Weaver's Week 2024-12-22

Last week | Weaver's Week Index | The Week of the Year

The very final part of our summer filler series. Over 21 cut-out-and-keep articles, we've recorded every single game show to have had at least 500 episodes from 1924 to 2023, or at least 100 primetime episodes. Thanks to Broken TV for the original idea, and a senior UKGameshows.com editor for the little spin we've put on it.

But we still need to finish the alphabet, in the only way George Marshall would allow:

Contents 1 Which game shows have the most episodes? Part 21: XYZ 1.1 The X Factor 1.2 You Bet! 1.3 Young Musician of the Year 1.4 Your Face or Mine? 1.5 You've Been Framed! 2 The final scores 2.1 All episodes 2.2 Primetime episodes 3 In other news 3.1 Quizzy Mondays 3.2 Coming attractions

Which game shows have the most episodes? Part 21: XYZ

XYZ was a one-series wonder, where contestants competed for Perspex letters so they could make a long string, and potentially win a coveted* XYZ Mug Tree. 32 episodes, and it's still better than Eldorado.

The X Factor

About fifteen years ago, this was television's hottest show. People would sing for our entertainment. Many of them were very good indeed. Some of them were celebrated by the programme; many were treated as disposable cannon fodder. Gave us Jedward and One Direction and Little Mix and Leona Lewis; also gave us him and them and her and him.

The main series, a logical follow-up to Pop Idol (qv), ran from 2004 to 2018, a total of 354 primetime episodes. Celebrity and a band spin-off add 20 further competition episodes. And then there was the spin-off show, refined to an art by Ben Shepherd on ITV's Got the Xtra Factor (And Possibly a New Celebrity Co-Host +1) from 2004 to 2016, another 359 episodes.

Towards the end of its run, The Aftermath and Xcess All Areas were further spin-offs from the spin-off show, a total of 30 episodes. Ten episodes of The Winners' Story, and 25 editions of Xtra Factor Rewind to repeat some of the narratives from previous years. Fourteen editions of Xtra Bites in 2017 and 2018, and an online version of Xtra Factor returned for 8 eps in the 2019 celeb series.

And so it goes. We tally up 798 primetime episodes, and 834 episodes in total.

You Bet!

Stunt show. Members of the public can do incredible things, but are they able to complete difficult challenges under studio pressure? Based on a German format, which goes out live and takes about four hours to complete a show.

Originally hosted by Bruce Forsyth, later presented by Matthew Kelly and Darren Day. Managed 105 primetime episodes, and while the show is fondly remembered, no broadcaster in their right minds would recommission it today.

What? Oh.

Review when we come back next year.

Young Musician of the Year

High culture as young classical musicians get time to show their brilliance and improve their craft. Run every second year since 1978, famous winners include Natalie Clein, Nicola Benedetti, and Sheku Kanneh-Mason.

Young Musician is a peg on which the BBC can hang some classical programmes for a mainstream audience. Previous competitors have been invited to give recitals on Radio 3, there were documentaries and masterclasses. We've included these shows where they wouldn't be made without Young Musician (so "Thirty Years Of..." yes, a random mention for a YM finalist no).

Up to the 2022 contest, we reckon 201 primetime competition shows, 25 spin-off shows and documentaries, and 13 radio programmes with no corresponding television show.

We also need to include Eurovision Young Musicians, which ran on the BBC from 1982 to 2010 and again in 2018. A total of 19 primetime episodes, plus three heats on Radio 3.

Total for the Young Musician family is 245 primetime episodes, and 261 episodes in total.

Your Face or Mine?

Who's more attractive: Debbie or Paul? On the surface, it's a shallow game about perceived beauty and social stereotypes; the show eventually reveals how it's subtly deconstructing these ideas from the inside. Revived on Comedy Central before the pandemic, and maybe they could bring it back. 111 primetime episodes.

You've Been Framed!

