Boggen's Advent Calender (Day 14 and 15) - And Our Survey Said... Game Shows at Christmas

What says Christmas more then giving away prizes? The television staple of game shows, always appear in the festive schedules and nowadays thanks to channels like Challenge we can see Christmas specials from the past. Though where now game shows used to the domain of the general public during the rest of the year, where mostly in prime time now the celebrities appear the most on them.

But back in the time before digital television and audiences in there many millions, come the festive season with the tinsel and turkey, celebrities lined up to have a go at what mere mortals would do. Though one of the most unfathomable game shows being 3-2-1, they first put the celebrities to the test in 1978. Well, actually 1979. But wait there's a reason for this, Yorkshire Television who made the programme were actually on strike over the Christmas period of 1978 and as such they could not broadcast it either leading to the Christmas Edition finally going out on the 27th of January. 

Though that's where we leave that edition, as since 1979 it has not been seen. But on the 23rd of December, Challenge TV are re-showing it again. All we know is that Jack Douglas appears with Rusty Goffe and three couples are Mike Channon teaming up with the then England women's cricket captain Rachel Heyhoe Flint, Clodagh Rodgers with Terry Wogan and Pat Coombs with Julian Orchard. Apart from that I don't even know what happens, so even it will come as a surprise to me.

Anyway for the next 3-2-1 celebrity special, we move on to 1987 with the contestants all coming from soap operas. Well, ITV and Channel 4 soaps anyway, the Skilbecks of Emmerdale Farm, the Duckworths of Coronation Street and the Grants of Brookside. Along the way, guest santas popped up to deliver the clues with former jockey Bob Champion and former swimmer Sharon Davies amongst them. Though is also notable for an appearance by voice-over man and continuity announcer John Benson at the end with the rest of the assembled cast.

There are stranger game shows though, how about Big Break? The show that brought snooker to the game show format, they were always quick to do something for Christmas. however how about the likes of Steve Davis set against the story of Alice in Wonderland? It happened in 1994, Mr Davis were joined by Marti Caine as the Queen of Hearts, Zoe Ball as Alice and Craig Charles as the Mad Hatter. Though what fellow snooker players John Parrott and Terry Griffiths thought of this is anyone's guess.

However this isn't the strangest edition, the next year they did a panto themed edition with Wendy Richard, Frank Carson and Diane Louise-Jordan as the guests and potting the balls were Ray Reardon, Jimmy White and Peter Ebdon. Cue lots of jokes about Cinderella going to the ball etc.

So when the celebrities are allowed to play anything can happen and it usually does.

Boggenstrovia's 6th and 7th Bits of Christmas... Cold, damp turkey...

So here we are again after technical problems, back again with the twelve bits of Christmas and in honour of not being able to blog for a few days. This time we are talking Turkey or more like food at Christmas, as its the time of the year when we are meant to eat drink and be merry. But who can be after four days of food? You're usually laid up with the Alka-Seltzer and a gas mask after all of that.


So where can we start? How about some pre-dinner action? Fancy a drink?

"Blimey, I'm so drunk I can see an animated deer..."

Babycham, the bubbly tipple... Often found at the back of cupboards, brought out at Christmas to bring sophistication of the big day. It was often a worry that an animated deer would advertise it, what exactly was that suggesting? Two or three of these and you'll be seeing Bambi and saying "Huey... Lewis and the News.." after more of them. Along with Malibu which would be seen at this time, was it a ploy to think that we were all in some sun-kissed nirvana, rather then looking at drizzle run down a window accompanied with battleship grey skies and sleet? 

Apart from egg-nog, this ranks amongst the drink to curl a lip, but of course the ladies would advertise the more exotic fare, from Tia Maria with the sultry lady to Lorraine Chase wafting back from a week in Marbella for some Campari or even Rigsby and Joan Collins camping it up for some Cinzano. People say that that advert was more popular then the programmes of that time, but the tin foil medal has to go to Jenny Clulow... Ms Clulow, announcer on TVS had spent time advertising Contreau on the television... Wheither she had a bottle hidden under the desk, to help her get through another episode of 'The Littlest Hobo' I don't know...

And now onto the main part of the meal, there's only one Turkey we can have around here...

"Turkey..."

"Oh, stuff it! You've cost us a holiday!"

Yes, Mr Turkey... The truth goes he thought he heard the previous person's answer of 'Name something you can stuff' now from there where exactly did he get that all the answer were Turkey I don't know... Along with the Beethoven/Chopin clip which gets dragged out to show 'Ha, ha, ha! Aren't they stupid contestants' this is one which rankles with me. How exactly was he daft? He got big points for it, it could have been worse he could have dropped trousers and mooned the audience... By being 'dumb' he got smart and this clip is a goto clip for any quizshow blooper compliations, wherever you are Sir, alive or dead. I salute you for being a maverick and showing the way of others to follow.

So you've settled down after your pudding and need something to wash it down with?

How about an Avenger, Aunt Sally and a lady who's now a doctor?

"Keen bedside manner? Just as long as she warmed her thermometer!"

Arriving back not from Luton Airport, but the local cornershop Diane Keen and Una Stubbs come back to Gareth Hunt's pad for some bean shaking with Nescafe, before the Gold Blend couple jumped into bed this was class... Mike Gambit inviting two classy ladies in for coffee, now that sound like the start of a film! But no matter, because a coffee solved it all, with the aroma of the beans and that famous handshake of course. The reputation of the brand was such that Gareth was the long time face of Nescafe, but I'd much rather have him then George Clooney trying to flog frothy coffee to us, but on the opposite side, there's people who hate coffee...

Time for tea anyone? Though the post meal thing can be set off with a nice brew though, for so long the chimps would advertise PG Tips until one day birds took over. Birds, I ask you! If anything birds would remind you of custard and not tea at all... So how do you modernise PG Tips for a new age, still the monkey link? Well, you call on a woolly monkey of course and his friend Al! Now Monkey and Al had been through the ITV digital fiasco, with us thinking that another character gone for a burton, but credit to Mother, the ad agency and Comic Relief that monkey was brought back to his rightful place, advertising tea of course... This made the brand even bigger it was before, with giveaway of free woolly monkeys two Christmas' ago now. Sealing Monkey's place as one of the best characters along with the Smash Aliens and Homepride's Fred as well...So for now, I leave you with Monkey and Al and say bottoms up, thanks for being patient through these technical troubles of the past few days... And cheers!

"Gawd save 'im and all who drink from his mug!"