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| URL | http://www.ukgameshows.com |
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| Type of site | Game shows |
| Owner | David J. Bodycombe |
| Created by | Chris M. Dickson |
| Launched | 1996 |
| Current status | online |
UKGameshows.com is a website dedicated to British game shows. The site currently provides information on more than 1,500 British game show formats from 1938 to the present day, over 500 mini-biographies of hosts, along with numerous other background articles.
UKGameshows.com is particularly well known for the weekly news and reviews column "Weaver's Week", written by Iain Weaver, which launched in 2001. A complete archive of back issues is available on the site.
As of 7 August 2009, the site claims a total of 3000 articles, of which "over 1500" are entries for individual shows (the balance is made up mostly of biographies and "Weaver's Week" columns).
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History [edit]
The UKGameshows.com website was originally called The UK Game Show Page, a small section of game show fan Chris M. Dickson's personal website. This was set up in 1996 as a spin-off from his popular email discussion list, ukgs-l (since succeeded by a Yahoo Groups list). The page consisted of rules sheets for some game shows of the time, as well as "Chris Compares" programme reviews and various links of interest.
From October 1998, game show consultant and puzzle writer David J. Bodycombe co-founded with Dickson a fuller version of the site, using a list compiled by TV fan Jez Rogers as a basis. The site was updated manually using standard FrontPage software.
With the explosion in the popularity of game shows, and rapid increase in the number of British digital TV channels, the site was relaunched using MediaWiki software in 2004 so that volunteer editors could keep the database up-to-date.
Scope [edit]
As its name suggests, the site covers game shows made in the United Kingdom. Imported programmes are not included unless they have significant UK input, such as the Eurovision Song Contest. The site's definition of "game show" is wide-ranging, taking in such diverse styles as pre-school observation games (e.g. The Shiny Show), traditional quizzes and panel games, reality television, and talent shows such as New Faces and Opportunity Knocks. Regional shows (including those made in languages other than English) are included, though typically in less detail than those broadcast nationwide. The oldest programme featured is Spelling Bee from 1938, which is believed to be the world's first television game show.
Traditionally the site has included only television shows, but this has now changed and a number of the more notable radio shows are included as well.
In August 2009, the Reading University Student Television production Accumulate! was the subject of the site's 3000th article, thereby becoming the first webcast game show to be featured.
Polls [edit]
Gameshow General Election [edit]
UKGameshows.com has polled its readers on the subject of the greatest British game shows and game show hosts on a four-year cycle.
2002 [edit]
In the first poll, held in 2002, The Mole was voted "greatest UK game show of all time" and Bruce Forsyth was named "greatest host of all time".
2006 [edit]
In the second poll, which took place in 2006, The Crystal Maze was voted "greatest UK game show of all time" and Bruce Forsyth was named "greatest host of all time".
2010 [edit]
In the third poll, that was made in 2010, The Crystal Maze was voted "greatest UK game show of all time" and Bob Monkhouse was named "greatest host of all time".
Poll of the Year [edit]
Two further polls were carried out in 2006 asking readers to select the best and worst new game shows of the previous year. Another poll was added a year later, dubbed "The Golden Fiver", for the best game show of the year overall (not restricted to new formats).
2005 [edit]
In the first poll, created in January 2006, Deal or No Deal was voted as the best new format of 2005, while Celebrity Love Island was voted as the worst.
2006 [edit]
In the second poll, created in January 2007, PokerFace was voted as the best new format of 2006, while The Mint was voted as the worst and Deal or No Deal was voted as "The Golden Fiver" award.
2007 [edit]
In the third poll, created in January 2008, Golden Balls was voted as the best new format of 2007, while For the Rest of Your Life was voted as the worst and Deal or No Deal was voted as "The Golden Fiver" award.
2008 [edit]
In the fourth poll, created in January 2009, Duel was voted as the best new format of 2008, while The Kids Are All Right was voted as the worst and Only Connect was voted as "The Golden Fiver" award.
2009 [edit]
In the fifth poll, created in January 2010, The Cube was voted as the best new format of 2009, while The Colour of Money was voted as the worst and The Cube and Only Connect were voted as "The Golden Fiver" award.
2010 [edit]
In the sixth poll, created in January 2011, The Million Pound Drop was voted as the best new format of 2010, while 101 Ways to Leave a Gameshow was voted as the worst and Only Connect was voted as "The Golden Fiver" award.
2011 [edit]
In the seventh poll, created in January 2012, Secret Fortune was voted as the best new format of 2011, while Red or Black was voted as the worst and Only Connect was voted as "The Golden Fiver" award.
2012 [edit]
In the eighth poll, created in January 2013, Breakaway was voted as the best new format of 2012, while The Bank Job was voted as the worst and Pointless was voted as "The Golden Fiver" award.
Recognition [edit]
UKGameshows.com was one of five websites shortlisted in the "TV" category of Yahoo UK & Ireland's "Finds of the Year 2005" awards [1].
The website has been cited in UK newspapers including The Guardian [2] and The Times [3].
In 2006, a screenshot from the site [4] was altered and used in a piece on the satire site BS News [5] which was also widely circulated as a spoof email [6], in which it was purported to show a contestant named Kathy Evans on the US version of Who Wants to be a Millionaire? failing to answer a simple $100 question. In fact the screenshot pictured 1999 UK contestant Fiona Wheeler answering a different (and harder) question. Far from failing at the first question, Wheeler won £32,000.
In the 2005 book ITV Cultures, published by the Open University Press, UKGameshows.com is used as a case study in the chapter Who Wants to be a Fan of "Who Wants to be a Millionaire?" by Matt Hills. Hills discusses the site's methodology at length, and uses the site (in particular its entry for Who Wants to be a Millionaire? and the results of its 2002 poll) as an example to support his argument that big money game shows can be appreciated on an aesthetic as well as a commercial level.[1]
References [edit]
- ^ Hills, Dr. Matt: "Who Wants to be a Fan of Who Wants to be a Millionaire?: Scholarly television criticism, 'popular aesthetics' and academic tastes", in ITV Cultures, edited by Rob Turnock and Catherine Johnson, pages 177-195. Open University Press, 2005. [ISBN 0-335-21729-X]
External links [edit]
- UKGameshows.com - current site
- Chris Dickson's original page from 1998 - from archive.org
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