The Chase’s Paul Sinha to host ITV’s new primetime quiz show TV Showdown
WITH Tipping Point, The Chase, Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? and Tenable occupying key slots in its schedule, you would think the last thing ITV wants is a new quiz show.
But I am told that commissioners have one in the works — and it is all about television.
The show will be fronted by The Chase’s Paul Sinha and is being made into a full series after a successful test run. Currently titled Paul Sinha’s TV Showdown, it will involve two teams of celebrities facing off over their knowledge of the small screen.
A source said: “There’s an abundance of quiz shows on ITV already, but one just about telly hasn’t been done in a while.
“This is a fresh take on a familiar format.
“It’s like Telly Addicts meets Celebrity Juice, with the popular Paul Sinha at the helm. It won’t be as mad and crazy as Celebrity Juice, but it will have two teams of celeb guests going head to head.
“It’s being worked on at the moment and they hope it won’t be long before it’s on air.
“And it will be on the main ITV channel in a primetime slot.”
Professional quizzer Paul certainly knows a thing or two about game shows.
Known as The Sinnerman, he has been one of The Chase’s brainboxes since 2011.
I can only imagine how many Zoom quizzes he is going to have to take part in during Lockdown 2.0.
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Suranne back as Jack
SURANNE Jones has returned for period drama .
During breaks on the series set in the 19th Century, she and co-star Sophie Rundle reached for very 21st-Century masks to comply with Covid rules.
Suranne grabbed her face visor as soon as the cameras stopped rolling on the BBC1 show.
The first series followed the relationship between Anne Lister and heiress Ann Walker. The next is about their secret marriage, with clever camera angles getting around social distancing.
DENISE Van Outen has moved Dancing On Ice pro Matt Evers into her home to make sure she doesn’t break any Covid rules to train with him for the ITV show.
She said: “Before I knew who my partner was, I’d already said that if it comes to it, whoever I get partnered with could lockdown with me.”
Eerie oil rig drama is in the pipeline
AMAZON Prime Video is making a supernatural thriller about North Sea oil rig workers.
As they are due to return to land, an eerie fog descends and ushers in a mystery force, limiting contact with the outside world.
The Rig is directed by John Strickland, whose roll of credits includes Line Of Duty and Bodyguard. The six-parter, written by David MacPherson, is the first Amazon original series filmed exclusively in Scotland.
Executive producer Derek Wax said: “It’s an epic thriller, full of heart-grabbing action and bold, original ideas. David MacPherson captures life on a North Sea oil rig with extraordinary authenticity.”
Filming will start next year.
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BRITAIN’S Got Talent judge Ashley Banjo is “really grateful” for a supportive call from Prince Harry and Meghan after a backlash over Diversity’s Black Lives Matter routine.
On Lorraine today he said: “They opened my eyes to a lot of things I wasn’t aware of actually, so I was really grateful to them.”
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