Bruce Forsyth and the Generation Game

The first presenter of The Generation Game was Bruce Forsyth, an entertaining old chap who put on a good show. The second presenter was Larry Grayson, who also did a good job. Forsyth returned to present the show for four years and then Jim Davidson took over in 1995. Davidson is a very good host and did a great job with snooker quiz show Big Break but he wasn't suited to The Generation Game which went downhill when he started presenting it.

Each week, four couples (not necessarily couples, they could be mother/son or father/daughter) would take part in activities ranging from making cakes to making balloon animals to performing sketches. Two of the couples would be knocked out if they had less points than the other. The remaining couples would then engage in a sketch (usually a play). One couple would win and go onto the conveyor belt where dozens of items ranging from teddy bears to bottles of wine would pass. Whatever they could memorize, they took home. That was the format of the show.

It was funny and original and original hosts Bruce Forsyth and Larry Grayson did a great job. As I said earlier, Jim Davidson did his best but quiz shows always suffer when the original host leaves. Also, during it's last years, the Generation Game format became quite boring as the games were usually either singing or dancing and each show just merged into the one previous.

But, it was fun whilst it lasted and did give me some happy memories so long live the Generation Game!