Treasure Hunt (UK game show)
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| Treasure Hunt | |
|---|---|
 Title logo from Series 4 (1986). |
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| Format | Game show |
| Created by | Jacques Antoine |
| Presented by | Kenneth Kendall (1982–89) Dermot Murnaghan (2002–03) |
| Starring | Anneka Rice (1982–88) Annabel Croft (1989) Suzi Perry (2002–03) |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Language(s) | English |
| No. of series | 9 |
| No. of episodes | 101 (inc. 9 specials) |
| Production | |
| Running time | 60 minutes (inc. commercials) |
| Production company(s) | Chatsworth Television |
| Distributor | Thames Television |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | Channel 4 (1982–89) BBC Two (2002–03) |
| Picture format | 4:3 (1982–89) 16:9 (2002–03) |
| Original run | Original series: 28 December 1982 – 18 May 1989 Revived series: 16 December 2002 – 2 August 2003 |
| Chronology | |
| Followed by | Challenge Anneka (1989-1995) Interceptor (1989–90) The Crystal Maze (1990–95) Fort Boyard (1998–2001, 2003) |
Treasure Hunt was a popular UK game show, based on the format of the French show La Chasse au Trésor, created by Jacques Antoine. It appeared on Channel 4 between 28 December 1982 and 18 May 1989 and was revived by BBC Two between 16 December 2002 and 2 August 2003.
Contents |
[edit] The game
A team of two contestants, always in the studio, had to use a library of (deliberately relevant) maps and reference materials to solve up to five clues, and communicate instructions via a radio link to a skyrunner who had the use of a helicopter. The contestants were given the first clue for free, the solving of which would lead to the location of the second clue and so on until a trinket or other significant object was found by solving the final clue. The contestants won a higher cash prize each time they solved a clue correctly. This was all done "against the clock". Even once the contestants had solved the final clue, the skyrunner still had to confirm they were correct, by reaching the final target. On a few occasions, the contestants solved all five clues with time to spare, in which case a bonus clue was given to the contestants. This typically resulted in their winning a bottle of champagne. One such occasion was the North Yorkshire episode (4.10), in which the bonus clue instructed them to go to "Great British Hospital X-ray Unit". This was actually code for "return to the helicopter, registration G-BHXU", but Anneka alarmed the passers-by outside Skipton Castle by frantically asking "which way to the hospital?"
Understandably, the skyrunner and helicopter did not have freedom to fly and land anywhere they wished. Although the pilot could to an extent request permission from airspace authorities to fly off-course, as happened on occasions, landings needed to be agreed in advance with landowners of a suitable location near the clue. On occasions the helicopter would land in a clearly marked out area, especially at public places. It is open to interpretation how much detail of the route was known in advance by either of the studio presenters or even the skyrunner herself, and hence to what extent the contestants were helped to correctly direct the skyrunner to the approximate location. Kenneth Kendall has always stressed that he did not know the clues and locations in advance, and any help that he gave the contestants was from his own knowledge. According to a "making of Treasure Hunt" programme, Anneka Rice was confined to the hotel on the day that the cameraman, video recordist and helicopter pilot undertook a rehearsal (typically the day before the programme was recorded), so she had no advance knowledge of the locations. This did not stop her carrying out research about the general area in order to have a stock of interesting facts to fill in any awkward silences that might arise while the contestants were thinking.
[edit] Presenters and crew
In the original version, the presenter was former BBC newsreader Kenneth Kendall and the skyrunner was broadcaster Anneka Rice. In the first series, Kenneth was joined briefly in the studio for the handover of the first clue by the original clue-setter, Ann Meo.[1] She would later rejoin the contestants if they had been successful in finding the treasure to offer her congratulations. If they had been unsuccessful, she would be heard as a voiceover explaining where they had gone wrong. From the second series onwards this role was expanded, another studio-based person acted as adjudicator, giving the contestants tips on how they were doing against the scheduled time, and providing additional information about the locations visited. In series 2 this was Annette Lynton ("Nettie") and from series 3 onwards, TV-am weather girl Wincey Willis. In 1988, Rice left to have a baby, and her place was taken by tennis player Annabel Croft. In this series, the set was revamped due to a move to Thames Television's facilities (the original studios were at Limehouse in East London which was by this point earmarked for demolition to make way for Canary Wharf), and Willis was promoted to sharing main billing with Kendall. Croft was billed as 'Special guest Skyrunner' for the first episode of the series, and it was stated at the time that Rice would return after giving birth, but it turned out to be the show's final series and the "Special Guest Skyrunner" credit was dropped.
