Game of Talents
Synopsis
Vernon Kay's back! Yay! But he's presenting a sleb saviour show. Boo. ITV's press office tells us:
- In Game of Talents, a brand-new entertainment series hosted by Vernon Kay, the gameshow and talent show collide to create a guessing game like no other.
- Competing in pairs, each contestant will be partnered with a celebrity teammate, as they try to figure out the surprising and often bizarre hidden talents of the eight mystery performers in each episode.
- With big money prizes up for grabs if they get it right, will they be able to tell the fire eater from the footballer or the line dancer from the lion tamer, based solely on the performers’ appearances and some intriguing clues?
The format really is that simple. Here is a talented person. Here is a not-very-cryptic clue to their talent. Which of these eight possibilities is their talent?
What is this man's talent?
A money ball is selected for each guess: get it right and the money's with that team. Get it wrong, the money goes to the opposition. The opposition? Two couples play the game (a celebrity and someone from the public), and there's the option to play or pass before seeing the clue.
Game of Talents is an ITV show, and doesn't hesitate to pull in a few favours from elsewhere on the network. The ITV News team contribute a spoof report, Lorraine puts forward some clues, and network stars including Stephen Mulhern take part.
The talents only get about a minute to impress us, they're subservient to the game.
There's a slight twist with the last two talents. When there are two options, the pairs see the clue, then stake a money ball on Ventriloquist or Opera Singer; they add the money if they're right.
Only the top team goes forward to the final round, where they choose one real Opera Singer from four options. They can halve the choice to two options, at the cost of half their prize pot.
Who is the real opera singer?
Top prize on the show is £97,000, most people winning money take home about £25,000.
Ultimately, Game of Talents falls between a lot of stools. It doesn't quite work as a variety show like Britain's Got Talent, because the talents aren't given enough time to show their brilliance. It doesn't quite work as a guessing show, because the clues are that little bit too easy. And it doesn't work as a gentle entertainment, because the stakes are high – someone's going to play for £50,000 and that's a lot of money to lose.
Catchphrase
Show! Us! Your! Talent!
Trivia
Aired as a replacement for Britain's Got Talent, which did not air in 2021 as a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The first four episodes aired at 7:30pm, opposite I Can See Your Voice after which ITV moved the show an hour later to avoid a clash.
