Karaoke Challenge

Host

Various, including Ted Robbins, Mike Read, Yvette Fielding, Jonathon Morris, Rick Adams

Co-hosts

Various guest panellists, plus "Question Mark"

Broadcast

Challenge TV, 6 September to ? 1997

Synopsis

In the days when the Family Channel had "gone legit" and become a proper game show-themed channel, as opposed to a family channel that just happened to play game shows all day, it's evident that they didn't really have a lot of money to splurge.

The stage set of Karaoke Challenge

How do we know this? The answer, my friends, is Karaoke Challenge, a concept that surely came five years too late to cash in on any sort of topicality.

"I can't hear you, Wakefield!"

An indifferent crowd of literally tens look on while a host of "I used to be famous once, don't you know" proportions tries to whip up any form of enthusiasm and sing the opening song. Most of the hosts managed to do this quite well, with the possible exception of Yvette Fielding, who had the distinct disadvantage of not being able to sing. At all.

The frenzied audience

Four sets of four people "sing" a quarter of a pop song each in the usual empty orchestra style. A panel consisting of a fairly well known celeb (one of the Nolan sisters, sometimes even Richard Whiteley), a comedian, a local DJ (presumably to get the crowd on their side) and Question Mark (Challenge TV's original mascot) decide who goes through to the final playoff.

Jonathan Morris does his best to make light of the situation. Bless.

Winner gets a reasonably swish karaoke machine and - get this - a gold medallion. Only really worth watching for one of the hostesses who we fancied big time. Other than that, its current scheduling slot at 3.30 in the morning seems generous.

Key moments

The production values of the show shone through when host Ted Robbins (he of former Chain Letters fame) was noted in the show's credits as Ted Rogers (see 3-2-1). And even Rogers was spelled "Rodgers". Oh dearrr...