Strike It Lucky

Strike It Lucky
File:StrikeItLucky Title Card 1991.jpg Strike It Lucky logo
Created by	Kline & Friends
Presented by	Michael Barrymore
Country of origin	United Kingdom
Production
Producers	Thames Television (29 October, 1986 - 28 December, 1992) Central Independent Television (27 September, 1993 - 29 December, 1994) LWT & Fremantle co-production (12 December, 1996 - 23 August, 1999)
Running time	30 minutes (inc. comms)
Original release
Network	ITV
Release	29 October 1986 – 23 August 1999

Strike It Lucky (later Strike It Rich) was a popular British television game show from 29 October, 1986 to 23 August, 1999, originally produced by Thames Television for ITV, and presented by the British comedian Michael Barrymore.

In its formative years, it became well known for the outlandish and often highly eccentric contestants it featured - Barrymore would often spend over 5 minutes talking to them. The introductory footage of the prizes on offer were also noteworthy, often filmed in black-and-white with a slapstick style. In 1987, it was the fifth most watched programme on UK television. The Thames Television version of the show was recorded at Teddington Studios, and later Pinewood Studios.

From 1996, the new version aired under the title Strike It Rich; this being the title of the popular American game show on which it was based, and it moved (with a re-designed set) to The London Studios. Apparently, the reason for the name change was that the show was now being co-produced by LWT (historically, Thames's bitter rival in the London area) with Fremantle, so despite now being owned by the same company as Fremantle (at the time, Pearson - the ultimate copyright holders), Thames were unwilling to allow LWT use of the original title. There is also the factor that when the show was first exported to the UK, the Independent Broadcasting Authority's prize limits were still in place, and "Rich" was probably dropped from the title because of the relatively low value of prizes on offer; by the time it returned as Strike It Rich the limits had been lifted and it was giving away a substantially higher value of prizes.

The show is one of very few ITV programmes to have been produced by both Thames and LWT (weekday and weekend ITV franchise holders in London, respectively).

Strike it Rich episodes from 1996-1999 are regularly repeated on the digital channel Challenge TV.

The Main Game

Three couples compete to win cash & prizes by going across an archway of TV monitors on stage. On a team's turn, one member of that team was given a category with six possible answers. That player then must decide how many answers he/she must give (either two, three, or four) for two, three or four moves on their respective 10 monitored archway. If the player can complete the contract, the other player gets to move across their archway, otherwise the opposing team gets to complete the contract.

Each monitor, bar the last, hides a prize or a 'hot spot'. There was always between five to eight 'hot spots' hidden between all three teams montiors, but by later series there was normally two per team. Each time the team in control reveals a prize, they win that prize & can decide to either bank the prize(s) & pass control to their opposing team or reveal another monitor. Deciding to keep playing is a risk because if at anytime they reveal the hot spot, they lose all the prizes earned at that point and control goes the opponents. But if they can make their required number of moves without hitting the hot spot, not only they bank their prizes but they also keep their turn and answering another question.

The last monitor of the ten for each team is a question. The team can decide to answer it then or bank their prizes. (The monitor before the question normally is a holiday). A wrong answer forfeits the prizes not banked and the game continues, while a right answer wins the game. The question normally begins with 'Who struck it lucky/rich...?' or 'You would strike it lucky/rich if...".

The Bonus Game

The game begins by having the winning couple bidding on how few 'hot spots' they will hit with a bid of fewer 'hot spots' earning more money if completed, but being more difficult to achieve.

Instead of playing the game across the board they now play top, middle or bottom, choosing on of the three montiors in each row to play.

Hidden throughout the 30 monitors are 10 arrows signifying a free move, another 10 are 'hot spots' and the final 10 are true or false questions earning a move on a correct answer or a 'hot spot' on an incorrect one. These are randomly allocated through out the board.

On each column of monitors, the winning couple elects to hit the top, middle or bottom one. The aim of the game is for the couple to get from one side to the other without hitting more 'hot spots' then they bid. If they get to the other side the board without hitting more 'hot spots' then they bid, they win £3,000 if they bid two, £2,000 for three and £1,000 for four. In later series if they failed to match or beat their bid they won one-tenth of the prize they were aiming for (£300, £200 and £100 respectively), with every move without a 'hot spot' they made, before they went over their bid. In later series, the prizes changed to £10,000/£7,000/£5,000, with consolation prizes changed to £500/£350/£250

On a 1997 special, contestants who took part would donate their winning to cancer research, with three contestants suffering from the disease, including one man who had his voice box removed. The first players, a man who was known for his funny outrageous behaviour, won the game with his daughter and played for £10,000. As they went for £10,000, only two hotspots were allowed. The first three moves turned out to be hotspots, and the game should have ended. Michael would not let the couple lose charity money, and completely ignored the hotspots and moved on anyway, in which at one point, the producer off screen was telling Michael off, in which he replied "Don't make a face at me...". The couple hit six hotspots in the end, and lost at the final screen, where a hotspot appeared. Michael ignored this again, and gave them £10,000 anyway.

DVD Release

An interactive DVD of Strike It Lucky went on sale throughout the UK on November 13, 2006. Produced by Fremantle Home Entertainment, and with over 2,000 questions available, the original host of the show, Michael Barrymore, provides links to the game play, which stays loyal to the format of its television equivalent.

Transmissions

Series	Start date	End date	Episodes
1	29 October 1986	31 December 1986	8
2	15 April 1987	24 June 1987	10
3	17 September 1987	28 January 1988	20
4	4 October 1988	14 February 1989	20
5	25 December 1989	4 June 1990	21
6	25 September 1990	12 February 1991	21
7	23 September 1991	26 December 1991	13
8	21 September 1992	28 December 1992	12
9	27 September 1993	27 December 1993	14
10	13 September 1994	29 December 1994	14
11	12 December 1996	3 April 1997	17
12	8 September 1997	29 December 1997	11
13	17 September 1998	26 November 1998	10
14	7 June 1999	23 August 1999	12

External links

• Strike It Lucky/Strike It Rich at UKGameshows.com
• Strike It Rich at Challenge.co.uk