Bullseye

(See also)
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<div class="image">[[Image:Bullseye logo.jpg|300px]]</div>
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<div class="image">[[File:Bullseye logo.jpg|300px]]</div>
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[[Vernon Kay]] (2007 special)
[[Vernon Kay]] (2007 special)
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[[Alan Carr]] (2020 special)
== Co-hosts ==
== Co-hosts ==
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Nick Owen (1981-2) (voiceover)
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Voiceover: [[Nick Owen]] (1981-2)
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Tony Green (1982-95, 2006) (scorer later voiceover from 1983-95, 2006)
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Scorer: Tony Green (1982-95, 2006)
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[[Marti Caine]] (1988 christmas special) (hostess)
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Hostess: [[Marti Caine]] (1988 Christmas special)
== Broadcast ==
== Broadcast ==
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ATV for ITV, 28 September to 21 December 1981 (13 episodes in 1 series)
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ATV in association with Chatsworth Television for ITV, 28 September to 21 December 1981 (13 episodes in 1 series)
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Central for ITV, 10 October 1982 to 8 July 1995
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Central in association with Chatsworth Television for ITV, 10 October 1982 to 8 July 1995 (309 episodes in 13 series + 10 specials)
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Produced in association with<br>
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Co-produced by Carlton UK Productions, 1995
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Chatsworth Television (1981-88)<br>
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Talbot Television (1989-95)
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Granada and Thames for ITV1, 22 October 2005 (''[[Gameshow Marathon]]'' one-off)
Granada and Thames for ITV1, 22 October 2005 (''[[Gameshow Marathon]]'' one-off)
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ITV Productions and TalkbackThames for ITV1, 19 May 2007 (''[[Gameshow Marathon]]'' one-off)
ITV Productions and TalkbackThames for ITV1, 19 May 2007 (''[[Gameshow Marathon]]'' one-off)
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Talkback for ITV, 27 June 2020 (''[[Epic Gameshow]]'' one-off)
</div>
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Three pairs of contestants, an amateur dart player and a non-dart player, would compete in three rounds.
Three pairs of contestants, an amateur dart player and a non-dart player, would compete in three rounds.
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<div class="image"><IMG src="/atoz/programmes/b/bullseye/bullseye_team.jpg" alt="bullseye_team.jpg" width="320" height="240">
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<div class="image">[[File:Bullseye chat.jpg]]''[[Jim Bowen]] interviews the contestants. The Round 1 dartboard can be seen in the background.''</div>
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''What's the bet the taller one's the darts player?''</div>
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===Take aim...===
===Take aim...===
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In Round 1, the dart player would aim for one of ten segments on a specifically constructed board. Money was won depending on how close the dart came to hitting the bullseye - but only if the dart landed in the category nominated by the non-dart player. More money could be won by the non-dart player answering a question on the category associated with the segment. Once a category had gone, the dart player had to avoid it otherwise no money could be won in subsequent throws.
In Round 1, the dart player would aim for one of ten segments on a specifically constructed board. Money was won depending on how close the dart came to hitting the bullseye - but only if the dart landed in the category nominated by the non-dart player. More money could be won by the non-dart player answering a question on the category associated with the segment. Once a category had gone, the dart player had to avoid it otherwise no money could be won in subsequent throws.
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<div class="image"><IMG src="/atoz/programmes/b/bullseye/bullseye_dartboard.jpg" alt="bullseye_dartboard.jpg" width="320" height="240">
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<div class="image">[[File:Bullseye jimpointing.jpg]]''Bowen pointing the bull at the dartboard.''</div>
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''[[Jim Bowen]] interviews the contestants. The Round 1 dartboard can be seen in the background.''</div>
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After each player had thrown one dart three times, the couple with the least amount of money retired. (This final rule was changed in series eight so that two teams were eliminated at the end of Round 2 to give the lagging team a chance to catch up.) The consolation prize was a "bendy Bully", a toy version of the show's portly bovine mascot. Oh, and some darts and tankards - and in the early shows, before the Bendy Bullies, chalk-holders (don't ask!)
After each player had thrown one dart three times, the couple with the least amount of money retired. (This final rule was changed in series eight so that two teams were eliminated at the end of Round 2 to give the lagging team a chance to catch up.) The consolation prize was a "bendy Bully", a toy version of the show's portly bovine mascot. Oh, and some darts and tankards - and in the early shows, before the Bendy Bullies, chalk-holders (don't ask!)
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<div class="image">[[File:Bullseye_bullies.jpg]]''[[Jim Bowen]] doles out the consolation prizes - Bendy Bullies''</div>
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<div class="image">[[File:Bullseye_bullies.jpg]]Bowen doles out the consolation prizes - Bendy Bullies''</div>
In Round 2, a standard dart board was used. Each dart-player threw three darts. The highest scoring dart player would win the right for his partner to answer a question, the reward being the dart player's score in (British) pounds.
In Round 2, a standard dart board was used. Each dart-player threw three darts. The highest scoring dart player would win the right for his partner to answer a question, the reward being the dart player's score in (British) pounds.
