Bob’s Your Uncle, 1991
Produced by Central for ITV, madcap game show Bob’s Your Uncle, ran for two series of twelve episodes each. The contestants were newlyweds and the host of course Bob Monkhouse, assisted by some very glamerous co-hostesses.
Summary
Each show would begin with Bob’s own take on the news, then it was time to meet three newlywed couples. Then it’s on with the games.
Round One
Each of the couple is asked a question which had been asked to several members of the public (sound familiar?). The contestants are given the four most popular responses, but in no particular order. Al they have to do is decide which they think is the most popular.
The couple who guessed correctly won either pots and pans or a water pump, depending on the series. However, if they lost then they won some luggage or a three stone cuddly toy. This would be carried on to the next round.
Round Two
Entitled – Sea of Matrimony. The couples would each be in a boat with the thing they won from the previous round in a swimming pool. However there was a twist – the boats all have holes in the sides so the players must bail out when any water comes in. Now, if you had won pots in the previous round you could bail yourself out, but if you won something heavy it’s not so easy. The first team to sink or capsize the boat is out.
To keep things interesting, members of the family were waiting behind. Bob asked questions to the teams in turn and for every correct answer it all stayed the same but if a couple got one wrong then a member of their family had to join them in the boat (and we found out their weight too which must have been quite embarassing).
Round Three
There are now two surviving couples and the y are about to go on to the Run for Fun.
Around the main stage was a running track. About a third of the way along there were two boards, both of which could hold five cards (one of which would be blue and the other pink). Two-thirds of the way round would be a Card pick-up point where there were nine cards waiting. The idea is to try and sort the cards out into certain criteria as set out by Bob, so if you think the person on the front did one thing you’d put them in the pink bit and if you don’t you’d put them on the blue bit.
When Bob says “Go” and gives them their first card, the players have ninety seconds to sort out the ten cards. One player would run round, put the card where they thought it went (i.e. blue frame or pink frame), picked up another card from the pick-up point and return to the start and gave it to their partner who would do the same thing. The players can change what’s been put down already at any time but only one was allowed to run at any point. The winners were the ones who got the most correct answers but if it was a draw, the fastest couple won.
Round Four
One couple now remain and have won £1000, but like any good gameshow there’s a chance to better it by playing It’s a Knockout-style games with marriage as a metaphor, with the aim being to triple the cash to £3000.
Round Five
If they completed the tasks in the previous round correctly, within three minutes they could play for a car (all good gameshows had a car) if not they played for £3000. This round was a version of another classic Bob Monkhouse show, The Golden Shot. This time around Bernie The Bolt has been replaced by Donna The Dart.
Just like Golden Shot the aim of the game was to put a ‘dart through the heart’. One contestant was blindfolded and they controlled the crossbow, the non-blindfolded one had to tell them where to aim by guiding left, right, up or down.
Hit the black dot in the centre of the heart within thirty seconds they won the car. They only had one shot, and in later years the heart moved from left to right making it a bit more difficult.
Clips
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Starring
Bob Monkhouse
Kathy Lloyd
Maria Rice Mundy
Linda Lusardi
Donna Derby
Details
Channel: ITV
Produced By: Central for ITV
Original Transmission Dates: 27th April 1991 – 4th July 1992