Original title
Blankety Blank
Released
1/18/1979
Origin country
GB
Genre
Comedy, Family
Status
Ended
Number of seasons
17
Number of episodes
286
Blankety Blank is a British comedy game show based on the 1977–1979 Australian game show Blankety Blanks. The British version ran from 18 January 1979 to 12 March 1990 on BBC One, hosted first by Terry Wogan and later by Les Dawson. Regular members of the celebrity panel on this version included Kenny Everett, Lorraine Chase, Gareth Hunt, Gary Davies, and Cheryl Baker. A revival fronted by Lily Savage was produced by the BBC from 26 December 1997 to 28 December 1999, followed by ITV from 7 January 2001 to 10 August 2002. This version was produced by Grundy, then Thames.
Weekday series in which Terry Wogan recalls memorable episodes of the celebrity panel gameshow.
Terry Wogan recalls more memorable episodes of the celebrity panel gameshow.
Terry Wogan introduces a classic edition of the word game.
Terry Wogan introduces a classic edition of the word game.
Terry Wogan introduces a classic edition of the word game.
Terry Wogan recalls another episode of the celebrity word game.
Terry Wogan introduces another edition of the comedy panel game.
Terry Wogan recalls another episode of the celebrity word game.
Terry Wogan recalls moments from the celebrity panel gameshow.
Terry Wogan recalls another episode of the celebrity word game.
Terry Wogan recalls another episode of the celebrity word game.
George Baker, Lennie Bennett, Lorraine Chase, Judy Cornwell, Wendy Craig, Bill Tidy.
Wendy Craig, Shirley Anne Field, David Hamilton, Karen Kay, Ron Moody, Patrick Moore.
Jack Douglas, Beryl Reid, Ian Wallace, Diane Keen, Michael Parkinson, Lorraine Chase.
Shirley Anne Field, Brian Murphy, Jon Pertwee, Beryl Reid, Isla St. Clair, Bill Tidy.
Michael Barrymore, Liza Goddard, Peter Jones, Kate O'Mara, Margaret Powell, Bernie Winters.
Lorraine Chase, Paul Daniels, Anna Dawson, Derek Griffiths, Patrick Moore, Peggy Mount.
Faith Brown, Judy Cornwell, Windsor Davies, Peter Jones, Bobby Knutt, June Whitfield.
Janet Brown, Wendy Craig, David Jason, Alfred Marks, Ted Moult, Isla St. Clair.
Marti Caine, Karen Kay, Diane Keen, Alfred Marks, Jerry Stevens, Bill Tidy.
Anna Dawson, Shirley Anne Field, Roy Hudd, Nicholas Parsons, Beryl Reid, Eddie Waring.
Faith Brown, Lorraine Chase, David Jason, Humphrey Lyttelton, Johnny More, Kate O'Mara.
Alexandra Bastedo, Peter Bull, Paul Daniels, Mollie Sugden, Bill Tidy, Dilys Watling.
With guest stars Lennie Bennett, Liza Goddard, Nerys Hughes, Peter Jones, Una McLean, Patrick Moore.
Keith Harris, Karen Kay, Diane Langton, Pete Murray, Isla St. Clair, Jerry Stevens.
Lorraine Chase, Val Doonican, David Hamilton, Dickie Henderson, Karen Kay, Elaine Stritch.
David Copperfield, Paul Daniels, Stacy Dorning, Jack Douglas, Beryl Reid, Wanda Ventham.
Kenny Everett, David Hamilton, Sally James, Derek Nimmo, Wendy Richard, June Whitfleld.
Barry Cryer, Noele Gordon, Larry Grayson, Roz Hanby, Anita Harris, Alfred Marks.
Janet Ellis, Roy Hudd, Karen Kay, Matthew Kelly, Ted Rogers, Lizzie Webb.
Geoff Capes, Lynsey de Paul, Jan Leeming, Don MacLean, Spike Milligan, Claire Rayner.
Sandra Dickinson, Stu Francis, Cherry Gillespie, Paul Shane, Frank Thornton, Lizzie Webb.
Janet Brown, Roy Kinnear, Joanna Monro, Linda Nolan, Duncan Norvelle, Jon Pertwee.
Lorraine Chase, Suzanne Danielle, Ken Dodd, Russell Harty, Ruth Madoc, Derek Nimmo.
Les is thrown when two contestants are identical twins, yet soldiers on with what he calls a "garbage" show. Meanwhile, will Des Lynam ever forgive Les for getting his name wrong?
