You Bet!

*You Bet!*
You Bet!
Created by	Frank Elstner
Presented by	Bruce Forsyth; (1988 - 1990); Matthew Kelly; (1991 - 1995); Darren Day; (1996 - 1997)
Country of origin	United Kingdom
No. of series	10
No. of episodes	101 (inc. 2 specials)
Production
Producer	LWT
Running time	60mins (inc. commercials)
Original release
Network	ITV
Release	20 February 1988 –; 12 April 1997
Related
	: Wetten, dass..?; : Wanna Bet?

You Bet! was a British game show based around the format of the German show Wetten, dass..? developed by Frank Elstner. You Bet! ran from 20 February, 1988 to 12 April 1997, initially hosted by Bruce Forsyth from 1988 to 1990, then by Matthew Kelly from 1991 to 1995 and finally by Darren Day from 1996 to 1997. It was produced by LWT for ITV at Shepperton Studios.

Format

A panel of celebrities would bet on the ability of members of the public to achieve unlikely challenges and stunts, which they had usually planned and rehearsed many times, within a limited amount of time. The panellists would receive points for each outcome they predicted correctly, and the studio audience would also bet on the outcomes. The accumulated total of points achieved by the celebrities would be added to the points totalled by the studio audience, increased several times over, converted into pounds and donated to a charity chosen by the celebrity panellist who had achieved the highest score.

Changes in the Show

1988

Each week there would be four challenges, some in the studio and some on location presented by Ellis Ward. The panellists would each "sponsor" a challenge, and Bruce Forsyth would also sponsor one. If the challenge sponsored by the panellist or Bruce Forsyth was not achieved, one of them would have to do a forfeit that they had thought of before the show (e.g., being a golf caddy or air steward for the day). It was either broadcast in the studio on the same show or broadcast on location on the following week's show. The show dropped the talk show aspects of Wetten, dass...? and concentrated on the challenges, thus reducing the running time from 2 to 3 hours to 1 hour. The original theme tune was composed by Alan Lisk, better known for penning the theme tune to Men Behaving Badly. The show's airing slot was originally on Saturday nights.

1989 - 1990

A new theme tune and incidental scores were introduced, composed by Jonathan Sorrell.

Spring 1991

The show made some massive changes due to the depature of Bruce Forsyth. A new logo was introduced, Matthew Kelly stepped up as host to replace Bruce Forsyth. Also, the challenges rose from four to five, which meant that Ellis Ward got involved, with her sponsoring challenges as well. 6 random forfeits were there for the panellists, Ellis Ward, or Matthew Kelly to choose from if their sponsored challenge was not achieved; but cryptic clues were written on the 6 forfeits to make it more difficult. Matthew Kelly also got involved doing the work on location challenges, as well as Ellis Ward.

Autumn 1991

The show's airing slot was moved from Saturday nights to Friday nights.

1992 - 1993

The departure of Ellis Ward as co-host led to the number of celebrity guests being increased from three to four per show and Matthew Kelly doing all the work on location challenges.

1994

The show's airing slot was moved back to Saturday nights.

1995

The show decided there would be no more forfeits. Instead, they introduced the celebrity challenge, where the lowest celebrity scorer would do a challenge, which would be broadcast for the following week's show. Then the public got to vote in at home to donate £1000 to a charity of their choice if the celebrity succeeded or failed a challenge. The set, which had been more or less the same since You Bet! began, was replaced by a new "arena" that allowed much more floor space for the challenges. Matthew Kelly announced his intention to leave You Bet! and concentrate on hosting Stars in Their Eyes after transmission of Series 8. The viewers' phone vote was dropped after Series 8 was shown.

1996

Actor Darren Day took over as host, and the co-host was reinstated for all the work on the location challenges. For this penultimate series, it was Diane Youdale, better known as Jet from the UK series of Gladiators. The forfeits also returned to the show, but they were not chosen by the celebrity guests: they were automatically chosen by the crew at the end of each show for the celebrity who got the lowest score in the show.

1997

Although this wasn't known until after the series had aired. Another new set and format were introduced; the celebrities could play their You Bet! bonus card, which meant their points would be doubled if they successfully guessed the outcome of a challenge. The celebrity challenge returned to the show, and the audience got to choose which challenge they would choose for the lowest scoring celebrity at the end of the show from two choices with cryptic clue titles (e.g., "Ooh! That's better!" or "Dangling Down"). Sarah Matravers, well known as a gong girl from Take Your Pick, replaced Diane Youdale as co-host for this final series. The new theme tune was composed by Simon Webb.

Celebrity Guests

Telethon Special

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Series 6

Show 1 - Henry Cooper, Kim Hartman, David Lawrence, Geoffrey Durham
Show 2 - Derek Redmond, Sarah Kennedy, Brian Johnston, Sharon Davies
Show 3 - Jessica Martin, Steve Ovett, Jack Tinker, Annabel Giles
Show 4 - Jilly Curry, Melvyn Hayes, Garry Herbert, Sally James
Show 5 - ?, ?, ?, ?
Show 6 - ?, ?, ?, Floella Benjamin
Show 7 - ?, ?, ?, ?
Show 8 - ?, ?, ?, ?
Show 9 - ?, ?, ?, ?
Show 10 - ?, ?, ?, ?