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After an interlude where a professional darts player (or sometimes a celebrity from the world of showbiz, who was always given a 60-point head start) tries to throw for money for a charity (known as "Bronze Bully Time", because the professional who scored the most at the end of the series got to hold a large Bully trophy made from bronze for the year - nine darts with pounds for points going to charity, doubled if they made 301 or more), the highest scoring team went through to ''Bully's Prize Board'', another specially constructed dart board containing eight quite narrow red segments (which claimed prizes), quite large black segments (which did nothing) and a fairly large bullseye. Hitting a red segment corresponded with claiming one of eight prizes, and hitting the bullseye claimed Bully's Special Prize.
After an interlude where a professional darts player (or sometimes a celebrity from the world of showbiz, who was always given a 60-point head start) tries to throw for money for a charity (known as "Bronze Bully Time", because the professional who scored the most at the end of the series got to hold a large Bully trophy made from bronze for the year - nine darts with pounds for points going to charity, doubled if they made 301 or more), the highest scoring team went through to ''Bully's Prize Board'', another specially constructed dart board containing eight quite narrow red segments (which claimed prizes), quite large black segments (which did nothing) and a fairly large bullseye. Hitting a red segment corresponded with claiming one of eight prizes, and hitting the bullseye claimed Bully's Special Prize.
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<div class="image"><IMG src="/atoz/programmes/b/bullseye/bullseye_bully.jpg" alt="bullseye_bully.jpg" width="320" height="240">
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<div class="image">[[File:Bullseye titles.jpg]]''Bully, the show's mascot, attempts to throw a dart in the title sequence.''</div>
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''Bully, the show's mascot, hangs onto a flying dart during the title sequence''</div>
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One jeopardy, which happened quite a lot more than you might think, occurred when a dart hit the same red segment or the bullseye twice. This caused the prize to be lost or, as the host infamously put it, ''"Keep out of the black and in to the red, There's nothing in this game for two in a bed"''.
One jeopardy, which happened quite a lot more than you might think, occurred when a dart hit the same red segment or the bullseye twice. This caused the prize to be lost or, as the host infamously put it, ''"Keep out of the black and in to the red, There's nothing in this game for two in a bed"''.
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===Are they going to gamble?===
===Are they going to gamble?===
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Once the prizes had been won, the team had the option of gambling their prizes (and, in later series, all the money they had won in the earlier part of the show as well). To win the gamble, both members of the team had to throw three darts at a standard dart board, the non-dart player throwing first, with their combined score totalling 101 or more.
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Once the prizes had been won, the team had the option of gambling their prizes (and, in later series, all the money they had won in the earlier part of the show as well, but never the money for charity, which was sacrosanct, rightly so). To win the gamble, both members of the team had to throw three darts at a standard dart board, the non-dart player throwing first, with their combined score totalling 101 or more.
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If the winning couple decided not to gamble for the star prize, then they were sent on their way with a round of applause and the previous second-placed couple were then invited out to see if they wanted to gamble their money from the quiz. They would usually say "Yes" as putting a few quid on the line to win a speedboat was less of a gamble than potentially throwing away a washing machine and a hi-fi. However, on at least one programme all three couples took home the prizes/money quite happily, so the 101 challenge was not played at all.
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If the winning couple decided not to gamble for the star prize, then they were sent on their way with a round of applause and the previous second-placed couple were then invited out to see if they wanted to gamble their money from the quiz. They would usually say "Yes" as putting a few quid on the line to win a speedboat was less of a gamble than potentially throwing away a washing machine and a hi-fi. However, there were two occasions when the 101 challenge wasn't played because all three couples happily took home what they'd won: the first time was in 1984 when it was revealed that the star prize was a caravan and then three years later, in 1987, the prize as described by Jim (who had incorrectly stated it was the first time it had ever happened in seven series) was "a superb dining suite".  
Before the darts were thrown, it was ''de rigeur'' for announcer Tony Green (pictured) to say ''"Take yer time"'' more often than necessary. If they won the star prize they got to keep their money and prizes from Round 3 too.
Before the darts were thrown, it was ''de rigeur'' for announcer Tony Green (pictured) to say ''"Take yer time"'' more often than necessary. If they won the star prize they got to keep their money and prizes from Round 3 too.
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For their time, the prizes on Bullseye were very generous. Speedboats, cars, holidays and caravans would feature regularly. But, if the contestants failed in the final gamble, they had to see the star prize regardless - "Look at what you could have won."
For their time, the prizes on Bullseye were very generous. Speedboats, cars, holidays and caravans would feature regularly. But, if the contestants failed in the final gamble, they had to see the star prize regardless - "Look at what you could have won."
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<div class="image"><IMG src="/atoz/programmes/b/bullseye/bullseye_couldwon.jpg" width="200" height="150" alt="bullseye_couldhavewon.jpg"> <IMG src="/atoz/programmes/b/bullseye/bullseye_speedboat.jpg" width="200" height="150" alt="bullseye_speedboat.jpg">
