Blankety Blank is a British comedy game show which first aired in 1979. The show is based on the American game show Match Game, with contestants trying to match answers given by celebrity panellists to fill-in-the-blank questions.
The original series ran from 18 January 1979 to 12 March 1990 on BBC1, hosted first by Terry Wogan from 1979 until 1983, then by Les Dawson from 1984 until 1990. A revival hosted by Paul O'Grady (under his drag alter-ego Lily Savage) was produced by Pearson Television's UK subsidiary Fremantle (UK) Productions for BBC One from 26 December 1997 to 28 December 1999, followed with ITV from 7 January 2001 to 5 October 2002 as Lily Savage's Blankety Blank.
David Walliams hosted a one-off Christmas special for ITV on 24 December 2016, with Bradley Walsh hosting a 2020 Christmas special of the show for the BBC, which in turn led to a second revival series that premiered on 2 October 2021.
On 29 July 2026, the BBC announced that it had axed the show as part of cost-cutting measures.
Format
Main game Two contestants compete, each attempting to match as many of the six celebrity panellists as possible in a series of fill-in-the-blank statements.
The main game is played in two rounds. The contestant with initial control in each round is given a blind choice of two statements, "A" or "B", and the host reads the chosen one aloud, with one word missing that is indicated by the word "blank". Statements are frequently written with comedic, double entendre answers in mind. A classic example: "Did you catch a glimpse of that girl on the corner? She has the world's biggest blank".
While the contestant thinks of an answer, the celebrities write their responses on cards, without conferring. Once all six have done so, usually indicated by the celebrities lighting up their name card, the contestant states their answer. The host then asks the celebrities to reveal theirs, one at a time. The contestant scores one point for each celebrity whose answer is either an exact match or reasonably close, as determined by a panel of off-screen judges. The opposing contestant then takes a turn with the unused statement.
Initial control of the first round is determined by coin toss, while the trailing contestant after the first round starts the second. Only the celebrities that a contestant fails to match in the first round participate on that turn in the second, so there is only ever a maximum of six points possible. This also increases the chance of a tie-break. If a contestant makes all six matches in the first round, they sit out for the second and the opponent is given one chance to tie the score. Should the trailing contestant fail to at least tie the score, the game ends immediately without the leader having to take a turn.
The high scorer after two rounds wins the game and advances to the Supermatch. Ties are broken with one final question in which both contestants write down their responses and the celebrities then give their answers, one at a time. The first contestant to raise their matching answer wins; if the tiebreaker ends with no winner, a new question is played.
The "A"/"B" choice was eliminated when Les Dawson became the host, and reinstated once Lily Savage succeeded him.
Supermatch The contestant is presented with a fill-in-the-blank phrase and must attempt to choose the most common response based on a studio audience survey. They may ask any three celebrities for help, then use one of those responses or offer one of their own. The contestant earns 150, 100 or 50 Blanks for matching the first, second, or third most popular answers, respectively. Failing to match any of these answers ends the round immediately.
A second main game is then played with two new contestants, and the winner plays the Supermatch as above. The winner who scores higher in the Supermatch becomes the day's champion; any ties are broken as in the main game. The champion then chooses one celebrity to match against on a short phrase, and an exact match doubles the number of Blanks earned in the Supermatch. Regardless of the outcome, the champion receives a prize whose value depends on the final total of Blanks. Each episode offers a star prize for 300 Blanks, requiring a contestant to match the most popular answer in their own Supermatch and win the head-to-head final.
On Lily Savage's Blankety Blank, the contestant with the highest Supermatch score or winner of a tiebreaker played the head-to-head round for an additional prize. In the current revival, both players play the tiebreaker even without a tie.
Supermatch prizes Prizes on British game shows prior to 1990 were poor by modern standards. The Independent Broadcasting Authority restricted the value of prizes on ITV shows, and BBC-programme prizes were also of a modest value. Channels regulated by the Independent Broadcasting Authority were limited to the giving away prizes with the maximum value usually being £1,750. The poor-quality prizes on Blankety Blank became a running joke throughout the show's various runs, particularly during the Dawson era. Dawson drew attention to the fact that the prizes were less-than-mediocre, often referring to the "fabulous prizes" in a sarcastic tone, or making outright jokes such as referring to them as "fire salvaged" prizes.