Funny home videos linked by Jeremy Beadle and/or Harry Hill. Often had some sort of contest, with a prize, with just about makes it a game show. Approximately 650 primetime episodes.

The Zone was ITV Play's last call-and-lose contest. Taken off air after 6 episodes. And that is where our A-Z ends.

The final scores

All episodes

Show	Episodes
Countdown	8732
Popmaster	6550
Bamboozle	5900
Big Brother	4183
Deal or No Deal	3011
Fifteen-to-One	2683
Come Dine with Me	2432
The Chase	2247
Eggheads	2239
University Challenge	2188
Bargain Hunt	2085
The Big Quiz (1)	2000
Pointless	1925
Ready Steady Cook	1911
The Weakest Link	1725
Strictly Come Dancing	1644
Brain of Britain / What Do You Know	1592
Tipping Point	1592
Blockbusters	1586
100%	1546
A Question of Sport	1431
Round Britain Quiz	1427
Mastermind	1426
Y Talwrn	1410
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
Sale of the Century	912
Antiques Road Trip	905
Twenty Questions	867
I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!	846
Fighting Talk	835
The X Factor	834
Top of the Form	833
Mr and Mrs / Sion a Sian	808
Today's the Day	753
Wheel of Fortune	752
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
Through the Keyhole	678
Supermarket Sweep	654
ITV Play	650
You've Been Framed	650
What's My Line?	640
Coach Trip	630
Have I Got News for You	613
Hold Your Plums	600
The Price is Right	600
Puzzle Corner	600
Games World	590
Catchphrase	583
Richard Osman's House of Games (3)	582
Going for a Song	569
Have a Go	567
Take Your Pick	567
I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue	557
Opportunity Knocks	553
My Music	524
Criss Cross Quiz	508
Quote... Unquote	505
Fame Academy	500

Even if Countdown were to come off air this week, and even if Popmaster were to continue making episodes every weekday, it wouldn't take the lead for over nine years. Teletext quiz Bamboozle is clear in third, with Big Brother and Deal or No Deal back in production to fight off The Chase.

Primetime episodes

Show	Episodes
Big Brother	4173
Strictly Come Dancing	1644
A Question of Sport	1420
Mastermind	1384
University Challenge	1212
Masterchef Goes Large	1025
Sale of the Century	912
I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!	816
The X Factor	798
Love Island	746
Who Wants to be a Millionaire	678
You've Been Framed!	650
Family Fortunes	647
Treasure Hunt (Westward)	625
Have I Got News for You	611
Puzzle Corner	600
Take Your Pick	567
Opportunity Knocks	553
Call My Bluff	542
Catchphrase	531
Twenty Questions	480
The Price is Right	476
Double Your Money	470
Great British Menu	469
The Apprentice	468
Only Connect	463
Juke Box Jury	461
What's My Line?	437
Come Dancing	431
The Generation Game	425
Sky Star Search	424
Top Club	420
Blind Date	416
The Brains Trust	416
Top of the Form	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
Pointless	329
QI	327
ITV Play	321
Blankety Blank	320
Never Mind the Buzzcocks	301
Pot Black	297
The Krypton Factor	295
SM:TV Live	286
Celebrity Juice	271
Stars In Their Eyes	270
Dragons' Den	269
Play Your Cards Right	264
Winner Takes All	253
Big Break	252
The Weakest Link	252
Fame Academy	251
Young Musician of the Year	245
Mock the Week	244
Dinner Date	242
One Man and His Dog	236
8 Out of 10 Cats	232
Telly Addict	229
Round Britain Quiz	226
Jacpot	223
Ask the Family	221
Criss Cross Quiz	220
Noel's House Party / Saturday Roadshow	217
The Voice	214
Strike it Lucky	213
Wheel of Fortune	212
Celebrity Squares	210
Spot the Tune	210
New Faces	205
Wife of the Week	205
A League of Their Own	201
What Do You Know?	200
Masterchef	200
Through the Keyhole	197
Take Me Out	194
Scrapheap Challenge	190
Dancing on Ice	189
Spellbound	185
World's Strongest Man	183
Looks Familiar	180
Takeshi's Castle	180
Robot Wars	177
Artist of the Year	175
Going for a Song	175
In It to Win It	172
The Sky's the Limit	169
Face the Music	166
The Chase	163
Eggheads	160
Gladiators	160
Thank Your Lucky Stars	160
8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown	157
3-2-1	154
They Think It's All Over	154
3-2-1	154
Name That Tune	152
Joker's Wild	150
Pull the Other One	150
BBC New Comedy Award	149
Taskmaster	147
Whittle	147
Every Second Counts	142
Ant and Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway	141
Cardiff Singer of the World	141
That's Showbusiness	141
Jet Set	139
Would I Lie to You?	139
Britain's Next Top Model	138
The $64,000 Question	137
Whose Line is it Anyway?	137
The Million Pound Drop Live	136
Laughlines	135
Night Fever	135
Regional Round	134
Animal, Vegetable, Mineral	131
Jeopardy!	130
Gamesmaster	129
Take a Letter (Bob Holness)	128
Tell the Truth	127
Ninja Warrior (Challenge channel)	125
The Crystal Maze	124
Flying Start	123
Do I Not Know That?	121
Superscot	120
Bob's Full House	117
Treasure Hunt (Channel 4)	114
Eurovision Song Contest	112
Your Face or Mine?	111
Ask Me Another	109
Who Dares Wins	107
Pencil and Paper	105
The Superstars / Superteams	105
You Bet!	105
Busman's Holiday	103
TV Scrabble	103
Winning Lines	103
Top Town	100

