Exactly how we made Blind Date with Cilla dark | Game shows |

Alan Boyd, LWT head of activity


A standup comical called
Duncan Norvelle
managed a pilot bout of Blind Date for us. I thought of Cilla because of it at once, but I understood she failed to wish accept a moment tv show. She just wanted to perform shock shock. Then, someday, I mentioned: «Oh, by-the-way, We have a show you would certainly be lovely for, though I’m sure you’re not curious.» She responded: «Oh, I have seen anything i am interested in too – this Australian show called The Ideal fit.» We mentioned: «Funnily sufficient, that is just like the program i really want you to accomplish – except the only we have now seen could be the Dating Game from The usa.» So there it had been. What a bit of fortune.

She merely planned to perform six attacks, though, and didn’t might like to do
Wonder Surprise
also. We mentioned: «No, i want one carry out both.» And, after some marketing, she performed. In the pilot, Duncan hadn’t had the oppertunity to get the logistics, but Cilla was actually fantastic whatsoever the army-like manoeuvres – change kept here, check out that digital camera, introduce this today. She was a student in her component, an all natural making use of the young men while the ladies, hysterical from time one, and the public adored this lady. She wasn’t the big glamorous celebrity, she ended up being simply typical. She ended up being you.

«What’s the software,» she’d ask. «Who will we fulfill, what’s going to we use?» She must know every little thing. Even though the tv series had been never ever rehearsed, she’d plot it each week. She had been therefore professional and may handle any such thing: each time one thing nasty occurred, she only lit right up. The screen packed a few times as soon as it actually hit the lady. Cilla would love it, have a giggle, however it was actually actually very serious – it needed to be a surprise if the few saw one another!

I found myself uncertain regarding the way «our Graham» enunciated «It really is Blind Date!» initially, but our manufacturer said: «No, Alan, come on – why don’t we maybe not make use of the common voice the rest of us functions.» Immediately after which naturally everyone copied our Graham for good.

After a few years, more youthful producers wanted hostility, actually battles during times – but initially, all of our goal were to have a marriage every series. Cilla desired one, too. She wished to wear that popular green hat, the funny, furry quantity. Once we finally had gotten one, it was throughout the papers.

Blind Date went for 19 decades. Can you see your self doing a similar thing for 19 decades? But Cilla was actually of the same quality on day one as she is at the finish, always timely, constantly the pro’s specialist. Subsequently she stop on atmosphere just before she switched 60. There is no going back when you accomplish that. I found myself amazed it was not carried out in a conference, but In my opinion as soon as had come the other merely created this lady.

Cilla constantly used to state: «Boydy decided me personally because I found myselfn’t beautiful.» But that’s not quite the things I said. I stated We selected Cilla because she is perhaps not likely to make program hot. I didn’t state it had been because she had been sexless.

John Birt, LWT’s manager of programs, ended up being concerned the program might possibly be also sexy. Can you picture anyone in television experience that way today? He wanted to delay it: ITV was in the midst of an assessment, in which he believed it might harm the organisation’s future. Keep in mind, this is the mid-80s and a dating program had not ever been completed. We informed him
Noel Edmonds
would definitely make a move similar on The belated, later Breakfast program incase you don’t choose it and in addition we’re maybe not first, the footprint’s not inside sand, everybody will state we are copying all of them. But Noel never had been. I became fibbing.

Laurie Holloway, motif melody author


I became Alan Boyd’s lad, their go-to composer, having done Game for a Laugh and Beadle’s When it comes to. Eventually, the guy mentioned we have this brand new series, based on The Dating Game. The motif had a complete beat with words and everything.

And so I published a proper song labeled as we are Going on a Blind Date, something such as: «we are happening a blind date / Be sure that you are not later part of the / we are going to end up being with Cilla / and that is a lorra lorra thrilla.» We got it to Alan in which he stated: «Ugh, do you have other things?» He disliked the thought of the full tune. So I said: «think about, ‘Blind time, blind time – da da da da da da!’ and then he said, ‘That’s it!'»

It had been simply two notes, nonetheless they happened to be so strong. It should be probably one of the most recognisable theme songs ever, the sort of thing men and women would play undertaking the washing-up. One gentleman I found performed a headbanging remix that has been No one in the nightclub maps. It absolutely was nine moments long.The presenter Henry Kelly once requested myself: «How did you write Blind Date?» And that I replied: «I had written it from the website traffic lighting – and additionally they happened to be environmentally friendly!» He life thereon as a dinner laugh.