TV classics - You Bet!

By Jason Wright (Entertainment Expert)

YOU Bet was a TV gameshow that was out of the ordinary.  It came around at a critical point where ITV needed a show that could hold well against the BBC growing popularity in Saturday night television.

     Launched in 1988, and originally hosted by Bruce Forsyth, the show saw everyday members of the public claim they could challenge themselves to do something that would be impossible in real life. Against a set time limit, these challenges could range between smashing 50 concrete blocks in three minutes or identify ten types of fruit by smell alone.

     A panel of three different celebrities each week were invited to predict the outcome of these challenges as was the studio audience.  At the end of the show, the combined totals of the studio audience and the celebrities would create a hefty amount of money to donate to charity, nominated by the celebrity that won the game.  Every contestant that participates in a challenge would earn someone commemorative such as a trophy, a medal or a scroll, depending on which series it was in.  The most unique aspect was the end music played at the end of each challenge, one for a successful challenge and another for an unsuccessful challenge, or a fan gameshow page UKGameshows calls them, the “happy happy” theme and “oh dear, it’s all gone pear-shaped” theme.

     However, the twist in the show came that each celebrity had to back one of the challenges and if it failed, they had to pay with a forfeit that they arranged.  Not even the host was safe, as Forsyth also had to sponsor a challenge, with the same consequence if it failed.

     After three solid years, Forsyth went back to the BBC and Matthew Kelly took over as host.  An extra challenge was added into the programme which meant co-host Ellis Ward (who had been with the show since the start) now supported a challenge along with the celebrities and Kelly.  It was perhaps the Kelly-era of the show that was the most watched and remembered as his witty remarks were taken by warmth to the viewing public.  The forfeits rule was changed in Kelly’s first series with a list of six to choose from instead of suggestions.

SET: You Bet! had some glory days, but faded in later years

     Ward left the show in mysterious circumstances in 1992 and the celebrity panel was increased to four people.  Yet another change in the forfeits saw it become a case of pot luck with the six forfeits hidden in envelopes.  Following a brief switch to Friday nights in 1991 to 1993, it returned to the usual Saturday slot in early 1994, with the remaining episodes of the series carried over from the previous year.

     A change of direction came in 1995 with a new set and the axing of forfeits and celebrities backing challenges.  Instead, the celebrity that came last was punished with having to do a challenge of their own.  By this time, the show had become too much for Matthew Kelly, and he left at the end of the series to focus on the more successful Stars In Their Eyes.

     Actor Darren Day and Diane Youdale, better known as Jet from Gladiators, took over for the 1996 series.  This though didn’t appeal to the viewers and a last-ditch revamp the following year saw too many changes which led to its ultimate demise.  The changes were; a terrible new music sequence, another new set, a new Bonus Card rule for celebrities to double their points on a challenge and another new co-presenter in Sarah Matravers.  Matravers replaced Youdale is better known for playing feisty Victoria Baptiste in Sky One’s football drama Dream Team.  All the changes backfired and despite Day promising viewers at the end of the series of returning again soon, it didn’t happen.  The show was axed and replaced in 1998 by the more extreme Don’t Try This At Home!  Shame but that’s what happens when you make too much change at one period of time.

     You Bet! is one of the plethoras of classic shows that regularly appear on digital channel Challenge.  Currently, they are airing episodes from the Matthew Kelly period of the show.  In truth, You Bet! has a format that actually can still air today but in today’s advancing growth of bigger and better shows, it may not stand a chance of a revival.

Brucie gets his knighthood

DESERVED: Arise Sir Bruce Forsyth!

STRICTLY Come Dancing host Bruce Forsyth has finally received a thoroughly deserved knighthood in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List.  Forsyth, 83, who has graced the world of showbiz entertainment for over half a century has what many will well, a knighthood that should have happened ages ago.  He told Sky News of his feelings as he shall be better known now as Arise Sir Brucie;

     “It is a great accolade and one you always work for.  There has been a great amount of talk since I received the CBE (in 2006), maybe too much talk and hype.  However, I’m grateful to those people who campaigned on my behalf and to get it now is such a joyful occasion.”

     Bruce has been around in the entertainment industry for the best part of 60 years and is often referred to as ‘The King of Saturday Nights.’  He starred in The Generation Game, Play Your Cards Right and Bruce’s Price is Right, before landing the co-host gig alongside Tess Daly for the BBC Saturday night hit Strictly Come Dancing in 2004.  Since then, he has simply gone from strength to strength. 

