Lack of quiz shows on Irish TV

Mr.Nice Guy

Does anyone else find it as disappointing as I do that there's a noticeable lack of quiz shows on Irish TV? I enjoy checking out The Weakest Link, Eggheads, Mastermind, the BBC's Lottery quiz show etc and I feel it's a shame we don't have shows of our own. I remember a good few years ago there was a quiz show on around 6:30 on RTE 1 but obviously it's been put out to pasture.

It seems we're just stuck with endless cookery shows, DIY shows, chat shows and so on and I think it would be refreshing to see a quiz show for a change. About time we have at least one quiz programme, right? Might also help cheer people up to see some smart people picking up some money in a programme that doesn't involve spinning a wheel or proving to Shane Lynch that you have a talent.

Thoughts?

Our man in Havana

I would agree with you. There are no decent quiz shows on Irish TV, that is for sure.

dulpit

Bond-007 wrote: »

I would agree with you. There are no decent quiz shows on Irish TV, that is for sure.

Is there any??

They should bring back Challenging Times (That's what it was called right? You know, the RTE version of University Challenge?) That was good... Or any sort of decent quiz show (by which I mean a show with plenty of questions, and not full of "suspense" or gimmicks...)

Ruu_Old

Bring back 'Where in the World?'.

MisterAnarchy

Bond-007 wrote: »

There are no decent shows on Irish TV, that is for sure.

Very true.

EKRIUQ

A quiz show looks to be a cheap format to produce once you have a half decent set and just a simple question format you'd wonder how RTE could go wrong.

But no they would prefer to shovel us with very little thought out shows with no format or structure with the opinion that who cares look at our viewing figures they must love it!

mike65

Cross Country Quiz was the last show that actually worked. There is a very grim history in RTE - Quicksilver, Murphys Micro Quiz-M, Where In The World, etc

Bondvillain

I dunno...Number 1 was fun, and Blackboard Jungle before Ray D'arcy turned into Alan Partridge served a purpose too.

Rapid Roulette, Talkabout and that it's not the answer thing were mank though

phenomenon

The Irish version of "who wants to be a millionaire" was an epic fail.

Any quiz show that RTE does produce would only have washing machines and toasters as prizes.

grumpytrousers

see, the thing about needing good prizes is a myth. Why not compare and contrast, for example, Catchphrase and Mastermind. When Roy Walker fronted the former, I can remember you'd have a thing on the screen as plain as the nose on your face, and clueless chinless wonders as contestants saying random things. They could still win massive prizes...£300 per catchphrase.

Then you had Mastermind with either Magnus or Humphries presenting it, and even if you got to win the final final you only won, ultimately, a pot or an urn. Now i'm sure it was worth a bit, but the real value was the prestige. Similarly with University Challenge/Challenging times. It is possible to run a quiz based upon the notion of it being 'hard' and having a relatively modest prize. Irish people love quizzes, even ones that would be 'above' them, if you know what i mean; the only recession proof fundraiser I reckon, is running a table quiz these days.

Of course, RTE would insist on ballsing all this up by either pitching it at eejit level or cluttering it up with some audience participation prick-aboutery...

K4t

The majority of people who watch RTÉ would not watch a proper quiz show.

Deadeyes

I used to love Fifteen to One on Channel 4. No chat, no spending ages "working out" the answer, oh and no prizes until the very end where you got a broken pot

phenomenon

grumpytrousers wrote: »

see, the thing about needing good prizes is a myth.

This is true. I was only having a laugh with my previous post. The weakest link was a good example of this. Rarely was the prize fund above £3000 and even then the winner was obliged to donate it to a chosen charity. Everyone else left humiliated with nothing, no prizes for second best!

Yet it was a hugely popular and entertaining quiz show. Mainly due to its charismatic presenter, love her or hate her, the cold callous Anne Robinson. Viewers would tune in to watch her crush the contestants with quick witted replies.

I think this is why the Irish Who wants...millionaire flopped. Although he was legendary as a chat show host, Gay byrne was useless presenting the quiz format. He usually gave away the answer with unconcious signals when reading out the question (dunno if any of you noticed this) and I found myself switching back over to ITV to watch Chris Tarrant's version within a week.

EKRIUQ

Eamon Dunphy doing TV 3's weakest link, absolute rubbish even though they stuck to the exact same format as the BBC so I guess the success of that show was down to Anne Robinison

lostexpectation

what was the word association one that used to be on at 7?

mental07

Mr.Nice Guy wrote: »

I remember a good few years ago there was a quiz show on around 6:30 on RTE 1 but obviously it's been put out to pasture.

Was that the one presented by Jonathan Philbin Bowman? Can't remember the name of it, but seem to remember liking it.

Blackboard Jungle and Challenging Times should be brought back!

Liam Byrne

lostexpectation wrote: »

what was the word association one that used to be on at 7?

