6.4 /10 1 Votes
6.2/10 TV Original language(s) English First episode date 12 January 1991 Number of episodes 373 | 6.5/10 IMDb Country of origin United Kingdom No. of series 18 Cast Boris Kryuk Languages English, Russian | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Similar Streetmate, Sexy Beasts, Dinner Date | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Blind date 1999 episode part 1
Blind Date is a British Dating game show produced by London Weekend Television. An unscreened pilot was made with comic Duncan Norvelle as presenter but it was eventually hosted by Cilla Black, who already hosted the LWT series, Surprise Surprise. Blind Date originally ran on Saturday nights from 30 November 1985 to 31 May 2003 on ITV.
Contents
- Blind date 1999 episode part 1
- Nov 1994 lwt blind date gorgeous george count roberto pat jilly
- Format
- Production
- Popularity
- Cancellation
- Revival
- Famous contestants
- Weddings
- Minor controversy
- References
Blind Date returned on 16 October 2013, to celebrate Black's 50-year career in the entertainment industry. This special one-off was part of another programme, The One and Only Cilla Black, presented by Paul O'Grady. Blind Date producers brought back three of the show's most memorable contestants who were still single, giving them a second chance to win a date. However, the couple's date was not shown.
On 7 February 2017, it was reported that Blind Date would return in 2017 on Channel 5. The new series is expected to air on Friday nights and will be produced by So Television and Stellify Media, a firm part-owned by Sony Pictures Television.
Nov 1994 lwt blind date gorgeous george count roberto pat jilly
Format
The show had a format similar to the show known in Australia as Perfect Match or in the US as The Dating Game. Three singles of the same sex were introduced to the audience. They were then asked a question by a single of the opposite sex, who could hear but not see them, to choose with whom to go on a date. Before the decision 'Our Graham' (replaced on the final series by Tommy Sandhu), who was never seen, gave an amusing reminder of each contestant. The couple then picked an envelope naming their destination. The following episode showed the couple on their date, and interviews with them about the date and about each other. Locations ranged from Bognor Regis or a date in an ice cream factory, to Anguilla or the Maldives.
In the final series, the format was tweaked; the "Ditch or Date?" twist was added to the show. Also, a behind-the-scenes companion show, called Blind Date: Kiss & Tell was produced for ITV2 and hosted by Sarah Cawood and Brendan Courtney.
In 2003, the show was broadcast live to try to improve dwindling ratings.
Production
A pilot, as It's a Hoot!, was shot in early 1985 and fronted by comedian Duncan Norvelle. John Birt, LWT's director of programmes, and the IBA regulatory body had reservations about Norvelle's camp style. Black had seen The Dating Game in the US and enthused about it to LWT's Alan Boyd, who produced Surprise, Surprise and who made the Norvelle pilot. After two pilots starring Black, the series was commissioned. Thelma Pickles, an old girlfriend of John Lennon, worked as a producer on the show. The distinctive theme music for Blind Date has a strong resemblance to the jazz standard "Soft Winds" and was composed by Laurie Holloway.
A notable outtake occurred in a later series when Cilla momentarily forgot the name of the announcer.
Popularity
At the height of its popularity in the 1980s, 18.2 million tuned in on a Saturday night. Black's scouse accent and her catchphrases became familiar throughout the United Kingdom. The first episode of Series 17, on 10 November 2001, was reportedly watched at 19:00 GMT by seven million viewers – 32% of the audience. Although, this was around a million fewer than tuned in to its debut episode in the previous series. This was likely to state that its popularity was on the wane.
Viewing figures declined to 5 million by 2003. The final episode in May 2003 was seen by 2.9 million viewers.
Cancellation
The series ended in 2003 when, during an episode on 4 January 2003 (the first to be broadcast live), Black announced she was quitting the show. The production crew had not been told. Production was halted after the series ended; Dale Winton and Paul O'Grady were to be in line for her replacement but the show was later cancelled. ITV had been refused permission to make changes to the format by Columbia, the US company which owned Blind Date at the time.
However, ITV briefly aired a similar replacement show in 2004 hosted by Davina McCall, called Love on a Saturday Night and since 2010, Take Me Out, hosted by Paddy McGuinness which is still airing.
Revival
A planned Irish revival of the format, hosted by Lucy Kennedy on TV3, was dropped by the broadcaster in June 2015.
In February 2017, it was announced that Blind Date would be returning but would now be aired on Channel 5 fourteen years after being cancelled. It is set to air later in 2017 on Friday nights. It is unknown who is set to present the new series, however Graham Norton is hot favourite.
Famous contestants
Blind Date featured celebrities before they became well known. These include:
Weddings
During the show's history, three Blind Date weddings took place and were watched by millions of television viewers. Black was a guest at the weddings.
On 29 December 2001, the episode saw contestant Hannarle Davies from Essex propose to Mark Ackerell from Buckinghamshire; after they fell in love on their date to Vienna, Austria.
Minor controversy
A contestant named Nicola Gill came on the show, claiming she was a temporary secretary, when she was actually a journalist for Cosmopolitan Magazine. When Black found out about this, she exploited the truth on the show, leading Gill to get booed by the audience, and her date to go away in total shock. Her date was later brought back on a different episode and offered a second chance, but as the one choosing from the three girls.