Weaver's Week 2024-10-06

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Back to our continuing summer-long series investigating which game shows have had the most new and distinct episodes broadcast. It's inspired by Broken TV's long-running series about the most-broadcast BBC shows, crossed with an idea from one of this site's senior editors.

Episodes need to be distinct – repeats will not be counted here. To keep things manageable, we've imposed a cut-off of 31 December 2023 – otherwise it would be unfair to allow University Challenge to have about four months' more episodes than Countdown.

"Primetime" episodes are, roughly, those intended to be shown after the early evening news on weekdays, or after about 5pm on the weekend, and a show needs 100 primetime episodes to make our big lists. Any show with 500 episodes in primetime or daytime will also get on our lists. We give brief mention to some other shows that aren't quite there, and we're honest about things we're not entirely sure about.

Last time, at the start of September, we looked at Masterteam, and we're delighted to hear that BBC4 are repeating an episode next week. Mock the Week and The Million Pound Drop were little pieces of their time, while Mr and Mrs could run in any era. My Music and Name That Tune also piled on the episodes.

But there's more music to be had.

Contents 1 Never Mind the Buzzcocks 2 New Faces 3 The News Quiz 4 Night Fever 5 Ninja Warrior (Japanese Redub) 6 Noel's House Party 7 One Man and His Dog 8 Only Connect (2) 9 Opportunity Knocks 10 Totals so far 10.1 All shows 10.2 Primetime shows 11 In other news 11.1 Quizzy Mondays

Never Mind the Buzzcocks

Have I Got Pop Music For You came to BBC2 in 1996. Mark Lamarr hosted a comedy show which has a game as a framework to provide a variety of laughs, mainly from the three regulars. Each week four people join the teams to answer questions and get insulted. It was, er, acceptable in the nineties.

Rounds include "Indecipherable lyrics", or "What on earth is Lewis Capaldi straining to sing this time?". "The intro round", where the captain and a team-mate try to beatbox or improvise a hit song. "The identity parade", borrowed from The Krypton Factor, but with a recurring joke answer.

Ran on BBC2 from 1996 to 2015 (276 primetime episodes, plus one webcast and 8 compilation episodes which we're not including). Revived for KYTV in 2021 (25 primetime episodes). That's a total of 301 primetime episodes, and 302 episodes in total.

New Faces

A talent show for acts who already have their Equity union cards (compare against Opportunity Knocks later). The variety of variety acts were judged by talent-spotters including the original curmudgeon Tony Hatch. Remade in the late 80s with Nina Myskow stepping into the grouch's seat, and a giant lightboard to tally the audience votes.

Had a respectable list of series winners, including Marti Caine, ventriloquist Roger de Courcey, and singer Patti Boulaye. Others to find fame through the show included Victoria Wood, Malandra Burrows, Showaddywaddy, Roy Walker, The Chuckle Brothers, and Joe Pasquale.

205 primetime episodes; don't expect a revival while Got Talent continues.

The News Quiz

Topical panel quiz show, taking its questions from the week's news stories.

Barry Norman, Barry Took, Simon Hoggart, Dame Sandi Toksvig, Miles Jupp, and Andy Zaltzman ask questions to Lord Richard Ingrams of Gnome, Alan Coren the Sage of Cricklewood, other assorted journalists, comedians, politicians, and blow-ins.

According to the blurb, it's meant to be questions about the week's events, which quickly moves into a general discussion about the topic. There are also clippings from newspapers and websites, often laughing at the complete inability of Het Grauniad to use the wright word or some rubbish that a bad writer has writ.

To the end of 2023, we count a total of 1026 radio episodes, though this assumes there were none lost to BBC strikes in the 1970s and 1980s. We're not going to count Radio 4 Extra's extended Have I Got a Bit More News Quiz Plus For You as a separate show, our thinking is that the 30 minute versions on Radio 4 were a cut-down version of the longer show.

We are, however, going to count Barry Norman's television show Scoop (15 episodes, 1981-2), which was The News Quiz moved to BBC2 with the same host, same guests and remarkably similar format.

1041 episodes.

