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Big Break

British game show

Big Break was a British game show that aired on BBC1. It was shown from 30 April 1991 and 10 August 2002. It ran for 213 episodes over 10 series. It was hosted by comedian Jim Davidson and snooker player John Virgo. The show was based on the game of snooker. It had people paired with professional snooker players. The person would answer general knowledge questions which gave more time for the players to score snooker points.

Big Break
GenreSports game show
Created byRoger Medcalf
Mike Kemp
Terry Mardell
Directed byNick Hurran (Series 1–2)
Charles Garland (Series 3–5)
Babara Jones (Series 6)
Phil Chilvers (Series 7)
Richard Valentine (Series 7–8)
Duncan Cooper (Series 9)
Sue McMahon (Series 10)
Presented byJim Davidson
StarringJohn Virgo
Voices ofColin Ward Lewis (Series 1–7)
Zora Suleman (Series 8)
Charles Nove (Series 9–10)
Theme music composer"The Snooker Song" by Captain Sensible
ComposerMike Batt
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of series10
No. of episodes213 (inc. 17 specials)
Production
ProducersJohn Burrowes (Series 1–7)
Geoff Miles (Series 8 & 10)
David G. Taylor(Series 9)
Production locationsBBC Elstree Centre (Series 1–4)[1]
BBC Television Centre (Series 5–10)[1]
Running time30 minutes
Original release
NetworkBBC1
Release30 April 1991 (1991-04-30) –
10 August 2002 (2002-08-10)

Production

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Big Break was first filmed in BBC Elstree Centre but moved to the BBC Television Centre after the fourth series.[1] The show ran for ten series, from 1991 to 2002. It had 212 episodes.[2] The show was hosted by comedian Jim Davidson and snooker player John Virgo.[3][4] A theme song was created for the show, called "the snooker song", was sung by Captain Sensible.[5][6]

Format

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In Big Break there were three teams of two. Each contestant is joined by a professional snooker player. There were three rounds: red hot, pocket money, and make or break. These names were puns from the snooker terms "red", "pocket", and "break".[7][8]

In red hot contestants are asked three questions. They are given 10 seconds of time to begin. Each right answer is worth another 10 seconds. On the snooker table, there are ten red snooker balls. The players have as much time as they are given to pot as many balls as possible. The two teams that pot the most red balls move onto the next round.[9][7]

The losing contestant in the first round is given a secondary task, a trick shot. Called Virgo's Trick Shot, the contestant would need to recreate the shot being played.[10] When successful, the contestant won a prize.[7][11]

The second round was called pocket money. On a timer, contestants must answer questions based on the coloured snooker balls. On a correct answer, the snooker player scored points for each ball potted. There were double points for potting balls in certain pockets. When missing a ball, the contestant would answer another question. The pair with the most points reach the final round.[7][12]

The final round, called make or break had the contestant answer five questions. Each correct answer removed a red ball from the table. There was two minutes to pot all of the balls on the table. This included the time given to answer the questions. More prizes would be given to players who were closest to potting all of the balls. The grand prize was usually a holiday.[7][13]

Episodes

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Regular

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Series Start date End date Episodes
1 30 April 1991[14] 16 July 1991[15] 12
2 11 January 1992[16] 4 April 1992[17] 13
3 12 September 1992[18] 19 December 1992[19] 15
4 4 September 1993[20] 26 March 1994[21] 27
5 9 September 1994[22] 20 May 1995[23] 27
6 2 September 1995[24] 19 July 1996[25] 27
7 3 January 1997[26] 27 February 1998[27] 28
8 6 March 1998[28] 26 June 1999[29] 26
9 18 December 1999[30] 19 May 2001[31] 24
10 16 June 2001[32] 10 August 2002[33] 13

Stars of the Future

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Series Start date End date Episodes
1 27 May 1995[34] 17 June 1995[35] 6
11 May 1996[36] 15 July 1996[37]
2 23 July 1997[38] 3 September 1997[39] 6
3 3 July 1999[40] 11 December 1999[41] 6

Christmas Specials

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Date Guests Snooker Players
24 December 1991[42] Linda Lusardi, Jean Alexander, Charlie Drake Stephen Hendry, Steve Davis, Jimmy White
26 December 1992[43] Ruth Madoc, Patrick Moore, Anthea Turner Dennis Taylor, Allison Fisher, Willie Thorne
27 December 1993[44] Bernie Clifton, Vicki Michelle, Tessa Sanderson Steve Davis, Stephen Hendry, Dennis Taylor
27 December 1994[45] Zoe Ball, Marti Caine, Craig Charles John Parrott, Terry Griffiths, Steve Davis
28 December 1995[46] Wendy Richard, Frank Carson, Diane-Louise Jordan Ray Reardon, Jimmy White, Peter Ebdon
27 December 1996[47] Patsy Palmer, Bella Emberg, Floella Benjamin Steve Davis, John Parrott, Dennis Taylor
26 December 1997[48] Melanie Stace, Darren Day, June Brown Peter Ebdon, Ronnie O'Sullivan, Ken Doherty
28 December 1998[49] Isla Fisher, Little and Large, Barbara Windsor Jimmy White, John Higgins, John Parrott

