Rumor Control: ITV Looks to Bring Back “Catchphrase”
Revivals of classic, favorite formats seem to be pretty popular in England right now, especially with Challenge’s Blockbusters doing very well. Metro is reporting that ITV is looking at bringing another favorite back to the screen. It’s being reported that ITV is in talks to revive Catchphrase, which hasn’t seen new episodes since 2002, with the format’s owner DRG. The show, which asks viewers to identify picture puzzles, is seen daily on Challenge. ITV has shown interest in reviving past formats previously. Late last year they shot a pilot for Play Your Cards Right (Card Sharks) with host Vernon Kay but ultimately passed on it.
Would you be interested in seeing the show return? Let us know below. In the meantime, if you haven’t seen the show in a while, here’s a clip from Catchphrase. No, it’s not that clip.
Source : Metro
I’m ecstatic that they’re thinking of bringing back Catch Phrase!! I wish that some of these awesome UK game shows would come to the U.S. for us to play & watch as well. I’d be very curious to see who the new host of Catch Phrase would be.
I hope the host from 2001-2002 would return or does someone have a great person in mind to host?
Catch Phrase WAS here in the U.S., shortly before the U.K. version began. It was hosted by Art James, Mr. Chips was prevalent but he had a different name (Herbie, I believe), and it only lasted one season, if that long.
Actually J.C., it only lasted sixteen weeks on the air. I would love to see a revival of Catch Phrase here in the U.S.
I remember that a pilot was shot for a 2007 revival with Todd Newton as the host with the same exact set as Roy Walkers version. Unfortunately it didn’t sell and we got stuck with Craptation and Merv Griffin’s Crosswords (Which wasn’t a bad show by the way).
It would be cool for GSN to bring in some of these British shows, maybe Blockbusters, Countdown, etc. Not for prime time but could bring them some viewers if they could get shows for cheap and show them in mornings/afternoons.
Speaking about reviving old game shows, why can’t we revive Greed already?
Chuck would be more than happy to return to hosting it, I can tell you that much. :D
I second Scott’s comment about a Greed revival. I remember recording that on VCR and watching it when I was little. Greed is one of the most suspenseful big money shows out there, just like UK DoND. Greed is actually better than Millionaire, I think.
I was only 9 years old when Greed aired, yet I still remember it as one of the best game shows ever created.
Roy Walker is Mr. Catchphrase and nobody can replace him. I don’t see Roy Walker returning as host if they’re making a revival. Paddy McGuinness could make a good host for the Catchphrase revival.
Good call – that’ll take care of the Irish charm at least…
I’m surprised Challenge passed on Play Your Cards Right, as I thought that it would be a perfect show to revive – and if Blockbusters is any indication, it could have turned out great. Would still love to see both Card Sharks and Blockbusters get revived by GSN in the US, and Blockbusters could basically be an Americanized clone of the new UK version with the same set, music, graphics, and basic format. But Catch Phrase could also be a good candidate for revival in either country.
The Sun newspaper is reporting that the host is going to be Stephen Mulhern of Britain’s Got More Talent and Magic Numbers fame…
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/showbiz/tv/britain_got_talent/4347939/Britains-Got-More-Talent-host-Stephen-Mulhern-to-host-Catchphrase.html
It’s also claiming that the show’s going to be on ITV2 rather than ITV1.
I’d certainly take the latter with a pinch of salt – after all, the Sun also claimed that Noel Edmonds was going to play DOND for himself… *rolls eyes*