In the BBC's 2002–03 version, newsreader Dermot Murnaghan presented, the skyrunner was Suzi Perry, and there was no adjudicator. Advances in broadcasting technology meant that this new version could come from a much greater range of locations; however, the new version was quite short-lived. It is thought that the BBC felt the moderate ratings (maybe due in part to lack of promotion) did not justify the budget required for the show.
Keith Thompson of Castle Air Charters was the usual helicopter pilot in both versions, though for overseas editions a local pilot was often used. There was always a "chase" helicopter which relayed radio signals back to London and, although this could never be used "tactically" by the contestants, it was not hidden from the viewers. This communications helicopter had dark brown with gold stripe livery, registration G-SPEY. The two crews would sometimes fly in formation to generate exciting footage. Both helicopters were usually Bell 206 JetRangers; the helicopter usually used by the skyrunner was registration G-BHXU. This aircraft was forced to ditch north of Alderney in June 1995 where it sank; the crew were rescued.[2]
A feature was made of the camaraderie between the female presenter and the male recording and flight crews. This extended to many infamous shots of the presenter's rear as she ran from clue to clue in a jump-suit, which became the main focus of the programme's portrayal in the satirical TV series, Spitting Image. Cameraman Graham reaching in front of the camera to wipe away rain, sea spray, etc. with a cloth also became a well-known image from the series. In 1985 the cameraman, Graham Berry was awarded a BAFTA for his contribution to the series.
[edit] Broadcasts
When first shown on Channel 4 in December 1982, Treasure Hunt was one of the earliest major series on the then-new channel. The unusual format earned extra publicity for both the programme and the channel, which was striving to justify itself with new and different programming.[3]
The 1982–89 series were repeated on terrestrial television several times, and during the 1990s appeared on the Challenge satellite and cable channel, as well as Sky Travel. The first episode was repeated on 30 October 2007 on the digital channel More4 as part of Channel 4's 25th anniversary celebrations. This was an one-off and there are no current plans to repeat the TV show.
The original run of the first series was watched by up to 900,000 viewers; however, by the mid-1980s, ratings were some of the highest for Channel 4 at around seven million.
Two charity editions of the show were produced, one locally in the London area for the Thames Television telethon in 1985 and another broadcast across the UK as part of the ITV network's Telethon '88. The show was also featured in an edition of the BBC children's aspiration show Jim'll Fix It (in which a young viewer joined Anneka Rice in the famous helicopter over the county of Surrey for a scaled down version of the show), in the Paul Daniels Magic Show (BBC) and in The Krypton Factor (Granada for ITV).
For all the UK series, the programme was a Chatsworth Television independent production in association with Tele Union Paris.
[edit] Spin-offs
An eponymous board game based on the show was published in the UK. It involved moving pieces around a map of England and Wales.
There was also a computer game released for some home computer formats in 1986, including for the BBC Micro, published by Macsen Software. This game featured very basic graphic layout and was text-driven, and had the options of four different locations to find clues in.
A one-off Welsh language version, Helfa Drysor (Welsh for "Treasure Hunt"), was produced for S4C in 1985.[4]
In 1989, Rice began her own BBC series, Challenge Anneka, in which she was set a different task to complete each week. Although essentially unrelated to the original concept of Treasure Hunt, there were some similarities between the shows, primarily the principles of Rice being up against a time limit, racing from location to location and having a real chance of success or failure to complete a task with the aid of others.
