Treasure Hunt (UK game show)
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| Treasure Hunt | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Game show |
| Starring | Kenneth Kendall (1983-1989) Anneka Rice (1983-1988) Annabel Croft (1989) Dermot Murnaghan (2002-2003) Suzi Perry (2002-2003) |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| No. of episodes | 108 |
| Production | |
| Running time | 60 minutes |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | Channel 4, BBC2 (2002-2003) |
| Original run | 1983 – 1989, 2002-2003 |
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 1983 and 1989 and was revived by BBC Two in 2002-3.
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 communicating 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 closer inspection, the basic premise of the show — that the skyrunner was following the instructions of the contestants in real time — was revealed to be bogus. Although the pilot could to an extent request permission from airspace authorities to fly off-course, as happened on occasions, landings would clearly need 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.
[edit] Presenters and crew
In the original version, the presenter was former BBC newsreader Kenneth Kendall and the skyrunners were broadcaster Anneka Rice (1983-8) and tennis player Annabel Croft (1989). From the second series onwards, another studio based person acted as adjudicator and provided additional information about the locations visited. In series 2 this was Annette Lynton ("Nettie") and from series 3 onwards, former weather girl Wincey Willis. In the 2002-3 edition, newsreader Dermot Murnaghan presented, the skyrunner was Suzi Perry, and there was no adjudicator.
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. The two crews would sometimes fly in formation to generate exciting footage. Both helicopters were usually Bell 206 JetRangers.
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.
[edit] Broadcasts
When first shown on Channel 4 in 1983, 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 itself, which was striving to justify itself with new and different programming.[1]
The 1983-9 series were later repeated on terrestrial television and the Challenge channel.
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.
For all the UK series, the programme was a Chatsworth Television independent production.
[edit] Media clips
- Theme music excerpt (file info) — play in browser (beta)
- An excerpt from the theme music for the UK Treasure Hunt television game show
- Problems listening to the file? See media help.
[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.
A one-off Welsh language version, Helfa Drysor (Welsh for "Treasure Hunt"), was produced for S4C in 1985.[2]
[edit] Prior show of the same name
There had previously been another game show called Treasure Hunt, produced by former ITV franchise Westward Television, and which ran for most of the 1960s and 1970s. It was originally hosted by Kenneth Horne and later by Keith Fordyce. It was only ever shown in Westward's franchise area of south-west England.
[edit] References
- ^ Channel overview from Channel 4 website
- ^ UKGameshows.com - URL accessed 01/03/07.
[edit] External links
- Episode guide — with exhaustive locations and crew listings plus helicopter registration letters
- UK game-shows website — section on Treasure Hunt
- Tribute site about La Chasse au trésor (site in French with parts in English)
- Rätselflug Forum about the German version of "Treasure Hunt" (in German)
- "Off The Telly" article
