Blankety Blank

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Template:Short description Template:About Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox television

Blankety Blank is a British comedy game show which first aired in 1979. The show is based on the American game show Match Game, with contestants trying to match answers given by celebrity panellists to fill-in-the-blank questions.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The original series ran from 18 January 1979 to 12 March 1990 on BBC1, hosted first by Terry Wogan from 1979 until 1983, then by Les Dawson from 1984 until 1990. A revival hosted by Paul O'Grady (under his drag alter-ego Lily Savage) was produced by Pearson Television's UK subsidiary Fremantle (UK) Productions for BBC One from 26 December 1997 to 28 December 1999, followed with ITV from 7 January 2001 to 10 August 2002 as Lily Savage's Blankety Blank.

David Walliams hosted a one-off Christmas special for ITV on 24 December 2016,<ref name="Walliams">Template:Cite web</ref> with Bradley Walsh hosting a 2020 Christmas special of the show for the BBC,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> which in turn led to a second revival series that premiered on 2 October 2021.

Format

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Main game

Two contestants compete, each attempting to match as many of the six celebrity panellists as possible in a series of fill-in-the-blank statements.

The main game is played in two rounds. The contestant with initial control in each round is given a blind choice of two statements, "A" or "B", and the host reads the chosen one aloud, with one word missing that is indicated by the word "blank". Statements are frequently written with comedic, double entendre answers in mind. A classic example: "Did you catch a glimpse of that girl on the corner? She has the world's biggest blank".

While the contestant thinks of an answer, the celebrities write their responses on cards, without conferring. Once all six have done so, usually indicated by the celebrities lighting up their name card, the contestant states their answer. The host then asks the celebrities to reveal theirs, one at a time.<ref name="Blankety Blank - UKGameshows">Template:Cite web</ref> The contestant scores one point for each celebrity whose answer is either an exact match or reasonably close, as determined by a panel of off-screen judges. The opposing contestant then takes a turn with the unused statement.

Initial control of the first round is determined by coin toss,<ref name="Blankety Blank - UKGameshows"/> while the trailing contestant after the first round starts the second. Only the celebrities that a contestant fails to match in the first round participate on that turn in the second, so there is only ever a maximum of six points possible. This also increases the chance of a tie-break. If a contestant makes all six matches in the first round, they sit out for the second and the opponent is given one chance to tie the score. Should the trailing contestant fail to at least tie the score, the game ends immediately without the leader having to take a turn.

The high scorer after two rounds wins the game and advances to the Supermatch. Ties are broken with one final question in which both contestants write down their responses and the celebrities then give their answers, one at a time. The first contestant to raise their matching answer wins; if the tiebreaker ends with no winner, a new question is played.

The "A"/"B" choice was eliminated when Les Dawson became the host, and reinstated once Lily Savage succeeded him.Template:Citation needed

Supermatch

The contestant is presented with a fill-in-the-blank phrase and must attempt to choose the most common response based on a studio audience survey. They may ask any three celebrities for help, then use one of those responses or offer one of their own. The contestant earns 150, 100 or 50 Blanks for matching the first, second, or third most popular answers, respectively. Failing to match any of these answers ends the round immediately.<ref name="Blankety Blank - UKGameshows"/>

A second main game is then played with two new contestants, and the winner plays the Supermatch as above. The winner who scores higher in the Supermatch becomes the day's champion; any ties are broken as in the main game. The champion then chooses one celebrity to match against on a short phrase, and an exact match doubles the number of Blanks earned in the Supermatch. Regardless of the outcome, the champion receives a prize whose value depends on the final total of Blanks. Each episode offers a star prize for 300 Blanks, requiring a contestant to match the most popular answer in their own Supermatch and win the head-to-head final.<ref name="Blankety Blank - UKGameshows"/>

On Lily Savage's Blankety Blank, the contestant with the highest Supermatch score or winner of a tiebreaker played the head-to-head round for an additional prize. In the current revival, both players play the tiebreaker even without a tie.

Supermatch prizes

Prizes on British game shows prior to 1990 were poor by modern standards. The Independent Broadcasting Authority restricted the value of prizes on ITV shows, and BBC-programme prizes were also of a modest value. Template:Citation needed Channels regulated by the Independent Broadcasting Authority were limited to the giving away prizes with the maximum value usually being £1,750.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> The poor-quality prizes on Blankety Blank became a running joke throughout the show's various runs, particularly during the Dawson era. Dawson drew attention to the fact that the prizes were less-than-mediocre, not pretending that the show had "fabulous prizes" as others did, but making a joke of it, such as referring to them as "fire salvaged" prizes.

