It's A Knockout 1982
British Domestic Series

Presenters:
Stuart Hall
Peter Duncan, Sarah Greene and Simon Groom (Heat 1)
Keith Chegwin and Maggie Philbin (Heat 2)
Floella Benjamin and Brian Cant (Heat 3)
Stu Francis and The Krankies (Ian and Janette Tough) (Heat 4)
Bill Owen and Kathy Staff (Heat 5)
Tom O'Connor (Heat 6)
Frazer Hines (Championship Knockout)

Referees:
Helen Ashley (Heats 1-6)
Arthur Ellis
Mike Swann

Judges:
Bob Battersby (Championship Knockout)
Christopher Coldrey (Championship Knockout)
Gennaro Olivieri (Championship Knockout)
Paul Ridyard (Championship Knockout)
Adrian Sless (Championship Knockout)

Scoregirl:
Helen Ashley

Production Credits:

Stage Managers: Chris Lewis, Peter March, Christopher Miles, Allan Ramsay, Alex Thomas, Bob Wild; Senior Cameramen: Maurice Abel, Alan Hussey; Vision Supervisor: M.J. Hill, Eddie Parker; Videotape Editors: Dave Jones, Hugh Parson, Graham Taylor, Malcolm Warner, Phil Warren; Sound: John Drake; Engineering Manager: Geoff Lomas; Production Assistant: Maggie Youdan; Costumes: Margaret Harwood; Designer and Games Deviser: Stuart Furber; Assistant Producers: George R. Clarke, Alan Wright; Producer: Geoff Wilson; Director: John Rooney

A BBC Manchester Production

Key: Domestic Heats ● = Qualified for International Series / ● = Heat Winner Championship Knockout Final ● = Radio Times Trophy Winner  ▲ = Promoted to Position / ▼ = Demoted to Position

GB

It's A Knockout 1982

Heat 1

Event Staged: Sunday 4th April 1982
Venue: Play Close, Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, England

Transmission:
BBC1 (GB exc. Wales): Friday 28th May 1982, 8.00-8.50pm
BBC1 Wales (CYM): Sunday 30th May 1982, 2.20-3.10pm

Guest Presenters: Peter Duncan, Sarah Greene and Simon Groom,
presenters of BBC children's magazine programme, Blue Peter

 Special Guest: Blondini, stuntman

Theme: Farming

Teams: Charnwood v. Melton Mowbray v. Rutland

Team Members included:
Charnwood - Jeremy Ball, John Buckley, John Cryer, Elaine Foster, Ken Fox, Ann Fraser, Veronica Lattow, Brian Pyle, Jill Staven, Neville Wade, Jim Whitehead;
Melton Mowbray - Roger Dawkins, Simon Lane, Julie Lucas, Steven Youghan;
Rutland - Jamie Jameson.

Games: Horse and Carts, Hay Bales and Pitchforks, Sack the Chickens, Conveyor Belt Sack Race, Giant Farmers and Eggs, Sheep Dipping, Pigs to Market, Milk Yoke Twist and Stack-a-Sack;
Marathon: Rock-A-Rooster;
Jokers: Joker Playing Cards.

Game Results and Standings

Result

 Team

Points

Final Scoreboard

1st
2nd
3rd

 C • Charnwood ● ●
 R • Rutland
 M • Melton Mowbray

26
24
17

Charnwood qualified for Jeux Sans Frontières at La Maddalena, Italy:
staged on Tuesday 25th May 1982

Presenters, Officials and Production Team

With series legend Eddie Waring now sadly departed from the series due to failing health, the 1982 It's A Knockout series saw a different set of co-presenters take his place, mostly stars of BBC Children's and Light Entertainment shows. The first of these were the three contemporary presenters of Blue Peter, the legendary children's magazine programme that had been running since 1958 - Peter Duncan, Sarah Greene and Simon Groom. Clearly the change of personnel caused Stuart Hall problems, as at one point in the proceedings when Simon Groom handed over to at the end of the second round of the Marathon, Hall remarked, "Well, thank you very much indeed, Peter!"