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<div class="image">[[File:Bullseye jimsulking.jpg]]''No speedboat. Sad Jim.''</div>
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''"(left) "Never mind, boys, look at what you could have won" (right) "See, it was a speedboat. That would have come in handy in Wolverhampton, wouldn't it?"''</div>
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The show was revived in 2006 with [[Dave Spikey]] as host. It was certainly a very decent revival, with only a few minor tweaks, such as 'Bullseye' T-Shirts, board games and DVD games being added to the consolation prizes, the value for the bullseye being hit on the category board dropping from £200 to £150 (be fair, this was Challenge!) and the star prize now being hidden 'behind our dartboard doors' rather than 'behind Bully'. Spikey certainly proved a good host, and it was good to have Green (still wearing jumpers) return as scorer, but it seemed that the revival didn't quite click with the public in the way the original version had - they apparently missed Bowen.
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A one-off revival for [[Epic Gameshow]] in 2020 featured a new final round. "101 or more in six darts" was gone, replaced by "hit these red sections on spinning dartboards". Much more drawn out, but didn't have the same charm.
== Key moments ==
== Key moments ==
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There were two bits of music played out over the credits - a jolly upbeat tune if the players won Bully's Star Prize, and a rather more downbeat one if they lost.
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There were two bits of music played out over the credits - a jolly upbeat tune if the players won Bully's Star Prize, and a rather more downbeat one if they lost. These were accompanied by Bully appearing on the right of the screen, either grinning and giving a 'thumbs up', or covering his eyes in despair respectively.  
On one occasion, one couple won over £1,000, but the scoring could only accommodate three digits. So they manually stuck a "1" on a piece of card on the front of their desk.
On one occasion, one couple won over £1,000, but the scoring could only accommodate three digits. So they manually stuck a "1" on a piece of card on the front of their desk.
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It was often painful to see the non-dart player score 97 with some jammy shots, only for the supposed "dart player" to try to hit 20, but hit 1 three times instead and thereby lose.
It was often painful to see the non-dart player score 97 with some jammy shots, only for the supposed "dart player" to try to hit 20, but hit 1 three times instead and thereby lose.
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Outtake ahoy: Jim once asked ''"In which state of the United States was President Kennedy assassinated... in Texas?"''
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Outtake ahoy: Bowen once asked ''"In which state of the United States was President Kennedy assassinated... in Texas?"''
== Catchphrases ==
== Catchphrases ==
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The show always started with the cry of, "It's a bulllllseye! And here's your host - Jiiiim Bowen!"
The show always started with the cry of, "It's a bulllllseye! And here's your host - Jiiiim Bowen!"
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"Keep out of the black and in the red, nothing in this game for two in a bed."
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(Bowen): "Keep out of the black and in the red, nothing in this game for two in a bed."
"Look at what you could have won."
"Look at what you could have won."
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"In you come, boys!"
"In you come, boys!"
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"Super, smashing, great." ''(somewhat apocryphal - Bowen said 'smashing' as a reflex action after one contestant revealed that he'd been made unemployed)''
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"Super, smashing, great", and "loovely" was also used at times - (somewhat apocryphal - Bowen said 'smashing' and 'loovely' as a reflex action after one contestant revealed that he'd been made unemployed)''. The story there goes that Bowen, having been a stand-up comic, was far more used to looking for camera angles than to listening to what the contestants were saying to him.
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"Iiiiiiin one..."
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"You win nothing but your BFH... Bus Fare Home"
"You win nothing but your BFH... Bus Fare Home"
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"The subjects that are lit are the ones you can hit!"
"The subjects that are lit are the ones you can hit!"
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''Dave Spikey version:''
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(Green): "Iiiiiiin one..."
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"You've had a good night out - but you go home with nowt!"
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"Take yer time"
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(During the prize board round): "That's black" and "But that's red - it's Number Two (or whatever)" - also, "And that's the bullseye!"
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"Three darts left - make them count."
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''Spikey version:''
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"You've had a good day out, but you'll go home wi' nowt!" (Essentially, Spikey's equivalent of Jim's BFH line)
"Throwers and knowers" (dart players and question answerers)
"Throwers and knowers" (dart players and question answerers)
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Devised by Andy Wood and [[Norman Vaughan]].
Devised by Andy Wood and [[Norman Vaughan]].
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== Theme music ==
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John Patrick
== Trivia ==
== Trivia ==
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[[Jim Bowen]] claims that he was the producer's fifth choice of host. The first three turned it down and the fourth said he'd check his diary.
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[[Jim Bowen]] claimed that he was the producer's fifth choice of host. The first three turned it down and the fourth said he'd check his diary.
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The first two programmes were so bad they were scrapped and never broadcast. This was especially expensive because a car had been won in one of them.
