Family Fortunes

The first person to comment on this show has very much explained the rules so I won't say any more on that except that this show was extremely entertaining and essential viewing in my household up until about 2002.

It has been hosted by the truly talented Bob Monkhouse, the great Max Bygraves and the entertaining Les Dennis. Some new guy took over in 2002 and it was relegated to an afternoon slot when I would be at work so I haven't watched it since 2002.

Some of the answers given by the contestants over time are truly amazing. I remember one question years ago- "Name something you can break." The first answer the contestant gave was, "a safe." Hmmm! The correct term is usually to crack a safe, not break a safe. More obvious answers would have been your bones or a cup or plate.

Another funny answer was this one. Les Dennis asked the contestant to name a spiked animal. Hedgehog had already been picked so I guess the next logical answer would have been porcupine. Did the contestant pick that? No, his answer was lizard. Hmmm!

But it was all good fun and like I said, essential viewing for a lot of people from '79-'02.

One final point. No-one representing this quiz show has every stopped me in the street asking to survey me. Hmmm!

It's hard to believe that this show first started back in 1980, it's a proven formula that works, during my childhood it was essential viewing, presented by the wonderful Les Dennis, who for me made it. I gave up on it some years back, but am now well and truly back to watching it. Presented by the gorgeous, funny and brilliant Gino, it is now an integral part of Sunday evening.

The more stupid the question, the more fun the show. ITV have done a spot.on job with this show, they have definitely put life back into it. 8/10.

Family Fortunes was a great game show in which two families play against each other, guessing the results of a survey of 100 people. The family with the most points at the end of the game goes on to play "Big Money" in which two family members have to try and guess the top answer for 5 surveys, if they get all top answers between them, they could win a big prize such as a car or holiday, otherwise they could get a large sum of money if they got over 200 points.

Many of the surveys were very funny and received many strange (but very funny) answers from the contestants.

The only real bad thing about Family Fortunes was its set, some of the earlier series were really dull sets with horrible brown walls, newer series with Les Dennis weren't that bad though, but it's only with the latest series with Vernon Kay does the set really look bright and cheerful.

A solid structure. 2 families, each containing five contestants guess the most popular items in a list for a question such as "Something you might find in the garden". There are Single/Double Money rounds, then the winning team goes on to play Big Money, with the captain and a selected teammate attempting to guess all the top answers from 5 questions.

Family Fortunes has always been good for a laugh in my eyes. It always keeps you entertained, with it's lively atmosphere, colourful studio and family anecdotes. Not forgetting, of course, the ridiculous answers they give for some questions! (e.g. Name something that comes in pairs... "Rabbits") The Les Dennis episodes were top class, he was its best presenter by a mile. Andy Collins couldn't hold a candle to him, though. It's newest incarnation, featuring Vernon Kay, isn't too bad so far, but they should make a version with normal contestants soon rather than celebrity editions, which actually weren't too bad. Long may this show appear on our screens, I say.

The questions that are asked on the show have been asked to 100 people. Then they take the highest 10 which two families have to guess. First they take a member of each team and ask them a question like 'What is the first thing you do when you get out of bed in the morning?'. They both go for the buzzer and whoever gets an answer or the highest answer on the board has a choice to play or pass. Whoever plays has to guess the other 9 answers. The family that wins the most money chooses two members one of whom goes and sits in a box with headphones on. The first member is asked a few questions which they give their answers to and then the second member comes on and is asked the same questions that they have to give different answers to. If they have the highest percent from the answers they win the big prize.