Scoregirl Helen Ashley was promoted to series referee alongside Arthur Ellis and Mike Swann in the show’s closing credits, but retained her position as scoregirl throughout. This was just as well as the new scoreboard for 1982 was operated from behind, so all Helen had to do was stand in front of it, point and look delectable. Somewhat demeaning.

Looks Familiar?

Game 5 in this heat - 'Sheep Dipping’ - was an exact copy of Game 5 played at Roundhay Park in Leeds at the British International Heat of Jeux Sans Frontières in 1976!

Additional Information

For the first time ever in It's A Knockout history, the allocation of points was given in the order in which the teams appeared on the scoreboard, and not in the order of finishing on the games.

Charnwood had won the heat before the last game, but despite this, the team manager complained about defective pulley equipment on the game. Referee Arthur Ellis stated that the team was responsible for the equipment failure and the complaint was over-ruled.

When Stuart Hall placed the winning team’s name on the International venues side of the scoreboard, the Italian venue was clearly shown as Caprera, and the French venue simply stated as Les-Moulineaux!

With the new scoreboard came a ‘blooper’. Due to slight gaps between the numbers, the member of the production staff could clearly be seen moving across from one side of the scoreboard to the other and changing the score.

Charnwood was created under the Local Government Act 1972, and includes the towns of Birstall, Loughborough and Shepshed.

Rutland, the smallest county in Great Britain until 1974, was amalgamated into the county of Lincolnshire under the Local Government Act 1972. At this time, it was then created as a local authority and included the towns of Oakham and Uppingham. In 1996, the local authority was abolished, and Rutland was once again given county status and separated from Lincolnshire.

Made in Colour • This programme exists in the BBC Archives

GB

It's A Knockout 1982

Heat 2

Event Staged: Monday 12th April 1982 (Easter Monday), from 4.15pm
Venue: Memorial Gardens and River Derwent, Cockermouth, Cumbria, England

Transmission:
BBC1 (GB exc. Wales): Friday 4th June 1982, 8.00-8.50pm
BBC1 Wales (CYM): Sunday 6th June 1982, 2.20-3.10pm

Guest Presenters: Keith Chegwin and Maggie Philbin, presenters of BBC Saturday morning children's show, The Multi-Coloured Swap Shop

Special Guest: Ron Looney, World Gurning Champion 1978-1981

Theme: Countryside Pursuits

Teams: Cockermouth v. Keswick v. Maryport

Team Members included:
Cockermouth - Rod Coy, David Falcon, Dave Findley, Susan Hawkins, Jackie Lowther, Terence Scottier, Julian Spears, Graham Thorpe;
Keswick - Steve Braken, Caroline Charlton, David Critt, Geoff Davison, Terry Dixon, Grant Horsborough, Ian Miellier, Christine Stevenson, Sean Turner, Janet Wilson, Celia Witham;
Maryport - Pam Barlow, Linda Boothwick, Billy Bryan, Malcolm Garden, Michael Hawkins, John Langraw, Teresa Mulgrew, Nigel Nicholson.

Games (Official Titles): Pony Trekking, Tracking, Glide and Drop, Can-U-Canoe, Stepping Stones, Gone Fishing, Camping Capers and Rocky Climb;
Marathon: Catch a Nester;
Reserve Game: Human Pyramid;
Jokers: Joker Playing Cards.

Game Results and Standings

Result

 Team

Points

Final Scoreboard

1st
2nd
3rd

 K • Keswick ● ●
 C • Cockermouth
 M • Maryport

28
22
19

Keswick qualified for Jeux Sans Frontières at Šibenik, Yugoslavia:
staged on Tuesday 8th June 1982

Presenters, Officials and Production Team

Guest co-presenter Keith Chegwin would return as series host when It's A Knockout was re-launched in Great Britain by Channel 5 in 1999. He would also go on to present the Knockout spin-off Anything Goes in 1984-85 and had previously featured in two It's A Knockout programmes - It's A Celebrity Knockout in 1977 as a competitor and It's A Miners Knockout, in which he presented the winners' trophy.

Additional Information

This heat opened with members of the Allerdale District and Cockermouth Tourist Board along with Stuart Hall with their heads through holes pulling ‘gurned’ faces.

