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The Alphabet Game

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Not to be confused with Alphabet (video game).

The Alphabet Game
GenreComedy panel game
Created by
Presented byAndrew O'Connor
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of series2
No. of episodes74
Production
Production locationNew Broadcasting House
Running time25 minutes
Production companiesObjective Productions and BBC North
Original release
NetworkBBC1
Release5 August 1996 (1996-08-05) –
27 March 1997 (1997-03-27)
Related
Alphabetical

The Alphabet Game is a comedy panel game show that aired on BBC1 from 5 August 1996 to 27 March 1997 and is hosted by Andrew O'Connor. The programme was created by O'Connor, Rebecca Thornhill, Mark Maxwell-Smith and produced by Objective Productions. It was remade in Spain as Pasapalabra,[1] for which ITV Studios sued Telecinco for €17,000,000;[2] ITV would later remake the show as Alphabetical.[3]

Format

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Two members of the public team up with two celebrities each, while a fifth acts as judge. The five celebrities are there all week, while the contestants rotate. Round 1 sees the teams trying to buzz in for control of a question such as 'things I would do if I won the lottery'; the teams must then go through the alphabet to provide answers. The other team can challenge an answer if they feel it is incorrect, in which case the judge decides which team is correct. If the judge decides the challenging team is correct or a team member can't think of an answer, play passes to the other team. This round ends when one team passes Z, and the next consists of the teams trying to create a chain of words each starting with the end of the last. In round three, the teams are given a sentence and asked to finish it, for example "Kevin likes to F". The three members of the other team have a card each with one answer on which the opposing team must give. Each team member gets seven seconds each.[4]

In round four, contestants must try and describe something using word/phrases beginning with each letter. Round five is a repeat of round one to be played until time is up. Round six is played by the winner; if the ties are scored, the teams decide amongst themselves to find one to win the prize for both teams. O'Connor will then ask a question with a three word answer, for example "Who invented the telephone?" and the three team members must answer "A G B" (Alexander Graham Bell). Five correct answers in sixty seconds nets them the prize.[4]

Transmissions

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Series Start date End date Episodes
1 5 August 1996[5] 30 August 1996[6] 20
2 13 January 1997[7] 27 March 1997[8] 54

International versions

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The format has been adapted in France, Spain, Colombia, Argentina, Panama, Portugal, Brasil, Italy, Turkey, Chile, Uruguay, Germany and Greece.

Country Title Broadcaster(s) Presenter(s) Premiere Finale
 Argentina Pasapalabra Azul TV (7 January 2002 – 18 March 2002)
eltrece (21 January 2016 – 10 April 2020)
Telefe (1 March 2021 – 6 November 2022)		 Claribel Medina (2002)
Iván de Pineda (2016–2020; 2021–2022)		 7 January 2002 6 November 2022
 Brazil A Grande Chance Rede Bandeirantes Gilberto Barros 24 April 2007 21 June 2008
 Chile Pasapalabra Chilevisión Julián Elfenbein 7 January 2018 present
 Colombia Pasapalabra RCN Televisión Jéssica de la Peña 2003 2003
 France En toutes lettres (2009–2011)
Tout le monde a son mot à dire (2017–)		 France 2 Julien Courbet (31 August 2009 – 30 June 2011)
Olivier Minne and Sidonie Bonnec (6 March 2017 – present)		 31 August 2009 present
 Germany Buchstaben Battle Sat.1 Ruth Moschner 12 October 2020 28 January 2022
 Greece Πεσ Τη Λεξη
Pes Ti Lexi		 ERT1 Yorgos Karamihos 22 October 2022 present
 Italy Passaparola Canale 5 Gerry Scotti (11 January – 27 February 1999; 21 June 1999 – 27 January 2008)
Claudio Lippi (1 March – 19 June 1999)		 11 January 1999 27 January 2008
 Panama Pasapalabra TVN Marelissa Him 18 October 2021 23 December 2022
 Portugal Passo a Palavra RTP1 Nicolau Breyner 2003 2003
 Spain Pasapalabra Antena 3 (24 July 2000 – 9 June 2006; 13 May 2020 – present)
Telecinco (16 July 2007 – 1 October 2019)		 Silvia Jato (2000–2002; 2003–2006)
Constantino Romero (2002–2003)
Jaime Cantizano (2006)
Christian Gálvez (2007–2019)
Roberto Leal (2020–present)		 24 July 2000 present
 Turkey Passaparola Star TV (14 October 2002 – 11 November 2005; 14 May 2010 – 30 January 2011)
Kanal 1 [tr] (3 July 2006 – 14 March 2008)		 Metin Uca (2002 – February 2005; 2006–2008; 2010–2011)
Mehmet Ali Erbil (February – May 2005)
Mesut Yar (May – 11 November 2005)		 14 October 2002 30 January 2011
 Uruguay Pasapalabra Canal 10 Jorge Piñeyrúa 11 March 2019 present

References

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  1. ^ "'Pasapalabra' llega a Telecinco con nuevas pruebas y Christian Gálvez como presentador" ['Pasapalabra' comes to Telecinco with new tests and Christian Galvez as a presenter]. Elmundo.es (in Spanish). 16 July 2007. Retrieved 12 April 2020.
  2. ^ "El inventor de 'Pasapalabra' reclama 17 millones de euros a Telecinco por impago de los derechos" [The inventor of 'Pasapalabra' claims 17 million for unpaid Telecinco rights]. Elconfidentialdigital.com (in Spanish). 14 October 2014. Retrieved 12 April 2020.
  3. ^ Blazeby, Miranda (8 February 2016). "ITV daytime orders include The Alphabet Game revival". Broadcast. Retrieved 12 April 2020.
  4. ^ a b The Alphabet Game. Series 1. Episode 1. 5 August 1996. BBC.
  5. ^ "The Alphabet Game - BBC One London - 5 August 1996". BBC Genome Project. 5 August 1996. Retrieved 10 August 2016.
  6. ^ "The Alphabet Game - BBC One London - 30 August 1996". BBC Genome Project. 30 August 1996. Retrieved 10 August 2016.
  7. ^ "The Alphabet Game - BBC One London - 13 January 1997". BBC Genome Project. 13 January 1997. Retrieved 10 August 2016.
  8. ^ "The Alphabet Game - BBC One London - 27 March 1997". BBC Genome Project. 27 March 1997. Retrieved 10 August 2016.
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