Memory lane with Alan Carr’s Epic Gameshow

Saturday nights have felt a bit more nostalgic lately due to the sheer number of repeats.

But the good news is that tonight ITV is taking us for a trip down memory lane and giving us a brand-new series as well with Alan Carr’s Epic Gameshow.

It finds the comedian reviving some of Britain’s best-loved gameshow formats, but giving them a supersized, updated twist.

The one-time Chatty Man clearly can’t wait to get started. He says: “It is such a privilege for me to be involved in these truly iconic shows that have brought so much joy to my childhood. A little bit of nostalgia but a whole load of fun. Big shoes to fill I know, but these shows should be back on telly for a whole new generation to sit down and enjoy with their family just like I did all those years ago!”

And he really is delving into the archives – one of the shows he’s tackling is Take Your Pick, which made its TV debut in 1955 and was the first British gameshow to offer a cash prize. It ran for 13 years with original presenter Michael Mills, and was then revived by Des O’Connor in the 1990s. If that’s still not ringing a bell, it gave us the Yes-No interlude, where contestants had to answer questions without saying yes or no, and also offered the winners the chance to trade their cash for what’s in the box.

Alan will also give us his take on The Price is Right, the show that invited over-excitable members of the public to ‘come on down!’ It was first presented by Leslie Crowther, but has also been fronted by Bruce Forsyth, Bob Warman, Joe Pasquale and one Alan Carr, who presented a one-off version for Channel 4 back in 2017. So, at least he won’t need to do much swotting up on the rules.

One show that hasn’t been seen for a while is Strike It Lucky, which was perhaps more famous for host Michael Barrymore and his banter with the contestants than for the actual format, although Alan will be putting his own spin on it.

And then there’s Bullseye, the darts-based quiz where Jim Bowen let losing players look at what they could have won and then sent them away with their BFH (bus fare home) and a Bendy Bully (for younger viewers, that was a toy version of the show’s mascot).

But first up, there’s a chance to shout ‘higher’ and lower’ at the screen as Alan follows in Bruce Forsyth’s legendary footsteps to bring us Play Your Cards Right. The celebrity contestants are daytime TV favourites Ruth Langsford and Eamonn Holmes, comedian Chris Ramsey and his wife Rosie, presenter Ore Oduba and his wife Portia, and singer-actress Martine McCutcheon and her husband Jack McManus.

And proving that it really is epic, they are competing for the chance to win the £30,000 jackpot on the turn of a single card.

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this story on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.

In order for us to continue to provide high quality and trusted local news on this free-to-read site, I am asking you to also please purchase a copy of our newspaper whenever you are able to do so.

Our journalists are highly trained and our content is independently regulated by IPSO to some of the most rigorous standards in the world. But being your eyes and ears comes at a price. So we need your support more than ever to buy our newspapers during this crisis.

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our local valued advertisers - and consequently the advertising that we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you helping us to provide you with news and information by buying a copy of our newspaper when you can safely.

You can also enjoy unlimited access to the best news from across Northern Ireland and the UK by subscribing to newsletter.co.uk

With a digital subscription, you can read more than five articles, see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Visit https://www.newsletter.co.uk/subscriptions now to sign up.

Thank you