Bullseye (UK game show)

The British Bullseye, with Jim Bowen, was based on pub darts (which had become very widely popular during the 1980s, with Bullseye quick to ride on the waves of that success) and aired on ITV from 1981-95. Contestants answered knowledge questions and threw darts at a special dartboard. A Revival on Challenge TV ran from April-September 2006 with Dave Spikey as host, in the wake of renewed interest after the show was lampooned by Peter Kay in his stand-up routine.

If the UK version of Gladiators was the most popular Game Show of the 1990s, then Bullseye was the most popular of the 1980s. In fact, it was still widely popular up till its demise, sitting proudly alongside the Gladiators when they were at their peak.

It pretty much became an institution in itself; it was infamous for usually offering a speedboat as the grand prize, which would be useful down Wolverhampton.


 * Affectionate Parody: In 1983, the show produced a "Christmas tape" featuring a foul-mouthed Bowen...for starters.
 * All or Nothing: The final game. Contestants could gamble the prizes they'd won for a go at the Star Prize (if they were the first couple to be given the choice), or the winnings from the first two rounds (if they were the second or third). In later series, the first couple had to gamble any money won as well.
 * The Announcer: Tony Green, who doubled as the Scorer.
 * Bonus Round: The players alternated throws at a special board numbered 1-8. Red spaces won prizes; black spaces not. The bullseye won "Bully's Special Prize", bigger than the other prizes but smaller than the Star Prize.
 * Catch Phrase: "Iiiiiiiiiiin one!"
 * "And Bully's special priiiize..."
 * "You can't beat a bit o' Bully."
 * "Keep out of the black and in the red, nothing in this game for two in a bed."
 * Conspicuous CG: The intro sequence used early CGI effects that clashed noticeably with the conventional animation on Bully, although at the time it was pretty new and exciting.
 * Did Not Do the Research: One question on the 1984 Christmas special claimed Donald Duck was banned in Finland for not wearing trousers. This is actually an urban myth.
 * Face Palm: Bully will do this if the contestants gamble and lose.
 * Game Show Host: Jim Bowen for the original run, Dave Spikey on the Challenge version.
 * Home Game
 * Let's Just See What Would Have Happened: Had a notoriously cruel variation of this where, if the players failed to win the big prize, Jim Bowen would say "Let's see what you could've won!" and they would bring out the speedboat accompanied by a sad remix of the usual victory music.
 * Lost Episode / Old Shame: The first two episodes ever made were considered so bad that they were scrapped and never aired; one of those episodes gave away a car.
 * Roger Rabbit Effect: Occasionally Bowen would appear to interact with Bully and the other animated graphics, most noticeably for the spelling questions.
 * Studio Audience: By the end, there was a five-year waiting list just to see a taping!
 * Unintentional Period Piece: Bullseye is The Eighties in the UK.
 * Whammy / Zonk: The 1-point spaces which, as it was a real dartboard, were next to the 20s.