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The first two programmes were so bad they were scrapped and never broadcast - they were very expletive-ridden, by all accounts. This was especially expensive because a car had been won in one of them.
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Tony Green made his debut appearance in 1981 during the first series as a charity thrower and became the show's scorer the following year; he was a very welcome addition to the show, for both Bowen and the viewers, but Bowen in particular, as he found it hard enough to get used to hosting a quiz show without also having to calculate what the darts players had scored. He and Green had an excellent rapport and proved quite a double act, and the latter also did so with Dave Spikey on the revival. Green originally used to wear a suit and tie like Bowen did, but later became known for wearing jumpers - not quite on the scale of either [[David Coleman]] on [[A Question of Sport]] or [[Noel Edmonds]] on [[Telly Addicts]], but still quite a collection. Mind you, such attire was certainly very synonymous with the 1980s and 1990s.
By the end of its original run, the show was getting 12,000 applications a year and there was a five year waiting list just to sit in the audience!
By the end of its original run, the show was getting 12,000 applications a year and there was a five year waiting list just to sit in the audience!
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A celebrity Christmas special in 1986 included Fatima Whitbread - javelins/darts, you see?
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A celebrity Christmas special in 1986 included Fatima Whitbread - javelins/darts, you see? A previous Christmas edition, in 1984, had featured [[Tommy Boyd]]; Kathy Staff, best known as the formidable Nora Batty in ''Last of the Summer Wine''; and Margaret Harris, who was that year's [[Mastermind]] champion. It was hardly surprising that Harris proved adept at answering questions, but it was certainly quite a revelation to discover that her darts-skills were also impressive.
Why so many speedboats? In certain series, the producers had done a deal with a speedboat manufacturer so there were actually two prizes hidden behind Bully - one was a speedboat if you won, and the other was Random Prize X if you lost.
Why so many speedboats? In certain series, the producers had done a deal with a speedboat manufacturer so there were actually two prizes hidden behind Bully - one was a speedboat if you won, and the other was Random Prize X if you lost.
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In the early days of the show, when contestants hit the black segments of the prize board, they'd win a booby prize, but, in keeping with the 'nothing in this game for two in a bed' rule, would also lose the prize if they hit the same segment again. The booby prize concept was also used in other shows, such as [[Take Your Pick]], [[Steal]] and [[Wipeout]]. In truth, it worked better in those shows than in 'Bullseye', so it did not last very long in this case.
Five-times World Darts Champion Eric Bristow holds the record score for the nine charity darts with 380. Mike Gregory managed to match this feat. '''Update:''' Dartist Kevin "The Undertaker" Thomas writes to us thus: ''Just to correct you on the highest charity score, Welshman Alan Evans hit a remarkable 401 in the very early days of Bullseye. He scored 180, 180, 41. You can check that if you like, but I have this episode on tape and it's a fact. They said 380 was the record on Ant & Dec too which was incorrect. See for yourself.'' '''The debate rages on!:''' Robin Carmody writes: ''I saw the Alan Evans episode on Challenge recently.  It came from the 1984-85 series, before the Bronze Bully had been introduced and when a celebrity would have nine darts (with a start of 60) every other week.  The thing was that Evans' last treble 20 actually fell off the board, but had clearly hit the treble 20 beforehand.  This was, strangely, not actually referred to; no doubt they allowed it to stand so that he could have two 180s.  Perhaps they later revised this down to 341, therefore making 380 the record, or perhaps they only count scores after the arrival of the Bronze Bully.''
Five-times World Darts Champion Eric Bristow holds the record score for the nine charity darts with 380. Mike Gregory managed to match this feat. '''Update:''' Dartist Kevin "The Undertaker" Thomas writes to us thus: ''Just to correct you on the highest charity score, Welshman Alan Evans hit a remarkable 401 in the very early days of Bullseye. He scored 180, 180, 41. You can check that if you like, but I have this episode on tape and it's a fact. They said 380 was the record on Ant & Dec too which was incorrect. See for yourself.'' '''The debate rages on!:''' Robin Carmody writes: ''I saw the Alan Evans episode on Challenge recently.  It came from the 1984-85 series, before the Bronze Bully had been introduced and when a celebrity would have nine darts (with a start of 60) every other week.  The thing was that Evans' last treble 20 actually fell off the board, but had clearly hit the treble 20 beforehand.  This was, strangely, not actually referred to; no doubt they allowed it to stand so that he could have two 180s.  Perhaps they later revised this down to 341, therefore making 380 the record, or perhaps they only count scores after the arrival of the Bronze Bully.''
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If the first couple didn't take the prize gamble, and the other two couples had each won the same amount of money, then both teams would be brought out and asked in turn whether they wanted to gamble. If they both said 'yes' there'd be a tie-breaker with the dart players each throwing three darts at the board, the highest scorer winning.
If the first couple didn't take the prize gamble, and the other two couples had each won the same amount of money, then both teams would be brought out and asked in turn whether they wanted to gamble. If they both said 'yes' there'd be a tie-breaker with the dart players each throwing three darts at the board, the highest scorer winning.
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''Bullseye'' also gave its name to a made-for-television darts tournament on BBC2 (think [[Pot Black]], with arrows replacing balls) which ran for two series in 1980 and 1981. The ITV show began less than three weeks after the BBC show ended.
