| Blockbusters | |
|---|---|
| Created by | Steve Ryan and Mark Goodson[1] |
| Directed by | Ira Skutch (1980–82) Marc Breslow (1987)[1] |
| Presented by | Bill Cullen Bill Rafferty[1] |
| Narrated by | Bob Hilton Rich Jeffries[1] |
| Theme music composer | Bob Cobert (1980–82) Music Design Group (1987)[1] |
| Country of origin | United States |
| No. of episodes | 372 (1980–82) 85 (1987) |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | Ira Skutch (1980–82) Robert Sherman (1987)[1] |
| Producer(s) | Robert Sherman (1980–1982) Diane H. Janaver (1987) |
| Production location(s) | NBC Studios Burbank, California |
| Running time | 22 minutes |
| Production company(s) | Mark Goodson-Bill Todman Productions (1980–1982) Mark Goodson Television Productions (1987) |
| Distributor | Fremantle |
| Release | |
| Original network | NBC |
| Original release | Original series: October 27, 1980–April 23, 1982 Revived series: January 5, 1987–May 1, 1987 |
| Chronology | |
| Related shows | Blockbusters (United Kingdom) |
Blockbusters is an American game show which had two separate runs in the 1980s. Created by Steve Ryan for Mark Goodson-Bill Todman Productions, contestants answer trivia questions to complete a path across or down a game board of hexagons. The first series of the show debuted on NBC on October 27, 1980, and aired until April 23, 1982. In the first series, a team of two family members competed against a solo contestant. Blockbusters was revived on NBC from January 5 to May 1, 1987, but featured only two solo contestants competing.
Bill Cullen hosted the 1980–82 version, with Bob Hilton as announcer. Johnny Olson and Rich Jeffries substituted for Hilton on occasion, with Jeffries taking over for the final two weeks. Bill Rafferty hosted the 1987 version, with Jeffries announcing the entire run.
With Bill Cullen, Bob Hilton, David Vito Gregoli, Jolene Rae Harrington. Game show which sought to resolve the question, 'Are two heads better than one?' A single contestant competed against a team of two (related in some way but not married) to answer general knowledge questions, which allowed them to claim hexagonal boxes on a large five-by-four game board if they answered correctly. May 18, 2017 New Series and new set! Here is Bob Holness hosting ITV's teatime quiz in 1992. Blockbusters was a game of skill and strategy, where the game board was a honeycomb filled with letters, each of which were the beginning letters 'that lead to victory' of an answer to a question. This show originally pitted a solo player against a family pair to see if two heads really are better than one.
- 1Game play
Game play[edit]
1980–82[edit]
Blockbusters and Las Vegas Gambit, which premiered on the same day, were added to the NBC schedule to replace The David Letterman Show. Letterman's show, for which NBC had cancelled three game shows to create a space for back in June 1980, did not draw good ratings and only managed a total of eighteen weeks of episodes (and was cut in length from 90 minutes to 60 minutes midway into its run) before NBC decided to return to a more traditional morning lineup.
Three contestants played in each game, with a solo contestant playing against a team of two related contestants that was referred to as the 'family pair'. The solo contestant played behind a red desk while the family pair played from a white one.[1]
The game was played on a board that consisted of four interlocking rows of five hexagons each. Within each hexagon was a different letter of the alphabet, which represented the first letter of the correct answer to a question. For example, if the letter P was chosen, a sample question might be: 'What 'P' is a herbivorous North American mammal whose body is covered with thousands of bristles called quills?', in which case the correct answer would be 'Porcupine'. Contestants attempted to complete a connection of hexagons to win each round: in red from top to bottom for the solo player, and in white from left to right for the family pair. The solo player had the advantage of being able to win with as few as four hexagons, while the family pair required at least five. In addition, the two members of the family pair were not allowed to discuss questions at any time. All questions had one-word answers.
