Play Your Cards Right
|
|
Play Your Cards Right was a British television game show based on the American show known as Card Sharks. The gameplay was basically the same.
Broadcast History
Play Your Cards Right aired on ITV in the 1980s, produced by London Weekend Television. The host was Bruce Forsyth. A more modern version aired from the mid to late 1990s (from 1995 onward), and Forsyth still hosted. In 2002 he hosted another revival, with slightly modified rules.
Differences from Card Sharks
Note: These differences draw from the 1995 revival.
Play Your Cards Right had its share of similarities and differences to its American counterpart. Instead of two single players competing, two married couples would compete. The winner of the first round would get a prize known as the "Brucie Bonus," named after Forsyth. In the Cash Cards, the couple were given £200 with which to begin, and answering a question correctly would earn the couple another £50. Only at start, after three cards, and on the final card could the couple change the card. After the first row of three cards, the couple are given 200 more pounds. The final card was optional, and taking the chance meant a double-or-nothing wager. If the couple had at least £4000, this wager would be for the money they'd already amassed, as well as a new car.
It is said that Bruce Forsyth has a lot of energy as a host. Among his other quips, he would, at the beginning of some shows, say, "What a lovely audience! You're so much better than last week." The joke was that the audience had already seen the recording of the programme that was to be transmitted the week before the one that was just starting.
External links
- UK Gameshows Page: Play Your Cards Right (http://www.ukgameshows.com/index.php/Play_Your_Cards_Right)
- Game Show Galaxy (USA): Play Your Cards Right (http://www.gameshow-galaxy.net/britsharks.htm)