Spanish Archer
Encyclopedia
Spanish Archer was a talent show
hosted by Rhodri Williams
and occasionally Ruth Madoc
. It was produced by L!VE TV
and filmed at the station's headquarters at Canary Wharf
in London
.
The title for the show derives from the phrase meaning rejection, where "Spanish Archer" would be said to translate to "El Bow", hence "Given the elbow". The TV show deliberately took this in a very literal manner, and expanded the joke as far as it possibly could.
style outfit, complete with toy bow and arrow, and declaring "I am El Bow, I am the Spanish Archer". The contradictions of the supposedly Spanish
character, such as the costume, and Williams’ undisguised Welsh
accent, were played for laughs.
After a few joke
s with the studio audience
, El Bow would open a door in the set, where the audience would be introduced to a character named Pedro Paella who wore a sombrero, an obviously fake moustache
, and rode a toy donkey
. After some witty banter, Paella would use an inflatable toy guitar
to mime to a backing track
of Flamenco
music, while singing a comedy introduction to the first act. The tune of the song would always be the same. Pedro Paella appeared in 85 episodes before being succeeded by Terry Tenerife.
The acts would then be given one minute to perform, at which point El Bow would appear in the background, loading his toy bow and arrow, and pointing them at a cut-out of a bull
, inviting the audience to decide whether the act should continue. If the audience wanted to see more, El Bow would vacate the stage until the end, at which point, they would be presented with a prize of a Seville orange.
If the audience did not want to see more, El Bow would fire the arrow, and a large polystyrene elbow
would swing onto the set, ushering the act off-stage. As things were redressed for the next act, three Flamenco dancers would appear for as long as was necessary.
Typically, the half-hour show would see 4-6 acts, and at the end of the programme, El Bow would invite all the acts who successfully avoided the elbow back onto the stage, and the audience asked to pick a favourite. The winning act would be given a prize of a straw donkey. Unlike most talent shows, winners did not get to appear again, and there was no grand final
, each episode being entirely self-contained.
On occasions, the role of El Bow would be taken by Ruth Madoc
. Like Williams, Madoc would exaggerate her natural Welsh accent, despite the character being supposedly Spanish
.
or cabaret
circuits, or members of the public eager to join in or show their talents. Most were happy to play along with the show’s deliberately chaotic and self-mocking premise.
Acts were not limited, meaning the show featured a variety of musical, comedy
, and speciality acts. The only condition was that the act must be suitable for pre-watershed transmission.
, as being an extreme example of dumbed-down or tabloid television. Despite that it gained a huge cult following.
Talent show
A talent show is an event where participants perform their talent or talents of acting, singing, dancing, acrobatics, drumming, martial arts, playing an instrument, and other activities to showcase a unique form of talent, sometimes for a reward, trophy or prize...
hosted by Rhodri Williams
Rhodri Williams
Rhodri Williams is a Welsh sports journalist from Barry, Vale of Glamorgan, Wales.He was a main anchor for Sky channel Sky Sports News and was one of Sky's main rugby presenters - hosting the Heineken Cup and Southern Hemisphere rugby including the Tri Nations, the NPC in New Zealand and the...
and occasionally Ruth Madoc
Ruth Madoc
Ruth Madoc is a British actress and singer. She is best known for her roles as Gladys Pugh in the 1980s BBC television comedy Hi-de-Hi!, and as Daffyd Thomas's mother in the second series of Little Britain.-Early life:...
. It was produced by L!VE TV
L!VE TV
L!VE TV was a British television station that was operated by MGN on cable television from 15 August 1995 - 31 October 1999. It was later revived for Sky Digital from 2003...
and filmed at the station's headquarters at Canary Wharf
Canary Wharf
Canary Wharf is a major business district located in London, United Kingdom. It is one of London's two main financial centres, alongside the traditional City of London, and contains many of the UK's tallest buildings, including the second-tallest , One Canada Square...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
The title for the show derives from the phrase meaning rejection, where "Spanish Archer" would be said to translate to "El Bow", hence "Given the elbow". The TV show deliberately took this in a very literal manner, and expanded the joke as far as it possibly could.
Content
The show would begin with Willams arriving on the set of a cartoon Spanish village, dressed in a Robin HoodRobin Hood
Robin Hood was a heroic outlaw in English folklore. A highly skilled archer and swordsman, he is known for "robbing from the rich and giving to the poor", assisted by a group of fellow outlaws known as his "Merry Men". Traditionally, Robin Hood and his men are depicted wearing Lincoln green clothes....
style outfit, complete with toy bow and arrow, and declaring "I am El Bow, I am the Spanish Archer". The contradictions of the supposedly Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
character, such as the costume, and Williams’ undisguised Welsh
Welsh English
Welsh English, Anglo-Welsh, or Wenglish refers to the dialects of English spoken in Wales by Welsh people. The dialects are significantly influenced by Welsh grammar and often include words derived from Welsh...
accent, were played for laughs.
