Game Show Memories – As Seen On TV.

As Seen On TV (BBC1, 2009)

You should know by now that I like game shows, and I also like TV, but there is no need for there to be a fight to determine which one of these is better, because when the two combine they will definitely always create something that will get my attention. I had actually planned to review A Question Of TV, which used the same format as A Question Of Sport, but as there currently seems to be no trace of that online, I shall review this similar show instead.

There had already been some game shows based around the history of TV, including Telly Addicts and Tellystack, and As Seen On TV wasn’t a comedy panel game as such, but this was still a chance for people who regularly appear on TV to show what they actually know about TV. The host was Steve Jones (not the one off The Pyramid Game, the other one).

Every week two teams of three took part, and the regular team captains were Fern Britton and Jason Manford. There were five rounds. First was What’s On TV. There were the names of various shows listed as if they were on an EPG, that were actually a clue to what the question was about. Six of these were chosen, so this meant that every panellist had to have one go each.

Second was TV Years, where various shows were featured, and the very simple question was: what was the year? Third was Thingy Off The Telly. Someone came on stage, and the teams had to determine both who they were, and what show they were famous for appearing in. They were able to ask questions, but there were only so many clues that could be given away.

Fourth is TV Gold, a rather simple round where a clip from a TV show had to be observed, as some questions would be asked afterwards. And finally there is Name That Show. This is where shows have to be identified from a picture, but this is a buzzer round against the clock, so points could be lost as well as won. At the end, the winning team is announced, although there are no prizes as such.

As Seen On TV ended up running for only one series, and a notable thing is that the production company that made Telly Addicts were in the credits as some of the rounds by accident or design were rather similar to that show. Maybe this didn’t sparkle too much, and the archive wasn’t raided to the extent where a lot of long-forgotten shows were featured, but it’s always interesting seeing this type of idea being given a go.

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