Three of the games (Games 4, 5 and 6) in this week’s edition took place on the River Derwent. However, when the It’s A Knockout team arrived, it found the water level was too low and had to build a temporary dam! Arthur Ellis even refereed one of the games - ‘Podium Bridge’ - in waders from the middle of the river.

In Heat 1, the Marathon scoreboard was located on the left of the main scoreboard and the International venues board was on the right. From this heat onwards they appeared on the opposite sides.

The Keswick team was very strong, and won the first five games (one of which was on their Joker) and were leading in the Marathon (which they eventually won). Victory on the final game meant that the team had won all the games they played except Game 6, on which they finished third.

Made in Colour • This programme exists in the BBC Archives

GB

It's A Knockout 1982

Heat 3

Event Staged: Sunday 18th April 1982
Venue: Christchurch Quay, Christchurch, Dorset, England

Transmission:
BBC1 (GB exc. Wales): Friday 11th June 1982, 8.00-8.50pm
BBC1 Wales (CYM): Sunday 13th June 1982, 2.20-3.10pm

Guest Presenters: Floella Benjamin and Brian Cant, presenters of
BBC children's educational programme, Play Away

Theme: Gardening

Teams: Christchurch v. Gosport v. Winchester

Team Members included:
Christchurch - Nicky Arnold, Sean Duckerby, Paul Holmes, Ruth James, David Kemp, Paul Newman, David Perfect, Julia Pitt, Alvin Ransom, Robert Robinson, Graham Sayer, Jeannette Thompson, Peter Thornhill;
Gosport - Gary Aldridge, Jill Collins, Mandy East, Duncan Harris, Alison Munsey, Andy Thomas, George Windsor;
Winchester - Steven Brock, Mike Bushell, John Collins, Sarah Dean, Helen Ross, Richard Thomas.

Games: Planting the Flowers, Crazy Pavement, Ladder Walk, Horses and Flowers, Frogs and Lily Pads, Giant Farmers and Wheelbarrows, Watering the Flowers and Growing the Sunflower;
Marathon: Tomato Climb;
Jokers: Joker Playing Cards.

Game Results and Standings

Result

 Team

Points

Final Scoreboard

1st
2nd
3rd

 C • Christchurch ● ●
 G • Gosport
 W • Winchester

24
23
22

Christchurch qualified for Jeux Sans Frontières at Issy-les-Moulineaux, France:
staged on Tuesday 29th June 1982

The Games in Detail

Game 8 - Growing the Sunflower

This heat arguably had the most heart-stopping final game witnessed in any It's A Knockout competition. The game - ‘Growing the Sunflower’ - involved a boy and girl from each team faced with a giant Sunflower head which had to be raised up an incline. To do this, rectangular blocks had to be placed one-by-one under the base of the head and then used as stepping stones when the head was out of reach. Ten blocks had to be placed in total and with the scores at Christchurch 22 pts, Gosport 22 pts and Winchester 19 pts, it was a battle between the two leading teams. Christchurch got to eight blocks first and then disaster happened, the stones were out of line and tumbled back to the bottom, and it looked like the Gosport team would win as it was already at nine blocks. With the tenth block on its way up the slope, its stones came tumbling down and it was now a race to see which of the two teams could rebuild the quickest, because Winchester had now completed the course. Christchurch was already at five blocks and it looked like victory was in the bag. Slowly, stone-by-stone, Christchurch team members Sean Duckerby and Julia Pitt raised the flower to eight blocks whilst Gosport was at four blocks, but Christchurch tumbled again. With Gosport at six blocks, time was running out and it looked like victory was now in sight for the team. But Gosport tumbled again at seven blocks, and Christchurch was again at five. This time Christchurch ensured all stones were straight, and after Sean Duckerby placed block number nine, it was all up to Julia Pitt to run up with the tenth block. The blocks held and Julia jumped down. Christchurch was victorious and Julia was in floods of tears, but it allowed for the most dramatic ending ever! The Christchurch team was involved in yet another dramatic final game ending when it went to Issy-les-Moulineaux in Paris for its International Heat. See note after International Heat 3 of 1982.

The scheduled time limit for the final game was 1 minute 45 seconds, but because of the disasters that had happened, the game was extended on-site to a finish and eventually ended at 2 minutes 38 seconds.