"Don't compound the felony!" Les tells contestant Brian Black after he tries to explain one particularly bad answer. With Les complaining that he's an "idiot" who has brought "boredom" to the show, will the other contestants fare better?
A high-scoring game, but with prizes that no one wants to win, and a panel of celebrities that Les calls "a theatrical knacker's yard".
An edition where the prizes are so bad, Les threatens to get security to make sure the winning contestants take them home.
The final appearances on Blankety Blank of Nicholas Lyndhurst, Sheila Ferguson and Willie Rushton, in a show where Les claims the panel are only taking part because they couldn't get jobs in pantomime.
Les is in a buoyant mood, with plenty of laughter among the panel. However, in real life things were quite different - the day before broadcast, Les had been taken into hospital.
Les presents a Welsh-themed episode for the upcoming St. David's Day. New to the panel are weather forecasters Ian McCaskill and Wincey Willis, while making his sole appearance is fellow Mancunian comedian Bernard Manning.
"You know," says Les, "you stand here some days - you think 'was it worth getting up?'" Making their debut on the panel are Fred Feast, Lesley Judd and comedian Dave Wolfe, a subject of Les's derision.
Chris Tarrant wants to give Les a kiss, while Frank Carson is finally allowed back on the show after his panel-aggravating turn in series five.
Featuring Nicholas Parsons, Michael Barrymore, and Rolf Harris.
Les has problems with contestants interrupting his jokes, Duncan Norvelle making advances towards him, and Bella Emberg threatening violence. However, Les reveals he thinks the studio audience is a nice crowd: "They're still awake."
Richard Gibson, Francesca Gonshaw, Gorden Kaye, Vicki Michelle, Carmen Silvera, Guy Siner
Joe Brown, Charlie Daze, Nerys Hughes, Victor Kiam, Ellie Laine, Angela Rippon.
Karen Kay, Ian Krankie, Janette Krankie, Bill Owen, Anna Raeburn, Alvin Stardust.
Stan Boardman, Jean Boht, John Craven, Peter Goodwright, Aimi MacDonald, Jane Marie Osborne.
Gavin Campbell, Julian Clary, Polly James, Danny La Rue, Rose-Marie, Jane Marie Osborne.
Blankety Blank returns to the BBC for a Christmas Special, hosted by the fictional creation of sharp-tongued Lily Savage (Paul O'Grady). Joining Lily are six celebrities new to the series, including Liz Dawn, Gareth Hale and Gwen Taylor.
Lily Savage returns with Blankety Blank after a 17-month absence from the screen - yet this time, it's with ITV. Lily welcomes five celebrities new to the quiz to usher in the change, with only Keith Duffy having appeared before.
Lily welcomes four celebrities brand new to the panel: Jayne Middlemiss, Billy Murray, Steve Penk and Stuart Miles. Among the contestants is Tom Roberts, a man who took part in the D-Day landings.
It seems as if Lily's finally starting to get the show's "gentle innuendo" format, noting that questions give the temptation to say "something rude". However, it's not long before she's telling the teatime audience of her inauspicious past
Lily deals with one contestant who lives in cemeteries, and another who got married in secret without letting her family know. Meanwhile, Sherrie Hewson decides she doesn't understand the programme, and declares she shouldn't be on it.
Lily introduces another edition of the quiz show, in which contestants include a jelly wrestler, and a girl who can fit her entire fist in her mouth.
Lily offers a star prize of a week's holiday in Sri Lanka, but can celebrity panellists including Leslie Grantham and Adele Silva help the contestants to win it?
Lily is in a particularly jaded mood as a game threatens to "take all night", and many of the quiz elements are revealed as ones she hates.
Dermot O'Leary makes his sole Blankety Blank appearance on a show full of pretend people: there's the stylised comic persona of Harry Hill, fictitious glamour model Gayle Tuesday, and, of course, the show is presented by Lily herself.
Kevin Woodford and Nadia Sawalha make their second appearances as panellists on the show, and are joined by four guests new to the programme - including Nadia's sister, Julia.
Chaos reigns when Liz Dawn and Donald Sinden can't understand the questions, and Bradley Walsh becomes obsessed with Lily's short skirt.
Lily introduces more contestants and celebrity panellists to the quiz, including the sole appearances of Troy Titus-Adams and David Easter.
Sherrie Hewson is having a nightmare with her answers, while Lily admits she's "not in the mood". However, elderly contestant George is on hand to make Lily laugh against her will.