Trick Shot Specials

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Date
22 August 1995[50]
29 August 1995[51]
19 October 1995[52]
3 August 1996[53]
29 August 1996[54]
27 June 1997[55]
4 July 1997[56]
23 December 1999[57]
3 January 2000[58]

References

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  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "Elstree – ATV & BBC". TV Studio History. Archived from the original on 19 December 2021. Retrieved 1 November 2020.
  2. ↑ "BBC Programme Index". genome.ch.bbc.co.uk. 10 August 2002.
  3. ↑ "Snooker-themed TV game show Big Break could be on its way back - Virgin Radio UK". virginradio.co.uk. 21 December 2021.
  4. ↑ "BBC One - Big Break". BBC. Archived from the original on 12 May 2023. Retrieved 9 March 2024.
  5. ↑ Ryan, Jenny; Porter, Lucy (12 October 2023). Fingers on Buzzers: From Bullseye to Pointless, a celebratory journey through the history of the Great British Quiz. Kings Road Publishing. ISBN 978-1-78946-684-3 – via Google Books.
  6. ↑ Widdicombe, Josh (16 September 2021). Watching Neighbours Twice a Day...: How '90s TV (Almost) Prepared Me For Life. Kings Road Publishing. ISBN 978-1-78870-437-3 – via Google Books.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 "Big Break - UKGameshows". www.ukgameshows.com.
  8. ↑ Clarke, Gary (16 November 2008). A Billiards and Snooker Compendium. Paragon Publishing. ISBN 978-1-899820-46-7 – via Google Books.
  9. ↑ "Where 90s challenge show hosts are now - from Gladiators to Big Break". Grimsby Live. 21 February 2021. Archived from the original on 9 March 2024. Retrieved 9 March 2024 – via www.grimsbytelegraph.co.uk.
  10. ↑ Amazon.co.uk. ASIN 075220999.
  11. ↑ Mobberley, Martin (23 July 2013). It Came From Outer Space Wearing an RAF Blazer!: A Fan's Biography of Sir Patrick Moore. Springer Science & Business Media. ISBN 978-3-319-00609-3 – via Google Books.
  12. ↑ Virgo, John (April 2019). John Virgo: Say Goodnight, JV: My Autobiography. John Blake Publishing, Limited. ISBN 9781786069757.
  13. ↑ "Trick-shot John Virgo is hoping for a Big Break (BBC 1, Saturday)". The Scotsman. 7 November 1992. p. 54 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 "Big Break – BBC One London – 30 April 1991". BBC Genome Project. Archived from the original on 1 October 2016. Retrieved 27 September 2016.
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 "Big Break – BBC One London – 16 July 1991". BBC Genome Project. Retrieved 27 September 2016.
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 "Big Break – BBC One London – 11 January 1992". BBC Genome Project. Retrieved 27 September 2016.
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 "Big Break – BBC One London – 4 April 1992". BBC Genome Project. Archived from the original on 1 October 2016. Retrieved 27 September 2016.
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 "Big Break – BBC One London – 12 September 1992". BBC Genome Project. Retrieved 27 September 2016.
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 "Big Break – BBC One London – 19 December 1992". BBC Genome Project. Archived from the original on 1 October 2016. Retrieved 27 September 2016.
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 "Big Break – BBC One London – 4 September 1993". BBC Genome Project. Retrieved 27 September 2016.
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 "Big Break – BBC One London – 26 March 1994". BBC Genome Project. Archived from the original on 1 October 2016. Retrieved 27 September 2016.
  22. ↑ 22.0 22.1 "Big Break – BBC One London – 9 September 1994". BBC Genome Project. Retrieved 27 September 2016.
  23. ↑ 23.0 23.1 "Big Break – BBC One London – 20 May 1995". BBC Genome Project. Retrieved 27 September 2016.
  24. ↑ 24.0 24.1 "Big Break – BBC One London – 2 September 1995". BBC Genome Project. Retrieved 27 September 2016.
  25. ↑ 25.0 25.1 "Big Break – BBC One London – 19 July 1996". BBC Genome Project. Archived from the original on 1 October 2016. Retrieved 27 September 2016.
  26. ↑ 26.0 26.1 "Big Break – BBC One London – 3 January 1997". BBC Genome Project. Retrieved 27 September 2016.
  27. ↑ 27.0 27.1 "Big Break – BBC One London – 27 February 1998". BBC Genome Project. Retrieved 27 September 2016.