Additional Information

The mechanics of the new Domestic scoreboard could clearly be seen in this heat when guest presenter Brian Cant was shown changing the wheels at the rear of the scoreboard.

Made in Colour • This programme exists in the BBC Archives

GB

It's A Knockout 1982

Heat 4

Event Staged: Sunday 25th April 1982
Venue: Front Green, Lochgilphead, Strathclyde, Scotland

Transmission:
BBC1 Wales (CYM): Sunday 20th June 1982, 2.20-3.10pm
BBC1 (GB exc. Wales): Friday 9th July 1982, 8.10-9.00pm

Guest Presenters: Stu Francis and The Krankies (husband and wife double-act,
Ian and Janette Tough) from the BBC children's programme, Crackerjack

Theme: Holiday Fun

Teams: Lochgilphead v. Oban v. Perth

Team Members included:
Lochgilphead - Duncan Aitkin, Craig Campbell, Ian Campbell, ‘Tizzy’ Carmichael, Alistair Dewar, Mayveen Duncan, Linda Farrow, Gordon Lyland, John McAlpine, Liz Pollock, Anita Sinclair;
Oban - Maureen Angelini, Jeannie Campbell, David Livingstone, Kevin McInnes, Drew Thompson
Perth - Audrey Dow, Morris McGlanaghan, Russell Thompson, Fiona Turner, Brian Watt.

Games: Elimination Horse Race, Balloon Bash, Threading the Nets, Trench Foot Giants, Salmon Fishing, Blindfold Tandem Bike Slalom, Mermaid Bounce and Loch Ness Monster Jigsaw;
Marathon: Defending the Castles;
Jokers: Joker Playing Cards.

Game Results and Standings

Result

 Team

Points

Final Scoreboard

1st
2nd
3rd

 L • Lochgilphead ● ●
 P • Perth
 O • Oban

25
21
20

Lochgilphead qualified for Jeux Sans Frontières at Tesserete, Switzerland:
staged on Tuesday 13th July 1982

The Games in Detail

Game 4 - Salmon Fishing

On the fourth game - ‘Salmon Fishing' - the fishing rod of the Perth team snapped 40 seconds into the game, but team member Brian Watt continued on with the now shorter rod and still won the game which was played on the Joker! Incidentally, referee Arthur Ellis stated at the end of the game that he had allowed an additional ten seconds to the team, in compensation for the broken rod.

Game 8 - Loch Ness Monster Jigsaw

The Perth team won the final game - ‘Loch Ness Monster Jigsaw’ - by just 2 seconds, but when the result was announced, referee Arthur Ellis disqualified the team. He stated that two team members had been used to secure the final piece of the jigsaw, and the rules had clearly stated that it had to be done by just one person! Despite the disqualification however, it made no difference to the outcome of the result, because Lochgilphead was already leading by two points before the game.

Additional Information

For only the second time in the programme’s history, the domestic heats were not broadcast weekly. On both occasions (the first being in 1978 - see Additional Information Domestic Heat 7, 1978) it had been because of the FIFA World Cup Finals. This heat was broadcast on Friday 9th July, three weeks after the previous heat. The reason for this anomaly was that the 1982 FIFA World Cup Finals had begun in Spain on Sunday 13th June 1982, and the BBC was broadcasting ‘live’ first-round matches between Italy and Peru (18th June), England v. Kuwait (25th June) and second-round match between Argentina v. Brazil (2nd July).

Made in Colour • This programme exists in the BBC Archives

GB

It's A Knockout 1982

Heat 5

Event Staged: Monday 3rd May 1982 (Bank Holiday Monday)
Venue: Normanby Hall Country Park, Scunthorpe, Humberside, England

Transmission:
BBC1 Wales (CYM): Sunday 27th June 1982, 2.20-3.10pm
BBC1 (GB exc. Wales): Friday 16th July 1982, 8.10-9.00pm

Guest Presenters: Bill Owen (‘Compo’) and Kathy Staff (‘Nora Batty’) from BBC TV’s
comedy series, Last of the Summer Wine

Special Guest: Owen Heseltine, Curator of Normanby Hall

Theme: Stately Homes

Teams: Cleethorpes v. Rotherham v. Scunthorpe

Team Members included:
Cleethorpes - Jo Boorman, Deborah Bushten, Karen Lake, Philip Percy-Piggott, Ann Screed, Wayne Shepherd;
Rotherham - John Ambler, June Beardsley, Michael Braden, Sharon Burton, Duncan Cadman, Jackie Cross, Martin Evans, Derek Franks, Brian Hardy, John Timmonds, Janine Winder;
Scunthorpe - Sue Clegg, Deborah Graham, Maggie O’Donoghue, Paul Williams, Anita Winterbottom.

