Catchphrase (British game show)

Catchphrase
File:Catchphrase (1986-1994) ident.jpg Catchphrase Logo, (1986 - 1992)
Created by	Stephen Radosh
Presented by	Roy Walker (1986 - 1999) Andrew O'Connor (1994) - (Family Catchphrase) Nick Weir (2000 - 2001) Mark Curry (2002)
Country of origin	United Kingdom
No. of series	17
Production
Producers	TVS (1986 - 1992) Action Time for Carlton (1994 - 2002)
Running time	30mins (inc. comms)
Original release
Network	ITV
Release	12 January 1986 – 30 August 2002

Catchphrase was a game show based on a short lived American game show of the same name. It ran on ITV in the United Kingdom between January 12 1986 and August 30 2002, it was originally hosted by Irish Comedian 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 decided to leave the show to make things better before been given the chop by the producers of Catchphrase, as the show was being revamped for the millennium.

Walker left Catchphrase in 1999 & was replaced by Nick Weir, who presented the show from 2000 until 2001. In 2002 Weir left Catchphrase & gave way to ex Blue Peter presenter Mark Curry, who presented the show for one series until its demise in September of the same year.

It was originally made by TVS at their Northam studios in Southampton. 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 hiatus towards the end of 1993 and all of 1993 (the end of the final TVS series was broadcast by Meridian in early 1993). In 1994, the format was picked up by Carlton Television and produced by Stephen Leahy's Action Time Productions, who had been involved in a consultative role on the TVS version.

In 1996 Catchphrase moved to Carlton (formerly Central Independent Television) Studios in Lenton Lane, Nottingham where it stayed until its demise in 2002.

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 (or random shapes in the Nick Weir/Mark Curry era) 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, (and also produced by Action Time) the graphics and music were taken from the TVS version of the show. as The Family Channel owned the rights to it, as the brought over TVS library, but was done on a slightly smaller version.

Although made in the same year as Carlton/Action Time-produced series for ITV there is no connection.

One episode of Family Catchphrase featured a guest appearance from Stephen Radosh - creator of Catchphrase. Another episode featured an appearance by the then unknown Simon Amstell & his Aunt as contestants. Amstell was only about 14 years old at the time and says on the show that he is a budding magician. He then shows one of his tricks to the presenter, Andrew O'Connor (who was also a magician himself!). Nowadays, Amstell is the current host of BBC2 pop quiz show, Never Mind The Buzzcocks. He shot to fame as one of the presenters of the Channel 4 pop music show, Popworld, which he appeared on from 2001 - 2006, alongside Miquita Oliver.

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 the partially-revealed Mr Chips masturbating. This episode was broadcasted on 18 November, 1994. This moment can sometimes be seen uncensored on Challenge as part of the 1994 series.

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 comparison 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.

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.

Between 1997 and 2000 Challenge repeated the 1986-1992 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!). Roy Walker stated in an interview that a contestant, frustrated with his lack of success, had threatened him if Walker said "You're wrong" one more time. As a consequence Walker developed the catchphrase he used for the rest of his tenure.

• 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 prolific television composer Ed Welch whose original version of the theme was used for the Television South incarnation of the show up until December 1993. It was also used on Family Catchphrase in 1994.

The show returned on 30 September 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 by Simon Etchell whose version was used from 1994-99.

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.

Demise

Catchphrase ended in August 2002 after 16 and a half years because of the declining ratings. Many viewers felt that Roy Walker's departure had seen the quality of the show suffer.

Interactive DVD game

In November 2007, Walker returned to host an all new interactive DVD game of Catchphrase, complete with original theme music and Mr. Chips.

External links

• Catchphrase at UKGameshows.com
• Catchphrase at Challenge.co.uk
• PaulStacey.co.uk: Play along with Mr.Chips
• Catchphrase game with wedigtv