BBC Three Counties Radio airs Treasure Quest each Sunday from 9 am to 12 noon. Andy Gelder in the studio and varying assistants in the radio car help two contestants to solve six clues over the three-hour period. BBC Radio Norfolk began their own version of Treasure Quest in 2008, on Sunday mornings from 9 am to 12 noon, with David Clayton presenting and Becky Betts in the radio car. On 6 September 2009, Wincey Willis stood in for Betts,[5] and on 14 February 2010 Anneka Rice took part in the programme, appearing at the fifth clue location, Norwich Castle, and then teaming up with Betts to find the treasure.[6][7]
On London talk station LBC, presenter James O'Brien hosts The Treasure Hunt on Wednesday lunchtimes as part of his weekday show. In this format, callers ring in and request things they have been trying to get hold of, hoping that other listeners have the required items. Although otherwise unrelated to the original concept, the programme opens with the Treasure Hunt television series theme tune, and in August 2007, Anneka Rice recorded a voice-over lead-in for it.
[edit] Transmissions
[edit] Original series
| Series | Start date | End date | Episodes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6 January 1983 | 10 March 1983 | 11 |
| Ep1 | Bali, Indonesia | ||
| Ep2 | Speyside, UK | ||
| Ep3 | Suffolk, UK | ||
| Ep4 | Powys, UK | ||
| Ep5 | Lothian, UK | ||
| Ep6 | Wiltshire, UK | ||
| Ep7 | London, UK | ||
| Ep8 | Isle of Mull, UK | ||
| Ep9 | Gloucestershire, UK | ||
| Ep10 | Lake District, UK | ||
| Ep11 | Singapore, Asia | ||
| 2 | 12 January 1984 | 22 March 1984 | 12 |
| Ep1 | Burgundy, France | ||
| Ep2 | Kent, UK | ||
| Ep3 | Guernsey, UK | ||
| Ep4 | North Yorkshire, UK | ||
| Ep5 | Birmingham, UK | ||
| Ep6 | Majorca, Europe | ||
| Ep7 | Northern Ireland, UK | ||
| Ep8 | Cambridgeshire, UK | ||
| Ep9 | Cornwall, UK | ||
| Ep10 | Malta, Europe | ||
| Ep11 | Gwynedd, UK | ||
| Ep12 | Merseyside, UK | ||
| 3 | 3 January 1985 | 14 March 1985 | 12 |
| Ep1 | Israel, Europe | ||
| Ep2 | Warwickshire, UK | ||
| Ep3 | South Glamorgan, UK | ||
| Ep4 | Norfolk, UK | ||
| Ep5 | South of France, Europe | ||
| Ep6 | West Sussex, UK | ||
| Ep7 | Somerset, UK | ||
| Ep8 | Shropshire, UK | ||
| Ep9 | Corfu, Greece | ||
| Ep10 | Ayrshire, UK | ||
| Ep11 | Isle of Wight, UK | ||
| Ep12 | Derbyshire, UK | ||
| 4 | 2 January 1986 | 20 March 1986 | 13 |
| Ep1 | Florida, USA | ||
| Ep2 | Clwyd, UK | ||
| Ep3 | Oxfordshire, UK | ||
| Ep4 | Surrey, UK | ||
| Ep5 | Lake District, UK | ||
| Ep6 | Bedfordshire, UK | ||
| Ep7 | Devon, UK | ||
| Ep8 | Stirlingshire, UK | ||
| Ep9 | Dorset, UK | ||
| Ep10 | North Yorkshire, UK | ||
| Ep11 | Nottinghamshire, UK | ||
| Ep12 | Pembrokeshire, UK | ||
| Ep13 | Cheshire, UK | ||
| 5 | 12 February 1987 | 14 May 1987 | 14 |
| Ep1 | Switzerland, Europe | ||
| Ep2 | Jersey, UK | ||
| Ep3 | Cornwall, UK | ||
| Ep4 | Hampshire, UK | ||
| Ep5 | Wiltshire, UK | ||
| Ep6 | Hertfordshire, UK | ||
| Ep7 | Isle of Man, UK | ||
| Ep8 | Buckinghamshire, UK | ||
| Ep9 | Lancashire, UK | ||
| Ep10 | Gwynedd, UK | ||
| Ep11 | Northumberland, UK | ||
| Ep12 | Kent, UK | ||
