Fifteen to One returns to Channel 4

Skid X · 11-12-2013 12:02pm #1

The classic daytime quiz Fifteen to One (or 15 to 1) is returning to Channel 4 - in two distinct versions

Adam Hills fronted the recent one off edition, and he will present another four episodes with celebrity contestants.

Meanwhile, Sandi Toksvig will be in charge for 20 daytime programmes, presumably with more to come if the initial run is successful.

It is an interesting move by Channel 4 to run a light hearted Celebrity edition in tandem with the more serious traditional version - possibly inspired by the recent success of 8 out of 10 Cats does Countdown.

http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2013-12-09/quiz-fifteen-to-one-to-return-to-channel-4-after-10-years---minus-william-g-stewart

princemuzzy · 11-12-2013 2:53pm

brilliant love the original

Dozen Wicked Words · 11-12-2013 3:47pm

Was never a fan of the original, didn't like William G Stewart or most of the contestants on it. Will give this a whirl though when I'm off.

Gamayun · 11-12-2013 4:36pm

Great! It always had a nice level of difficulty and Sandi Toksvig is very likable.

shanew · 11-12-2013 4:52pm

The celebrity edition with Adam Hills is due to be repeated on C4 on 31st Dec. @20:00

FloatingVoter · 11-12-2013 6:33pm

15 to 1 is the reason I got a pass diploma in Fine Art. That and the tinnies. Only decent quizshow I ever saw with no gimmicks - just knowledge. I always wondered if the consistent players on this were barred from Who Wants to be a Millionaire. Some of the winners in the old days knew everything from Bon Jovi's first drummer to where Shakespeare lost his cherry. They'd have aced the big money shows.

Skid X · 11-12-2013 7:15pm

FloatingVoter wrote: »

15 to 1 is the reason I got a pass diploma in Fine Art. That and the tinnies. Only decent quizshow I ever saw with no gimmicks - just knowledge. I always wondered if the consistent players on this were barred from Who Wants to be a Millionaire. Some of the winners in the old days knew everything from Bon Jovi's first drummer to where Shakespeare lost his cherry. They'd have aced the big money shows.

I don't think they were banned from Millionaire, but it's popularity made it more difficult for the 'Professional' quizzers to get through the contestant selection process (as there were hundreds of thousands of people trying to get onto the show at one point)

Those who did make it onto the show usually did well -Two of the Million Pound winners (David Edwards and Ingram Wilcox) had previously been contestants on 15 to 1.

I would love to have seen Bill McKaig have a go at Millionaire- he got a perfect score of 433 on 15 to 1. Unbelievable knowledge.

Go Harvey Go · 14-12-2013 10:20pm

Just heard about this.

One has to be fair - this was always coming, given the success of the celebrity one-off in September, and also given Channel 4's ongoing daytime problems.

Here's what Nick "Brig Bother" Gates and co have to say on the brilliant Bother's Bar site:

http://www.bothersbar.co.uk/?p=7811

My views? To use a cliché, no-one will ever be as good as WGS. But Adam should continue to do a decent job, while Sandi always does.

It would be nice if the prize on the civilian editions was an old piece of pottery, like in WGS's time - but it'll probably be money instead. After all, very few TV game shows and quizzes these days give away non-monetary prizes (Countdown, University Challenge, Mastermind and Only Connect being the only ones that spring to mind).

As for the contestants? I don't believe we'll see Daphne Fowler, and we probably won't see any former champions at all - but the people we will see should still be very knowledgeable.

shanew · 14-12-2013 11:02pm

Go Harvey Go wrote: »

....University Challenge, Mastermind and Only Connect being the only ones that spring to mind.....

the three best quizzes on TV at the moment

shanew · 14-12-2013 11:11pm

the other good quiz, although money involved, is Eggheads - one of these being Daphne

Harry Angstrom · 15-12-2013 11:32am

Great to see it back!

Go Harvey Go · 15-12-2013 12:38pm

shanew wrote: »

the other good quiz, although money involved, is Eggheads - one of these being Daphne

Not for much longer, though - she's about to retire, as former Mastermind champion Dave Clark points out on his excellent Life After Mastermind blog:

http://lifeaftermastermind.blogspot.ie/2013/11/happy-retirement-daphne.html

Harry Angstrom · 15-12-2013 2:52pm

I used to like Daphne until she started appearing on Eggheads. Herself and CJ became insufferably arrogant.

shanew · 02-04-2014 11:08am

the new series starts Monday 7th April, 16:30

edit : just spotted there's also an episode on the Sat. 4th

brian_t · 02-04-2014 12:29pm

shanew wrote: »

edit : just spotted there's also an episode on the Sat. 4th

Episode 1 on Sat 5th at 5.15pm

I see the episodes are all 60 minutes long

. The original series was only 30 minutes long and

was notable for having very little of the chatting between host and contestant that is often a feature of other television quiz shows.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fifteen_to_One

extra gravy · 02-04-2014 1:26pm

Loved this years ago, looking forward to seeing how it again. With it being 60 minutes long though, I hope this doesn't mean there's going to be any of that "tell us a bit about yourself" rubbish to fill the time. The old format was perfect.

brian_t · 02-04-2014 3:10pm

I think there is a strong Pointless influence on the show.

