popular British five-man sketch troupe Dutch Elm Conservatoire...
), and an attempt to "cheer up Jack Dee" by playing him a song using drain pipes.
- The prize awarded for the final game, rather than being surreal, is instead laughably small: examples include "a cassette of Reggae", and "this wonderful toothpick holder".
Shooting Stars returned in July 2010 for a seventh series. This series made the following further changes:
- Following Matt Lucas's decision to leave the programme, Angelos Epithemiou became the scorekeeper. Angelos enters to Mr Bombastic; rather than George Dawes' drumkit, he keeps the scores from behind his "Dream Machine", a combination of a DJ station and a pound shop. It does still include a miniature electronic drumkit which he uses to accompany Vic's "songs in the club style". Angelos always plays a short burst of rave music (an excerpt from "Drop The Pressure (Jack Beats 'Rinsed Out Rave' Remix)" by Project Bassline) before announcing the first round's scores, and brings in a plastic bag, the contents of which are revealed between rounds during the show.
- There are now four rounds: the opening general round, the "clip round" (which has only one question, opened to both teams, on the presented clip), the Dove from Above and the quick-fire round. The video clips (and the "Hartlepool re-enactments") are removed from the Dove round and replaced by "celebrity questions", in which a question is asked in a video clip by Vic or Bob while dressed up as another celebrity.
- "George's Song" - as one of the options on the Dove - is replaced by "Angelos Epithemou's Variety Showcase" in which Angelos performs a short skit, often involving dancing or a parody of a magic show. Spoof magic tricks appear frequently elsewhere in this series, including a regular routine with a magic box at the beginning of each show (although many of the tricks are obviously done by camera cuts or editing).
- Ulrika is introduced by the singing of a spoof song to the melody of Agadoo.
- In at least one round, an unoccupied pair of trousers will "walk" unattended across the studio. This is completely ignored by everyone else. In one episode, this is replaced by a taxidermy Great Dane which quietly drifts up behind one of the contestants' podiums.
- Shooting Stars returned for an eighth series on 8 August 2011. It now features Archie Andrews, a puppet who walks and "hands" the question to the contestant on the left of Ulrika.
- It was announced by Bob MortimerBob MortimerRobert "Bob" Renwick Mortimer is an English comedian and actor, who is best known for his double act with Vic Reeves...
on 15 November 2011 that The BBC had cancelled further series' of the show. The BBC have confirmed that the show has been axed.
Original series
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Specials
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