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''Bullseye'' also gave its name to a made-for-television darts tournament on BBC2 (think [[Pot Black]], with arrows replacing balls) which ran for two series in 1980 and 1981, and with another regular quiz host, [[Peter Purves]], as commentator. The ITV show began less than three weeks after the BBC show ended.
One contestant on the Dave Spikey version thought that every country had its own sun.
One contestant on the Dave Spikey version thought that every country had its own sun.
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In 1983, the makers of Bullseye put together a very special "late-night" edition of the show for the Central Television Christmas tape. For those of you not in the know, "Christmas tapes" were tapes produced in the 1970s and 80s by bored and possibly jaded VT editors from the BBC and ITV regions who had to work on Christmas day (how else are people meant to watch Morecombe and Wise on the 25th?), compiled over the course of the year for viewing on the big day. To begin with these would usually comprise of X-rated bloopers (the kind you see on TV's Naughtiest Blunders 782 these days), but over time programme makers would make clips especially for the tapes. The most infamous is almost certainly the "Rude Rainbow" clip, an innuendo-filled mini-episode of children's favourite Rainbow written by the voice of Zippy and George, Roy Skelton, but a close second would be this Bullseye clip. In just under three minutes we get a foul-mouthed Jim Bowen in a stained string vest, Bully with a bout of flatulence, Tony Green as a semi-naked blind man (honestly, we're ''not'' making this up) and contestants from Cockermouth (ho ho) answering questions about vasectomies and gay cannibals. Then there's the, ahem, "laddish" language. It was, as they say, a different time... We are, of course, a family friendly website, but if you're that way inclined you can find it quite easily on YouTube.
In 1983, the makers of Bullseye put together a very special "late-night" edition of the show for the Central Television Christmas tape. For those of you not in the know, "Christmas tapes" were tapes produced in the 1970s and 80s by bored and possibly jaded VT editors from the BBC and ITV regions who had to work on Christmas day (how else are people meant to watch Morecombe and Wise on the 25th?), compiled over the course of the year for viewing on the big day. To begin with these would usually comprise of X-rated bloopers (the kind you see on TV's Naughtiest Blunders 782 these days), but over time programme makers would make clips especially for the tapes. The most infamous is almost certainly the "Rude Rainbow" clip, an innuendo-filled mini-episode of children's favourite Rainbow written by the voice of Zippy and George, Roy Skelton, but a close second would be this Bullseye clip. In just under three minutes we get a foul-mouthed Jim Bowen in a stained string vest, Bully with a bout of flatulence, Tony Green as a semi-naked blind man (honestly, we're ''not'' making this up) and contestants from Cockermouth (ho ho) answering questions about vasectomies and gay cannibals. Then there's the, ahem, "laddish" language. It was, as they say, a different time... We are, of course, a family friendly website, but if you're that way inclined you can find it quite easily on YouTube.
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A 1989 episode turned up as evidence in a 2011 murder trial. The accused had been a contestant on the show shortly before the crime took place, and the episode was used as evidence that his appearance at the time [http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-south-west-wales-13409516 matched the description of the culprit given to police]. John Cooper was found guilty of two double murders as a result.
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A 1989 episode turned up as evidence in a 2011 murder trial. The accused had been a contestant on the show shortly before the crime took place, and the episode was used as evidence that his appearance at the time [http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-south-west-wales-13409516 matched the description of the culprit given to police]. John Cooper was found guilty of two double murders as a result. Not too unlike something that happened following an edition of [[What's My Line?]] many years earlier - see under that entry.
== Merchandise ==
== Merchandise ==
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[http://www.bullseyetvgameshow.com/ Official site]
[http://www.bullseyetvgameshow.com/ Official site]
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[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bullseye_%28British_game_show%29 Wikipedia entry]
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[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bullseye_(UK_game_show) Wikipedia entry]
== Pictures ==
== Pictures ==
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<div class="image"><IMG src="/atoz/programmes/b/bullseye/bowenbully.jpg" alt="bowenbully.jpg" width="136" height="200">
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<div class="image">[[File:Bullseye jimbowen earlyphoto.jpg]]''[[Jim Bowen]] in front of the dartboard.''</div>
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<div class="image">[[File:Bullseye dave with logo.jpg]]''New host, [[Dave Spikey]] behind a contestant's podium.''</div>
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<div class="image">[[File:Bullseye dave with cards.jpg]]''Dave's attempt at doing the game show host's question card pose.''</div>
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''Jim Bowen with a dartboard and a bendy Bully.''</div>
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<div class="image">[[File:Bullseye new presenters.jpg]]''The new and improved self destructed Bendy Bully from 2006.''</div>
== See also ==
== See also ==
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[[Category:Sport]]
[[Category:Sport]]
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[[Category:Darts]]
[[Category:General Knowledge Quiz]]
[[Category:General Knowledge Quiz]]
[[Category:Long-Running]]
[[Category:Long-Running]]
[[Category:Chatsworth Television Productions]]
[[Category:Chatsworth Television Productions]]
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[[Category:ATV Productions]]
[[Category:Central Productions]]
[[Category:Central Productions]]
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[[Category:Carlton Productions]]
[[Category:Granada Productions]]
[[Category:Granada Productions]]
[[Category:Challenge Programmes]]
[[Category:Challenge Programmes]]

