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The Generation Game
Format Game show
Starring Bruce Forsyth
(1971-1977, 1990-1994, 2007)
Larry Grayson
(1978-1982)
Jim Davidson
(1995-2002)
Country of origin Flag of the United Kingdom United Kingdom
No. Bruce Forsyth, CBE (born Bruce Joseph Forsyth Johnson on 22 February 1928) is a British BAFTA award-winning Larry Grayson (21 August 1923 – January 7 1995 born William White, was an English stand-up comedian and Gameshow host of the late Jim Davidson OBE (born Cameron James Davidson on 13 December 1953 is an English Comedian, TV presenter and actor The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located  of episodes 413 (plus 5 'Now and Then' shows)
Production
Running time 60 minutes
Broadcast
Original channel BBC One
UKTV Gold
Original run 1971 – 2007

The Generation Game was a British game show produced by the BBC in which four teams of two (people from the same family, but different generations, hence the title of the show) compete to win prizes. Year 1971 ( MCMLXXI) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the 1971 Gregorian calendar. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located

Based on the Dutch TV show Een van de acht ("One of the Eight", the format devised by Ms. Mies Bouwman a popular Dutch talk show host) it was first broadcast in 1971 under the title Bruce Forsyth and the Generation Game and ran until 1982 and again from 1990 until 2002. Year 1971 ( MCMLXXI) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the 1971 Gregorian calendar. Year 1982 ( MCMLXXXII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link displays the 1982 Gregorian calendar) Year 1990 ( MCMXC) was a Common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1990 Gregorian calendar) See also 2002 (disambiguation Year 2002 ( MMII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar.

The Generation Game returned in 2007 under the title Brucie's Generation Game: Now and Then. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. [1], broadcast on UKTV Gold.

Contents

Hosts

The show has been hosted by Bruce Forsyth (1971–1977, 1990–1994, 2007), Larry Grayson (1978–1982) and Jim Davidson (1995–2002). Bruce Forsyth, CBE (born Bruce Joseph Forsyth Johnson on 22 February 1928) is a British BAFTA award-winning Larry Grayson (21 August 1923 – January 7 1995 born William White, was an English stand-up comedian and Gameshow host of the late Jim Davidson OBE (born Cameron James Davidson on 13 December 1953 is an English Comedian, TV presenter and actor Anthea Redfern, Forsyth's then wife, was his assistant in his 1970s series, while dancer Rosemarie Ford took on the role in the 1990s revival. Rosemarie Ford (born Rosemarie Poundford 5 March 1962 in Sherburn-in-Elmet, Yorkshire) is an English Dancer, Actress and Isla St Clair was Larry Grayson's assistant and Sally Meen, Melanie Stace and Lea Kristensen helped Jim Davidson. Sally Meen (born 1966 is an English Television presenter. Sally has a degree in Catering and Institutional Management and latterly qualifications in Art and

During the 1970s, the gameshow began to become more popular and started to replace expensive variety shows. New studio shows were cheaper, compared to hiring the theatre, paying for long rehearsals and a large orchestra, and could achieve as many viewers. For the smaller ITV companies (not ATV, Thames Television, London Weekend Television, Granada Television or Yorkshire Television) it made economic sense as they would pay most of their money to the 'Big Five' to produce the bulk of the ITV programming. Thames Television was a licencee of the British ITV television network covering London and parts of the surrounding counties Granada Television is the United Kingdom ITV contractor for North West England. Yorkshire Television is the ITV contractor for the Yorkshire franchise With less money for their own productions, a gameshow seemed the obvious idea. As a result many variety performers were recruited for gameshows. The BBC, suffering poor ratings, decided to make its own gameshow. Bill Cotton, the head of light entertainment, believed that Bruce Forsyth was best for the job. For years, the Generation Game was one of the strong shows in the BBC's Saturday line-up. However, things were about to change. LWT, desperate to end the BBC's long running ratings success on a Saturday night, offered Forsyth a chance to change channel to host 'The Big Night'

Alan Boyd, producer of the Generation Game at the time remembers, that there were many proposals as to who should take over. However, he felt he did not want the new programme to be comparable to Forsyth's Generation Game, (he did not want the audience to be able to compare the two shows to think that Bruce was better or that the new host was better) so he cast Larry Grayson to take over, with a new theme tune and scenery, and a new Co Host, Isla St Clair. It worked. 'The Big Night' failed to beat the Generation Game and was off the air within three months.

