Blind Date, 1985
Another London Weekend classic that was must see Saturday night TV for millions of us.
The show originated from a pilot presented by camp comic (who turned out to be not so camp) Duncan Norvelle. However when it came to producing a full series Cilla Black hosted.
It ran for 18 series between 1985 and 2003 clocking up a mammoth 386 shows, not many game shows have clocked that up.
It’s Coming Back!
This August Blind Date will return. Seventeen years after the original ended, Paul O’ Grady will take up hosting duties in an updated version. The new series will be broadcast on Channel 5 and will include LGBT (Lesbian, Gay and Transexual) contestants alongside regular contestants which should make for some hilarious moments.
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The Future?
The future of the show remains uncertain as it looks unlikely to return after just 1 revived series. Presenter Paul O’Grady has said he felt uncomfortable taking over from his friend Cilla Black and was unlikely to do any more.
Summary
One contestant asks three contestants of the opposite sex on the other side of the screen three questions each, aided and abetted by Cilla Black.
After all the questions have been asked there’s a comical quick reminder from “our Graham” then it’s decission time.
Having picked their Blind Date the contestants must then pick a card that will tell them where they are going on their blind date. There were some wacky dates such as a day trip to Bogner or an ice cream factory but there were also some great destinations such as Anguilla or the Maldives.
Each week the previous week’s winners would come back to tell Cilla how they got on.
By the final series the premise was wearing thin and ratings were starting to fall so a few changes were made, Our Graham (Graham Skidmore) had moved on, his voice overs were done by Tommy Sandhu. A “Ditch or Date?” twist was added to the show, and a companion show, called Blind Date: Kiss & Tell was produced for ITV2 and hosted by Sarah Cawood and Brendan Courtney. The show was also broadcast live.
Clips
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Hosted By
Cilla Black, 1985 – 2003
Paul O Grady, 2017 – 2018
Voice Of
Graham Skidmoe, 1985 – 2002
Tommy Sandhu, 2003
Melanie Sykes, 2017 – 2018
Details
Channel: ITV (original series), Channel 5 (revived series)
Produced By: London Weekend Television
Original Transmission Dates: 30th November 1985 – 31st May 2003