Each game started with a letter chosen at random. The first contestant to buzz in was given a chance to answer; if a contestant did so before the host finished the question, he stopped reading and the contestant had to answer immediately. A correct answer awarded the hexagon to that team and allowed them to choose the next letter, while a miss gave the opposing team a chance to hear the entire question and respond. If the solo contestant missed, only one member of the family pair could attempt to answer. If both teams missed the same question, a new one was asked using the same letter.
Originally, winning the first round earned the team no money but allowed the winning team to play the bonus round for $2,500. A second win allowed a return trip to the bonus round for an additional $5,000. Later, each round earned the winning team $500, and teams advanced to the bonus round only after winning two rounds. If the family pair advanced to the bonus round, the captain decided which member would participate.
From the beginning until the change in the front game format, the longest a champion could stay on the original Blockbusters was eight matches. Following the change, each champion was permitted to stay up to 10 matches. The limit was later increased to 20 wins, and several previously undefeated 10-time champions were invited to compete again on the show.
Gold Rush/Gold Run[edit]
The same board layout was used, with the left and right sides now colored gold, and the object was to complete a path across the board within 60 seconds. Each hexagon now contained up to five letters, standing for the initial letters in the correct response to a clue (e.g. for 'EK' and a clue of 'Former mayor of New York City,' the correct response would be 'Ed Koch'). A correct response turned the hexagon gold, while a miss or pass blacked it out, forcing the contestant to work around that space to complete the path.
The bonus round was originally known as the 'Gold Rush' and was played after each game in the match. A contestant/family team's first attempt was worth $2,500 if successful, and an additional $5,000 for the second attempt (dubbed the 'Super Gold Rush'). Contestants earned $100 per correct answer if they failed to make a connection. When the format changed to a best-two-out-of-three match with $500 awarded per game, Gold Rush was played only after the match and was always worth $5,000.
In the show's 19th week on the air, the round's name was changed to 'Gold Run'.
1987 changes[edit]
When NBC revived Blockbusters in 1987, the solo-vs.-family pair contest was changed to two individual contestants playing.[1] The champion represented white while the challenger represented red. Also, this version used a computer-generated board.
Again, the game was best two-out-of-three, with the advantage alternating between contestants in the first two games. If a tiebreaker game was needed, the board was reduced to a 4×4 field, with neither contestant having an advantage. Each win was worth $100. Contestants stayed until they won ten matches or were defeated.
The Gold Run was played exactly as before, with the contestant having to complete a left-to-right path within 60 seconds. The prize was originally a flat $5,000, but partway through the run it became a jackpot that began at $5,000 and increased by that amount every time it was not won. The jackpot reset to $5,000 whenever it was collected or a new champion was crowned. Throughout the run, the contestant received $100 per correct answer if he/she did not win.
The 1987 theme music was a stock music piece called 'Run, Don't Walk' from the KPM music library, composed by British composer Richard Myhill but credited to the Music Design Group.
Home game[edit]
The Milton Bradley Company published a single home game edition in 1982. The front game play was the same as the show (with six possible board configurations to play with, although the arrangement of the hexagons was upside-down from what was used on the show). The Gold Run was also played with one of these boards, using only single-letter definitions rather than the multi-letter combinations frequently used on the television show.
Episode status[edit]
Both versions of the series are intact, and have aired on Game Show Network at various times. Reruns were first aired on CBN (now Freeform) in 1984, and was the first Goodson-Todman game show (along with Card Sharks) to be rerun on cable TV, pre-dating the launch of GSN 10 years later. GSN resumed airing the Cullen version on December 2, 2013, but it has since been dropped. The Bill Cullen version began airing on the second day of Buzzr programming on June 2, 2015.
