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''Play Your Cards Right'' (or ''Bruce Forsyth's Play Your Cards Right'') is a
British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...
television Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of television transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertisin ...
game show A game show is a genre of broadcast viewing entertainment (radio, television, internet, stage or other) where contestants compete for a reward. These programs can either be participatory or Let's Play, demonstrative and are typically directed b ...
based on, and played similarly to, the American show ''
Card Sharks ''Card Sharks'' is an American television game show. It was created by Chester Feldman for Mark Goodson-Bill Todman Productions. The game features two contestants who attempt to predict the outcome of survey questions to gain control of a row o ...
''.


History

''Play Your Cards Right'' broadcast on
ITV ITV or iTV may refer to: ITV *Independent Television (ITV), a British television network, consisting of: ** ITV (TV network), a free-to-air national commercial television network covering the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man, and the Channel Islan ...
from 1 February 1980 to 22 November 1987, produced by
LWT London Weekend Television (LWT) (now part of the non-franchised ITV London region) was the ITV network franchise holder for Greater London and the Home Counties at weekends, broadcasting from Fridays at 5.15 pm (7:00 pm from 1968 un ...
, and hosted by
Bruce Forsyth Sir Bruce Joseph Forsyth-Johnson (22 February 1928 – 18 August 2017) was a British entertainer and presenter whose career spanned more than 70 years. Forsyth came to national attention from the late 1950s through the ITV series ''Sunday Night ...
. LWT produced a more modern version from 18 March 1994 to 4 June 1999, initially expected to be presented by
Brian Conley Brian Paul Conley (born 7 August 1961) is an English actor, comedian, singer and television presenter. Conley has been the host of ''The Brian Conley Show'', as well as presenting the Royal Variety Performance on eight occasions. In his 40-ye ...
, who filmed a pilot show before Forsyth was lured back after he unexpectedly quit
The Generation Game ''The Generation Game'' is a British game show produced by the BBC in which four teams of two people from the same family, but different generations, compete to win prizes. The game There are eight competitors, hence the catchphrase "Let's m ...
. In 2002, Forsyth hosted another revival, with slightly modified rules. This version was produced by
Thames Television Thames Television, commonly simplified to just Thames, was a Broadcast license, franchise holder for a region of the British ITV (TV network), ITV television network serving Greater London, London and surrounding areas from 30 July 1968 until th ...
and ended on 20 June 2003. Forsyth also presented a parody of the format, ''Play Your Iraqi Cards Right'' (originally titled ''Play Your Kurds Right''), when he was guest host on the satirical
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
TV series '' Have I Got News for You'' in June 2003. On 15 October 2005, it made a one-off return as part of ''
Ant & Dec's Gameshow Marathon ''Gameshow Marathon'' is a British game show, broadcast on ITV from 17 September 2005 to 26 May 2007. After a quick retrospective look at the history of the particular show, the show itself is recreated. This involves recreating the original s ...
'', celebrating 50 years of ITV. It made another one-off return in 2007 again part of ''Gameshow Marathon.'' An interactive
DVD game An interactive film is a video game or other interactive media that has characteristics of a cinematic film. In the video game industry, the term refers to a movie game, a video game that presents its gameplay in a cinematic, scripted manner, ...
of ''Play Your Cards Right'' was released in 2007, with an updated sequel released in 2008, both produced by DVDPro.