Games: Giant Butlers, Building the Pillars, Painting the Panels, Horses Tag Match, Fountain Climb, Walking the Gruffs, The Dancing Partners and Harvesting the Apples;
Marathon: Wasbee Balloon Burst;
Jokers: Joker Playing Cards.

Game Results and Standings

Result

 Team

Points

Final Scoreboard

1st
2nd
3rd

 R • Rotherham ● ●
 C • Cleethorpes
 S • Scunthorpe

23
22
21

Rotherham qualified for Jeux Sans Frontières at Funchal-Madeira, Portugal:
staged on Tuesday 27th May 1982

Presenters, Officials and Production Team

actor Kathy Staff (dressed as ‘Nora Batty’ from the long-running BBC situation comedy Last of the Summer Wine) was driven into the arena in a white Rolls Royce Silver Shadow (reg. 20 EVA) and then actor Bill Owen (dressed as his character from the series, ‘Compo’) was released from the car’s boot!

Returning Teams and Competitors

The Rotherham Joker was played by a member of the town’s 1974 It’s A Knockout team.

Looks Familiar?

The costume and concept of Game 1 - ‘Giant Butlers’ - was an exact copy of Game 1 at the British International Heat of Jeux Sans Frontières at Washington in 1981.

Additional Information

Shortly after the conclusion of Game 7 - ‘The Dancing Partners’ - a spectator grandstand on the left-hand side of the arena collapsed, causing injuries to sixty people. With slick editing, the collapse went unnoticed on transmission of the programme. The incident was reported on BBC TV’s Nine O’Clock News on the evening of the recording, details of which can be found in the Knockout TV section.

Made in Colour • This programme exists in the BBC Archives

GB

It's A Knockout 1982

Heat 6

Event Staged: Sunday 9th May 1982
Venue: Monkton Park Pool, Chippenham, Wiltshire, England

Transmission:
BBC1 Wales (CYM): Sunday 4th July 1982, 2.20-3.10pm
BBC1 (GB exc. Wales): Friday 30th July 1982, 7.40-8.30pm

Guest Presenter: Tom O’Connor, comedian

Theme: Maritime

Teams: Chippenham v. Gloucester v. Ross-on-Wye

Team Members included:
Chippenham - Chris Ashe, Karen Colly, Dawn Freer, Hughie Irwin, Les Jeffries, David Oakley, Lee Robertson, Sally Wright;
Gloucester - Peter Boone, Julie Burrell, Barry Evans, Andy Hammond, Keith Irwin, Trevor Mayall, Lynn Parker-Dodd, Nigel Phelps, Tina Prince, Paul Stanwood, Mike Wilmott, Vivian Woolley;
Ross-on-Wye - Gerald Bird, Ian Gray, Tom Jenkins, Helen Watkins, Jane Wyke.

Games: The Paddle Steamers, The Human Rope Bridge, Rowing Relay, Bobbin Along, Bobbin Along, Pool Target Practice, Horses and Jockeys, Shark Chase and Raising the Sails;
Marathon: Giant Sailors;
Jokers: Joker Playing Cards.

Game Results and Standings

Result

 Team

Points

Final Scoreboard

1st
2nd
3rd

 G • Gloucester ● ●
 C • Chippenham
 R • Ross-on-Wye

24
23
19

Gloucester qualified for Jeux Sans Frontières at Gent, Belgium:
staged on Tuesday 24th August 1982

West Dorset qualified as hosts of Jeux Sans Frontières at Sherborne, Great Britain:
staged on Tuesday 10th August 1982

Presenters, Officials and Production Team

The opening shot of the programme showed Stuart Hall magically emerging from the pool completely bone dry and then smiling to the camera. This, of course, was done by simply reversing the videotaped footage. In actual fact, this was recorded after the programme finished and all the crowd were asked to stay behind for continuity purposes (and a good laugh seeing him fall in the pool!).