Revision as of 12:58, 27 January 2021

Contents

Host

Jim Bowen (1981-95)

Ant & Dec (2005 special)

Dave Spikey (2006)

Vernon Kay (2007 special)

Alan Carr (2020 special)

Co-hosts

Voiceover: Nick Owen (1981-2)

Scorer: Tony Green (1982-95, 2006)

Hostess: Marti Caine (1988 Christmas special)

Broadcast

ATV in association with Chatsworth Television for ITV, 28 September to 21 December 1981 (13 episodes in 1 series)

Central in association with Chatsworth Television for ITV, 10 October 1982 to 8 July 1995 (309 episodes in 13 series + 10 specials)

Co-produced by Carlton UK Productions, 1995

Granada and Thames for ITV1, 22 October 2005 (Gameshow Marathon one-off)

Granada Yorkshire for Challenge, 17 April to 22 September 2006 (30 episodes in 1 series)

ITV Productions and TalkbackThames for ITV1, 19 May 2007 (Gameshow Marathon one-off)

Talkback for ITV, 27 June 2020 (Epic Gameshow one-off)

Synopsis

Super, smashing, great

On Sunday evenings through the winter months, Bullseye stopped being a game-show and began to be an institution. Club comedian Jim Bowen's style and catchphrases such as "super, smashing, great" spawned a large number of mickey-takes (not to mention the odd notable out-take on It'll be Alright on the Night).

Three pairs of contestants, an amateur dart player and a non-dart player, would compete in three rounds.

File:Bullseye chat.jpgJim Bowen interviews the contestants. The Round 1 dartboard can be seen in the background.

Take aim...

In Round 1, the dart player would aim for one of ten segments on a specifically constructed board. Money was won depending on how close the dart came to hitting the bullseye - but only if the dart landed in the category nominated by the non-dart player. More money could be won by the non-dart player answering a question on the category associated with the segment. Once a category had gone, the dart player had to avoid it otherwise no money could be won in subsequent throws.

File:Bullseye jimpointing.jpgBowen pointing the bull at the dartboard.

After each player had thrown one dart three times, the couple with the least amount of money retired. (This final rule was changed in series eight so that two teams were eliminated at the end of Round 2 to give the lagging team a chance to catch up.) The consolation prize was a "bendy Bully", a toy version of the show's portly bovine mascot. Oh, and some darts and tankards - and in the early shows, before the Bendy Bullies, chalk-holders (don't ask!)

File:Bullseye_bullies.jpgBowen doles out the consolation prizes - Bendy Bullies

In Round 2, a standard dart board was used. Each dart-player threw three darts. The highest scoring dart player would win the right for his partner to answer a question, the reward being the dart player's score in (British) pounds.

What's Bully got in store tonight?

After an interlude where a professional darts player (or sometimes a celebrity from the world of showbiz, who was always given a 60-point head start) tries to throw for money for a charity (known as "Bronze Bully Time", because the professional who scored the most at the end of the series got to hold a large Bully trophy made from bronze for the year - nine darts with pounds for points going to charity, doubled if they made 301 or more), the highest scoring team went through to Bully's Prize Board, another specially constructed dart board containing eight quite narrow red segments (which claimed prizes), quite large black segments (which did nothing) and a fairly large bullseye. Hitting a red segment corresponded with claiming one of eight prizes, and hitting the bullseye claimed Bully's Special Prize.

File:Bullseye titles.jpgBully, the show's mascot, attempts to throw a dart in the title sequence.

One jeopardy, which happened quite a lot more than you might think, occurred when a dart hit the same red segment or the bullseye twice. This caused the prize to be lost or, as the host infamously put it, "Keep out of the black and in to the red, There's nothing in this game for two in a bed".

Are they going to gamble?

Once the prizes had been won, the team had the option of gambling their prizes (and, in later series, all the money they had won in the earlier part of the show as well, but never the money for charity, which was sacrosanct, rightly so). To win the gamble, both members of the team had to throw three darts at a standard dart board, the non-dart player throwing first, with their combined score totalling 101 or more.

If the winning couple decided not to gamble for the star prize, then they were sent on their way with a round of applause and the previous second-placed couple were then invited out to see if they wanted to gamble their money from the quiz. They would usually say "Yes" as putting a few quid on the line to win a speedboat was less of a gamble than potentially throwing away a washing machine and a hi-fi. However, there were two occasions when the 101 challenge wasn't played because all three couples happily took home what they'd won: the first time was in 1984 when it was revealed that the star prize was a caravan and then three years later, in 1987, the prize as described by Jim (who had incorrectly stated it was the first time it had ever happened in seven series) was "a superb dining suite".

Before the darts were thrown, it was de rigeur for announcer Tony Green (pictured) to say "Take yer time" more often than necessary. If they won the star prize they got to keep their money and prizes from Round 3 too.