Format


Main game

Two couples (two single players during the first series) alternated who went first on each question. The questions were based on surveys of 100 people. The first couple would guess how many of the 100 gave a certain answer to the question, and the second would guess whether the actual number was higher or lower than the other couple's guess. (If the first couple guessed exactly the number of people, they would win a case of
champagne Champagne (, ) is a sparkling wine originated and produced in the Champagne wine region of France under the rules of the appellation, that demand specific vineyard practices, sourcing of grapes exclusively from designated places within it, spe ...
, as opposed to a cash bonus depending on type of question on the US versions ($100 for 10-person surveys with another $100 split among the panel, $500 for 100-person surveys or general knowledge questions.) Whoever was correct gained control of the cards. Unlike the US version, the questions usually had some comedy value (for example: The question would be, "We asked 100
tattoo A tattoo is a form of body modification made by inserting tattoo ink, dyes, and/or pigments, either indelible or temporary, into the dermis layer of the skin to form a design. Tattoo artists create these designs using several Process of tatt ...
-artists – if somebody came in asking for a
tattoo A tattoo is a form of body modification made by inserting tattoo ink, dyes, and/or pigments, either indelible or temporary, into the dermis layer of the skin to form a design. Tattoo artists create these designs using several Process of tatt ...
of Bruce Forsyth, would you try to talk them out of it?"). The first couple would joke around with Bruce, and then decide on a sum of, say, 64. The second couple would say "higher" (and Bruce would pretend to be offended). If the answer was, say, 26, the second couple were wrong in guessing "higher", so the first couple started with the cards. There were five cards for each team laid out, and they had to guess if the next card was higher or lower —
ace An ace is a playing card, die or domino with a single pip. In the standard French deck, an ace has a single suit symbol (a heart, diamond, spade, or club) located in the middle of the card, sometimes large and decorated, especially in the c ...
being the highest card, and two being lowest. The first card could be changed if the couple wished. If the guess was correct, the couple would continue with the next card, and so on. Correctly guessing all cards to the end won the game, but if the couple guessed wrong at any time or if they got a pair of cards, they would retreat back to the card where they started and the other team would have a free attempt at their own cards. (In this case, the couple could not change their first card.) After any correct guess, a couple could "freeze", which would protect their cards. A marker would be placed by a dealer beside the frozen card, which meant that on the next question, a wrong guess on their cards would put them back no further than where they froze. This was usually done when the card shown was of a middle rank, such as a seven, eight or nine. After a couple froze their cards, play would continue to the next question. Should the couple regain control of the board on a correct question, they will be allowed to change the frozen card (due to it now being the card the couple would start on.). If the next card was the same rank as the card showing, it counted as a wrong guess; indeed, this is the only way to be wrong when an ace or deuce appeared. "You don't get anything for a pair, not in this game" was Forsyth's catch phrase on such occasions. If no team had managed to predict the last card correctly within the first three questions sudden death was played. The couple who gained control of the cards (either through their own correct prediction or the other couple's incorrect prediction) had to make a decision, either to "Play" and correctly predict the remainder of their cards to win, or "Pass" and force their opponents to achieve the feat. An incorrect prediction now caused their opposition to win the round. In series 1, each game awarded £50 to the winner. By 1985, the winner of each of the two games in the first half would get a prize known as a "Brucie Bonus". The overall winner was the first couple to win two games. If a third game was required, three cards were played by each couple instead of five, with sudden death occurring on the third question instead of fourth. Also around the time a gift of a bottle of champagne was given to a couple in the rare instances where they correctly guessed the exact answer of a question. ;Prize cards The winning couple got 200 points to begin with. Bruce would then ask a question, if they got it right, they'd win an extra 50 points, if they got it wrong, they lost 50 points. There were two rows of three cards dealt out (going from left to right, and upward), and one final card at the top. At the start of each row, they could change their card. At the start of the second row, they got an extra 200 points. The rules are the same as in the previous game, but they had to bet on each turn of the card with a minimum bet of 50 points, or up to the number of points they have at that time. When they got to the final card, the couple's score determined the prize they played for. If they had 4,000 or more, they could play for the car (which was a separate game on the US version). They were asked a simple question (usually to name 5 of something – no-one ever got this wrong), and then predicted higher or lower for the final card. If they were right, they would win the car. If not, they won a prize based on their score. A score of less than 4,000 points after finishing the second row required a bet of at least half of the points. In the 90's version, points became pounds, but the rules remained the same. Also, on the final card, if they had £4,000 or more, and they were wrong, they would just have the money. What was emphasized was that their money was safe. If the couple got to the final card with under £4,000, they could choose to take the money, or gamble all of it on the last card – with Bruce emphasising thus: "The rules are strict here – it is all or nothing" (unlike all US versions which required players to bet one-half or more of their winnings on the final card, allowing players to bet the minimum one-half if they were not confident because of a middle card; the 2019 US version added the option of taking the money before the final card from this version, regardless of the amount won, with the one-half minimum bet still in effect if they went on). The maximum amount of money that could be won was £17,600, which was never achieved. (The highest win was £9,500)


