THE HISTORY OF THE IRISH TV QUIZ SHOW - PART FIVE

What constitutes a quiz show? – Deal or No Deal is a game show as is The National Lottery Games like Winning Streak where luck plays a major role. Quiz shows are where questions and their answers whether general knowledge or specialized decides the winner.

In 2013 the British channels BBC, ITV and Channel 4 broadcast numerous quiz formats especially on their afternoon schedules. RTE do not broadcast any except for quizzes aimed at the youth audience. TV3 broadcast Junior Mastermind, while TG4 broadcasts Ceist GAA. None of these shows offer major cash prizes for successful contestants.

WHO WANTS TO BE A MILLIONAIRE

17 Oct 2000 – March 29th 2002

Gay Byrne

RTE

RTE imported this format from the Celador created show of the same name broadcast on ITV and hosted by Chris Tarrant. RTE’s show was sponsored by Eircom allowing the station to initially offer a prize fund of £1,000,000 but before its second series the Euro currency had been introduced reducing the top prize to €1.000.000 as a direct conversions would be €1.270.000. When Eircom completed sponsorship RTE were unable to find a replacement and the show ended.

90 SECONDS

October 2000

Tomas O’Brannigan

TG4

IT'S A FAMILY AFFAIR

2000 - 2002

Dara O'Brian

RTE

The programme was produced by Green Inc productions and ran for two series.

SCHOOLS CHALLENGE

2001

RTE

A thirty minute schools quiz produced by Straight Forward TV

THE WEAKEST LINK

2001 - 2002

Eamon Dunphy

TV3

An Irish version of the BBC programme that was presented by Anne Robinson. Recorded at the RTE studios, the show lasted just one season. Eamon Dunphy is more famous for his sports journalism and as a panellist on RTE’s soccer broadcasts

AT THE END OF THE DAY

July 29th 2002 – September 16th 2002

Tracy Piggott

RTE

A sports quiz game with two resident team captains, Joe Brolly and Tony Cascarino. The show was made by Setanta Television for broadcast on RTE

THE FAME GAME

2002 - 2006

Caroline Monahan

RTE

The Fame Game takes three fans of different celebrities, who compete against each other in a studio-based quiz show for the chance to go and meet their idol and was produced by Adare Productions

IT'S NOT THE ANSWER

2002 – 2003

Bryan Smyth

RTE

Two seasons of 27 thirty minute shows presented by Bryan Smyth. The show was produced by Green Inc Productions

LAST ONE STANDING

2003

Jon Slattery

RTE

This general knowledge quiz was produced by Mind the Gap/Ludus Entertainment for RTÉ. Each programme had four contestants battling it out in rapid fire rounds of multiple choice questions, against each other and against the clock, to see who would be the Last One Standing and take home the prize money.

ALL KINDS OF EVERYTHING

2003 - 2004

Ryan Tubridy

RTE

RTÉ Television's comedy quiz show 'All Kinds of Everything' presented by Ryan Tubridy before he earned the hosting role on The Late Late Show.

THE MEMORIZER

2005

Kathryn Thomas / Aidan Power

RTE

This was a RTÉ Television young people's quiz series 'The Memoriser', recorded in November 2005. A celebrity special was broadcast on Christmas Day 2005. It starred Francis Boylan, Ray D'Arcy, Damien McCaul and Ian Dempsey - all four guests were former presenters of RTÉ Television's 'The Den'.

The show was made by Adare Productions for RTÉ.

CRUINEASS! / Game Planets

2005 – present

Páidí Ó Lionáird

TG4

Produced by Telegael Cruinneas was a children’s quiz show where children travel all over the solar system, from planet to planet, answering questions and winning great prizes. Now in it’s fifth year, this show is produced for RTÉ and broadcast on TG4.

HQ - HOLIDAY QUIZ

March 26th 2006 (1 Season)

Sean Moncrieff

RTE

The series was made by Vision Independent Productions for RTÉ; it combined elements of a travel programme with a family quiz show.

BOG STOP

2008 – present

Máire Treasa Ní Dhubhghaill

TG4

Produced by Abu Media

TEST THE TEACHER

2009

Kathryn McKiernan

RTE

PODGE & RODGE'S STICKIT INN

October 2009

RTE

Based on pub table quiz formula with celebrity guests.

WATCH YOUR LANGUAGE

2009

Roisín Ni Thomain

RTE

‘Watch Your Language’ was a rapid-fire language quizshow for 8-12 year olds from around the country.