UKGameshows

Joker's Wild

Info Box

Host

Barry Cryer

Michael Bentine (substitute, 1971)

Co-hosts

Hostess: Isabella Rye (1969)

Team captains:
Les Dawson (1969-73)
Ted Ray (1969-71; 1973-74)
Jack Douglas (1970-74)
Warren Mitchell (1970; 1972-73)
Rolf Harris (1971)
Bob Monkhouse (1972-73)
Jon Pertwee (1972-74)
Leslie Crowther (1972-74)
June Whitfield (1973)
Michael Bentine (1973)

Broadcast

Yorkshire Television for ITV, 9 July 1969 to 20 November 1974 (147 episodes in 9 series + 2 specials)

Synopsis

Two teams of comics would battle it out to make the audience laugh. Each comedian had to tell jokes on categories written on oversized playing cards on Cryer's desk unless a joker came up which gave the comic free rein. Points could be scored by the other team if they could see where the joke was headed, buzz in, and complete it with their own punchline. There was also a speed making the audience laugh round going into and out of the commercial break.

Not to be confused with the US show of the same name.

Inventor

Ray Cameron and Mike King

Trivia

Format based on a 1950s American show entitled Can You Top This?.

Some episodes were recorded at Tyne Tees Television's studios in Newcastle.

Merchandise

Joker's Wild: The Complete First Series (DVD)

Joker's Wild: The Complete Second Series (DVD)

Wikipedia entry

Pictures

Barry Cryer and the scores on the board.

Videos


The very first episode that aired on 9 July 1969.