Night Fever

Competitive karaoke. Suggs from Madness leads a group of people in a cheery singalong, and who cares that everyone's rather out of tune. Incredibly popular during Channel 5's early years, as much a key part of their Saturday night line-up as Xena Warrior Princess. We're amazed that nobody at Pearson Television (or whatever they're calling themselves this week) has suggested a revival of this cheap and cheerful show: anyone would think their profits didn't need geeing up.

135 primetime episodes.

Speaking of Channel 5's early shows, we must mention 19 Keys, which was hosted by Richard Bacon and could have been a very long-running format. Except it never caught on, and 20 primetime episodes is all it got. Trust us, it's better than When Royal Supermarket Hotel Checkins Go Horridly Wrong.

Ninja Warrior (Japanese Redub)

Take footage from the very popular Sasuke competition they hold in Japan. It's the one where lots of fit people try to complete an obstacle course without falling into the water and within a strict time limit. Later stages test upper body strength and stamina, and there are no winners on most series.

For our purposes, each original show was split into five episodes, and given a comedy narration by Stuart Hall; after his imprisonment, he was replaced by Jim North. Did decent numbers on the Challenge channel, because it's cheap and infinitely repeatable.

Very difficult to work out how many new episodes there were, though there's a natural limit as the series finished production shortly after the 31st Japanese original. We will take a punt at 125 primetime episodes.

Ninja Warrior (ITV primetime show) took the same idea, but translated it to the Manchester Arena, with Ben Shepherd and Chris Kamara commentating. 49 primetime episodes, and it doesn't seem to be coming back any time soon.

Noel's House Party

Mr Blobby, in the gunging room, with a Gotcha Oscar.

The BBC's biggest light entertainment programme of the 1990s, broadcast live from Noel Edmonds' country pile. Highlights included NTV (the bit where someone at home is the unexpected star), Wait Till I Get You Home (parents try to guess what their children said), The Gotcha Oscar (embarrass a celeb), Grab A Grand (a celebrity tries to grasp banknotes), and many many more little items. Being live television, and being Noel Edmonds, this was compelling to watch – once you're viewing, you're hooked.

We are going to count The Noel Edmonds Saturday Roadshow here, safely pre-recorded for the previous three autumns, as many of the ideas were carried forward to House Party.

Noel's House Party made 169 episodes, Roadshow another 48, so 217 primetime episodes.

One and Six Zeros hoped to run for a six-figure number of episodes. It managed six episodes, and we have to be quite generous to class them as primetime episodes. 101 Ways to Leave a Gameshow (sic) promised to eject losing contestants in 101 different and amusing ways; across the eight primetime episodes, we saw 33 of them.

One Man and His Dog

Come by. Come by.

Three shepherds, who each own one or more sheepdogs, attempt to whistle and drive their way through the show. Each competitor typically has to get their dog to lift some sheep from their resting place in a field, guide them through a gate, into a ring where they have to shed some sheep from the rest and then into a pen. Judges give marks as the round progresses.

Primetime entertainment from 1976 to 1999, then annual specials and short series – and folded into the top-rating Countryfile show for the past decade.

Eight episodes per series, except for two in 79 and 80 where they didn't run Young Handlers or a Champion of Champions; and except for the final series in 1999 when the brace event (two dogs one sheep!) was separated out. One-offs at Christmas from 1999 to 2003, two episodes 2004-08, a four-ep mini-run in 2009, returning to two eps in 2010 and 2011. They tried to hold One Man and His Dog Live! in 2012, and would have got away with it if it wasn't for those pesky golfers. Moved into the welcome arms of Countryfile in 2013. (We'd expect to have seen this year's show by now: maybe they're sending it back to that post-Christmas week,)

That's a total of 236 primetime episodes; the addition of Young Man and His Dog takes the show to 241 episodes in total. Away!

1001 Things You Should Know didn't get through enough episodes, just 60 of them. 1-2-3 Click has evaded our research capabilities – we know it ran on Associated-Rediffusion on and off from 1955 to 1966, but we don't know who hosted it, what happened – or even if it's really a game show as we now understand the form. 1 vs 100 ought to have had 100 episodes, but had to settle for 32.

Only Connect was the nadir of James Boyle's single-handed job to wreck the Radio 4 schedule: a show so impenetrable and unfunny it was taken off air after one episode. Never commission a show called Only Connect, it can only end in trouble.

