The undisputed heavyweights of light entertainment, Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly, are back to liven up the nation’s Saturday nights. But how much have the boys moved on since their last family-friendly offering, Saturday Night Takeaway?
The format is definitely more pared down. All the action takes place in the studio, rather than zooming around the country in search of this week’s “victim” Two families start with £100,000 each, and compete against each other in four games. There are several opportunities to have money deducted from the opposing team, and two tasks are against the clock – the longer it takes, the more money they lose. The family with the most money left at the end of the last competition then has to complete “The Big Push” for a chance to keep their remaining cash.
Each week the show begins with Ant and Dec turning up on the doorstep of the two families chosen to compete. Unlike some celebrities, who treat members of the public as if they have infectious diseases, the duo positively revel in the moment when they are recognized and mass hugging and screaming ensues.
Darn – No Paul Daniels Or Debbie McGee
One welcome change is a total absence of Z-list celebrities to “enhance” the games on offer. Ronnie Corbett provides the vaguely excitable voiceover but never appears on camera; the only stars on show are the hosts. At long last someone has realized Ant and Dec are more than capable of carrying this type of programme themselves.
The games will (presumably) change from week to week, but last Saturday’s competitions did (with the exception of the opening round, which was little more than a rip-off of the conveyor belt from The Generation Game) require some actual brain power. Mental arithmetic, constructing a very tall “wedding cake” and a particularly tricky bit at the end, memorizing a sequence of notes and repeating them in the correct order.
Family members cannot choose which task they perform, and allegedly they have seen none of the games beforehand so have no chance to practice. The one exception to this is the “physical challenge”, which this week turned out to be yodelling. Surely any woman who attempts this is at a distinct disadvantage, as there would be little difference in pitch when she hits the falsetto notes? And sure enough, the man won hands down, picking up 100% of the audience vote. Hopefully there will be a more level playing field in next week’s challenge.
Dump The Sketch, Guys
The one weak spot is the rather unnecessary “vanity slot”, where Ant and Dec get a chance to perform a little comedy sketch between competitions. Thankfully it is fairly short but looks more than a little out of place on what is meant to be a family game show. Save the Morecambe and Wise bits for a proper variety show, boys.
No, it’s not University Challenge, but Ant and Dec’s Push the Button (Saturday, 7.45pm, ITV1) gives the Geordie duo an ideal platform to do what they do best – interact with the public and deliver a show the whole family can enjoy. Perfect shout-at-the-TV Saturday night fare.
Arlene Kelly - Born and raised in a small prairie town, by the time I graduated high school I decided I’d had enough of Manitoba winters and headed ...
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