  28. ↑ 28.0 28.1 "Big Break – BBC One London – 6 March 1998". BBC Genome Project. Retrieved 27 September 2016.
  29. ↑ 29.0 29.1 "Big Break – BBC One London – 26 June 1999". BBC Genome Project. Retrieved 27 September 2016.
  30. ↑ 30.0 30.1 "Big Break – BBC One London – 18 December 1999". BBC Genome Project. Archived from the original on 29 November 2023. Retrieved 27 September 2016.
  31. ↑ 31.0 31.1 "Big Break – BBC One London – 19 May 2001". BBC Genome Project. Archived from the original on 1 October 2016. Retrieved 27 September 2016.
  32. ↑ 32.0 32.1 "Big Break – BBC One London – 16 June 2001". BBC Genome Project. Retrieved 27 September 2016.
  33. ↑ 33.0 33.1 "Big Break – BBC One London – 10 August 2002". BBC Genome Project. Retrieved 27 September 2016.
  34. ↑ "Big Break: Stars of the Future – BBC One London – 27 May 1995". BBC Genome Project. Retrieved 27 September 2016.
  35. ↑ "Big Break: Stars of the Future – BBC One London – 17 June 1995". BBC Genome Project. Retrieved 27 September 2016.
  36. ↑ "Big Break: Stars of the Future – BBC One London – 11 May 1996". BBC Genome Project. Archived from the original on 1 October 2016. Retrieved 27 September 2016.
  37. ↑ "Big Break: Stars of the Future – BBC One London – 15 July 1996". BBC Genome Project. Retrieved 27 September 2016.
  38. ↑ "Big Break: Stars of the Future – BBC One London – 23 July 1997". BBC Genome Project. Retrieved 27 September 2016.
  39. ↑ "Big Break: Stars of the Future – BBC One London – 3 September 1997". BBC Genome Project. Archived from the original on 1 October 2016. Retrieved 27 September 2016.
  40. ↑ "Big Break: Stars of the Future – BBC One London – 3 July 1999". BBC Genome Project. Retrieved 27 September 2016.
  41. ↑ "Big Break: Stars of the Future – BBC One London – 11 December 1999". BBC Genome Project. Retrieved 27 September 2016.
  42. ↑ "Big Break: A Celebrity Christmas Special – BBC One London – 24 December 1991". BBC Genome Project. Retrieved 27 September 2016.
  43. ↑ "Big Break Christmas Celebrity Special – BBC One London – 26 December 1992". BBC Genome Project. Retrieved 27 September 2016.
  44. ↑ "Big Break Christmas Special – BBC One London – 27 December 1993". BBC Genome Project. Retrieved 27 September 2016.
  45. ↑ "Big Break in Wonderland – BBC One London – 27 December 1994". BBC Genome Project. Retrieved 27 September 2016.
  46. ↑ "Big Break – BBC One London – 28 December 1995". BBC Genome Project. Retrieved 27 September 2016.
  47. ↑ "Big Break – BBC One London – 27 December 1996". BBC Genome Project. Retrieved 27 September 2016.
  48. ↑ "Big Break – BBC One London – 26 December 1997". BBC Genome Project. Retrieved 27 September 2016.
  49. ↑ "Big Break Christmas Show – BBC One London – 28 December 1998". BBC Genome Project. Retrieved 27 September 2016.
  50. ↑ "Big Break: Trick Shot Special – BBC One London – 22 August 1995". BBC Genome Project. Archived from the original on 29 August 2018. Retrieved 27 September 2016.
  51. ↑ "Big Break: Trick Shot Special – BBC One London – 29 August 1995". BBC Genome Project. Archived from the original on 1 October 2016. Retrieved 27 September 2016.
  52. ↑ "Big Break: Trick Shot Special – BBC One London – 19 October 1995". BBC Genome Project. Archived from the original on 1 October 2016. Retrieved 27 September 2016.
  53. ↑ "Big Break: Trick Shot Special – BBC One London – 3 August 1996". BBC Genome Project. Retrieved 27 September 2016.
  54. ↑ "Big Break: Trick Shot Special – BBC One London – 29 August 1996". BBC Genome Project. Retrieved 27 September 2016.
  55. ↑ "Big Break: Trick Shot Special – BBC One London – 27 June 1997". BBC Genome Project. Retrieved 27 September 2016.
  56. ↑ "Big Break: Trick Shot Special – BBC One London – 4 July 1997". BBC Genome Project. Retrieved 27 September 2016.
  57. ↑ "Big Break Snooker Scrapbook – BBC One London – 23 December 1999". BBC Genome Project. Archived from the original on 1 October 2016. Retrieved 27 September 2016.
  58. ↑ "Big Break Snooker Scrapbook – BBC One London – 3 January 2000". BBC Genome Project. Archived from the original on 1 October 2016. Retrieved 27 September 2016.
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