The consolation prize was the Blankety Blank chequebook and pen, which Dawson would often call "The Blankety Blank chequepen and book!" In 1993, the IBA prize limits had been lifted, and the star prize on the 1990s revival was generally a holiday.

In the 2021 series, the Supermatch prizes consist of £500, £750, and something worth more than £750.

Celebrity panellists

Unaired pilots (1978)

Series 1 (1979)

Series 2 (1979)

Series 3 (1980)

Series 4 (1981)

Series 5 (1982)

Series 6 (1983)

Series 7 (1984)

Series 8 (1985)

Series 9 (1985–86)

Series 10 (1986–87)

Series 11 (1987–88)

Series 12 (1988)

Series 13 (1989–90)

Series 14 (1998)

Series 15 (1999)

Series 16 (2001)

Series 17 (2002)

Series 18 (2021)

Series 19 (2022)

Series 20 (2023)

Series 21 (2025)

Revivals and special editions

Blankety Blank returned to British screens in November 2004 as a one-off edition as part of the BBC's annual Children in Need telethon, in which Terry Wogan reprised his role as the host of the show, accompanied by his wand microphone. Panelists included David Coulthard, Simon Cowell, Jamie Cullum, Maureen Lipman, Donny Osmond and Barbara Windsor.Template:Citation needed

In 2006, the show was released as an interactive DVD game, featuring Wogan.Template:Citation needed

Another one-off edition was shown on 21 April 2007 as part of ITV's Gameshow Marathon hosted by Vernon Kay. Panelists included Fern Britton, Andrew Castle, Lorraine Chase, Joe Pasquale, Vic Reeves and Holly Willoughby.Template:Citation needed

A one-off edition of the programme was recorded in aid of Comic Relief's 24 Hour Panel People, on 6 March 2011. The recording was broadcast live on the Red Nose Day website and, in an edited version, on BBC Three on 14 March. Paul O'Grady returned as host, this time as himself. Panelists included Keith Harris (with Orville the Duck), George Lamb, Stacey Solomon, David Tennant, David Walliams and Barbara Windsor.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

On 22 August 2016, it was announced that David Walliams would front a Christmas special on ITV.<ref name="Walliams"/> The episode aired on Christmas Eve from 6.30–7.30pm and had seven panellists instead of the usual six, with the Chuckle Brothers playing together at one position.<ref>Template:Cite AV media</ref>

On 14 December 2020, it was announced that Bradley Walsh would host a Christmas special on BBC One and the episode aired on Christmas Day from 7.00-7.40pm.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> At 5.26 million viewers, it was the third most watched Christmas Day programme in the overnight ratings.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> This special was so successful that the BBC announced on 30 April 2021 that it had been commissioned for a full series to air on Saturday nights later in the year on BBC One.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> A further series of 10 episodes (including a Christmas special) had been commissioned for transmission in 2022.<ref name="2022Series">Template:Cite web</ref>

