| Strike It Lucky/Strike It Rich | |
|---|---|
| Format | Game Show |
| Created by | Kline & Friends |
| Presented by | Michael Barrymore |
| Narrated by | John Benson Robin Houston Nick Jackson |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Production | |
| Producer(s) | Thames Television (1986 - 1992) Co-production with Central Independent Television (1993 - 29 December 1994) LWT & Fremantle co-production (12 December 1996 - 23 August 1999) |
| Running time | 30 minutes (inc. comms) |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | ITV |
| Picture format | 4:3 |
| Original run | 29 October 1986 – 23 August 1999 |
Strike It Lucky (later Strike It Rich) was a popular British television game show from 1986 to 1999, originally produced by Thames Television for ITV, and presented by the British comedian Michael Barrymore. It was based on the American show of the same name that aired in 1986.
In its formative years, it became well known for the outlandish and often highly eccentric contestants it featured - Barrymore would often spend over 5 minutes talking to them. The introductory footage of the prizes on offer were also noteworthy, often filmed in black-and-white with a slapstick style. In 1987, it was the fifth most watched programme on UK television. The Thames Television version of the show was recorded at Teddington Studios, and later Pinewood Studios.
From 1996, the new version aired under the title Strike It Rich; this being the title of the short-lived American game show Strike it Rich on which it was based, and it moved (with a re-designed set) to The London Studios. The reason for the name change was that the show was now being co-produced by LWT (historically, Thames's bitter rival in the London area) with Fremantle, so despite now being owned by the same company as Fremantle (at the time, Pearson - the ultimate copyright holders), Thames were unwilling to allow LWT use of the original title. There is also the factor that when the show was first exported to the UK, the Independent Broadcasting Authority's prize limits were still in place, and "Rich" was probably dropped from the title because of the relatively low value of prizes on offer; by the time it returned as Strike It Rich the limits had been lifted and it was giving away a substantially higher value of prizes.
The show is one of very few ITV programmes to have been produced by both Thames and LWT (weekday and weekend ITV franchise holders in London, respectively).
Contents |
Three teams of two compete to win cash & prizes by going across an archway of TV monitors on stage. On a team's turn, one member of that team was given a category with six possible answers. That player then must decide how many answers he/she must give (either two, three, or four) for two, three or four moves on their respective 10 monitored archway. If the player can complete the contract, their partner gets to move across their archway, otherwise the opposing team gets to complete the contract.
Each monitor, bar the last, hides a prize or a "Hot Spot". There was always between five to eight Hot Spots hidden between all three teams' monitors, but by later series there was normally two per team. Each time the team in control reveals a prize, they win that prize and can decide to either bank the prize(s) and pass control to their opposing team or reveal another monitor. Deciding to keep playing is a risk because if at anytime they reveal the Hot Spot, they lose all the prizes earned at that point and control goes the opponents. But, if they can make their required number of moves without hitting the Hot Spot, not only they bank their prizes but they also keep their turn and answering another question.
The last monitor of the ten for each team is a question. The team can decide to answer it then or bank their prizes. The monitor before the question normally hides a holiday. A wrong answer forfeits the prizes not banked and the game continues, while a right answer wins the game. The question normally begins with 'Who struck it lucky/rich...?' or 'You would strike it lucky/rich if...".
Before playing the bonus game with the winning couple, Barrymore would run through the prizes won by the other two couples before bidding them farewell. Occasionally, if a couple won very little, Barrymore would give them something anyway. These varied from hitting the couple's last two screens himself to claim prizes for them (the final two screens were usually valuable prizes, such as a holiday) or, if a couple had prizes and lost them as a result of a Hot Spot, Barrymore would reinstate those prizes for the couple. On one occasion, a husband and wife who were both hard of hearing told Barrymore at the start of the show that they hoped to win a new car. After winning very little, Barrymore told them at his agent could acquire a new car for them.
The game begins by having the winning couple bidding on how few Hot Spots they will hit with a bid of fewer Hot Spots earning more money if completed, but being more difficult to achieve.
Instead of playing the game across the board they now play top, middle or bottom, choosing one of the three monitors in each row to play.
Hidden throughout the 30 monitors are 10 arrows signifying a free move, another 10 are Hot Spots and the final 10 are true or false questions earning a move on a correct answer or a Hot Spot on an incorrect one. These are randomly allocated throughout the board.
On each column of monitors, the winning couple elects to hit the top, middle or bottom one. The aim of the game is for the couple to get from one side to the other without hitting more Hot Spots than they bid. If they get to the other side the board without hitting more Hot Spots than they bid, they win £3,000 if they bid two, £2,000 for three and £1,000 for four. In later series if they failed to match or beat their bid they won 10% of the cash prize they were aiming for (£300, £200 and £100 respectively), with every move without a Hot Spot they made, before they went over their bid. In later series, the cash prizes increased to £10,000/£7,000/£5,000, with consolation prizes increased to £500/£350/£250.
On a 1997 special, contestants who took part would donate their winning to cancer research, with three contestants suffering from the disease, including one man who had his voice box removed. The first players, a man who was known for his funny outrageous behavior, won the game with his daughter and played for £10,000. As they went for £10,000, only two hotspots were allowed. The first three moves turned out to be hotspots, and the game should have ended. Barrymore would not let the couple lose charity money, and completely ignored the hotspots and moved on anyway, in which at one point, the producer off screen was telling Barrymore off, in which he replied "Don't make a face at me...". The couple hit six hotspots in the end, and lost at the final screen, where a hotspot appeared. Barrymore ignored this again, and gave them £10,000 anyway.
In 1988 a board-game created by Parker, of Strike it lucky [1]
An interactive DVD of Strike It Lucky went on sale throughout the UK on November 13, 2006. Produced by Fremantle Home Entertainment, and with over 2,000 questions available, the original host of the show, Michael Barrymore, provides links to the game play, which stays loyal to the format of its television equivalent.
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