Only Connect (2)

... well, maybe not. Television's premier cleverclogs quiz has carved out a niche in smart questions, answered by even smarter people. Lady Victoria Coren Mitchell of Cricklewood warmed into her presenting role, relaxing into the show with the teams.

Come for the connecting wall, sixteen clues arranged in the style of lesser games ripped off by the New York Times. Stay for Missing Vowels, inspired by the typresterrets of Het Mancheastre Grauniad. Feel incredibly smug when you get any question – just one! – before the teams. Feel very smug if you can get the reason after hearing the answer!

By the end of last year, 463 primetime episodes; the final of this year's tournament should be the 500th transmitted episode.

Opportunity Knocks

What does the clapometer say?

Various unsigned and unknown acts perform (no Equity card, that's the distinction with New Faces). They compete for the attention and approval of the audience, signified by sending votes in on postcards.

Acts discovered through the programme include Spike Milligan, Mary Hopkin, Bonnie Langford, Les Dawson, Pam Ayres, Little and Large, Bobby Crush, Peters and Lee, Lena Zavaroni, Tom O'Connor, Frank Carson, Stan Boardman, Carol Lee Scott (of Grotbags fame), and impressionist Debra Stephenson. Su Pollard appeared, but was beaten by a singing dog.

33 episodes in the BBC Light Programme, then format owner Hughie Green took it to Radio Luxembourg (the 1950s equivalent of selling your show to KYTV). Then it turned up on ITV and didn't leave for decades: 472 episodes there. Plus another 48 when revived on the BBC in the late 80s.

That's a total of 553 episodes, all primetime. And we mean that most sincerely, folks!

Totals so far

All shows

Show	Episodes
Countdown	8732
Bamboozle	5900
Big Brother	4183
Deal or No Deal	3011
Fifteen-to-One	2683
Come Dine with Me	2432
The Chase	2247
Eggheads	2239
Bargain Hunt	2085
The Big Quiz (1)	2000
Brain of Britain / What Do You Know	1592
Blockbusters	1586
100%	1546
Mastermind	1426
Masterchef Goes Large	1202
Brainteaser	1200
Just a Minute	1065
Four in a Bed	1058
Going for Gold / One to Win	1058
Call My Bluff	1047
The News Quiz	1041
Dickinson's Real Deal	1025
Antiques Road Trip	905
I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!	846
Fighting Talk	835
Mr and Mrs / Sion a Sian	808
Love Island	746
Great British Menu	741
Family Fortunes	717
Mallett's Mallet	700
Let the Peoples Sing	695
The Brains Trust	691
Can't Cook, Won't Cook	685
ITV Play	650
Coach Trip	630
Have I Got News for You	613
Hold Your Plums	600
Games World	590
Catchphrase	583
Richard Osman's House of Games (3)	582
Going for a Song	569
Have a Go	567
I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue	557
Opportunity Knocks	553
My Music	524
Criss Cross Quiz	508
Fame Academy	500

The News Quiz has already overtaken a few of the titles ahead of it, and could move level with Just a Minute next year, which shows that the BBC needs to make more Just a Minute.

Primetime shows

Show	Episodes
Big Brother	4173
Mastermind	1384
Masterchef Goes Large	1025
I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!	816
Love Island	746
Family Fortunes	647
Have I Got News for You	611
Opportunity Knocks	553
Call My Bluff	542
Catchphrase	531
Double Your Money	470
Great British Menu	469
The Apprentice	468
Only Connect	463
Juke Box Jury	461
Come Dancing	431
The Generation Game	425
Blind Date	416
The Brains Trust	416
Love at First Sight	400
Games World	390
Have a Go	390
Britain's Got Talent	383
Bullseye	369
The Great British Bake Off	368
Blockbusters	366
Mr and Mrs / Sion a Sian	361
It's a Knockout / Jeux Sans Frontieres	340
The Golden Shot	339
ITV Play	321
Blankety Blank	320
Never Mind the Buzzcocks	301
The Krypton Factor	295
Celebrity Juice	271
Dragons' Den	269
Big Break	252
Fame Academy	251
Mock the Week	244
Dinner Date	242
One Man and His Dog	236
8 Out of 10 Cats	232
Jacpot	223
Ask the Family	221
Criss Cross Quiz	220
Noel's House Party / Saturday Roadshow	217
Celebrity Squares	210
New Faces	205
A League of Their Own	201
What Do You Know?	200
Masterchef	200
Dancing on Ice	189
Looks Familiar	180
Artist of the Year	175
Going for a Song	175
In It to Win It	172
Face the Music	166
The Chase	163
Eggheads	160
Gladiators	160
8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown	157
3-2-1	154
Name That Tune	152
Joker's Wild	150
BBC New Comedy Award	149
Every Second Counts	142
Ant and Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway	141
Cardiff Singer of the World	141
Jet Set	139
Britain's Next Top Model	138
The $64,000 Question	137
The Million Pound Drop Live	136
Laughlines	135
Night Fever	135
Animal, Vegetable, Mineral	131
Jeopardy!	130
Gamesmaster	129
Ninja Warrior (Challenge channel)	125
The Crystal Maze	124
Flying Start	123
Do I Not Know That?	121
Bob's Full House	117
Eurovision Song Contest	112
Ask Me Another	109
Busman's Holiday	103

