The first edition of game show Blankety Blank was broadcast on 18 January 1979. It was presented by the affable Terry Wogan, working with a strange wand-like microphone.
Although there was a US game show called Blankety Blanks, the British version was in fact closely based on another American programme, The Match Game. However with Wogan's self-deprecating wit sparring with the guests and playing on the cheap nature of Blankety Blank - the grand prize on the first episode was a fridge freezer – a durable British hit was born.
Contestants on Blankety Blank had to fill in the missing word in a phrase, and match them with the answers given by a panel of six celebrities. On the first show the celebrities were George Baker, Wendy Craig, Bill Tidy, Judy Cornwell, Lenny Bennett, and Lorraine Chase. The winning contestant went onto the Supermatch Game - revealed by the revolving set which also took away the losers. The consolation prize was a silver Blankety Blank cheque book and pen.
Les Dawson took over as host of Blankety Blank in 1984 - ceremonially breaking the wand microphone on his first appearance - and gave the programme a fresh lease of life. The show was revived in 1997, fronted by Lily Savage.
January anniversaries
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The Six Wives of Henry VIII
1 January 1970 -
The Brains Trust
1 January 1941 -
The Archers
1 January 1951 -
Z Cars
2 January 1962 -
Trumpton
3 January 1967 -
Open University
3 January 1971 -
Camberwick Green
3 January 1966 -
Final edition of The Listener published
3 January 1991 -
Gardeners' World
5 January 1968 -
A Question of Sport
5 January 1970 -
Forces Programme
7 January 1940 -
Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit
10 January 1990 -
First in-vision television weather forecaster
11 January 1954 -
The League of Gentlemen
11 January 1999 -
Goodness Gracious Me
12 January 1998 -
Listen with Mother
16 January 1950 -
Life On Earth
16 January 1979 -
First episode of Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Breakfast Time
17 January 1983 -
Blankety Blank
18 January 1979 -
The Week's Good Cause
24 January 1926 -
Under Milk Wood
25 January 1954 -
Television Dancing Club
27 January 1948 -
Desert Island Discs
29 January 1942 -
Newsnight
30 January 1980 -
The State Funeral of Sir Winston Churchill
30 January 1965 -
Alas Smith and Jones
31 January 1984