2002 version

The rules of the 2002 revival were partly based on the changes made in the 2001 revival of ''Card Sharks'' in the
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
. All 13 cards from the suit of hearts from the 'Two' to the 'Ace' were put out face down. Four couples would then come on, and the two couples with the two highest cards would go through to the main game (the couple who picked the highest card was red team.). This was just an opening game. After this, Bruce's gag was to say "Well done you winners, and so sorry losers, we really are sorry to lose you so early in the show...tough." – followed by audience laughter. The rules of the main game were exactly the same as in the original version, except the "Brucie Bonus" was £1,000. If one couple won both the games, the losing couple would be sent home with a case of champagne before the break, otherwise, the losing couple would get to keep the £1,000 for winning their one-game (there was no money awarded for the tie-breaker). In the Cash Cards, Bruce would first ask the winning couple a ridiculously hard, trivial or stupid question. They often pondered for a few seconds over this, then Bruce said "Aren't you glad you don't have to answer a question like that?", to which the audience would laugh – except that on at least two occasions, the contestants correctly answered the question, shocking Bruce, who accused the contestants – though in a humorous manner – of "ruining the show", prompting ''much more'' laughter from the audience. The Cash Cards game was played similar to the United States versions from 1980-81 season and also the entire 1986-89 version's run. The couple was given £1,000 to start with and their minimum bet had to be £100, but they could bet the whole lot if they wanted to. If the couple survived the first three cards, another £500 would be added to the total on the fourth card. On the final card, the couple had to bet at least half the amount they had at that point. If a couple bet on the whole lot the wrong way during the first three cards, that card would be put on the row above and the additional £500 would be added on. If there was a pair revealed in the Cash Cards, "push" rule that had been implemented in the aforementioned US versions was in play, as they moved on to the next card without losing any money. If the last two cards on a row were a pair, the second card would be used as the base card for the row above. The theoretical maximum in the Cash Cards is £136,000.