Grand Final Winner takes home €40,000

Other changes -

The cash prize is brand new to the show but that’s not the only difference. The new generation of Fifteen To One will also herald some other key changes; Each player will now be given three chances to reach the final round of a show therefore getting the opportunity to appear on a maximum of three shows throughout the week. This allows for both Sandi to form relationships with contestants and for viewers at home to really champion their favourites.

Each hour long episode showcases Sandi’s camaraderie with the contenders as well as her firm but fair hosting style. Throughout the show, she will also offer up her near boundless knowledge on the topics that arise.

http://www.channel4.com/info/press/news/fifteen-to-one-returns-to-channel-4-this-april

Go Harvey Go · 03-04-2014 1:54am

brian_t wrote: »

I see the episodes are all 60 minutes long .

Very few 30-minute game shows these days, alas - Mastermind, University Challenge, Only Connect, HIGNFY and A Question of Sport being the only five that spring to mind.

And the only other ones I can think of that last less than an hour are Countdown and the National Lottery shows (In It to Win It, Who Dares Wins, etc).

brian_t wrote: »

I think there is a strong Pointless influence on the show.

Grand Final Winner takes home €40,000

Well, I did suggest that the prize would be money instead of a piece of pottery.

And I'm not too enthusiastic, either, about contestants having three chances to reach the final round instead of one.

anthonymax · 03-04-2014 8:21am

Love this show, watched it all the time, brings back great memories of college days in Galway years ago, had forgotten all about it!

Badly Drunk Boy · 05-04-2014 2:40am

Fifteen To One was always my favourite quiz. Good quality questions, and loads of them. No messing about trying to create a forced feeling of suspense.

Sandi Toksvig should be a good host. Her appearances on programmes like QI show that she's very knowledgeable herself, which is something I like to see in a quiz show host.

Skid X · 05-04-2014 6:44pm

I thought it was a bit slow paced today, a full hour is a bit too long.

Sandi is a decent host and I'm sure she will do a good job, but she is trying to fill very large boots.

I quite like the idea of giving every contestant three attempts to get to the final (shamelessly lifted from Pointless).

BOGOF 5hoes · 06-04-2014 6:17am

An hour is far too long for this show. What they need is Anne Robinson, she'd get through it in twenty minutes, and none of this showing off how much she knows..

brian_t · 06-04-2014 12:42pm

Skid X wrote: »

I quite like the idea of giving every contestant three attempts to get to the final (shamelessly lifted from Pointless).

for viewers at home to really champion their favourites.

http://www.channel4.com/info/press/news/fifteen-to-one-returns-to-channel-4-this-april

I agree but the only losing contestents who became my 'favourites' (ie that I formed any attachment to) were Anthony and Clive ?? - the two losing finalists but they won't be returning.

Harry Angstrom · 07-04-2014 12:32am

So, Fifteen To One just happens to begin at 4.30 and runs into the schedule of Pointless and The Chase..... Coincidence or what?? :mad:

brian_t · 07-04-2014 1:19am

Harry Angstrom wrote: »

So, Fifteen To One just happens to begin at 4.30 and runs into the schedule of Pointless repeats and The Chase repeats..... Coincidence or what?? :mad:

Fixed your post.

Harry Angstrom · 07-04-2014 1:34am

brian_t wrote: »

Fixed your post.

It still doesn't explain why they'd want to start at 4.30 and run directly into quiz shows on BBC 1 and ITV.

07-04-2014 1:55am

Heh.

My dad was on the first 15-1

He went out after two questions.

One question was "[x] town is which UK county?"

Other question was "Which juction do you take on [x] motorway to get to Manchester?"

Two great questions for an Irishman to get

brian_t · 07-04-2014 2:07am

It's the only available slot unless they put it on at 1.40pm before Countdown.

Hollyoaks is on at 6.30pm so it has to be on between 4.30pm and 6.30pm.

You might as well put it on before the others start.

Pointless can get a bit 'chatty' so I think there is an audience for a quiz like 15 to 1.

I imagine that Countdown and Deal or No Deal will still be higher rating shows then 15 to 1 though.

somesoldiers · 07-04-2014 1:48pm

Sandi Toksvig Bingo
I am originally from Denmark
I went to school in the US
I have 3 kids
I am a lesbian

she mentions all of these every time she is on QI anyway.

Tony EH · 07-04-2014 4:15pm

brian_t wrote: »

Episode 1 on Sat 5th at 5.15pm

I see the episodes are all 60 minutes long . The original series was only 30 minutes long and
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fifteen_to_One

Agreed, which is why William Stewart's approach was great, straight forward, no bollocks. Sandi Toksvig is completely the wrong person for '15 to 1'.

flazio · 07-04-2014 4:17pm

brian_t wrote: »

Fixed your post.

