Game shows embody everything that is classic British television. There are daytime game shows and beloved Saturday night shows. There’s something for everyone no matter what knowledge you have with the majority of viewers shouting out answers as the games are played out.
There are too many game shows to list, with classics such as Countdown to recent favourite Tenable which features Warwick Davis as the host. We’ve managed to narrow it down to a decade where the variety of game shows was huge, and from there we’ve selected the best.
Deal or No Deal (2005-2016)
Hosted by Noel Edmonds, Deal or No Deal is undeniably one of the best British game shows of all time, let alone in the noughties. It began its journey in 2005 and aired for 11 years on Channel 4. From the pool of lucky contestants, one would be selected to sit in the hot seat and play for real money.
Throughout the years, nine people won the grand £250,000 prize, but sadly 29 walked away with a penny, adding their name to the infamous ‘1p Club’. Many other prize money amounts totalling over £40 million were given away throughout the series. Although the game show is no longer on air, you can still play the online game Deal or No Deal at online casinos.
The Chase (2009-current)
‘The Beast’, ‘The Dark Destroyer’, ‘The Governess’, ‘The Sinnerman’ and ‘The Vixen’ make up the Chasers, all filled with knowledge ready to take on a team of opponents. A bench of four quizzers take on one of the Chasers – who reveals themself at the beginning of the show to some dramatic music. One by one they go head-to-head, first of all, racking up the money in a speed round, then a multiple-choice round whereby the chase is on.
All the contestants who win their head-to-head chase then work together for another speed round where they try to get as many questions right as possible in two minutes. The Chaser then has the same amount of time to catch them and prevent them from walking away with the money. Since 2009 there have been over 1,600 episodes.
Pointless (2009-current)
In this game show, the pair with the lowest score wins the round instead of the highest score which is more common. Before the show begins a group of 100 people partake in a general quiz, their answers are then used for the basis of the show. Each point represents a person from the survey saying the same answer.
The four pairs of contestants are then asked the same questions and after two rounds, whoever has the highest score leaves. This process continues until two couples are in the head-to-head. The teams then battle it out, trying to find a pointless answer or answers with fewer points than their competition. The pair to go into the final is chosen based on the best of three.
In the final round, the triumphant pair have to find a pointless answer to win the prize money. This means from the questions asked to 100 people, they must give a unique answer. If the contestants cannot find a pointless answer, they walk away with a ‘coveted pointless trophy’ which stands at a little over five inches tall. If the money isn’t won, it rolls over to the next show.
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