Two more series of Only Connect will put it ahead of Opportunity Knocks. Channel 5's Night Fever finishes level with BSB's Laughlines, which feels somehow appropriate.

In other news

Martin Lee has died, aged 77. The name might not be familiar: his voice, as the lead singer with Brotherhood of Man, surely is. Their song, "Save your kisses for me" won the Eurovision Song Contest in 1976, and was the biggest victory achieved by anyone from Leicester until they invented the crisp commercial. Martin was an accomplished songwriter, as anyone who has properly listened to "Save your kisses for me" will attest; it earned recognition from his peers, winning three Ivor Novello awards in '76.

The group had a few years' success in the immediate aftermath of their Eurovision win, and could have become light entertainment regulars as Bucks Fizz became. Instead, Martin continued with the music, he and the Brotherhood performed until the COVID pandemic forced the group to retire.

You can't beat a bit of … Freddie? At the start of the year, one of the less well-researched media gossipers claimed that ITV was planning to revive Bullseye, with Paddy McGuinness as host. Ten months later, a press release flutters into our inbox, and we find that ITV is planning to revive Bullseye, with Freddie Flintoff taking the helm.

The original was a tight half-hour on Sunday teatimes, perhaps a little ramshackle at times but that only added to the charm. A version on the Challenge channel about two decades back was close to the original; the variant played in Epic Gameshow (sic) had the prize board and the category board and not much else. This column hopes that new producers 12-Yard keep the bits that work, and toss out the bits that don't, and we'll set out video for 6.30 on the evening of Sunday 29 December, straight after One Man and His Dog.

Quizzy Mondays

Jane Northen won Mastermind, taking the Thunderbirds series as her specialist. In a week of relatively low scores, and in spite of beginning and ending her general knowledge round with a pass, Jane succeeded where all others had failed.

Crunchers secured victory on Only Connect, beating Uisge Beathas by 25-23. Turned out that the big answer was on a connection where if you reverse the second word and put "up" after it, you get a synonym for the first word – so "refill pot" becomes "top up", and the team solved it faster than we've explained it. A splendid Missing Vowels clinched the win for the team of actuaries and coders.

Darwin Cambridge won University Challenge, beating Birkbeck London by 205-110. Darwin were literally a one-man team, Harrison Whittaker got all eleven (11) of the team's starters. Bonus rate of 60% and overall accuracy of 58% are usually too low for sides making the later quarter-finals. Birkbeck were beaten on the buzzers so often that they couldn't get a good run going.

Great news for all chickens, Big Brother is back (VM2 and ITV2, from Sun). Great news for all painters as Portrait Artist of the Year returns (Artsworld, Wed). A new run of Breaking the News (Radio Scotland – and back on BBC Scotland tv, Fri). The Wheel spins back (BBC1, Sat).

And BBC4 has Angela Rippon Night on Saturday. Starting with the profile Angela Rippon at the BBC, we get the network premiere of Midlands motoring magazine Top Gear from 1977, the grand final of Come Dancing 1980, then Angela Rippon Meets: The Hoofers with Broadway tap dancers. That's followed by Angela Rippon Reporting: The Soap Opera Business, from 1980; and the eminently revivable Masterteam from 1985. The night finishes with Portrait, a conversation while an artist paints a portrait of Miss Rippon.

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