Series 7a

Show 1 - Keith Barron, Michael Carruth, Ross King, Les Hill
Show 2 - Wendy Richard, Ben Clarke, Vinnie Jones, DJ Normski
Show 3 - Suzanne Dando, Eamonn Holmes, Geoff Capes, Nicola Stapleton
Show 4 - Paul Ross, Bryan Murray, Ted Robbins, Andrew Sachs
Show 5 - Sharon Duce, Annabel Croft, Anne Charleston, Barry McGuigan
Show 6 - Gareth Hunt, Ruth Madoc, David Jensen, Fern Britton

Celebrity Special

John Regis, Bruno Brookes, Emma Forbes, Linda Lusardi

Series 7b

Show 1 - Paula Hamilton, Alan Titchmarsh, Bobby Davro, James Whale
Show 2 - Adam Woodyatt, Michaela Strachan, David Yip, Sally Gunnell
Show 3 - Gary Mason, Carol Thatcher, Jayne Irving, David Hamilton
Show 4 - Lucinda Green, Jeremy Guscott, Daniella Westbrook, John Inman
Show 5 - Andrew Mackintosh, Gareth Chilcott, Liz McColgan, Gloria Hunniford
Show 6 - Mark Blundell, Valerie Singleton, Victoria Wicks, Pat Sharp
Show 7 - Bob Carolgees, Anna Walker, Melvyn Hayes, Louise Jameson
Show 8 - Tony Jarrett, Mike Gatting, Mo Moreland, Michael Fish
Show 9 - Annabel Giles, Chris Boardman, Nanette Newman, Gareth Hunt

Series 8

Show 1 - Pat Sharp, Jean Boht, Allan Lamb, Sharon Duce
Show 2 - Bob Carolgees, Carol Smillie, Mark Blundell, Sarah Greene
Show 3 - Geoff Capes, Alan Titchmarsh, Willie Thorne, Bobby Davro
Show 4 - Jim Bowen, Gemma Craven, Gordon Burns, John Altman
Show 5 - James Whale, Michaela Strachan, Tony Jarrett, David Yip
Show 6 - Bernard Cribbins, Nick Gillingham, Mr Motivator, Ross King
Show 7 - Jilly Goolden, Gareth Chilcott, Dale Winton, Elizabeth Dawn
Show 8 - Bruno Brookes, Kate Copstick, Oliver Skeete, Robert Llewellyn
Show 9 - John Regis, Jessica Martin, Bobby George, Billy Pearce
Show 10 - Richard Vranch, Judi Spiers, Tony Hawks, Annabel Giles

Series 9

Show 1 - Joe Pasquale, Sonia Evans, Sally Meen
Show 2 - Ant McPartlin, Declan Donnelly, Michelle Collins
Show 3 - Caron Keating, Vinnie Jones, Anthea Turner
Show 4 - Ian St John, Carol Smillie, Kriss Akabusi
Show 5 - Terry Christian, Samantha Fox, Tim Vincent
Show 6 - Johnny Herbert, Vanessa Feltz, Pat Sharp
Show 7 - Lee Hurst, Louise Nurding, Paul Ross
Show 8 - Billy Pearce, Jenny Powell, Toby Anstis
Show 9 - Garry Bushell, Dale Winton, Wendy Richard
Show 10 - Carol Vorderman, Andrew O'Connor, Carolyn Marshall

Series 10

Show 1 - Jonathan Coleman, Jenny Powell, Ian Wright
Show 2 - Teddy Sheringham, Wendy Richard, Paul Zerdin
Show 3 - Kevin Day, Gaynor Faye, Tim Vincent
Show 4 - Gary Bushell, Malandra Burrows, Paul Ross
Show 5 - Sonia Evans, John Regis, Michelle Collins
Show 6 - Ainsley Harriot, Kim Williams, Trevor Brooking
Show 7 - Ant McPartlin, Declan Donnelly, Davina McCall
Show 8 - John Parrott, Carol Smillie, Duncan Goodhew
Show 9 - Rowland Rivron, Dale Winton, Clare Buckfield
Show 10 - James Crossley, Andrea Boardman, Ian Walker

Transmissions

Series

Series	Start date	End date	Episodes
1	20 February 1988	26 March 1988	6
2	28 January 1989	1 April 1989	10
3	17 February 1990	21 April 1990	10
4	16 February 1991	20 April 1991	10
5	6 September 1991	15 November 1991	10
6	4 September 1992	6 November 1992	10
7a	10 September 1993	15 October 1993	6
7b	5 March 1994	30 April 1994	9
8	25 February 1995	29 April 1995	10
9	1 June 1996	17 August 1996	10
10	8 February 1997	12 April 1997	10

Specials

Date	Entitle
18 July 1992	Telethon Special
22 October 1993	Celebrity Special

Cancellation

At the end of Series 10, Darren Day promised viewers "we'll be back"; however, this did not happen. Just over a year later, in 1998, a new series called Don't Try This at Home appeared.

This programme was more extreme and stunt-based than You Bet!, but two vital clues hinted that the new show was an evolution of its forerunner. Darren Day co-hosted with Davina McCall, and the studio floor was remarkably similar to that of You Bet!. Only at this point did LWT admit You Bet! was no more.

External links

You Bet! at UKGameshows.com
You Bet! at IMDb