Big Brother is number one by a mile, with Strictly Come Dancing passing A Question of Sport, and two regulars from BBC2's quiz block completing the top five.

Phew! This has been a labour of love, it's gone on somewhat longer than we expected, and we hope it'll be a useful guide to the most important game shows in the genre's first century.

The rules in a nutshell: We've included all shows transmitted on television or radio to the end of 2023. "All episodes" requires 500 episodes at any time of day or night. "Primetime" requires 100 episodes from the primetime schedules, which we've defined as between the early evening news and midnight (or similar on channels that don't have an early evening news bulletin). Radio shows can be counted as "primetime" up to the end of 1959. A few of the numbers in these lists are approximate figures, see each individual entry for the assumptions we've made and how inaccurate we might be. Other exceptions are covered in the individual entries.

In other news

It's still number one! Countdown held its semi-annual Finals Week. Chris Kirby was the top seed, he came through a tough challenge from Neil Holland in the quarters, and from numbers specialist David Roe in the semi-final. Second seed Fiona Wood took her place in the final, beating Helen McGivern with some superb letters spots, and Terence Newnham with "Endorsing".

All four semi-finalists had won matches on Countdown in the past – Chris Kirby won a pair in 2009, Terence Newnham won one game in 2007, David Roe won five when making the quarter-finals in 2001, and Fiona Willis (as she was) won six games and made the semi-finals in summer 1990, and returned for the Championship of Champions in 1993.

Fiona Wood's first declaration in the final – "waspier" – was disallowed. In the second period, Chris's offers of "cuttie" and "promotee" were also declined; the latter had been legal until a bundle of obscure words were deleted from the Countdown dictionary during the summer. But Chris did get the one winning word, "Routeing", and there was nothing between the players on the numbers.

Throughout the Finals Week, not one conundrum had been solved correctly – there had been scarcely a buzz from anyone. And with a three-point lead, Chris had the advantage. Fiona had to solve the conundrum. Fiona did solve the conundrum, spotting "Lassitude".

Which means Fiona Wood becomes the champion of Countdown series 90. She's the first woman to win a series since Kate Ogilvie in 1998, and the first person from Scotland to win since the unrelated Stuart Wood in summer 2001.

