Give Us a Clue

*Give Us a Clue*
Give Us a Clue
Presented by	Michael Aspel (1979–84); Michael Parkinson (1984–92); Tim Clark (1997)
Country of origin	United Kingdom
Original language	English
Production
Running time	30 minutes
Production companies	Thames (1979–92); Grundy (1997)
Original release
Network	ITV (1979–92); BBC One (1997)
Release	2 January 1979 –; 19 December 1997

Give Us a Clue is a British televised game show version of charades which was broadcast on ITV from 1979 to 1992. The original host was Michael Aspel from 1979 to 1984, followed by Michael Parkinson from 1984 to 1992. The show featured two teams, one captained by Lionel Blair and the other by Una Stubbs. Later versions of the programme had Liza Goddard as captain of the women's team.

A revived version was attempted by BBC One, which ran from 10 November to 19 December 1997 and commissioned 30 episodes, it was hosted by Tim Clark. Teams were captained by Christopher Blake and Julie Peasgood and the show tried to introduce a lateral thinking puzzle (which the host could "give clues to"). Give us a Clue returned for a special Comic Relief episode on 5 March 2011 with Sara Cox, Christopher Biggins, Lionel Blair, Una Stubbs, Holly Walsh, Jenni Falconer and David Walliams.

Format

The game was based on charades, a party game where players used mime rather than speaking to demonstrate a name, phrase, book, play, film or TV programme. Each player was given roughly two minutes to act out their given subject in front of his/her team, and if the others were unsuccessful in guessing correctly, the opposing team would have a chance to answer for a bonus point.

Broadcasting

The First series was not network; Thames and a few other broadcast the series, around 19.00 while most others station moved it to an early time slot including 15.50. By 1980 all station were broadcasting the series in peaktime slot until 1986. No series was created in 1987 but repeats were broadcast on certain ITV station usually around 17:15.

In 1988 the show moved to an early morning slot, left vacant when ITV Schools relocated to Channel 4, before being moved once again to around 15.00 slot in 1989 onwards. The last series ended in 1991 BUT a one off special was broadcast on Monday 4 May 1992. In 1997 BBC One brought the series back for 30 episodes.

The programme was screened in the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar where it became a family favourite. The programme aired on GBC TV during Prime time.

Transmittions

Thames for ITV network, 2 January 1979 to 1992

Series 1: 2 January to 27 March 1979 - 13 episodes
Series 2: 1 September to 29 December 1980 - 18 episodes
Series 3: 1981
Series 4: 1982
Series 5: 6 September 1983 to 2 January 1984 - 16 episodes
Series 6: 13 March to 26 June 1984 - 15 episodes
Series 7: 4 September to 25 December 1984 - 16 episodes
Series 8: 28 May to 2 July 1985 - 6 episodes
Series 9: 12 September - 26 December 1985 - 16 episodes
Series 10: 3 July Thursday to 7 August 1986 - 5 episodes
Series 11: 1 January to 18 March 1988 - 60 episodes
Series 12: 14 February to 10 March 1989 - 16 episodes
Series 13: 5 December 1989 to 19 January 1990 - 16 episodes
Series 14: 15 January to 8 March 1991 - 32 episodes
Series 15: 3 September to 25 October 1991 - 32 episodes
Series 16: BBC One: 10 November to 19 December 1997 - 30 episodes

Theme music

The original theme tune was called "Chicken Man", which was also the theme tune of Grange Hill. However, while Grange Hill used the original recording, Give us a Clue used a less dynamic custom arrangement more in keeping with the style of light entertainment programming. In 1981, David Clark took over as producer/director and commissioned an entirely new theme tune, then in 1987, a new vocalised theme tune was used up until the show ended in 1992.

Trivia

The programme has been repeated on satellite TV and is also still parodied in British comedy. It was frequently referred to by Humphrey Lyttelton, chairman of BBC radio's long-running "antidote to panel games", I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue, during a round of Sound Charades — usually with a gay innuendo-laden gag at the expense of Lionel Blair.

Other versions

A licensed version of it aired in New Zealand in the 1990s, after the British original had screened there for several seasons. SVT in Sweden broadcast their own version with the title Gäster med gester.

External links