Additional Information

Gloucester team member Trevor Mayall won the final game - 'Raising the Sails' - for his team, and this clinched their progression through to the international series. Unfortunately, he would not be able to represent the team in Gent as he picked up an injury trampolining between the domestic and international heats. The good news was that Trevor recovered fully - albeit not as quickly as he wanted to!

After finishing last on all the first five games they played, Ross-on-Wye had scored only 6 pts. Miraculously, the team won the Marathon, and then won their Joker game boosting their score to 18 pts. The team then finished last on the final game!

Made in Colour • This programme exists in the BBC Archives

GB

The Knockout Championship 1982

Domestic Final

Event Staged: Sunday 16th May 1982
Venue: Arena North, Park Hall, Charnock Richard, Lancashire, England

Transmission:
BBC1 (GB exc. Wales): Friday 6th August 1982, 7.30-8.30pm

Guest Presenter: Frazer Hines, actor from Yorkshire Television's Emmerdale Farm

Winners’ Trophy Awarded by: Les Dawson, comedian

Theme: Domestic Re-run

Teams: Charnwood v. Christchurch v. Gloucester v. Keswick v.
Lochgilphead v. Rotherham v. West Dorset

Team Members included:
Charnwood - Jeremy Ball, John Buckley, John Cryer, Elaine Foster, Ken Fox, Ann Fraser, Veronica Lattow, Brian Pyle, Jill Staven, Neville Wade, Jim Whitehead;
Christchurch - Nicky Arnold, Sean Duckerby, Paul Holmes, Ruth James, David Kemp, Paul Newman, David Perfect, Julia Pitt, Alvin Ransom, Robert Robinson, Graham Sayer, Jeannette Thompson, Peter Thornhill;
Gloucester - Peter Boone, Julie Burrell, Barry Evans, Andy Hammond, Keith Irwin, Lynn Parker-Dodd, Nigel Phelps, Tina Prince, Paul Stanwood, Mike Wilmott, Vivian Woolley;
Keswick - Steve Braken, Caroline Charlton, David Critt, Geoff Davison, Terry Dixon, Grant Horsborough, Ian Miellier, Christine Stevenson, Sean Turner, Janet Wilson, Celia Witham;
Lochgilphead - Duncan Aitkin, Craig Campbell, Ian Campbell, ‘Tizzy’ Carmichael, Alistair Dewar, Mayveen Duncan, Linda Farrow, Gordon Lyland, John McAlpine, Liz Pollock, Anita Sinclair;
Rotherham - John Ambler, June Beardsley, Michael Braden, Sharon Burton, Duncan Cadman, Jackie Cross, Martin Evans, Derek Franks, Brian Hardy, John Timmonds, Janine Winder;
West Dorset - Tim Barclay, Sally Bunwell, David Butt, Alex Fairley, Penny Fowler, Robert Hayman, Colin Hayward, David Mason, Peter Mason, Jeff Palmer, Sue Rowe, Chris Thomas-Peters, Michael Woods.

Games: Giant Gardeners, Caterpillar Track Roll, Double Roller Balance, Frogs and Lily Pads, Sailors and Treasure, Threading the Ball, Stack-a-Sack and Grand National Steeplechase;
Marathon: Gruffs and Bones;
Jokers: Joker Playing Cards.

Game Results and Standings

Result

 Team

Points

Final Scoreboard

1st
1st
3rd
4th
5th
6th
7th

 CHA • Charnwood ● ●
 WD • West Dorset ● ●
 CHR • Christchurch
 G • Gloucester
 L • Lochgilphead
 K • Keswick
 R • Rotherham

40
40
38
37
34
28
18

Presenters, Officials and Production Team

Helen Ashley was demoted back to scoregirl for this heat (see note for Domestic Heat 1)!

Additional Information

As in 1981, this competition ended in a draw for first place. Charnwood and West Dorset had ownership of the trophy for six months each.

This programme appears not to have been transmitted by BBC1 Wales.

Made in Colour • This programme exists in the BBC Archives

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