Double Your Money

Revision as of 10:41, 4 February 2007

Host

Co-hosts

Organist: Alec Leader (originally, 1955-6), Robin Richmond

Hostesses included: Monica Rose, Alice Earrey (both former contestants), Nancy Roberts, Valerie Drew, Julie De Marco, Jean Clarke, Sabrina.

Broadcast

Arlington Television & Radio Ltd. for Associated-Rediffusion / ITV, 26 September 1955 to 22 July 1968

Synopsis

On Monday nights, contestants were given a free choice from 92 different (unchanging) categories of questions. For every correct answer, they doubled their money.

They could then go on to win up to £1,000 on the Treasure Trail.

As Max Bygraves would say, biiiig monnnney!

The first contestant to enter the Treasure Trail was a Mr Plantagenet Somerset Fry, who became an overnight celebrity. He was a post-grad from Oxford, and had even asked a fellow student to act as "press officer", such was the media interest. However, he quit at £512, not wishing to risk it all for the £1000 jackpot. In today's money, £512 would be approximately £7,680. During his lifetime (he died in 1996), Mr Fry was a successful author of over 50 history books, the first of which was published while he was still an undergraduate. He traced his own family back to Edward III, one of the Plantagenet kings. He was also the first Editor of Books at the HMSO (Her Majesty's Stationery Office).

In 1963, a 15-year-old girl called Monica Rose appeared on the show. At the time she was working as a junior accounts clerk, and she won £8 answering questions on "Famous Women". Hughie Green took to the girl so much she was invited back as a hostess on the show the following year and his sequel show The Sky's the Limit. This is one of the rare occasions when someone who has been a contestant later becomes part of the show.

The show was still hugely popular when it was taken off air in 1968 as a result of Associated-Rediffusion losing their franchise.

Hughie Green (left) seen with his quiz show rival Michael Miles (of Take Your Pick) on the cover of a TV listings magazine

Key moments

In the first show, a rather enigmatic finance clerk working for Arsenal FC, won £32 based on his knowledge of the states of Canada.

Inventor

John Beard

Theme music

The lyrics went:

Double Your Money and try to get rich,

Double Your Money, without any hitch,

Double Your Money, it's your lucky day,

Double Your Money and take it away!

Trivia

Like Michael Miles, Green brought his quiz to ITV from Radio Luxembourg.

Bobby Charlton won £1,000 on the programme, answering questions on Pop Music.

In 1962, a special one-off edition of the programme re-titled Double Your Yen took Hughie Green to Tokyo to put questions to Japanese contestants.

The 48 subjects were displayed on a board at the start of the show. We believe this to be a full list, but there may be errors in transcription: Astronomy, Architecture, Athletics, Army, Ballet, Bridge, Business, Biology, Chemistry, Cricket, Cooking, Dogs, English history, Fashion, Films, Farming, Football, General knowledge, Geography, Gardening, Good housekeeping, Gramophone records, History, Horse racing, Law (Criminal), Literature, London, Motoring, Music, Music hall, Meteorology, Navy, Opera, Painting, RAF, Shakespeare, Theatre, Tennis, Vocabulary, World religions, Zoology.

Web links

Jez Rogers' site contains a short video clip of the very first edition.

Pictures

Picture 1 - Host, Hughie Green.

Picture 2 - Green and contestant stand in front of the categories board.

Feedback

@@ Line 64: / Line 64: @@
 Bobby Charlton won &pound;1,000 on the programme, answering questions on Pop Music.
+In 1962, a special one-off edition of the programme re-titled ''Double Your Yen'' took Hughie Green to Tokyo to put questions to Japanese contestants.
 The 48 subjects were displayed on a board at the start of the show. We believe this to be a full list, but there may be errors in transcription: