Blind Date (UK TV series)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Blind Date | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Genre | Reality |
| Presenter(s) | Cilla Black |
| No. of episodes | 356 |
| Production | |
| Producer(s) | LWT |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | ITV1 |
| Original run | 1985 – 2003 |
Blind Date was a British dating game show produced by ITV contractor London Weekend Television. Although unscreened pilots were made with comic Duncan Norvelle as presenter, it was eventually hosted by Cilla Black and ran from 1985 - 2003.
The show had a format similar to the TV show known in Australia as Perfect Match which aired on the Ten Network from 1984-1989 or as The Dating Game in North America, which first aired in late 1965 on the American Broadcasting Corporation network. Three singles of the same sex were introduced to the audience. They were then asked questions by a single of the opposite sex, who could hear but not see them, in order to choose which one he or she would prefer to go on a date with. Before making a final decision, the mysterious 'Graham', whose face was never seen, would give an amusing reminder of each of the contestants. When he or she made a choice, and been introduced, the couple would then get to randomly choose where they would go on the date (though in fact the "random choice" was fixed, as all of the envelopes offered to the contestants contained the same destination). The following episode then showed the film of the couple as they went on their date, and interviews with them about the date and about each other. This version was aimed at a family audience.
At its height of popularity in the 1980s, 14 million viewers tuned in on a Saturday night. Cilla's Scouse accent and her variety of catchphrases soon became renowned throughout the UK.
[edit] Famous contestants
Blind Date has featured a number of celebrities who appeared on the show before they became famous. These include actress Amanda Holden (appeared in 1990), children's TV presenter Ortis Deley (1995), breakfast television presenter Jenni Falconer (1994), Irish comedian Ed Byrne, Blue Peter presenter Gethin Jones (1997) and Big Brother 7 contestant Nikki Grahame. [1]