An episode was featured in the 1998 movie Great Expectations.[1]
Reception[edit]
Cullen received an Emmy Award nomination for Best Game Show Host, his first ever, for hosting the show.[1]
International versions[edit]
| Country | Local name | Host(s) | Channel | Aired |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | Blockbusters | Michael Pope | Seven Network | 1991–1994 |
| France | Parcours d'enfer | Pierre Bellemare | TF1 | |
| Germany | Supergrips (originally called Grips) | Frank Laufenberg (1988–1990) Ingo Dubinski (1991–1995) | Bavarian TV | 1988–1995 |
| Indonesia | Aksara Bermakna | Kepra Anton Gemilar | TVRI Antv | 1989–1996 1997–1999 |
| Israel | (פיצוחים (שעשועון (Pitzuhim) | Shosh Atari Avri Gilad Ito Aviram Anat Dolev Mennachem Perry Nahum Ido | Israeli Educational Television | 1985–1994 |
| Masarat | 1996 | |||
| Italy | Doppio Slalom | Corrado Tedeschi (1985–1990) Paolo Bonolis (1990) | Canale 5 | 1985–1990 |
| Netherlands | Blokletters | Fred Oster | AVRO | 1986 |
| Paraguay | Blockbuster | Clari Arias and Leti Medina | Telefuturo | 1999 |
| Saudi Arabia | حروف Huruf | Ibrahim al-Qasim Majid Cub Ghanem Al Saleh Ghalib Full Salman Al-Otaibi (2017) | Saudi 1 | 1987–1994 1997–1998 2017[2] |
| Sweden | 2 mot 1 | Stellan Sundahl | SVT1 | 1998–1999 |
| Switzerland | Blockbusters | Sven Epiney | SF | 1997–2000 |
| Turkey | Haydi Bastir | Mim Kemal Öke | Show TV | 1992–1993 |
| United Kingdom | Blockbusters | Bob Holness (1983–1995) Michael Aspel (1997) Liza Tarbuck (2000–2001) | ITV Sky One BBC Two | 1983–1993 1994–95, 2000–01 1997 |
| Champion Blockbusters | Bob Holness | ITV | 1987–1990 | |
| All New Blockbusters | Simon Mayo | Challenge | 2012 | |
| Blockbusters | Dara Ó Briain | Comedy Central | 2019[3] |
See also[edit]
- Blockbusters (British game show), the longer-running British version based on the U.S. show
References[edit]
- ^ abcdefghijSchwartz, David; Ryan, Steve; Wostbrock, Fred (1999). The Encyclopedia of TV Game Shows (3 ed.). Facts on File, Inc. p. 23. ISBN0-8160-3846-5.
- ^السعودية (2017-05-27), مسابقة حروف الحلقة 1, retrieved 2018-09-25
- ^White, Peter (2018-12-03). 'Comedy Central UK Reboots Classic NBC Gameshow 'Blockbusters' With 'Mock The Week' Host Dara O'Briain'. Deadline. Retrieved 2018-12-03.
External links[edit]
- Blockbusters (1980) on IMDb
- Blockbusters (1987) on IMDb
FOR millions of Brits it was must-watch teatime viewing – if only to hear the immortal words: “Can I have a P please, Bob?” https://gunospihis.tistory.com/4.
Now, nearly six years after it last aired, I can reveal Blockbusters will be returning to our screens.
The cult game show is coming back next year courtesy of production company Thames TV, which also makes Britain’s Got Talent and The X Factor.
However, the host is yet to be revealed and there are still several channels in the frame to broadcast it.
The format will remain the same, with players trying to make their way across a board of hexagons by answering questions that correspond to each letter.
A TV insider said: “It’s been the year of the revival with classic shows including The Price Is Right, Generation Game and It’ll Be Alright On The Night all making a comeback.
“Now Thames TV has decided it’s the right time to bring back Blockbusters. It’s just one of those feel-good shows that has a special place in a lot of people’s hearts.
“It’s still very early days and a channel hasn’t been confirmed yet, but the plan is for it to have the same format and catchy theme tune.”
Blockbusters was made famous by host Bob Holness in the Eighties and Nineties, running for ten years on ITV.