Quizzy Mondays

BBC Brain had its last semi-final. Tim Hall starts off with a generous adjudication – asked for the cyclist, the answer is "Kenny"; "Lady Kenny" when pressed further. "Laura Kenny" the answer on the card, and perhaps the hawks at UC would have raised the spectre of her husband Jason. Anyway, Tim Hall progresses with Five In A Row And A Bonus Mark, which gives a substantial lead.

A strong run from any of the other players will help to narrow that lead, and Alan Eeles pulls some ground back, only for Tim to pick up lots of bonuses. Caroline Latham and Sarah Thornton are the other two players, neither has any luck with the questions until the final round. Tim Hall ends up winning by seven points; he'd picked six from other players' questions, which shows the quiz gods were not displeased.

Here is some placeholder text. We'll publish a brief review of the final here during Monday.

Phil Nowek won Mastermind, another episode where specialist subjects were quite low and the game was won on general knowledge. C'mon, we watch the specialist rounds to see people getting things right, and perhaps to learn a bit about the subject in passing. His round was on the books "A Song of Fire and Ice" by George RR Martin.

Crunchers took Only Connect by the scruff of the neck, recognising songs about baddies, people married to Blake, a gorgeous picture sequence coding traffic lights through Red Rum and Amber Rudd. And a Five Point Sequence, going from "A: pension tax simplification" through to "D: invade Normandy". The Uisge Beathas were rather frozen out in this round, and leave the tournament with their heads held high.

Bristol added another quarter-final appearance on University Challenge, dominating Exeter by 290-35. Bristol answered fifteen of the first sixteen questions correctly, and finished with 71% of the questions right for the second game running. Exeter were a great side in the heat, but were comprehensively outbuzzed by the side from up the A38; they join LSE as a good side beaten by an even better one.

Coming attractions

Sunday has The Chase and Bullseye and You Bet! on the ITV network, and the BBC Brain final (Radio 4).

Monday has a sneak preview of Pictionary (ITV), and Sally Lindsay takes over The Big Quiz (2). Channel 4's got the Junior Taskmaster final. BBC2 has a quizzy quad-play: House of Games (3), Celebrity Mastermind, Only Connect (2), University Challenge every night this week and next week (except Christmas Day, but there are editions on Sunday the 29th).

Christmas Eve gives us Christmas Bake Off (C4) and a celebrity edition of Dubhlain DIY, BBC Alba's entertaining show about assembling flat-packed furniture.

Christmas Day has the traditional Strictly Come Dancing special, celebrities tackle The Weakest Link (both BBC1), and Channel 4 gives us The Piano at Christmas. Following an inexplicable booking, Alexander Armstrong is on The Chase (ITV).

Boxing Day brings us Blankety Blank (BBC1), The Great Pottery Throw Down (C4), and The 1% Club (ITV) – and that's just at 9pm. We've also another episode of Pictionary (ITV), quizzes on RTÉ Radio 1 and 2, and The Masked Singer (VM1 and ITV) to uncrack.

The Big Fat Quiz of the Year (C4) gets a clear run on Friday night. The Challenge channel has bought some episodes of Bob's Full House and Bruce Forsyth's The Generation Game, which we haven't seen in donkey's years.

Saturday has specials of Wheel of Fortune (ITV) and The Weakest Link (BBC1). Sunday the 29th brings us Taskmaster's Bit Between Christmas And New Year's Treat (C4), and a new series of Counterpoint (Radio 4).

We'll publish the Review of the Year before the end of the year. Until then, we wish you a happy, peaceful, and pleasant time of year.

To have Weaver's Week emailed to you on publication day, receive our exclusive TV roundup of the game shows in the week ahead, and chat to other ukgameshows.com readers, sign up to our Google Group.

Last week | Weaver's Week Index | The Week of the Year