Shooting Stars poster

Cast

Bob Mortimer profile

Bob Mortimer

Self - Presenter

Episode count (70)

Ulrika Jonsson profile

Ulrika Jonsson

Self- Team Captain

Episode count (70)

Vic Reeves profile

Vic Reeves

Self - Presenter

Episode count (70)

Matt Lucas profile

Matt Lucas

George Dawes

Episode count (57)

Graham Skidmore profile

Graham Skidmore

Self - Narrator

Episode count (51)

Mark Lamarr profile

Mark Lamarr

Self- Team Captain

Episode count (31)

Johnny Vegas profile

Johnny Vegas

Self - Panelist

Episode count (20)

Jack Dee profile

Jack Dee

Self- Team Captain

Episode count (19)

Dan Renton Skinner profile

Dan Renton Skinner

Angelos Epithemiou

Episode count (19)

Nico Tatarowicz profile

Nico Tatarowicz

Self - Narrator

Episode count (19)

Will Self profile

Will Self

Self - Captain

Episode count (12)

Carol Vorderman profile

Carol Vorderman

Self

Episode count (3)

Jarvis Cocker profile

Jarvis Cocker

Self

Episode count (2)

Stephen Fry profile

Stephen Fry

Self

Episode count (2)

Sara Cox profile

Sara Cox

Self

Episode count (2)

Lisa Snowdon profile

Lisa Snowdon

Self

Episode count (2)

Bobby Ball profile

Bobby Ball

Self

Episode count (1)

Frank Bough profile

Frank Bough

Self

Episode count (1)

Cat Deeley profile

Cat Deeley

Self

Episode count (1)

Kim Woodburn profile

Kim Woodburn

Self

Episode count (1)

Damon Hill profile

Damon Hill

Self

Episode count (1)

Tess Daly profile

Tess Daly

Self

Episode count (1)

Patsy Palmer profile

Patsy Palmer

Self

Episode count (1)

Paul Whitehouse profile

Paul Whitehouse

Self

Episode count (1)

Quentin Willson profile

Quentin Willson

Self

Episode count (1)

Curtis Stigers profile

Curtis Stigers

Self

Episode count (1)

Miranda Richardson profile

Miranda Richardson

Self

Episode count (1)

Donna Air profile

Donna Air

Self

Episode count (1)

Kate Robbins profile

Kate Robbins

Self

Episode count (1)

Bradley Walsh profile

Bradley Walsh

Self

Episode count (1)

Details

Status

Ended

Original language

en

Countries

GB

Number of seasons

8

Number of episodes

70

Similar Tv shows

The Generation Game poster

The Generation Game

9

Overview:

The Generation Game was a British game show produced by the BBC in which four teams of two competed to win prizes. The programme was first broadcast in 1971 under the title Bruce Forsyth and the Generation Game and ran until 1982, and again from 1990 until 2002. The show was based on the Dutch TV show Een van de acht, "One of the Eight", the format devised in 1969 by Theo Uittenbogaard for VARA Television. Mrs. Mies Bouwman - a popular Dutch talk show host and presenter of the show - came up with the idea of the conveyor belt. She had seen it on a German programme and wanted to incorporate it into the show. Another antecedent for the gameshow was 'Sunday Night at the London Palladium' on ATV, which had a game called Beat the Clock, taken from an American gameshow. It featured married couples playing silly games within a certain time to win prize money. This was hosted by Bruce Forsyth from 1958, and he took the idea with him when he went over to the BBC. During the 1970s, gameshows became more popular and started to replace expensive variety shows. Creating new studio shows was cheaper than hiring a theatre and paying for long rehearsals and a large orchestra, and could secure a similar number of viewers. With less money for their own productions, a gameshow seemed the obvious idea for ITV. As a result many variety performers were recruited for gameshows. The BBC, suffering poor ratings, decided to make its own gameshow. Bill Cotton, the BBC's Head of Light Entertainment, believed that Bruce Forsyth was best for the job. For years, The Generation Game was one of the strong shows in the BBC's Saturday night line-up, and became the number one gameshow on British television during the 1970s, regularly gaining over 21 million viewers. However, things were about to change. LWT, desperate to end the BBC's long-running ratings success on a Saturday night, offered Forsyth a chance to change channel to host The Big Night.