The consolation prize was the Blankety Blank chequebook and pen, which Dawson would often call "The Blankety Blank chequepen and book!" In 1993, the IBA prize limits had been lifted, and the star prize on the 1990s revival was generally a holiday.
Since the 2021 series, the Supermatch prizes consist of £500, £750, and something worth more than £750.
Celebrity panellists
Unaired pilots (1978) Pilot 1 – Bernard Cribbins, Shirley Anne Field, Lulu, Jimmy Perry, Marjorie Proops, Jerry Stevens Pilot 2 – Lennie Bennett, Jilly Cooper, Judy Cornwell, Wendy Craig, Peter Jones, Bill Tidy
Series 1 (1979) Show 1 (18 January 1979) – George Baker, Lennie Bennett, Lorraine Chase, Judy Cornwell, Wendy Craig, Bill Tidy Show 2 (25 January 1979) – Wendy Craig, Shirley Anne Field, David Hamilton, Karen Kay, Ron Moody, Patrick Moore Show 3 (1 February 1979) – Lorraine Chase, Jack Douglas, Diane Keen, Michael Parkinson, Beryl Reid, Ian Wallace Show 4 (8 February 1979) – Shirley Anne Field, Brian Murphy, Jon Pertwee, Beryl Reid, Isla St Clair, Bill Tidy Show 5 (15 February 1979) – Michael Barrymore, Liza Goddard, Peter Jones, Kate O'Mara, Margaret Powell, Bernie Winters Show 6 (22 February 1979) – Lorraine Chase, Paul Daniels, Anna Dawson, Derek Griffiths, Patrick Moore, Peggy Mount Show 7 (1 March 1979) – Faith Brown, Judy Cornwell, Windsor Davies, Peter Jones, Bobby Knutt, June Whitfield Show 8 (15 March 1979) – Janet Brown, Wendy Craig, David Jason, Alfred Marks, Ted Moult, Isla St Clair Show 9 (22 March 1979) – Marti Caine, Karen Kay, Diane Keen, Alfred Marks, Jerry Stevens, Bill Tidy Show 10 (29 March 1979) – Anna Dawson, Shirley Anne Field, Roy Hudd, Nicholas Parsons, Beryl Reid, Eddie Waring Show 11 (5 April 1979) – Faith Brown, Lorraine Chase, David Jason, Humphrey Lyttelton, Johnny More, Kate O'Mara Show 12 (12 April 1979) – Alexandra Bastedo, Peter Bull, Paul Daniels, Mollie Sugden, Bill Tidy, Dilys Watling Show 13 (19 April 1979) – Lennie Bennett, Liza Goddard, Nerys Hughes, Peter Jones, Una McLean, Patrick Moore Show 14 (26 April 1979) – Keith Harris (with Orville the Duck), Karen Kay, Diane Langton, Pete Murray, Isla St Clair, Jerry Stevens Show 15 (3 May 1979) – Lorraine Chase, Val Doonican, David Hamilton, Dickie Henderson, Karen Kay, Elaine Stritch Show 16 (10 May 1979) – David Copperfield, Paul Daniels, Stacy Dorning, Jack Douglas, Beryl Reid, Wanda Ventham
Series 2 (1979) Show 1 (6 September 1979) – Lennie Bennett, Patricia Brake, Shirley Anne Field, Roy Hudd, David Jacobs, Beryl Reid Show 2 (13 September 1979) – Wendy Craig, Jack Douglas, Judy Geeson, Eddie Large, Syd Little, Aimi MacDonald, Patrick Moore Show 3 (20 September 1979) – Lorraine Chase, Paul Daniels, Percy Edwards, Diane Keen, Roy Kinnear, Julia McKenzie Show 4 (27 September 1979) – Lennie Bennett, Rolf Harris, John Inman, Karen Kay, Barbara Kelly, Una Stubbs Show 5 (4 October 1979) – Lorraine Chase, Barry Cryer, Russell Harty, Lulu, Michael Parkinson, Beryl Reid Show 6 (11 October 1979) – Katie Boyle, Kenny Everett, Liza Goddard, Alfred Marks, Ted Moult, Una Stubbs Show 7 (18 October 1979) – Larry Grayson, David Jason, Moira Lister, Pete Murray, Isla St Clair, Barbara Windsor Show 8 (25 October 1979) – David Bellamy, Sandra Dickinson, Shirley Anne Field, Bobby Knutt, Alfred