Transmissions

Series

Series Start date End date Episodes Presenter
1 18 January 1979<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 10 May 1979<ref name="S1E16"/> 16 Terry Wogan
2 6 September 1979<ref name="S2E1"/> 20 December 1979<ref name="S2E16"/> 16
3 4 September 1980<ref name="S3E1"/> 11 December 1980<ref name="S3E15"/> 15
4 3 September 1981<ref name="S4E1"/> 17 December 1981<ref name="S3E16"/> 16
5 4 September 1982<ref name="S5E1"/> 27 November 1982<ref name="S4E13"/> 13
6 3 September 1983<ref name="S6E1"/> 3 December 1983 14
7 7 September 1984<ref name="S7E1"/> 14 December 1984 14 Les Dawson
26 March 1985<ref name="S7E14"/>
8 11 January 1985<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 19 March 1985<ref name="S8E10"/> 10
9 6 September 1985<ref name="S9E1"/> 21 March 1986<ref name="S9E21"/> 21
10 5 September 1986<ref name="S10E1">Template:Cite web</ref> 3 April 1987<ref name="S10E21"/> 21
11 18 September 1987<ref name="S11E1"/> 26 February 1988<ref name="S11E21"/> 21
12 9 September 1988<ref name="S12E1"/> 16 December 1988<ref name="S12E12"/> 12
13 7 September 1989<ref name="S13E1"/> 12 March 1990<ref name="S13E20"/> 20
14 8 May 1998<ref name="S14E1"/> 19 September 1998<ref name="S14E13"/> 13 Paul O'Grady as Lily Savage
15 26 June 1999<ref name="S15E1"/> 30 October 1999<ref name="S15E12"/> 12
16 7 January 2001<ref name="S16E1"/> 17 June 2001<ref name="S16E20"/> 20
17 4 May 2002<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 10 August 2002<ref name="S17E12"/> 12
18 2 October 2021<ref name="S18E1"/> 4 December 2021<ref name="S18E9"/> 9 Bradley Walsh
19 24 September 2022<ref name="S19E1"/> 19 November 2022<ref name="S19E9"/> 9
20 23 September 2023<ref name="S20E1"/> 18 November 2023<ref name="S20E9"/> 9
21 19 April 2025<ref name="S21E1"/> 21 June 2025<ref name="S21E9"/> 9

Christmas specials

Date Celebrity Guests Presenter
25 December 1979<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Lennie Bennett, Lorraine Chase, Wendy Craig, Sandra Dickinson, Shirley Anne Field, Kenny Everett, Liza Goddard, David Hamilton, David Jason, Roy Kinnear, Patrick Moore, Beryl Reid Terry Wogan
26 December 1980<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Katie Boyle, Windsor Davies, Les Dawson, Sandra Dickinson, Kenny Everett, Shirley Anne Field, David Hamilton, Roy Hudd, The Krankies, Rula Lenska, Patrick Moore, Beryl Reid, Madeline Smith, Jimmy Tarbuck
26 December 1981<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Lorraine Chase, Liza Goddard, Larry Grayson, Lenny Henry, Beryl Reid, Jimmy Tarbuck
27 December 1982<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Lorraine Chase, Dana, Diana Dors, Jimmy Edwards, Larry Grayson, Roy Hudd
25 December 1983<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Sabina Franklyn, Roy Kinnear, Ruth Madoc, Patrick Moore, Beryl Reid, Freddie Starr
25 December 1984<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Lorraine Chase, Suzanne Danielle, Ken Dodd, Russell Harty, Ruth Madoc, Derek Nimmo Les Dawson
27 December 1985<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Debbie Greenwood, John Inman, Aimi Macdonald, Tom O'Connor, Mollie Sugden, Gary Wilmot
26 December 1986<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Lynda Baron, Frank Carson, Samantha Fox, Eddie Large, Syd Little, Wendy Richard
26 December 1987<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Lynda Baron, Joe Brown, Geoff Capes, Lorraine Chase, Roy Hudd, Wendy Richard
27 December 1989<ref name="S13CS">Template:Cite web</ref> Floella Benjamin, Anne Charleston, Linda Lusardi, Danny La Rue, Ian Smith, Peter Woods
26 December 1997<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Christopher Cazenove, Liz Dawn, Gareth Hale, Ronan Keating, Gwen Taylor, Carol Vorderman Paul O'Grady as Lily Savage
28 December 1999<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Roy Barraclough, Honor Blackman, Donald Sinden, Anthea Turner, Tim Vincent, Barbara Windsor
24 December 2016 The Chuckle Brothers, Lesley Joseph, Joe Lycett, Anne Robinson, Brooke Vincent, Louis Walsh David Walliams
25 December 2020<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Jimmy Carr, Emilia Fox, Danny Jones, Amir Khan, Sue Perkins, Anita Rani Bradley Walsh
25 December 2021<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Tom Allen, Mel B, Richard E. Grant, Danny Jones, Sarah Millican, Angela Rippon
24 December 2022<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Alison Hammond, Alex Horne, Guz Khan, Joanna Lumley, Joanna Page, Jonathan Ross
23 December 2023<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Rob Beckett, Brian Blessed, Gemma Collins, Ainsley Harriott, AJ Odudu, Katherine Ryan
26 December 2024<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Joel Dommett, Oti Mabuse, Jane McDonald, Sara Pascoe, Jonathan Ross, The Vivienne

Notes

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References

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