"Talkabout", maybe ?

dulpit

Thinking about this some more, any quiz show would be good on the Irish channels as long as they don't go with some gimicky show... Just questions and answers... (Which probably rules TV3 out)

Although RTE would probably go down the route of some prime time type quiz that they make a big fuss over and run for only a limited time, where we would all be better served with a daily show much like Weakest Link or something...


Someone should start a campaign.

LordSutch

phenomenon wrote: »

The Irish version of "who wants to be a millionaire" was an epic fail.

But Why was the Irish version an Epic failure? Even in India 'Millionaire' is a Massive hit, as you will discover if you go and see 'Slumdog Millionaire' )

Bondvillain

Camelot wrote: »

But Why was the Irish version an Epic failure?

Because they took the audience for fools.

1. They assumed that the Irish people would be happy watching Gay Byrne present any auld shíte. They weren't. Byrne may well have had a brilliantly incisive journalist's mind, but he was not born to present quizzes.
2. The show was broadcast over the Euro changover time period and the prize fund shrank.
Pre 2001, the top prize was one million Irish pounds. Post 2001, the Top prize was one million Euro, and all lesser prizes were similarly exactly transposed.
However, this tight-arsedness was not reflected in the charges to become a contestant on the programme. Pre 2001 the phone calls cost £1.00, post changeover, they had risen (illegally) to €1.30, which was higher than the established conversion rate of €1.27.
3. The questions were erratically positioned. An endemol source expressed concern at the Irish question ladder, opinion that some of our €500 questions would be €4000 questions elsewhere in the world.
4. The questions were poorly researched - The Lunula question practically ended the shows Irish run. A contestant was asked the question: "Where in the body is the lunula located - the heart, fingernail, eye or ear?"
After phoning a friend, he chose "the heart". But quiz master Gay Byrne told him that the lunula is found in the fingernail.
It was later revealed that lunula appears in a number of medical books (including the revered Gould's medical dictionary) in reference to the heart.
5. It lost it's sponsor due to the question debacle, and viewer dissatisfaction with the programme.
6. It was a bit shíte.

Liam Byrne

Irish people, in general, have a weird approach to "researching" questions.....take a typical table quiz or radio quiz (including Ray D'Arcy's "Odd One Out" Quiz) and you'll get stuff like:

"What do Roy Keane & Denis Irwin have in common ?"

You could pick from about 10 answers to that, including:
1. They both played for Manchester United
2. They both played for Ireland
3. They're both footballers
4. They're both from Cork
5. They're both in their 30s
6. They're both male!

Is it any wonder we don't have decent quizzes ?

Mind you, I watched "8 out of 10 cats" last night and I have to hand it to "The Panel".....what I saw last night was trying really hard to be funny, and failing badly!

Funny, really......no decent comedies, no decent quiz shows, and no decent satire; but if we combine the 3 formats we get something half-decent.

Was just wondering, based on this thread - is there ANY quiz show on Irish TV ?

Carrigman

Wasn't that apotheosis of excresence - Colm and Dim-Jim's "Home Run" - supposed to be a quiz show? Admittedly, I only saw about 10 minutes of it before I had to run screaming from the house at the sheer horror of it all but I seem to remember some unfortunate punters being asked questions. A quiz show then?

Personally, I'd give anything to see Bunny Carr (is he still alive?) present another "Quicksilver" from the Cork Opera House. The original show back in the sixties has achieved mythic status down here in the South. None of the contestants won anything.(Sample question: "What is a male bee called?" Answer: "A Wazzy"). Stop the lights!

grumpytrousers

But that's sorta my point, Carrigman. I vaguely remember Quicksilver and you'd have questions for 'Fifty pee'. You put on a well researched quiz, it doesn't have to be all flashing lights, viewers texting in and Kathryn Thomas/Lucy Kennedy presenting it. It doesn't have to be 'yoof' aimed; adults, in the ABC1 marketing bracket, with brain cells and disposable income will watch quizzes as well. Get a good ruddy sponsor and RTE are home and dry - the only money they have to really spend is on a set of questions that aren't a load of pish...

Liam Byrne

Carrigman wrote: »

Wasn't that apotheosis of excresence - Colm and Dim-Jim's "Home Run" - supposed to be a quiz show? Admittedly, I only saw about 10 minutes of it before I had to run screaming from the house at the sheer horror of it all but I seem to remember some unfortunate punters being asked questions. A quiz show then?

Personally, I'd give anything to see Bunny Carr (is he still alive?) present another "Quicksilver" from the Cork Opera House. The original show back in the sixties has achieved mythic status down here in the South. None of the contestants won anything.(Sample question: "What is a male bee called?" Answer: "A Wazzy"). Stop the lights!

Actually, Carrigman has hit on something there; with all the way current "lingo" picks up on "deal or no deal" and "you are the weakest link - goodbye" is seen as a modern phenomenon, Quicksilver managed to spawn a catchphrase that was used for YEARS.

"STOP THE LIGHTS" was used as an expression of surprise by a whole generation!

Can't imagine ANY current RTE show invoking that level of interest.