Actually Richard has tweeted that today's Pointless is a new episode.

Skid X · 07-04-2014 4:31pm

Tony EH wrote: »

Agreed, which is why William Stewart's approach was great, straight forward, no bollocks. Sandi Toksvig is completely the wrong person for '15 to 1'.

She is directed to pad out the show, it's not an hour long because it takes her that long to finish the quiz.

Harry Angstrom · 07-04-2014 4:39pm

Missed Saturday's show. First time watching it today. Way too much chat. I preferred William G. Stewart's no-nonsense approach.

Tony EH · 07-04-2014 4:42pm

Skid X wrote: »

She is directed to pad out the show, it's not an hour long because it takes her that long to finish the quiz.

Pity.

I've been watching some old episodes and it's bringing back a lot of memories. My mum and dad used to absolutely love that program.

I miss my mum.

somesoldiers · 07-04-2014 5:04pm

oh no don't want any waffling, will be watching with finger on the fast forward, probably cut the show down to 20 mins.

HeidiHeidi · 14-04-2014 10:18pm

Caught this for the first time today - was a HUGE fan back in the WGS days (myself and my brother, being complete quiz show nerds back then, auditioned for this and Countdown - I got Countdown, he got 15-1).

WTF is with all the pointless chat and banter??? Adds precisely nothing (apart from an extra half hour) to the show, just draaaaaags it out pointlessly :mad: There's still the same amount of contestants, same amount of questions, but twice the running time

I'll persist for now, for old time's sake, but will only be watching on record, with (as a previous poster said) finger poised on the FF button.

HeidiHeidi · 14-04-2014 10:42pm

And what's this "by making it to the final round, this WILL BE your last appearance on the show".....

Do others get to try again?

She makes reference to a contestant's "previous show".........

Skid X · 14-04-2014 11:24pm

HeidiHeidi wrote: »

And what's this "by making it to the final round, this WILL BE your last appearance on the show".....

Do others get to try again?

She makes reference to a contestant's "previous show".........

Yeah, If you reach the Final three, you don't get another chance.

Everyone else get three attempts.

somesoldiers · 15-04-2014 9:53am

Be worth your while hanging back then if you had two good people on same show as you, I'd have thought

Harry Angstrom · 16-04-2014 10:32pm

somesoldiers wrote: »

Be worth your while hanging back then if you had two good people on same show as you, I'd have thought

Yesterday's show would've been a prime example of this. The final consisted of an Aussie who's a regular in Mastermind finals and a guy who was a previous programme winner of Fifteen To One in the good old days. One of them should've "taken a dive" in the preliminary rounds.

Skid X · 30-04-2014 11:02pm

The final of this series is on tomorrow (Thursday), and then there is a repeat of the recent Celebrity version on Friday (presented by Adam Hills).

I don't think it has done very well in the ratings, most people seem to agree that it is better suited to the old 30 minute format.

Here is a nice interview with William G Stewart about his career and how he bought the rights to Fifteen to One for just £200

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2607251/The-BT-salesman-dreamed-TVs-toughest-quiz-sold-rights-just-200.html

somesoldiers · 01-05-2014 9:28pm

She is so slow at asking the questions, waffling when she gives the answer and small talking is wrecking my head. Fast forward to last round I think, just about bearable

Skid X · 01-05-2014 10:13pm

Challenge (available on Sky, UPC and Freesat) have bought the rights to show repeats of the classic William G Stewart Series ...

Deal just signed! We now welcome William G Stewart to our family! FIFTEEN TO ONE Series 1 coming soon to Challenge

https://www.facebook.com/ChallengeTV/posts/649337598455216

Starts on June 16th apparently. You can't beat the real thing.

HeidiHeidi · 01-05-2014 10:48pm

somesoldiers wrote: »

She is so slow at asking the questions, waffling when she gives the answer and small talking is wrecking my head. Fast forward to last round I think, just about bearable

Had to give up on this new version. It's like watching paint dry. And Sandy (much as I like her, and I do) peering at an iPad is not a terribly good look.

If they're playing repeats of WGS, I'm soooo there! (Hope they show the one with my brother on it

)

Skid X · 05-06-2014 4:31pm

The 'celebrity' version of Fifteen to One returns to Channel 4 tomorrow at 8pm, with Adam Hills

somesoldiers · 05-06-2014 4:50pm

Celebrity Fifteen to One and 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown just make a mockery of the originals in my opinion, though am sure others enjoy them. 8/10 lets bring on the beardy lad and see what hilarious takes he has on selecting vowels, consonants and numbers this week! Har-di-har

brian_t · 16-06-2014 1:41am

Skid X wrote: »

Challenge (available on Sky, UPC and Freesat) have bought the rights to show repeats of the classic William G Stewart Series ...

https://www.facebook.com/ChallengeTV/posts/649337598455216

Starts on June 16th apparently. You can't beat the real thing.

Thats today and every weekday at 9.30am and 10.00am and then repeated at 2.30am and 3.00am tomorrow morning

Fifteen to One returns to Channel 4

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