''Copycats'' is a

children's A child () is a human being between the stages of birth and puberty, or between the developmental period of infancy and puberty. The term may also refer to an unborn human being. In English-speaking countries, the legal definition of ''child ...

game show A game show (or gameshow) is a genre of broadcast viewing entertainment where contestants compete in a game for rewards. The shows are typically directed by a game show host, host, who explains the rules of the program as well as commentating a ...

which aired on

CBBC CBBC is a British free-to-air Public service broadcasting in the United Kingdom, public broadcast children's television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is also the brand used for all BBC content for children aged 6 to 12. Its sister c ...

and was presented by double act Sam & Mark (

Sam Nixon Samuel Nixon (born 21 March 1986) is an English singer and television presenter. He came third on the '' Pop Idol'' television series in 2003 and is now one half of the duo Sam & Mark, with the other being fellow ''Pop Idol'' contestant Mar ...

and Mark Rhodes). It involved two teams of friends and family, each of six contestants, battling against each other in a series of games. Each episode consists of a number of rounds. Three of the rounds were based on

chinese whispers Telephone (American English and Canadian English), or Chinese whispers (some Commonwealth English), is an internationally popular children's game in which messages are whispered from person to person and then the original and final messages are ...

. These alternate with physical challenges, which varied from episode to episode. On 17 January 2016, Sam & Mark announced on their

Twitter Twitter, officially known as X since 2023, is an American microblogging and social networking service. It is one of the world's largest social media platforms and one of the most-visited websites. Users can share short text messages, image ...

that ''Copycats'' would return after a three-year absence. The new series was filmed in March. The new series of "Copycats" had a brand new look with new opening titles, new logo, new games and new set. A christmas special aired on 13 December 2016. In 2017, it was announced that the show had been cancelled. Repeats of the final series continued until 2018.

Games

Chinese whispers-style rounds

These rounds form the general theme of ''Copycats''. Each team plays in turn. The members of the team are each placed in cubicles separated by sliding doors. Each team member has just 10 seconds to copy the words on the card. The rounds of this form are: ; Mime Time : An action, conveyed by miming. Examples are, "Flipping a pancake" or "Clipping Your Toenails". ; Quick on the Draw : An object, drawn rapidly on a whiteboard. ; Music Round : A musical piece, conveyed by performing it on a

kazoo The kazoo is a musical instrument that adds a ''buzzing'' timbral quality to a player's voice when the player vocalizes into it. It is a type of '' mirliton'' (itself a membranophone), one of a class of instruments that modify the player's v ...

, or by mouthing the words clearly to the next team member. In each case, the entity to be identified is given to the first member of the team, who must communicate it to the second by the given means, who must in turn communicate it to the third, and so on. The last, sixth member is then asked what was being mimed, drawn or played. If this player correctly identifies the action, object or tune that was originally supplied, the team scores 50 points. Otherwise, the remaining players are asked in turn, with the available score decreasing by 10 for each player who fails to answer correctly. The winner of Mime Time (or if the game is a draw, the winner of a

rock-paper-scissors Rock, Paper, Scissors (also known by several other names and word orders) is an intransitive hand game, usually played between two people, in which each player simultaneously forms one of three shapes with an outstretched hand. These shapes a ...

game) will then play the first physical challenge, with the other team playing after Quick on the Draw.

Physical challenges

Transmissions

Series

Special

References

External links

* * * {{UKGameshow, Copycats 2009 British television series debuts 2016 British television series endings 2000s British children's television series 2010s British children's television series 2000s British game shows 2010s British game shows CBBC original programming BBC children's television shows BBC television game shows British children's game shows British television series revived after cancellation British English-language television shows Television series by BBC Studios