Catchphrase (British game show)
| Catchphrase | |
|---|---|
| File:Catchphrase.jpg | |
| Created by | Pasetta Productions inc., Stephen Radosh |
| Presented by | Roy Walker (1986-99) Andrew O'Connor (1994) Nick Weir (2000-01) Mark Curry (2002 - one series) |
| Country of origin |  United Kingdom |
| Production | |
| Producers | TVS, later Action Time for Carlton Television |
| Running time | 30 minutes |
| Original release | |
| Network | ITV |
| Release | 12 January 1986 – September 2002 |
Catchphrase was a game show which ran on ITV in the United Kingdom between January 1986 and September 2002, it was originally hosted by Roy Walker who presented the show until 1999 when it was announced on Channel 4's The Big Breakfast, by guest presenter Phil Jupitus who said that Roy Walker has been given the chop by the producers of Catchphrase, as the show was being revamped for the millennium.
Walker was replaced by Nick Weir, who presented the show from 2000-2001. In 2002 Weir left Catchphrase & gave way to ex Blue Peter presenter Mark Curry, who presented the show the same year until its demise the same year.
It was originally made by TVS at their Northam studios. The show was subsequently moved to their Maidstone facility, now known as The Maidstone Studios in Kent. After Television South lost their licence to broadcast, the show was put on a year hiatus in 1993. In 1994, the format was picked up by Carlton Television and produced by Stephen Leahy's Action Time Productions.
In 1996 Catchphrase moved to Carlton (formerly Central Independent Television) Studios in Lenton Lane, Nottingham where it stayed until 2002. The show was based on a short lived American game show of the same name.
Two contestants would have to identify the familiar phrase represented by a piece of animation, with the show's mascot — a character called "Mr Chips" — often appearing.
Repeats of the show can currently be seen on Challenge.
The Main Game
In the main game, at the start of each round, one contestant stopped a randomizer which consisted of money amounts by hitting his/her button. The value that was landed would then be the amount for the normal catch phrases. On each normal catch phrase, the computer would draw it on the screen. When it was done, a bell would ring, signifying the contestants to buzz-in when they think they know the answer. A correct answer won the contestant the predetermined money amount, plus a chance to solve the Bonus Catchphrase which was hidden behind nine squares with the show's logo on each. To choose a square, the contestant had to hit their button to stop a randomizer from flashing around the board after which the square was revealed, and they had a chance to guess. A correct answer won bonus money for the player. Unlike the US version there was also the Ready Money Round, in which contestants didn't have to wait for the bell to buzz-in and answer. When Nick Weir and Mark Curry hosted the series, this was replaced by the Cash Countdown, in which each catchphrase had a maximum prize of £500, which very quickly counted down towards zero. The quicker the contestant answered, the more money they could win.
The player with the most money won the game and played the Super Catchphrase.
Super Catchphrase
The final round involved a game board with 25 lettered squares with catchphrases hidden behind each. The winning contestant had the task to capture five random squares in 60 seconds. If they could do that by identify five such phrases, that player won £50 for each square (later £100 1997 onwards), but if the winning player went through the centre "M" Square in either a horizontal, vertical, or diagonal line, they won a holiday.
In the Nick Weir/Mark Curry era, the Super Catchphrase was changed so that, in order to win, the contestant had to get from the left hand side of the screen to the right making adjoining moves (ala Blockbusters). Passing on a catchphrase meant that they were blocked and had to find an alternative path.
Family Catchphrase
In 1994, the Family Channel (now Challenge) produced a spin-off called Family Catchphrase, hosted by Andrew O'Connor. The game was played by teams of 2 related players (normally parent and child) and featured slightly different rules to the normal game. The teams played for points rather than prizes, and the second round would feature the players taking alternative turns, rather than answering the phrases as a team. The Ready Money Round was renamed the Fast and Furious Round (as there was no money involved).
The Family Channel was fairly new at this time, and so the prizes weren't as expensive as they were on the main show although the M Square prize wasn't revealed unless it had actually been won. It wasn't uncommon to see prizes such as a Sega Master System or a daytrip to Thorpe Park given away as prizes.
Although produced in 1994, on a slightly smaller version of the new set used for the Carlton/Action Time-produced series for ITV, the graphics and music were taken from the TVS version of the show.
One episode of Family Catchphrase featured a guest appearance from Stephen Radosh - creator of Catchphrase.
Notes
One of the most famous moments of the show's history included a bonus catchphrase where the answer to the puzzle was 'snake charmer'. The puzzle was revealed in such a way it appeared to show Mr Chips masturbating. This episode was aired on November 18, 1994.
In homage to the show a popular radio spoof of Catchphrase, entitled Car Park Catchphrase was broadcast on The Chris Moyles Show on BBC Radio 1 from January 2004 until December 2005. It returned to the airwaves on 8 January 2007. It got taken off the air again because of the phone-in competitions being suspended. The format in comparism to the TV show changed slightly, and required callers to play from their cars and 'honk' their horns when they knew the catchphrase being described. Roy Walker himself recorded voice samples for the game.
"Say What You See!" was used as a Bonus Catchphrase itself in 1997, but surprisingly no one guessed it.
The UK version's second host, Nick Weir, became more famous for falling down the studio steps and breaking his foot while recording his first series in 2000, than for actually hosting the show. Several episodes show him wearing a cast, and once on the programme they actually showed when it happened, he was running down to present when he fell and broke his leg.
Catchphrase is now shown on the British television channel Challenge. However, these episodes are only the 1994-99 Roy Walker versions, but they do occasionally show the Nick Weir 2000-02 series.
Catchphrase Catchphrases
Appropriately, Roy Walker had his own catchphrases he often said during the show:
- Say what you see!
- An elongated Riiiiiiiiiiight! - Upon a Bonus Catchphrase being solved.
- Five seconds, here we go! - When the contestant chose a square, and had five seconds to guess the Bonus Catchphrase.
- It's good, but it's not right! - Said after some close guesses, or just sarcastically after obvious wrong answers. There were actually several variations of this catchphrase (It's good, but it's not the one!), (It's a good answer, but it's not right!), (It's good, but it's not great!).
- You can't win if you don't buzz in!
- What's Mr Chips doing there?
- There's no such expression - Said after the contestant says a Catchphrase that doesn't make sense.
Mark Curry made a point of the fact he didn't have a catchphrase when he was presenting, and made a different one up on each show.
Theme Music
Catchphrase's original theme tune and incidental music were composed by profilic television composer Ed Welch whose original version of the theme was used for the Television South incarnation of the show up until October 1992.
The show returned on September 30, 1994 with a brand new look and now being produced by Action Time for Carlton Television. The show's theme and incidental music was re-tuned, and was composed Simon Etchell whose version was used from 1994-99, but sounded similar the Ed Welch one.
From 2000-02 a third version of the Catchphrase theme music was used. It was a re-mixed and "jazzed-up" version of the previous theme, composed by Simon Etchell and was used alongside a revamped title sequence followed by a new studio set (now at Carlton Studios in Nottingham), once again still (distantly) based on Ed Welch version.
Demise
Catchphrase ended in September 2002 after 16 years because of the declining ratings. Many viewers felt that Roy Walker's departure had seen the quality of the show suffer.
External links
- Catchphrase at Challenge.co.uk
- Catchphrase at UKGameshows.com
- Catchphrase Broadband at wedigtv.com
- PaulStacey.co.uk: Play along with Mr.Chips
- Online Catchphrase game