Eight game shows that should make a comeback: from Blind Date to Supermarket Sweep

The Crystal Maze is back - here are other classic game shows that should live again
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Joni Blyth31 August 2016

The revivals are coming in thick and fast this year, with fan favourites from every decade returning to our screens.

While some of this year’s BBC comedy revivals haven’t struck a chord with new audiences, recent announcements of Crystal Maze and Blankety Blank specials have got fans excited.

On the whole the game show seems to have fallen out of fashion, faltering against reality juggernauts and snarky quiz shows.

Despite this, the buzz around these reboots suggests that many viewers are ready to delve back into the ‘80s and ‘90s and relieve the glory days of the British game show – and we know exactly what they should bring back next.

From the wonderful to the ridiculous, here are the seven shows that we think deserve another chance in the spotlight.

Blind Date

Dating game shows have survived into the 00s in the form of Take Me Out, but everything about Blind Date – the sets, the clothes, the holidays – harks back to a simpler age.

Legend: Who could fill the shoes of the great Cilla Black?
ITV/Rex

Before the love lift, Fernandos, and Paddy McGuinness, there was Scouse legend Cilla Black, ‘our Graham’, and a gloriously simple no-frills format. Would it work without Cilla? Who knows – just don’t let Keith Lemon near it.

Get Your Own Back

Messy Masterpiece: More shows should involve a hefty helping of gunge (BBC)

If you had beef to settle in the Nineties, there was one way to do it – get Dave Benson Phillips on the case.

With the prospect of humiliating your nearest and dearest, this CBBC favourite deserved a wider audience – and frankly, there’s not enough gunge on TV nowadays.

Big Break

Foul Ball: Jim Davidson has regularly come under fire for offensive remarks (BBC)

Everyone was a winner on this snooker-based ‘90s hit, as contestants teamed up with pros to answer riddles and tackle trick shots.

While controversial comedian Jim Davidson could easily be replaced with a friendlier face, bringing snooker legend John Virgo back to deliver his deadpan catchphrase “Pot as many balls as you can,” is a must.

The Price is Right

Make or Break: Contestants spin the wheel in the Showcase Showdown 
ITV/Rex

This ITV classic has been hosted by every legend imaginable, from Leslie Crowther’s original run to Brucey’s definitive version 10 years later.

While the iconic price-guessing game show has changed over the years, this makes it a great choice to receive a 21st century update.

Maybe it’s time for the British public to ‘Come on Down!’ once more.

Scrapheap Challenge

Comfy commentators: Robert Llewellyn and Cathy Rogers watch from the scrapheap throne 
Channel 4

After the BBC’s successful Robot Wars revival this year, there’s never been a better time to head back to the scrapheap.

Robert Llewellyn might be busy championing electric cars, but I’m sure he could take some time out to resurrect this Channel 4 classic.

Who knows, maybe they could give a new series an environmental slant – although solar-powered gadgets might not appeal to petrol head fans of the original run.

Supermarket Sweep

Trollies at the ready: Dale and his tan ready to hit the aisles 
ITV/Rex

Online shopping might be taking over, but fear not – we’ve got a perfect use for those closing supermarkets.

Host Dale Winton already brought the show back for a revival in 2007, but we can’t go another decade without another chance to go wild in the aisles.

The Interceptor

Helping Hand: Annabel Croft guides contestants to safety from the Interceptor (ITV/Rex)

If you’ve ever watched Hunted and thought that it would be a lot more interesting with the Terminator on the case, look no further than this slice of ‘80s magic.

The only thing scarier than fleeing a team of spies across the country is fleeing an angry Scot wearing a leather duster and making demented bird noises - all while he ‘zaps’ at you with his wrist-mounted laser cannon.

With just a few minor tweaks the Interceptor could be back on the prowl this century, perhaps sporting updated weaponry like a Glaswegian Iron Man.

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