Style Trial

A panel of three celebs attempt to deduce the lifestyles of members of the public from clues in short films. Think I've Got a Secret crossed with Through the Keyhole.

At heart, Style Trial is quite simple. The panel of "self-confessed style addicts" attempt to guess the lifestyle of two selected members of the public. They'll try to guess the people's name, and what they spend their money on – just from a short clip of film.

Having seen the film, each contestant is asked to deliver a stream of consciousness about the subject. "Hugo gets his clothes from Mr. Byrite, he drinks Aqua Libra, teaches a meditation class. He wears trainers that aren't designer trainers. Possibly works in television, one of those people who are ridiculously over-paid but nobody knows what he does. Drives a BMW, eats a lot of health food".

Hugo (or whatever his name is) watches all of this from behind the scenes, and we viewers see him giving visual responses during the speeches. Then Helen recaps what the panel said, and brings our guest out.

Then come two more rounds, Get Personal and Delve Deeper; following a brief chat with Hugo, the panel are asked to expand on something he does. Finally, the team try to fill in the guest's Style File. Quick responses to his: favourite drink, tv programme, saying, who he fancies, food, and pressure group.

What did the panel get right? Ten points for something that's exactly right, five points for a remark that's in the right ballpark.

Each member of the public got half of the show, literally their fifteen minutes of fame. Two rounds made the half-hour show.

The idea of building a world from very few clues is familiar to anyone who's tried to train in theatre improvisation: see something, describe it, build up a world, incorporate new evidence as it arises. The result is a light and undemanding programme, improved by Helen Atkinson-Wood being a bit rude to some of the panel, and indulging the socially acceptable prejudices against estate agents. But the programme was incapable of being serious, everything was a joke, and light without shade just gets blinding.

Danny Baker, Janet Street-Porter, and producer Andy Lipman.

Commercial Music

Host Helen Atkinson-Wood is probably best known for starring in Radio Active and KYTV. Two of her co-stars (and also the series' main writers) also went on to host TV panel games: most famously Angus Deayton, and rather less famously Geoffrey Perkins (Don't Quote Me).

Weaver's Week reviewed the show in their "Acceptable in the Nineties" series.