Marks, Julia McKenzie Show 9 (1 November 1979) – Amanda Barrie, Paul Daniels, Barbara Kelly, Sue Lawley, Patrick Moore, Richard O'Sullivan Show 10 (8 November 1979) – Janet Brown, Lorraine Chase, Deryck Guyler, Roy Hudd, David Jason, Lulu Show 11 (15 November 1979) – Dora Bryan, Henry Cooper, Windsor Davies, Larry Grayson, Aimi MacDonald, Françoise Pascal Show 12 (22 November 1979) – Lennie Bennett, Gemma Craven, David Hamilton, Willie Rushton, Una Stubbs, Barbara Windsor Show 13 (29 November 1979) – Arthur Askey, Anna Dawson, Sandra Dickinson, Terry Hall (with Lenny the Lion), Johnny More, Beryl Reid Show 14 (6 December 1979) – Arthur Askey, Wendy Craig, Liza Goddard, David Hamilton, Diane Keen, Derek Nimmo Show 15 (13 December 1979) – Pat Coombs, Jack Douglas, Judy Geeson, Keith Harris (with Cuddles the Monkey), David Jacobs, Beryl Reid Show 16 (20 December 1979) – Lorraine Chase, Henry Cooper, Kenny Everett, Thora Hird, Karen Kay, Roy Kinnear
Series 3 (1980) Show 1 (4 September 1980) – Katie Boyle, Janet Brown, Lorraine Chase, Barry Cryer, Val Doonican, Kenny Everett Show 2 (11 September 1980) – Paul Daniels, John Junkin, Barbara Kelly, Maureen Lipman, Patrick Moore, Madeline Smith Show 3 (18 September 1980) – Lennie Bennett, Judy Carne, Roy Kinnear, Julia McKenzie, Albert Pontefract, Nyree Dawn Porter Show 4 (25 September 1980) – Ray Alan (with Lord Charles), Christopher Biggins, Pat Coombs, Liza Goddard, Tom O'Connor, Beryl Reid Show 5 (2 October 1980) – Arthur Askey, Norman Collier, Sandra Dickinson, Diana Dors, David Hamilton, Isla St Clair Show 6 (9 October 1980) – Tim Brooke-Taylor, Windsor Davies, Carol Drinkwater, Alfred Marks, Beryl Reid, Barbara Windsor Show 7 (16 October 1980) – Norman Collier, Liza Goddard, David Jason, John Junkin, Annie Ross, Molly Weir Show 8 (23 October 1980) – Tim Brooke-Taylor, Lorraine Chase, Noele Gordon, Larry Grayson, Roy Hudd, Sylvia Syms Show 9 (30 October 1980) – Patti Boulaye, Paul Daniels, David Hamilton, Peter Jones, Libby Morris, Dilys Watling Show 10 (6 November 1980) – Lennie Bennett, Bernard Cribbins, Diana Dors, Jack Douglas, Karen Kay, Rula Lenska Show 11 (13 November 1980) – Isla Blair, Henry Cooper, Les Dawson, Brian Murphy, Beryl Reid, Isla St Clair Show 12 (20 November 1980) – Shirley Anne Field, Rolf Harris, The Krankies, Libby Morris, Tom O'Connor, Madeline Smith Show 13 (27 November 1980) – Patricia Brake, Judy Geeson, Roy Hudd, David Jacobs, Beryl Reid, Willie Rushton Show 14 (4 December 1980) – Kenny Everett, Pearly Gates, Maureen Lipman, Patrick Moore, Tony Selby, Sylvia Syms Show 15 (11 December 1980) – Lorraine Chase, Bernard Cribbins, Paul Daniels, Jill Gascoine, Pete Murray, Barbara Woodhouse
Series 4 (1981) Show 1 (3 September 1981) – Lenny Henry, David Jacobs, Roy Kinnear, Beryl Reid, Madeline Smith, Tracey Ullman Show 2 (10 September 1981) – Kenny Everett, David Hamilton, Sally James, Derek Nimmo, Wendy Richard, June Whitfield Show 3 (17 September 1981) – Katie Boyle, Lorraine Chase, Liza Goddard, Russell Harty, Roy Hudd, Jimmy Tarbuck Show 4 (24 September 1981) – Sandra Dickinson, Arthur English, John Junkin, Spike Milligan, Beryl Reid, Dilys Watling Show 5 (1 October 1981) – Frank Carson, Norman Collier, Anita Harris, Ruth Madoc, Patrick Moore, Madeline Smith