Bruce Forsyth and the Generation Game (1971–2005) User Reviews

It Was Good When Grayson And Forsyth Presented It

[Big Movie Fan · 16 March 2003]

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!

''Let's meet the eight that are going to generate!''

[Rabical-91 · 8/10 · 30 January 2018]

My rating in this review is mainly directed at the years that comedian Jim Davidson hosted this enjoyable little game show. No offence to Bruce Forsyth and Larry Grayson but they are not, in my opinion, in Davidson's league when it comes to presenting a game show. The fact that he was hosting another BBC game show at the same time as this ( which in this case was 'Big Break' ) is rather remarkable.

It was a fairly simplistic premise. A group of eight people would be required to watch a skilled professional perform a particular task such as baking or dancing. After watching them, the constestants would be required to do the same, with the professional giving scores on their attempts. Those with the lowest ranking score would be eliminated.

I have seen very little of this show since the '90's so I am not able to give a completely informative review but I remember enjoying it hugely at the time. Sketch comedy was sometimes present, such as Davidson's hilarious take-off of Rod Stewart peforming 'I Am Sailing'. Often appearing alongside Davidson was the sexy Melanie Stace, often seen wearing very alluring dresses and skirts.

More recently, Davidson has been scraping the barrel in regards to television work. In 2007, he appeared on ITV's 'Hell's Kitchen' ( in which he became an unfavourable target for the press when he labelled the overrated Brian Dowling as a 'shirt lifter' ) and in 2013 appeared on 'Celebrity Big Brother'. Don't remember an off-form Jim in those dire shows, remember Jim at his peak in this and indeed 'Big Break'.

Awful

[welshNick · 1/10 · 1 November 2007]

This show dominated the BBC1 early Saturday evening schedule for several years during the 70's and the 80's. Bruce Forsyth was the first presenter and despite those checked jackets he used to wear he did have a very good natural fast wit. He was aided by Anthea Redfern who was the resident eye candy. Larry Grayson took over and it started going downhill (if that was possible) very quickly. It was one gay joke after another and he seemed to say 'Seems like a nice boy' about every male guest who appeared. Less said about Jim Davidson the better ..... However, back to the show - couples from families would try their hand at doing various tasks, everything from making clay pots to taking part in a play. The big problem with this show was that a lot of the couples ended up being openly humiliated on TV purely for entertainment. The eventual winning couple would have a memory test on a conveyor belt and would win what they remembered which always included a cuddly toy and a fondu set. So, where did it all go wrong ? Like 3 2 1 the guests were all either wannabees or hasbeens and as stated earlier the cheap laughs at the contestant's expense. If a show like this was made nowadays you would have couples suing for being humiliated - honestly, we would.

People doing things they really shouldn't!!

[Jools-10 · 28 December 2000]

You take one male and one female either related or by marriage but one has to be a generation older than the other. So they have two couples doing stupid things like dancing and they bring another two couples in to do stupid things. They get judged and two couples leave and the last two couples do a sketch and one couple win. The winning couple then go on to memorise toys and appliances and what they remember they take home.