I'll have a P, please Bob! Blockbusters is back

I'll have a P, please Bob! Blockbusters is back The gameshow returns tomorrow, the latest 80s television programme to enjoy a revival Kunal Dutta is Home News Reporter at The Independent on Sunday To a generation, it is best remembered for the smirking students who revelled in being on television while asking: "Can I have a P, please Bob?" Tomorrow, Blockbusters returns to television screens nearly 30 years after it was first broadcast in Britain and after an absence of 11 years. A spoof edition once featured Peter Cook impersonating Loyd and looking around Loyd's own home. Now Fremantle, the same firm behind the revival of Blockbusters, have bought the rights for a rescreen. Blind Date Then At the peak of its popularity in the 1980s Blind Date was watched by 17 million viewers. Now Take Me Out was ITV's latest attempt to adapt the original. Hosted by Paddy McGuinness, it was plunged into controversy when one contestant was found to be a male escort with a criminal conviction. Surprise Surprise Then: The family reunion show presented by Cilla Black ran for 14 series between May 1984 and September 1997. Four annual specials were produced between 1998 and 2001. Now: Holly Willoughby has been lined up to present a special episode later this year. Should it return to our screens, the show will retain the same format. Cilla is expected to make a cameo appearance. Catchphrase Then The picture-led game show presented by Roy Walker ran on Saturday evenings on ITV between January 1986 and December 2002. Later presenters included the Australian entertainer Nick Weir and children's television presenter Mark Curry. You don't lose precious episodes familiarising audiences with new rules. Classic revivals may bring audiences but can result in a passive experience. Family Fortunes Then: Bob Monkhouse was the original host of Family Fortunes, first broadcast in 1980 and running until 2002. Forsyth was livid when the show was axed in 2003 after more than fifteen years. Now: The show looked certain to make a comeback last October after an absence of nearly a decade. The Gambling Commission is expected to deliver its verdict imminently, while Vernon Kaye has been lined-up to present the new version which is in production. Now The production firm DRG is in the process of resurrecting the show having recently secured rights from its US owners. Through the Keyhole Then Hosted by David Frost, the show's format was to take contestants on a video tour ofa famous guest's property. Give Us A Clue Then The charades quiz show appeared on ITV from 1979 until 1992. Now There have been numerous attempts to revive the show. Music Jason Donovan, Bananarama, Pepsi e have passed that stage now. It has brought families back around the television. I'll have a P, please Bob! Blockbusters is back Trade News selected by Local Linkup on 13/05/2012