Richard Madeley misses out on hosting the glossy reboot of a very famous gameshow
AFTER impressing ITV bosses on Good Morning Britain and I’m A Celebrity, it seemed like Richard Madeley was set to bag another big TV show – revived game show Jeopardy!
The British version of the classic US quiz, in which contestants are given answers and have to guess the questions, was made into a pilot — but producers decided not to take it to a full series.
It could have been a huge booking for the daytime telly star, with the American version spanning 39 seasons since it first ran in 1964.
A TV insider said: “Richard had high hopes that he would have a huge hit with Jeopardy! and it could have really capped his 45-year career.
“But the pilot just didn’t work for some reason.
“Of course, not every format in the US can work for UK audiences but ITV wasn’t prepared to take the risk.”
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On this side of the Atlantic, Jeopardy! has already had some patchy success, with three different versions airing.
It had one run from 1983 to 1984 on Channel 4, another on ITV from 1990 to 1993 and on Sky One from 1995 to 1996.
It’s not the first time — and won’t be the last — that a vintage format seemed like a winner on paper but failed to work on camera.
I exclusively revealed this year how ITV had scrapped Alison Hammond’s planned reboot of Wheel Of Fortune.
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The original version of the Eighties and Nineties quiz featured Nicky Campbell and Carol Smillie.
The reboot would have been This Morning star Alison’s first big solo job for the channel — but again the pilots failed to spark interest.
I wonder if it’s the hosts . . . or just the lack of new ideas that’s the problem.
ROMAN’S SLICE OF XMAS
WITH two pop stars as parents – and George Michael as his godfather – Roman Kemp was never going to grow up to be stickler for convention.
And even at Christmas, dad Martin and mum Shirlie don’t stick to societal norms.
Roman said: “We’re the least traditional family.
“If I turned around tomorrow and said to my mum that I wanted pizza for Christmas dinner, she’d probably say yes.
“I share my family life with the public, so it’s nice to have those private moments at Christmas where we’re just together and enjoying each other’s company.”
This year the celebrations start early for Roman when he hosts ITV’s big celeb carol concert Britain Get Singing on Christmas Eve, with Alesha Dixon, Jason Manford and Will.I.Am helping out.
Tune in at 8:05pm on ITV1 and ITVX.
Bizbit
ACTRESS Martine McCutcheon has revealed that rocker Liam Gallagher once told her he loved her when she played Tiffany Mitchell on EastEnders.
She said in OK! Magazine that the Oasis singer bumped into her when they were both in the Top Of The Pops studios in the Nineties.
CORRIE’S SALLY ‘N’ KEV SIGN
CORRIE legends Sally Dynevor and Michael Le Vell have just been handed new deals after racking up almost 7,000 episodes between them.
Sally recently signed the contract and it will keep her in the soap for another year.
She’s played Sally Metcalfe – formerly Seddon, and Webster – in more than 3,538 episodes since first setting foot in the cobbles in 1986.
A source said: “For many, Sally IS Corrie so bosses were chuffed she chose to renew her contract.”
Her former on-screen husband Michael – Kevin Webster in the show since 1983 – was offered his new contract at the same time.
He has starred in around 3,250 episodes and took some months off in 2014 to battle his booze demons.
Sally had one six-month break to recover from breast cancer in 2009.
GINO BINS ‘BORING’ CELEBS
CHEEKY Italian chef and TV host Gino D’Acampo said he banned celebrities from Family Fortunes because they were “f***ing boring”.
He blames cancel culture for many famous faces becoming so sanitised these days that they are no longer entertaining.
So unlike previous series of the ITV quiz, he prefers to have regular people on as contestants.
Gino, who’s about to star in another series of his Road Trips with pals Gordon Ramsay and Fred Sirieix on ITV1, said: “Unless you are someone like me who doesn’t really care, they’re boring as f***.”
I’m sure that wouldn’t be true if he got Gordon on.
Bizbit
EMMERDALE star Lisa Riley has confirmed that her character Mandy Dingle will be in an “enormous” new storyline.
Talking to inside Soap, Lisa revealed her forthcoming scenes in the ITV1 show will be “incredible”, adding: “It’s probably my favourite storyline since I’ve come back.”
KIM EYES UP TRIP TO PARIS
SEX And The City’s Kim Cattrall could be back on TV in a role similar to her famous turn as Samantha Jones.
SATC boss Darren Star has teased Cattrall heading to the next series of his Netflix hit Emily In Paris, which returns for a third series this week with LILY COLLINS leading the cast once more.
He said: “I’d love to work with Kim and it’s just about finding a role that’s the right one and that’s worthy of Kim.
“If it works out for this, it’ll be fun. So let’s see what happens.”
Something to look forward to if a fourth series gets confirmed . . .
NCUTI KEEPS DOC IN CHECK
WITH a brown check suit and boots, Ncuti Gatwa’s new Doctor Who outfit has to be the blandest of all time.
There’s nothing close to Peter Davison's celery stick buttonhole or Tom Baker’s giant scarf – which is a real pity.
Ncuti will succeed David Tennant, who returns to the Tardis in November for a trio of specials marking the show’s 60th anniversary.
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Once former Sex Education star Ncuti is at the controls, he’ll be joined by his new time-travelling companion, Ruby Sunday, played by Millie Gibson who was previously better known as Kelly Neelan on Coronation Street.
Given they have the task of reviving the show’s flagging fortunes following the departure of its star Jodie Whittaker, let’s hope their performances aren’t as dull as their costumes.