The show reached its peak under Grayson, with audiences of more than 18 million. (It should be pointed out that its highest figures in 1979 were due to a strike that blacked out the ITV network, meaning the two BBC channels were the only ones the public could watch). Independent Television (generally known as ITV) is a public service network of British commercial television broadcasters set up under the Independent The combination of Grayson's camp, limp-wristed behaviour and Isla St Clair's fresh-faced innocence proved became the plank of the BBC1 Saturday evening schedule. Grayson was loved for his apparent incompetence and inability to remember what was going on — all of which was carefully contrived.

The game

There were always eight competitors; hence the catchphrase "Let's meet the eight who are going to generate", used in earlier series by Bruce Forsyth. In the first two rounds, two couples would compete against each other in two games. One game usually involved first seeing a skilled professional construct or perform something, such pottery or dancing. The contestants would then attempt to do the same, and a score would be given by the professional. The other game usually involved more of a quiz element, such as identifying guests or pieces of music. At the end of each of the first two rounds, the lowest-scoring couple was eliminated.

The two highest-scoring couples then competed against each other in the final (or End Game as Larry Grayson called it). This was often a big set-piece performance; in the series presented by Bruce Forsyth it was usually a drama or farce, in later programmes a musical or dance performance. The couple that scored the highest went through to the final 'conveyor belt'.

At the end of the show, one member (or in later series both members) of the victorious team watched prizes pass on a conveyor belt, and then won as many as could be recalled in a set time. A trademark of the show was that a cuddly toy was always among the prizes. A stuffed animal is Toy Animal sewn from Cloth, This led to an affectionate joke: "Dinner service. . . fondue set. . . Cuddly toy! Cuddly toy!", which is often quoted whenever the show is mentioned.

Catchphrases

The show introduced a number of catchphrases, famously Bruce Forsyth's "Didn't he/she do well?", "Let's have a look at the old scoreboard" (later, when the show was revived, Forsyth's assistant was Rosemarie Ford, so the catchphrase was amended to "What's on the board, Miss Ford?") and, most famously, "Nice to see you, to see you . . . ", to which the audience would shout "Nice!", a catchphrase that Forsyth retains. Grayson supplied his own catchphrases, notably "Shut that Door!", "What a gay day!" and "Seems like a nice boy!". Scores were preceded by "What are the scores on the doors?" to which St Clair would reply "The names on the frames say. . . " before announcing them. Grayson and St Clair apparently had a strong bond; Grayson always referred to her, when introducing her at the start of the show, as "my lovely Isla". Whenever St Clair speaks of Grayson — he died in 1995 — it is with affection. She once referred to them as being "like a couple of naughty sisters".

Cancellation

By the early 1980s The Generation Game was being beaten by ITV's Game for a Laugh, which had the same producer (who had defected). Independent Television (generally known as ITV) is a public service network of British commercial television broadcasters set up under the Independent Game For A Laugh was a popular British TV Light entertainment show which ran for 58 editions between 26 September 1981 and 23 The decision was taken in 1981 not to let the show return in autumn 1982. The producer in question once commented that he had killed his own baby. In his autobiography, Bruce, Bruce Forsyth claims his friend Jimmy Tarbuck was offered the role of host but turned it down as he had already been approached by LWT to host Live From Her Majesty's. Jimmy Tarbuck OBE is an English comedian and the father of actress and television presenter Liza Tarbuck.

It returned in 1990 with original host, Bruce Forsyth, who after moving to ITV was replaced by Jim Davidson. This incarnation was thought to have been axed in 2002 after again being beaten by ITV, this time by Pop Idol. Pop Idol was a British Television series which debuted on ITV on October 5 2001; the show was a talent contest to decide

Trivia

References

  1. ^ Digital Spy: UKTV Gold brings back 'Generation Game'

The Penguin TV Companion (Third Edition) (Evans, J 2006 (First Edition published in 2001)) Penguin LONDON

External links

UKGameshowscom is a Website dedicated to British Game shows The site currently provides information on more than 1500 British game show formats from 1938
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