Watercolour Challenge
| Watercolour Challenge | |
|---|---|
 Title card | |
| Format | Game show |
| Starring | Hannah Gordon |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| No. of series | 4 |
| No. of episodes | 210 |
| Production | |
| Running time | 30 minutes |
| Production company(s) | Planet 24 |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | Channel 4 |
| Original run | 15 June 1998 – 23 November 2001 |
Watercolour Challenge was a daytime television programme broadcast in the United Kingdom. It was presented by Hannah Gordon and directed by Tim Conrad and was shown on Channel 4 from 1998 to 2001.
In the programme, three amateur artists were given four hours to paint, in watercolour, the same scene or landscape, often with widely different interpretations. At the end of the four hours, the guest professional artist for the week judged the paintings and selected the winner, who would then appear in a regional final, and if successful would compete in the end of series final.
The guest artist also had a segment where they provided tips for the viewers to improve their painting technique.
The locations of each landscape painted changed in each episode, with various regions of both Great Britain and Ireland being visited, as well as a special show from Provence. The 2001 final was held in Tuscany.
Expert art judges included the artists Jason Bowyer, Mike Chaplin, Annette Kane, Hazel Soan, and Jenny Wheatley. In 1999, Timmy Mallett was a regional judge for one episode of the show. A celebrity edition was produced, including Bill Oddie and Phillip Franks. The show was briefly presented by Cherie Lunghi when Hannah Gordon was unable to do so due to illness.
In 2001, the programme won a Royal Television Society (RTS) award in the category of Best Features - Daytime.
There have been two books written related to the television programme, "Watercolour Challenge": A Complete Guide to Watercolour Painting by Diana Vowles and "Watercolour Challenge": Practical Painting Course from Channel 4 Books.
Series guide
- Series 1: 49 editions - first shown 15 June 1998 – 4 September 1998
- Series 2: 60 editions - first shown 2 June 1999 – 29 October 1999
- Series 3: 50 editions - first shown 16 October 2000 – 22 December 2000
- Series 4: 51 editions - first shown 3 September 2001 – 23 November 2001
References
- "UKGameShows". Watercolour Challenge. Retrieved 21 August 2005.
- "The best of British TV". Watercolour Challenge. Retrieved 21 August 2005.
- "Timmy Mallett - Television". Watercolour Challenge. Retrieved 21 August 2005.
- "OFF THE TELLY". Watercolour Challenge review. Archived from the original on 18 November 2005. Retrieved 21 August 2005.
- "Web Archive". Archive of http://www.channel4.com/culture/microsites/W/wcc/. Archived from the original on 1 December 2002. Retrieved 21 August 2005.
External links
Books
- "Watercolour Challenge": A Complete Guide to Watercolour Painting
- "Watercolour Challenge": Practical Painting Course