Personnel

Among Forsyth's 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 same audience was used for more than one show, therefore it was the same one. Bruce started each show with his trademark "It's nice to see you, to see you nice" (whereby the audience join in on the last "nice".). When a pair was revealed, he'd say "You don't get anything for a pair, not in this game.", and the audience would join in with the "not in this game" part. On the 2002 series in particular, he would often start the show with a made-up quote. When ''Card Sharks'' was slated for a revival in 1986, Forsyth himself was considered as possible host by creator/producer
Mark Goodson Mark Leo Goodson (January 14, 1915 – December 18, 1992) was an American television producer who specialized in game shows, most frequently with his business partner Bill Todman, with whom he created Goodson-Todman Productions. Early life and ea ...
(Forsyth, at the time, was in the United States filming the short-lived ''
Bruce Forsyth's Hot Streak ''Bruce Forsyth's Hot Streak'' is an American television game show that aired on ABC from January 6 to April 4, 1986. British television personality Bruce Forsyth hosted the series, the only time he hosted a series outside of his native United ...
''). The job ultimately went to
Bob Eubanks Robert Leland Eubanks (born January 8, 1938) is an American disc jockey, television personality and game show host, best known for hosting the game show ''The Newlywed Game'' on and off since 1966. He also hosted the successful revamp version of ...
and
Bill Rafferty William Rafferty (June 17, 1944 – August 11, 2012) was an American comedian and impressionist who hosted the game shows '' Every Second Counts'' (1984–1985, syndicated), ''Card Sharks'' (1986–87, syndication), and '' Blockbusters'' (1987, N ...
. Card dealers include Jo Thomas, Yvonne Younger, Zena Clifton, Natalie Shaw, Denise "Denni" Kemp, Lesley Anderson, Gillian Elvins, John Melainey, Camilla Blair, Gillian Duxbury, Alison Bell, Carol Dean, Brenda Haldane, Wendy Marler, Robin Martyne, Denni Kemp, Natalie van de Braam, Alison Bell, Carol Dean, Vicki Brattle, Sophie Allisstone, Carly Carter, Debbie Flett, Sharon Amos, Sheryl Deane, Charlie Maloney, Maxine Restall,
Annalise Braakensiek Annalise Braakensiek (9 December 1972 – 6 January 2019) was an Australian model, actress, television presenter, businesswoman and campaign ambassador. Life and career Braakensiek had a successful career as a model, with some acting work, for ...
and
Vicki-Lee Walberg Vicki-Lee Walberg (born 11 October 1975) is a British actress, model and beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Miss United Kingdom 1997 and represented United Kingdom at Miss World 1997 where she placed Top 10. She was born on The Wirral near ...
.


''Gameshow Marathon''

''Play Your Cards Right'' was one of the games on the series '' Gameshow Marathon'' in 2005 and 2007.


Potential revivals

In 2011, a new pilot was made for a planned reboot of ''Play Your Cards Right'' on ITV with
Vernon Kay Vernon Charles Kay (born 28 April 1974) is an English television and radio presenter, and former model. He presented Channel 4's ''T4'' (2000–2005) and has presented various television shows for ITV, including ''All Star Family Fortunes'' (2 ...
as the new host. However, in November 2013, it was later scrapped because it "didn't involve enough skill". In June 2019 it was announced that, as one of the country's five all-time favourite game shows, it would be "supersized and rebooted" in a new series ''
Alan Carr's Epic Gameshow ''Alan Carr's Epic Gameshow'' is a British game show which premiered 30 May 2020 on ITV. Hosted by Alan Carr, the series features reworked and "supersized" versions of past ITV game shows (primarily from the Fremantle Fremantle () () is a p ...
'' filmed at dock10 studios for broadcast on
ITV ITV or iTV may refer to: ITV *Independent Television (ITV), a British television network, consisting of: ** ITV (TV network), a free-to-air national commercial television network covering the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man, and the Channel Islan ...
. Hosted by
Alan Carr Alan Graham Carr (born 14 June 1976) is an English comedian, broadcaster and writer. His breakthrough was in 2001, winning the '' City Life'' Best Newcomer of the Year and the BBC New Comedy Awards. In the ensuing years, Carr's career burgeon ...
, the new episode was a celebrity special and was broadcast on 30 May 2020 as the first episode in the series. Carr had been linked to a possible revival of the show in August 2018. In 2020 presenter Ryan Swain (presenter) revived the gameshow digitally via his
Instagram Instagram is a photo and video sharing social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. The app allows users to upload media that can be edited with filters and organized by hashtags and geographical tagging. Posts can ...
attracting celebrity guests daily; it was to set up to entertain the NHS staff, carers and key workers during the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
.


Transmissions


Series


Christmas Specials


References


External links

* * *{{UKGameshow, Play_Your_Cards_Right 1980 British television series debuts 2003 British television series endings 1980s British game shows 1990s British game shows 2000s British game shows British television series based on American television series English-language television shows ITV game shows London Weekend Television shows Television shows produced by Thames Television Television series by Fremantle (company) Television series by ITV Studios Television series by Mark Goodson-Bill Todman Productions Television series by Reg Grundy Productions British television series revived after cancellation 1980s Australian game shows