- Opportunity Knocks (UK TV series)
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For other uses, see Opportunity Knocks (disambiguation).
Opportunity Knocks Format Talent Show Starring Hughie Green (1949–1978)
Bob Monkhouse (1987–1989)
Les Dawson (1990)Country of origin United Kingdom Production Producer(s) Associated-Rediffusion (1956)
ABC (1964–1968)
Thames (1968–1978)Running time 60mins (inc. comms) Broadcast Original channel BBC Light Programme (1949)
Radio Luxembourg (1950s)
ITV (1956–1978)
BBC1 (1987–1990)Picture format 4:3 Original run 18 February 1949 – 2 June 1990 Opportunity Knocks is a British television and radio talent show originally hosted by Hughie Green, with a late-1980s revival hosted by Bob Monkhouse, and later by previous winner Les Dawson.
The original radio version started on the BBC Light Programme from 18 February to 30 September 1949 but moved to Radio Luxembourg in the 1950s.[1] It was shown on ITV from 20 June 1956 to 29 August 1956, produced by Associated Rediffusion. A second run commenced in 11 July 1964 until 20 March 1978, produced first by ABC and then by Thames Television. Hughie Green presented a single episode of Opportunity Knocks for RTÉ in 1979. It was revived by the BBC from 21 March 1987 to 2 June 1990, hosted initially by Bob Monkhouse from 1987 to 1989 (under the title "Bob Says Opportunity Knocks!") and subsequently by Les Dawson in 1990.
Contents
Voting system
Unlike its rival New Faces, the winning acts on Opportunity Knocks were decided not by a panel of experts but by the viewing public. In the ITV version this took the form of a postal vote, the winner of which was announced the following week. The BBC revival was notable for being the first TV show to decide its winner using the now-standard method of a telephone vote. In both versions the studio audience reaction to each act was measured by a clap-o-meter, but this did not count towards the final result.
The programme was recorded the Friday before transmission, so votes had to be in by Thursday. They also, according to host Hughie Green, largely to ensure fairness, had to be in "your own handwriting".
Although Opportunity Knocks did produce a number of talented acts, the method of putting the contest to a public vote did sometimes result in victories for novelty acts, in particular those involving children or animals. On one notorious occasion the young Su Pollard was beaten into second place by a singing dog.
For the Monkhouse-fronted revival, the voting system was radically changed, making it the first British TV show to use telephone voting in order to get a more immediate result. This system is now common on British TV.
Famous alumni
Entertainers who appeared included Su Pollard, Paul Daniels, Pete the Plate Spinning Dog, Los Caracas, later to become Middle of the Road, Mary Hopkin, Bonnie Langford, Les Dawson, Maureen Myers, Barry Cummings, Royston Vasey (later to find fame as Roy 'Chubby' Brown), Little and Large, Bobby Crush, Berni Flint, Tony Holland, Millican & Nesbitt, Neil Reid, Peters and Lee, Lena Zavaroni, Frank Carson, Max Boyce, Pam Ayres, Gerry Monroe, Debra Stephenson, Tammy Jones, Champagne, Frank Jennings Syndicate and Tony Monopoly. Several winners of Opportunity Knocks (notably Tammy Jones, Champagne, Tony Monopoly, Sweet Sensation) later attempted to represent the UK at the Eurovision Song Contest, taking part in the A Song for Europe competition. Lee Evans appeared in 1986 but was rejected and did not make it past the initial audition.
Influence
Today, most of the elements of this show are visible on the British program Britain's Got Talent, which was created by record company executive Simon Cowell. The method of deciding a winner by telephone is used on that show and many other similar programs around the world. Britain's Got Talent can be said to be an evolution of the original Opportunity Knocks.
A reference to the show can be heard on The Beatles' very first live performance of "Yesterday" at Blackpool Night Out. George Harrison introduces the song, saying "For Paul McCartney of Liverpool, opportunity knocks!". This version appears on Anthology 2.
References
External links
- Opportunity Knocks at Nostalgia Central
- Opportunity Knocks (UK TV series) at UKGameshows.com
- History of Radio Luxembourg which features sound clip from Opportunity Knocks.
- Opportunity Knocks at the National Film and Sound Archive
Categories:- BBC television game shows
- ITV television programmes
- 1950s British television series
- 1960s British television series
- 1970s British television series
- 1980s British television series
- 1990s British television series
- 1956 television series debuts
- 1978 television series endings
- 1987 television series debuts
- 1990 television series endings
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