File:Bullseye tonyatboard.jpgAnnouncer Tony Green (a professional darts commentator)

For their time, the prizes on Bullseye were very generous. Speedboats, cars, holidays and caravans would feature regularly. But, if the contestants failed in the final gamble, they had to see the star prize regardless - "Look at what you could have won."

File:Bullseye jimsulking.jpgNo speedboat. Sad Jim.

The show was revived in 2006 with Dave Spikey as host. It was certainly a very decent revival, with only a few minor tweaks, such as 'Bullseye' T-Shirts, board games and DVD games being added to the consolation prizes, the value for the bullseye being hit on the category board dropping from £200 to £150 (be fair, this was Challenge!) and the star prize now being hidden 'behind our dartboard doors' rather than 'behind Bully'. Spikey certainly proved a good host, and it was good to have Green (still wearing jumpers) return as scorer, but it seemed that the revival didn't quite click with the public in the way the original version had - they apparently missed Bowen.

A one-off revival for Epic Gameshow in 2020 featured a new final round. "101 or more in six darts" was gone, replaced by "hit these red sections on spinning dartboards". Much more drawn out, but didn't have the same charm.

Key moments

There were two bits of music played out over the credits - a jolly upbeat tune if the players won Bully's Star Prize, and a rather more downbeat one if they lost. These were accompanied by Bully appearing on the right of the screen, either grinning and giving a 'thumbs up', or covering his eyes in despair respectively.

On one occasion, one couple won over £1,000, but the scoring could only accommodate three digits. So they manually stuck a "1" on a piece of card on the front of their desk.

It was often painful to see the non-dart player score 97 with some jammy shots, only for the supposed "dart player" to try to hit 20, but hit 1 three times instead and thereby lose.

Outtake ahoy: Bowen once asked "In which state of the United States was President Kennedy assassinated... in Texas?"

Catchphrases

The show always started with the cry of, "It's a bulllllseye! And here's your host - Jiiiim Bowen!"

(Bowen): "Keep out of the black and in the red, nothing in this game for two in a bed."

"Look at what you could have won."

"And Bully's Special Priiiiize..."

"Now the cash you won for charity earlier... that's safe."

"In you come, boys!"

"Super, smashing, great", and "loovely" was also used at times - (somewhat apocryphal - Bowen said 'smashing' and 'loovely' as a reflex action after one contestant revealed that he'd been made unemployed). The story there goes that Bowen, having been a stand-up comic, was far more used to looking for camera angles than to listening to what the contestants were saying to him.

"You win nothing but your BFH... Bus Fare Home"

(into the ad break) "I've got £___ here and it'll take me two minutes to count out."

"...And the category's gone, so I can't ask the question!"

"All for the throw of a dart"

"Go for your lights" (in the prize board round - although this changed after a while. In other series, the lights represented what they had won)

"You've got the time it takes for the board to revolve..."

"Up to the oche - and listen to Tony!"

"You can't beat a bit of Bully!"

"Bully's bellowed you out there!"

"Let's check that with Bully" (for the spelling category)

"The subjects that are lit are the ones you can hit!"

(Green): "Iiiiiiin one..."

"Take yer time"

(During the prize board round): "That's black" and "But that's red - it's Number Two (or whatever)" - also, "And that's the bullseye!"

"Three darts left - make them count."

Spikey version:

"You've had a good day out, but you'll go home wi' nowt!" (Essentially, Spikey's equivalent of Jim's BFH line)

"Throwers and knowers" (dart players and question answerers)

"They risked it, they missed it!" (oh no, they didn't get the speedboat)

Inventor

Devised by Andy Wood and Norman Vaughan.

Theme music

John Patrick

Trivia

Jim Bowen claimed that he was the producer's fifth choice of host. The first three turned it down and the fourth said he'd check his diary.

The first two programmes were so bad they were scrapped and never broadcast - they were very expletive-ridden, by all accounts. This was especially expensive because a car had been won in one of them.

Tony Green made his debut appearance in 1981 during the first series as a charity thrower and became the show's scorer the following year; he was a very welcome addition to the show, for both Bowen and the viewers, but Bowen in particular, as he found it hard enough to get used to hosting a quiz show without also having to calculate what the darts players had scored. He and Green had an excellent rapport and proved quite a double act, and the latter also did so with Dave Spikey on the revival. Green originally used to wear a suit and tie like Bowen did, but later became known for wearing jumpers - not quite on the scale of either David Coleman on A Question of Sport or Noel Edmonds on Telly Addicts, but still quite a collection. Mind you, such attire was certainly very synonymous with the 1980s and 1990s.

By the end of its original run, the show was getting 12,000 applications a year and there was a five year waiting list just to sit in the audience!

A celebrity Christmas special in 1986 included Fatima Whitbread - javelins/darts, you see? A previous Christmas edition, in 1984, had featured Tommy Boyd; Kathy Staff, best known as the formidable Nora Batty in Last of the Summer Wine; and Margaret Harris, who was that year's Mastermind champion. It was hardly surprising that Harris proved adept at answering questions, but it was certainly quite a revelation to discover that her darts-skills were also impressive.