| Ep13 | West Highlands, UK | ||
| Ep14 | North Yorkshire, UK | ||
| 6 | 18 February 1988 | 19 May 1988 | 14 |
| Ep1 | Sydney, Australia | ||
| Ep2 | Suffolk, UK | ||
| Ep3 | Lincolnshire, UK | ||
| Ep4 | West Sussex, UK | ||
| Ep5 | West Yorkshire, UK | ||
| Ep6 | Buckinghamshire, UK | ||
| Ep7 | Scottish Borders, UK | ||
| Ep8 | Wiltshire, UK | ||
| Ep9 | Staffordshire, UK | ||
| Ep10 | Devon, UK | ||
| Ep11 | Cotswolds, UK | ||
| Ep12 | County Kerry, Ireland | ||
| Ep13 | County Durham, UK | ||
| Ep14 | Clwyd, UK | ||
| 7 | 16 February 1989 | 18 May 1989 | 14 |
| Ep1 | New Zealand, Australasia | ||
| Ep2 | Worcestershire, UK | ||
| Ep3 | Devon, UK | ||
| Ep4 | Lake District, UK | ||
| Ep5 | West Berkshire, UK | ||
| Ep6 | Perthshire, UK | ||
| Ep7 | East Sussex, UK | ||
| Ep8 | Buckinghamshire, UK | ||
| Ep9 | Shropshire, UK | ||
| Ep10 | Humberside, UK | ||
| Ep11 | Somerset, UK | ||
| Ep12 | Gwent, UK | ||
| Ep13 | South Lancashire, UK | ||
| Ep14 | Derbyshire, UK |
[edit] 2002–03 version
| 8 (set in Kent) | 16 December 2002 | 20 December 2002 | 5 |
| Ep1 | Folkestone, Kent | ||
| Ep2 | Canterbury, Kent | ||
| Ep3 | The Weald, Kent | ||
| Ep4 | Dover, Kent | ||
| Ep5 | West Kent, UK | ||
| 9 | 14 April 2003 | 2 August 2003 | 10 |
| Ep1 | San Francisco, USA | ||
| Ep2 | Mexico City, Mexico | ||
| Ep3 | New Zealand, Australasia | ||
| Ep4 | Alice Springs, Australia | ||
| Ep5 | Melbourne, Australia | ||
| Ep6 | Arizona, USA | ||
| Ep7 | Tasmania, Australia | ||
| Ep8 | New Orleans, USA | ||
| Ep9 | Christchurch, New Zealand | ||
| Ep10 | Gold Coast, Australia |
[edit] Specials
| Date | Entitle |
|---|---|
| 28 December 1982 | Christmas Special |
| 17 March 1983 | Series 1 Highlights |
| 5 January 1984 | Christmas Special |
| 29 March 1984 | Series 2 Highlights |
| 27 December 1984 | Christmas Special |
| 5 April 1985 | Series Finale Special |
| 30 October 1985 | ITV Telethon Special |
| 27 December 1985 | Christmas Special |
| 29 May 1988 | ITV Telethon Special |
[edit] References
- ^ "And now here are the clues – read by Kenneth Kendall", Alix Coleman, in TV Times Magazine, 24 December 1982–7 January 1983.
- ^ AAIB Bulletin 9/95, Air Accidents Investigation Board.
- ^ Channel overview from Channel 4 website
- ^ UKGameshows.com - URL accessed 01/03/07.
- ^ "In pictures: Treasure Quest 06/09/2009". BBC Online. 7 September 2009. http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/norfolk/hi/tv_and_radio/newsid_8241000/8241206.stm. Retrieved 7 September 2009.
- ^ "In pictures: Treasure Quest 14/02/10". BBC Online. 15 February 2010. http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/norfolk/hi/tv_and_radio/newsid_8516000/8516281.stm. Retrieved 15 February 2010.
- ^ "Anneka turns up in Treasure Hunt take-off". guardian.co.uk. 16 February 2010. http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/mediamonkeyblog/2010/feb/16/anneka-rice-bbc-radio-norfolk. Retrieved 16 February 2010.
[edit] External links
- [1] Anneka Rice
- Episode guide — with exhaustive location, clue and crew listings plus helicopter registration letters
- UK game-shows website — section on Treasure Hunt
- "Off The Telly" article
