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Why does the UK version of a game show nearly always seem to come to an end?
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Like for example with Wheel Of Fortune, the American version of the show is still going, but the UK version of the show ended way back in 2001!
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I would love a UK version of "Jeopardy", loved that show when I was living in Canada.
Deal or No Deal's been on since 2005, which for a show with big jackpots and no quiz aspect is a huge length of time. The one I've always wanted to see is a big budget ITV version of Press Your Luck, which looks incredible from the US clips I've seen - apparently a UK version appeared briefly but as a no-budget regional show, shown only in the West of England on Sunday lunchtimes. Deserves better than that!!
Didn't Jeopardy used to be on ITV years ago?
The main difference is the degree of razzle-dazzle in the format, you could create a version of Wheel of Fortune that could be more like Countdown very easily.
So the UK does not tend to keep the razzle-dazzle formats going forever, the more quizzy "gameshows" do go on forever however.
Lingo in the Netherlands has been on daily for decades but in Britain it only lasted one series. IMHO the UK version failed because it had a dark depressing set, a poor presenter (Paul Daniels son) and contestants who in most cases weren't capable of playing the game which demands a very good vocabulary.
IMHO Jeopardy! is largely a success in the USA because Alex Trebek is very similar to William G Stewart, with a good all-round general knowledge. Also, the unnecessary question/answer reversal was probably seen as a gimmick here in the UK.
I would just like to mention,however,that the quiz show that 'got away' for me was "Take It Or Leave It"
What a brilliant idea and format for a quiz show that was,with an excellent presenter in the effervescent Richard Arnold.
Unfortunately it was made for Challenge TV,rather than BBC/ITV where it would have done a lot better.
What a waste of a great show.
Must agree I can never understand why it wasn't snapped up by the other networks when it finished on Challenge
There have been a few exceptions to this however:
Blockbusters:
US 1980 - 1982, 1987
UK 1983 - 1994, 1997, 2000 - 2001, 2012
Fun House:
US 1988 - 1991
UK 1989 - 1999
Catchphrase:
US 1985 - 1986
UK 1986 - 2002, 2013
Same applies to our sit-coms as well, I believe.
Because it's the most watched. It's on 5 nights a week, just before primetime tv starts.
According to wikipedia, there have been 9,400 episodes of Jeopardy aired since 1964. That's 7 times as many episodes as University Challenge.