Why so many speedboats? In certain series, the producers had done a deal with a speedboat manufacturer so there were actually two prizes hidden behind Bully - one was a speedboat if you won, and the other was Random Prize X if you lost.

In the early days of the show, when contestants hit the black segments of the prize board, they'd win a booby prize, but, in keeping with the 'nothing in this game for two in a bed' rule, would also lose the prize if they hit the same segment again. The booby prize concept was also used in other shows, such as Take Your Pick, Steal and Wipeout. In truth, it worked better in those shows than in 'Bullseye', so it did not last very long in this case.

Five-times World Darts Champion Eric Bristow holds the record score for the nine charity darts with 380. Mike Gregory managed to match this feat. Update: Dartist Kevin "The Undertaker" Thomas writes to us thus: Just to correct you on the highest charity score, Welshman Alan Evans hit a remarkable 401 in the very early days of Bullseye. He scored 180, 180, 41. You can check that if you like, but I have this episode on tape and it's a fact. They said 380 was the record on Ant & Dec too which was incorrect. See for yourself. The debate rages on!: Robin Carmody writes: I saw the Alan Evans episode on Challenge recently. It came from the 1984-85 series, before the Bronze Bully had been introduced and when a celebrity would have nine darts (with a start of 60) every other week. The thing was that Evans' last treble 20 actually fell off the board, but had clearly hit the treble 20 beforehand. This was, strangely, not actually referred to; no doubt they allowed it to stand so that he could have two 180s. Perhaps they later revised this down to 341, therefore making 380 the record, or perhaps they only count scores after the arrival of the Bronze Bully.

In early series, Jim usually mentioned the ITV region from whence the contestants hailed, except if they came from Northern Ireland when it was always "over the water".

If the first couple didn't take the prize gamble, and the other two couples had each won the same amount of money, then both teams would be brought out and asked in turn whether they wanted to gamble. If they both said 'yes' there'd be a tie-breaker with the dart players each throwing three darts at the board, the highest scorer winning.

Bullseye also gave its name to a made-for-television darts tournament on BBC2 (think Pot Black, with arrows replacing balls) which ran for two series in 1980 and 1981, and with another regular quiz host, Peter Purves, as commentator. The ITV show began less than three weeks after the BBC show ended.

One contestant on the Dave Spikey version thought that every country had its own sun.

The signature tune was voted the best game show theme in a 2008 survey for Churchill Insurance.

The show has been produced in a number of locations over the years. It was first produced at ATV Centre/Central House at Bridge Street in Birmingham before being moved to Central's purpose built studios at Lenton Lane in Nottingham. The Challenge version was produced at YTV at Kirstall Road in Leeds and the Gameshow Marathon versions were produced at LWT's famous studios on the South Bank in London. Well, where Bully goes, Tony follows!

In 1983, the makers of Bullseye put together a very special "late-night" edition of the show for the Central Television Christmas tape. For those of you not in the know, "Christmas tapes" were tapes produced in the 1970s and 80s by bored and possibly jaded VT editors from the BBC and ITV regions who had to work on Christmas day (how else are people meant to watch Morecombe and Wise on the 25th?), compiled over the course of the year for viewing on the big day. To begin with these would usually comprise of X-rated bloopers (the kind you see on TV's Naughtiest Blunders 782 these days), but over time programme makers would make clips especially for the tapes. The most infamous is almost certainly the "Rude Rainbow" clip, an innuendo-filled mini-episode of children's favourite Rainbow written by the voice of Zippy and George, Roy Skelton, but a close second would be this Bullseye clip. In just under three minutes we get a foul-mouthed Jim Bowen in a stained string vest, Bully with a bout of flatulence, Tony Green as a semi-naked blind man (honestly, we're not making this up) and contestants from Cockermouth (ho ho) answering questions about vasectomies and gay cannibals. Then there's the, ahem, "laddish" language. It was, as they say, a different time... We are, of course, a family friendly website, but if you're that way inclined you can find it quite easily on YouTube.

A 1989 episode turned up as evidence in a 2011 murder trial. The accused had been a contestant on the show shortly before the crime took place, and the episode was used as evidence that his appearance at the time matched the description of the culprit given to police. John Cooper was found guilty of two double murders as a result. Not too unlike something that happened following an edition of What's My Line? many years earlier - see under that entry.

Merchandise

A Bullseye board game was made, and reissued in 2005.

Web links

Official site

Wikipedia entry

Pictures

File:Bullseye jimbowen earlyphoto.jpgJim Bowen in front of the dartboard.
File:Bullseye dave with logo.jpgNew host, Dave Spikey behind a contestant's podium.
File:Bullseye dave with cards.jpgDave's attempt at doing the game show host's question card pose.
File:Bullseye new presenters.jpgThe new and improved self destructed Bendy Bully from 2006.

See also

Weaver's Week reviews: the 1984 series | the Challenge revival

One Hundred and Eighty

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