     Away from Bruce’s success, there is also a deserved CBE for actor Colin Firth.  It completes an incredible year for Firth, who has won all the main acting gongs for his epic role in the film of the year, The King’s Speech.  In sport, golfer Lee Westwood gets an OBE for an incredibly consistent year on the European tour, which saw him be part of Europe’s Ryder Cup success last October and knock Tiger Woods off his perch as no.1 in the world.  England opening cricket batsman Alistair Cook, who hit century after century in the Ashes Down Under last winter, is made an MBE.  MBE’s also go out to world and European triple jump champion Phillips Idowu, heptathlon sensation Jessica Ennis and Mark Cavendish, who won several stages on last year’s Tour de France.  For their leading roles in the Ashes annihilation of the Aussies, captain Andrew Strauss and coach Andy Flower earn OBE’s.  Singer Bryan Ferry gets a CBE for his services to film.  There is also an MBE for Brooke Kinsella.  Kinsella, the former EastEnders actress has been successfully fighting a campaign against knife crime, since her brother Ben, was murdered in 2008.     

     However, it is the national treasure Bruce Forsyth himself, who takes the shining role in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List and I’m sure he has plenty of thrills and spills left in him yet.  Arise Sir Brucie!

National Television Awards 2011 - A night of expected winners

By JASON WRIGHT (Entertainment expert)

WEDNESDAY night saw a host of stars from British television descend on London’s O2 Arena for the National Television Awards.  Now in its 16th year, it promised to be the best staged yet.

BIG WINNERS: Another successful night for EastEnders

As it turned out, the successful shows and stars of the night were just as who everyone had predicted.  EastEnders were the big winners, with three gongs.  Ricky Norwood picked the ‘Best Newcomer’ for his role as troublemaker Fatboy, Lacey Turner retained her ‘Best Serial Drama Performance’ award for Stacey Branning and the BBC1 soap itself won through in the live vote-off for ‘Best Serial Drama.’  Many felt it should have gone to rivals Coronation Street, but the Walford drama came through and the crew looked surprised.  So, not even a tram coming down on top of Weatherfield was enough for it to receive any recognition which is certainly rough justice.  Hopefully it will get what it deserves come the British Soap Awards in May.

Popular ITV1 duo Ant and Dec were also among the successes again.  The Tyneside-born pair added yet another two NTA’s to their cabinet for ‘Best Entertainment Programme’ with I’m A Celebrity and scooping up the ‘Best Entertainment Presenter’ award for the tenth time in a row.  Speaking live in Cardiff, where they are filming auditions for Britain’s Got Talent, they understandably gave credit to everyone who helped them succeed not just this year but the ten years they have achieved the Entertainment accolade at the awards.

HONOURED: Sir David Jason added to his collection

Other shows and famous faces that were winners on the night were ITV1 comedy Benidorm, earning the ‘Best Comedy Programme’ award for the second time in three years.  Sir David Jason was honoured with the ‘Best Drama Performance’ award for his final case in A Touch of Frost.  The E4 mega-hit The Inbetweeners beat hot rivals Glee to the inaugural ‘Best Digital Choice’ award, which celebrated the best programme offering from digital channels and This Morning were the victors of the ‘Best Topical Magazine Programme’ award.  After years of struggle and turmoil for the daytime offering, the popular partnership of Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby is ensuring that it is finally returning to the glory days of the nineties.  As an added beneficiary, viewers were able to see resident chef Gino D’Acampo cook naked on the following day’s edition, as he pledged to do so if the show won.

With the football sexism scandal caused by the disgraced Richard Keys and Andy Gray fresh in the air, it was being talked about a lot by those in attendance.  Even host Dermot O’Leary referred to it many times during the ceremony but it was Top Gear who had the last laugh and when they picked up the award for ‘Best Factual Programme.’  James May made a rather funny though obviously crude remark about it and it led to Jeremy Clarkson jokingly sacking him on the spot.  That’s what they call comedy around here!

The X-Factor proved to be the dominant force in the award for ‘Best Talent Show’.  Despite the controversy surrounding the previous series and that there were fears that people would rebel and vote against it, the ITV1 competition held on to win for the third time in four years.  No doubt this made Simon Cowell one very happy chap again.

The biggest shock and disappointment of the night was no awards for Doctor Who.  Although its popularity was slightly reduced after Matt Smith’s timid debut last year in the title role, it was still expected to win ‘Best Drama Programme.’  However it lost out to popular school drama Waterloo Road.  To add insult, Smith lost the Drama Performance to David Jason.  This will without a doubt call the show’s viability into serious question.

FINALLY: Bruce Forsyth get a deserved recognition

The biggest cheers though of the night went to the legendary Bruce Forsyth.  After over 50 years in showbiz, the soon-to-be 83 year old was finally given credit with the ‘Special Recognition Award.’  He sent the crowd into dismay and then hysteria by seeming to announce his retirement but then quipping one of his famous one-liners, “but I’m not bloody going to.”   It proves there is still life in the veteran yet.

Overall it was another night of impressive celebrations and accolades, proving just how much Britain really does say about the nation’s TV.  Here is to what should be an amazing 2011 of television and who knows who will come out on top in 2012?  These next 12 months will tell all.