Contestant Chris Keeble is in luck when he reveals one of his ambitions is to meet Gail Porter - Gail makes her sole appearance on the panel this week. Also making his only guest spot on the show is Sid Owen.
Giggly contestants and an emboldened panel help provide the fun in this edition of the show.
Junior Simpson, Kerry Katona, George Layton and Debra Stephenson all make their sole appearances on the panel. Louise Jameson, who had appeared twice in the Les Dawson era, also makes her only guest spot on Lily's version.
Lily has laughs with some lively contestants, including a girl who claims to be a relative of Mary Tyler Moore, and the elderly Nat Shine, who brings his own sense of fun to the show.
Making their sole appearances on the panel this episode are Fiona Dolman, Jane Cox and Derek Fowlds.
"Let's get this over with, we're not here to enjoy ourselves." So says Lily, introducing another edition of Blankety Blank, with a star prize of a trip to St. Lucia.
The penultimate episode of the series sees old hands in Roy Barraclough and June Whitfield joined by newcomers Sarah Cawood and Ed Bryne.
Lily sees out the series with some unruly contestants and the sole appearances of Michael Starke and Natasha Hamilton.
With falling ratings and the last episodes shelved by ITV, the series went off the air for over a decade. The unaired final episodes eventually premiered on the Freeview channel Challenge in August 2005, while the show itself received a reboot in 2021 with Bradley Walsh.
Lily wears a football-themed outfit to start off the new series and welcome another Savage to the show - Leicester City midfielder Robbie.
Melanie Kilburn makes her debut on the panel, while Tina Hobley and Oz Clarke make their sole appearances.
"I can't bear that kind of thing" says Lily, after being told one of the contestants used to work with drag queens. Neil Fox and Coleen Nolan make their only appearance, but are joined by some of Lily's regulars, including John Leslie.
An all-new panel line-up this week, as Naomi Ryan and H make their debuts, while making their sole appearances are Marc Crumpton, Helen Fraser, Lowri Turner and Gareth Hunt.
The debut of Kevin Kennedy and Patsy Palmer on the show, and Amanda Barrie returns as a panellist for the first time since 1979.
Sean Wilson makes the first of two appearances on the show, while Mickey Poppins puts in his sole showing as a panellist. Also making her only appearance is Mary Unfaithful from "Lily live".
Shobna Gulati, Gary Turner and Anna Ryder Richardson make their sole appearances on the panel.
"Right, well I'm off," claims Lily, "it's gonna be one of these nights, I'm sorry." Unfortunately for Lily, the show's only just started. Among the panellists are Tim Vincent, H and Naomi Russell.
Tris Payne takes a break from "Real Rooms" to put in his single appearance on the show. Seated around him are some familiar faces on the panel, including a favourite of Lily's: Sherie Hewson.
Four newcomers put in their only appearances on the panel: Simon Rouse, Elizabeth Estensen, Sue Cleaver and Natalie Casey.
The only appearances for Ross Burden, Charlie Dimmock and Lisa Riley. Joining them is Leslie Grantham, who has been on the show since the days of Les Dawson, and June Whitfield, who has been with the show right from its very first series.
Lily and panellist Fiona Phillips are joined by five celebrities new to the series: Robin Cousins, Raji James, Meg Johnson, Lesley Joseph and Greg Proops.
"The atmosphere in here tonight, can you feel it?" asks Lily, "It's like a public hanging." On the panel for the first and only time is Michael Garner, joined by regulars Carol Smillie and Judith Chalmers.
Alexandra Fletcher, Joe Mace and Jennie Bond appear on the panel for a single time, sat with one of the show's longest-serving regulars: June Whitfield, who has appeared with all three main hosts of the programme.
This week sees four celebrities make their sole guest turns on the panel: Heather Peace, Kate Garraway, Chris Bisson and Nell McAndrew.
Philip Middlemiss and Ben Shephard make their sole appearances on the panel, while joining them are Dale Winton, June Sarpong, Gloria Hunniford and Sue Jenkins.
Guest panellist Kevin Woodford has lost his voice, but it's not a problem for a contestant's boyfriend sat in the audience - he's prepared to do horse impressions to liven up the show.
The sole appearances on the panel of Emily Symons, Nick Pickard, Jane Gurnett and Christopher Price.
Panellists making their only appearance on this edition are Antony Audenshaw, David Dickinson and Denise Robertson.
The final episode of the Lily Savage era, which included appearances from Will Mellor, Claire Sweeney, and John Craven.
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