We recently returned from a trip to the UK and I spent entirely too much time watching British gameshows (usually while waiting for my husband to wake up / get ready to go out.) Think The Chase, The Floor, Countdown. Maybe not high art but there was pretty much always something reasonably entertaining to watch.
Now that we’re back, I kinda missed it but WOW WHADDYA KNOW there’s actually a channel on one of the streaming platforms that only shows British gameshows. Score!
Except that they are, so far without exception, absolutely dire. The Edge (trivia skeeball!?), The Answer Run, Bargain Hunt. Contestants and hosts that appear to be heavily sedated, lame attempts at humor, just so so painful to watch.
There’s another thread called Is there any gameshow on tv dumber than Family Feud that I’d been thinking about posting to. Personally, I loved the Richard Dawson days, but that is in large part due to nostalgia and fond memories watching with my Dad. But what I was going to mention - and what I thought this thread was going to be about - is how much more intelligent gameshows are in UK. I also visited recently and watched a few of them and was amazed at how hard the questions are. Jeez, I couldn’t even figure out the rules of a couple of them. I will agree that the hosts and guests aren’t half as “enthusiastic” as the US. According to a friend of mine, who has been on Wheel of Fortune, Joker’s Wild and one other that I don’t recall at the moment, the more animated and over the top, the more chance one has to make it onto the show. They also coach you to do it while filming.
Jeez, our friends across the pond have more dignity than us, including on gameshows. Embarassing.