After watching yet another Popstars/Pop Idol/Fame Academy type show last night, some friends and I had a conversation about what Saturday night TV used to be like in the UK before we became bombarded with non-stop talent shows populated by mostly talentless wanna-bes. During the conversation, You Bet! was mentioned and the memories came flooding back! The aim of the game was for celebrities to bet on the outcome of events such as 'Can this man identify every Queen song just from hearing the drum beat?' or 'Can this insane person jump over a row of Double Decker buses whilst on fire?' (that type was usually reserved for the finale).
Exciting though this was, it got better. Firstly, audience participation was involved. The studio audience would also bet on the outcomes, and however many were right would earn the same amount in money for charity. Also, you could play along at home amongst the family of course. Secondly, if a celebrity bet that the person could do the challenge, but they failed, the celebrity would have to pay the forfeit of doing the challenge themselves. So, the audience got even more fun seeing well known faces doing things that they would not normally do. Although the heyday of this show was the classic 1989-1993 period (Bruce Forsyth/Matthew Kelly), it was still great when it made a comeback with Darren Day as presenter. A simple idea will always make great television, but unfortunately You Bet! is no more. So, until a return to classic Saturday night TV arrives, I'll be found here, reminiscing!
