GENERATION GAME WITH BRUCE FORSYTH AND LARRY GRAYSON

I made several appearances in this show where I had to create a picture using dried flowers and leaves in just two minutes. I may have looked relaxed in these clips from the show but it was scary as one mistake or a gust of wind could have ruined the whole picture.

The Generation game was Saturday night’s prime time programme
during the 70’s and 90’s. The show topped viewer’s charts with audiences of over 25 million and was the most popular game show on British television. Original host was Bruce Forsyth and later came Larry Grayson with Forsyth returning to the show in 1990.
The programme involved various ‘games’ where teams of family members competed against other families.They had to perform simple, silly and messy pursuits like making marzipan elephants, creating an origami bird, guessing unusual objects, play acting
or throwing clay onto the potter’s wheel. At the end of the show winners had to choose their prizes from the famous conveyor belt which always included the CUDDLY TOY!

The idea for the Generation Game originated in Holland from the game show One of the Eight. Produced by Dutch television company Vara. Other countries in Europe such as Germany (Am Laufenden Band) and Sweden (Tjocka Släkten) also produced their own versions of this popular show.

The first time I took part in the Generation Game was in Larry Grayson’s first show after taking over as host from Bruce Forsyth. I was extremely excited to be involved in the production and like all other appearances that followed they were great fun to do but at the same time nerve racking. This was because the art work had to be done at great speed in fact in about 3 minutes! There was always a chance something could go wrong like the delicate dried flowers and leaves of my collage could shrivel up under the heat of the lights or a slight breeze could cause everything to blow away. On every show my breath was held till the art work was complete.

I liked Larry a lot and during that first show he immediately put me at my ease even though he was probably feeling extremely nervous himself considering the Generation Game was nothing like he’d ever done before. Also, he was taking over from the mighty Bruce Forsyth.

In a later series of the show it was a great pleasure to present my ‘game’ with Bruce Forsyth himself. His quick wit and comedy timings were so funny especially when it came to commenting on the contestant’s crazy efforts to create similar flowery & leafy collages like mine. Appearing with Bruce and Larry in those shows will always hold very special memories for me.