Why Game Shows Remain Prime Time Viewing In The UK

Written by: Tomas Mazowski, TV enthusiast and streaming expert
Last updated: July 24, 2025

There’s something very British about watching a classic game show on the telly after a day of work or as you’re sitting down for dinner. The show pulls you in with a quirky host, tense moments, tongue-in-cheek humour from the participants, and the enthusiasm of the audience when the contestant wins the challenge. 

Game shows have evolved over the years, including more technology and modern-day challenges, but the format has remained the same. It offers people like you and me the chance to win prizes, money, or a viral internet clip (here’s looking at you, The Chase!).

These shows bring us all together, often shouting answers at the TV, which is in part why it has remained a key part of UK Prime Time viewing.

History of Game Shows In The UK

To fully understand the hold that game shows have on UK viewers, we first need to look at the history of this type of broadcast.

• 1938: The first game show ever, Spelling Bee, is broadcast live. Contestants are asked to spell various words by the host, Freddie Grisewood, dressed in a schoolmaster outfit.
• 1940s: TV largely stopped during the Second World War.
• 1950s: BBC’s What’s My Line? graced our screens, and a version of this show continued until the 1990s. ITV came into existence, with shows like Take Your Pick and Double Your Money. Prize money was up to £5,000. During the late 50s, the game show craze took off. ITV was showing quizzes at prime time six nights a week. Shows included Dotto, Keep It In The Family, Spot The Tune, Twenty-One,and Criss Cross Quiz. 
• 1960s:Take Your Pickand Double Your Moneycontinued on into the 90s. A second BBC channel was introduced, with only one game show: Call My Bluff. Technological gimmicks were tested during this decade, with the Telebow in The Golden Shot.
• 1970s: Controversial comedian Benny Hill became popular on ITV, and the BBC responded by delivering viewing for “upstanding” middle-class families, with shows like Ask The Family and The Generation Game. The BBC strike stopped broadcasting in 1978, flooding over 21 million viewers to ITV’s Sale Of The Century. Other shows included Sale, Give Us A Clue,and The Krypton Factor. Betting game shows were becoming more popular, laying the groundwork for gambling enthusiasts today. Those who enjoy playing on non-Gamstop slots for the great rewards and lack of self-exclusion would’ve been great contestants on the betting show Winner Takes All, which aired in 1976. 
• 1980s: The Dungeons and Dragons trend inspired an adventure game show called The Adventure Game. Computers where becoming more mainstream and were introduced into childrens game shows like Beat The Teacher, Finders Keepers,and First Class. Adult shows also took a more digital approach. Action game shows became more common, with Treasure Hunt the first to feature a helicopter. Countdown aired on Channel 4 and remained a manual game show despite the rise in techy shows. Blockbusters was imported from the US.
  The mid–to-late 1980s saw many classics aired for the first time, including Family Fortunes, The Price Is Right, Blind Date, Game For A Laugh, Wheel of Fortuneand Bullseye. 
• 1990s: Game show budgets were increasing, and the shows were being influenced by broadcasts in other countries. Shows from previous decades were revived, with titles like The 64,000 Dollar Question, Generation Game,and Celebrity Squares gracing our screens once again. The recession in the mid-90s didn’t curb game show enthusiasm, with most shows offering life-changing prizes. For example, Raise The Roof gave contestants a shot at winning a £100,000 home. A UK version of the US show Gladiators was broadcast for the first time. Jonathan Ross became a household name with shows Star For A Night, Get Your Act Together, and The Big Big Talent Show. Cooking game shows became prime time staples (including Masterchef and Ready Steady Cook). Shows across genres aired, from dating to bargain hunting and robot wars.
• 2000s: Reality formats became more popular thanks to Big Brother, The Mole and Survivor. Game shows were played at all hours of the day across the BBC’s channels. ITV treated us to weekend entertainment with Pop Idol and Pop Stars.
  The first new game show to really get people talking is Deal or No Deal, offering a quarter of a million pounds as prize money. Simon Cowell became a popular host on Britain’s Got Talent and The X Factor.
  A strange trend was business-focused shows, like The Apprenticeand Dragon’s Den. 

A Country Of Gamers

It is clear from the long history of game shows in the country that the UK is a nation of game show lovers. But it’s not just the games on TV that hold our hearts; it’s gaming in general. We enjoy playing board games with the family, puzzles, online quizzes, and challenging mobile games. We have competitive esports teams, Twitch video game streamers, and those who enjoy playing Assassin’s Creed after work while waiting for the lasagna to reheat. Playing games is a favourite pastime of the country. 

And it’s this love of gaming that fuels our enjoyment of watching others participate in challenges on the screen. A game show offers the same entertainment value, excitement, and anticipation as playing a game at home, except you’re not directly involved and can sit back with a cup of tea while someone else endures the stress. 

Playing Along At Home

Did you ever try to beat the Blockbusters contestants or wonder how you would perform on Pop Idol? Growing up with these shows means that they’ve become a part of our psyche. The shows were not just playing in the background; many nights, they were the main prime time event. 

The hosts played a big part in our viewing experience, offering comic relief in tense moments or playing the role of educator. Game show hosts were invited into our living rooms each night, becoming an extension of our family. 

Today’s game shows are often rapid-paced, using lights, sounds, and technology to keep us engaged. The Chase is a quick-fire trivia show, Taskmaster requires contestants to figure out challenges (often resulting in laughs), and Pointless rewards those who don’t answer the obvious. This variety in game shows keeps us tuned in and playing along at home. 

5 Favourite Game Shows

Today’s top five most popular game shows in the UK, according to average monthly searches, are:

• Gladiators (296,000)
• Countdown (91,000)
• The Chase (82,000)
• Deal or No Deal (73,000)
• Pointless (50,000)

Final Thoughts

Prime time broadcasting has always had at least one game show feature across the many TV channels in the UK. This genre of television is a quintessential part of our lives as viewers, as most of us grew up with some version of a game show. And as classics continue to be revived and new shows are constantly invented, it seems likely that game shows will continue to be part of the future of UK television.