It was then briefly revived on BBC2 in 1997 with Michael Aspel posing the questions.
Whereas the original version had sixth-form students as the contestants, the Beeb opted for adults, including a young Stephen Merchant in one of the episodes.
Sky 1 then took it on nearly two decades ago with Liza Tarbuck at the helm.
The most recent reboot aired on Challenge in 2012 with Simon Mayo as host — just months after original presenter Bob had died.
Perhaps Simon’s decision to quit Radio 2 has come at the perfect time for a new TV challenge.
NEXT Monday’s episode of Coronation Street will feature just FOUR characters.
The dramatic storyline involves Ken Barlow, his sons Peter Barlow and Daniel Osbourne and Daniel’s wife Sinead and looks at the secrets and lies tearing the family apart.
The action will take place at Weatherfield General hospital and the Barlows’ home.
Blockbusters Game Show
Sinead had kept her cancer diagnosis a secret from Daniel but when she collapses and is taken to hospital the truth comes out. And Daniel is stunned to learn Ken knew all about it – and storms off to have a spectacular stand-off with his dad.
READ ON FOR MORE OF ANDY HALLS' BIZARRE TV COLUMN
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IT’S the moment Holby City fans have waited for – nurse Adrian Fletcher and medic Jac Naylor’s simmering romance sealed with a kiss.
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But love is never a guarantee of happiness in the medical drama.
BBC's Flo no-show
DESPITE Tom Hiddleston’s buttock flash in 2016’s The Night Manager, the Beeb has banned rude bits from follow-up The Little Drummer Girl to avoid offending US viewers.
Florence Pugh, lead actress in the American co-production – airing this Sunday on BBC1 – tells Radio Times: “America is quite scared of bums and nipples. I don’t know why. Such strange people.”
Florence, who filmed sex scenes with co-star Alexander Skarsgard, adds: “Alex and I were under the duvet and supposedly naked. Mazak cnc lathe programming manual. Halfway through, I hear, ‘CUT! CUT!’ The director says, ‘Florence, you’ve got to hide your nipples more!’
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Americans can be such spoilsports.
NEVER-before-seen clips of Morecambe and Wise will feature in a three-part documentary on the comedy duo’s failed attempt to make it in the US.
Morecambe & Wise In America, fronted by Jonathan Ross, will be shown on Gold in the run-up to Christmas and will include commentary from some of their most famous guest stars, including Dame Diana Rigg and Glenda Jackson.
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CELEBS Go Dating’s Eyal Booker won’t be signing up for any more dating shows – as Love Island has wrecked his confidence. He coupled up with both Megan Barton Hanson and Hayley Hughes but failed to find a partner.
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Arlene: Python to stop
Wheel Of Fortune Game
THE stars of Monty Python will never perform together again, Arlene Phillips has revealed.
The ex-Strictly judge made the comments after Terry Gilliam revealed that co-star Terry Jones, below, now no longer recognises him after his dementia has worsened.
Speaking at a Q&A last week, Arlene said: “Terry Jones sadly has Alzheimer’s, so the Pythons will never work together again. Terry loved my dance troupe Hot Gossip and that’s how I got to choreograph their 1983 film The Meaning Of Life and he managed to get the dancers in every scene dressed as nuns.”
Terry Jones, Terry Gilliam, John Cleese, Eric Idle, Michael Palin and the late Graham Chapman formed Monty Python in 1969.
The BBC’s head of comedy Shane Allen recently criticised the troupe saying that if the Beeb was to assemble a comedy team nowadays it wouldn’t be “six Oxbridge white blokes”.
I’d like to see him try to argue against some of the country’s best comedians . . .
WHAT? Martin Lewis: Ten Things Your Kids Need To Know, ITV, 9pm.
WHY? The money-saving expert hosts an invaluable one-off special helping parents secure their kids future while detailing how his own tragic family past moulded him.
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