After a few joke
Joke
A joke is a phrase or a paragraph with a humorous twist. It can be in many different forms, such as a question or short story. To achieve this end, jokes may employ irony, sarcasm, word play and other devices...
s with the studio audience
Studio audience
A studio audience is an audience present for the taping of all or part of a television program. The primary purpose of the studio audience is to provide applause and/or laughter to the program's soundtrack . A studio audience can also provide volunteers, a visual backdrop and discussion participants...
, El Bow would open a door in the set, where the audience would be introduced to a character named Pedro Paella who wore a sombrero, an obviously fake moustache
Moustache
A moustache is facial hair grown on the outer surface of the upper lip. It may or may not be accompanied by a type of beard, a facial hair style grown and cropped to cover most of the lower half of the face.-Etymology:...
, and rode a toy donkey
Donkey
The donkey or ass, Equus africanus asinus, is a domesticated member of the Equidae or horse family. The wild ancestor of the donkey is the African Wild Ass, E...
. After some witty banter, Paella would use an inflatable toy guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
to mime to a backing track
Backing track
A backing track is an audio or MIDI recording that musicians play or sing along to in order to add parts to their music which would be impractical to perform live.-Uses:...
of Flamenco
Flamenco
Flamenco is a genre of music and dance which has its foundation in Andalusian music and dance and in whose evolution Andalusian Gypsies played an important part....
music, while singing a comedy introduction to the first act. The tune of the song would always be the same. Pedro Paella appeared in 85 episodes before being succeeded by Terry Tenerife.
The acts would then be given one minute to perform, at which point El Bow would appear in the background, loading his toy bow and arrow, and pointing them at a cut-out of a bull
Bull
Bull usually refers to an uncastrated adult male bovine.Bull may also refer to:-Entertainment:* Bull , an original show on the TNT Network* "Bull" , an episode of television series CSI: Crime Scene Investigation...
, inviting the audience to decide whether the act should continue. If the audience wanted to see more, El Bow would vacate the stage until the end, at which point, they would be presented with a prize of a Seville orange.
If the audience did not want to see more, El Bow would fire the arrow, and a large polystyrene elbow
Elbow
The human elbow is the region surrounding the elbow-joint—the ginglymus or hinge joint in the middle of the arm. Three bones form the elbow joint: the humerus of the upper arm, and the paired radius and ulna of the forearm....
would swing onto the set, ushering the act off-stage. As things were redressed for the next act, three Flamenco dancers would appear for as long as was necessary.
Typically, the half-hour show would see 4-6 acts, and at the end of the programme, El Bow would invite all the acts who successfully avoided the elbow back onto the stage, and the audience asked to pick a favourite. The winning act would be given a prize of a straw donkey. Unlike most talent shows, winners did not get to appear again, and there was no grand final
Grand Final
Grand Final is a predominantly Australian sport term used to describe a match that decides a league champion.It originated in Victoria and South Australia and has become specifically significant Australian culture...
, each episode being entirely self-contained.
On occasions, the role of El Bow would be taken by Ruth Madoc
Ruth Madoc
Ruth Madoc is a British actress and singer. She is best known for her roles as Gladys Pugh in the 1980s BBC television comedy Hi-de-Hi!, and as Daffyd Thomas's mother in the second series of Little Britain.-Early life:...
. Like Williams, Madoc would exaggerate her natural Welsh accent, despite the character being supposedly Spanish
Spanish people
The Spanish are citizens of the Kingdom of Spain. Within Spain, there are also a number of vigorous nationalisms and regionalisms, reflecting the country's complex history....
.
Acts
Generally speaking, acts would be from the British Working men's clubWorking men's club
Working men's clubs are a type of private social club founded in the 19th century in industrial areas of the United Kingdom, particularly the North of England, the Midlands and many parts of the South Wales Valleys, to provide recreation and education for working class men and their families.-...
or cabaret
Cabaret
Cabaret is a form, or place, of entertainment featuring comedy, song, dance, and theatre, distinguished mainly by the performance venue: a restaurant or nightclub with a stage for performances and the audience sitting at tables watching the performance, as introduced by a master of ceremonies or...
circuits, or members of the public eager to join in or show their talents. Most were happy to play along with the show’s deliberately chaotic and self-mocking premise.
Acts were not limited, meaning the show featured a variety of musical, 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...
, and speciality acts. The only condition was that the act must be suitable for pre-watershed transmission.
Reception
Spanish Archer was heavily criticised, along with other L!ve TV shows such as Topless Darts and Britain's Bounciest WeatherBritain's Bounciest Weather
Britain's Bounciest Weather was a weather forecast segment that appeared on British cable television channel L!VE TV from 1995 to 1999. The weather forecast was presented by dwarf actor and entertainer Rusty Goffe, bouncing on a trampoline next to the weather map: for weather in the more northerly...
, as being an extreme example of dumbed-down or tabloid television. Despite that it gained a huge cult following.
Catchphrases
- "If you’re good, and if you’re class; where do I shove my arrows?", [Audience] "Gracias!"
- "We were good, we wanted more, and so you win..." [Audience] "The donkey of straw!"