3-2-1
Encyclopedia
3–2–1 was a popular British
game show
that was made by Yorkshire Television
for ITV
. It ran for ten years, between 29 July 1978 and 24 December 1988. Throughout its run, the show was hosted by former Butlins
Redcoat
Ted Rogers. It was based on a Spanish gameshow called Un, dos, tres... responda otra vez
and was three shows in one, a quiz show, a variety show and a game show.
The show was a huge success consistently pulling in large ratings. The first series, though intended as a summer filler, attracted up to 16.5 million viewers and subsequent years never failed to peak below 12 million. The show occupied a Saturday early evening slot for most of its run.
The final Christmas special (broadcast on 24th December 1988) attracted 12.5 million viewers, so it was unclear why an 11th series was not commissioned in 1989. Ted Rogers claimed in a 1996 interview that "the Oxbridge lot who had got hold of TV by now did not want it as it was too downmarket for them, even though it was still getting 12 million viewers".
Each show had a theme, such as 'Seacruise' or the 'Swinging Sixties'. All of the variety acts, quiz questions, stage sets and clues subsequently followed this theme. In later series Dusty would appear in a costume relating to that week's theme. The changing themes were dropped for the final series where a more generic stage set was re-used each week.
1000 in the '1000 to 1 quiz'.
The first round consisted of a maximum of 10 questions (in 30 seconds), each correct answer being worth £10 (or in early series £1, but with three rounds available). Passes were permitted but there was no opportunity to return to the question. Each member of the couple answered in turn with the lady answering first and, because an incorrect answer, or if they run out of time would end the round, the first answer was given to them to avoid a zero score. This was important as each correct answer in the second round of questions was worth the total amount scored in round 1 and eliminated the possibility of couples leaving the show with absolutely nothing.
The questions were usually of the same 'word association' format. Ted Rogers would say, for example, an island and the contestants would have to name the country to which it belonged (e.g. Ted: "Gozo
", Contestant: "Malta
"). Another example would be people and their titles (e.g. Ted: "Elizabeth II", Contestant: "Queen").
In the earlier series the winners of the quiz would return the following week to compete again, while the other two couples would progress to part two, but in later series this changed to the worst performing couple being eliminated, taking home the money they won in the quiz and a ceramic model of Dusty Bin.
Dusty Bin was conceived as the booby prize by the show's producer Derek Burrel Davis and created as a cartoon character by the designer and animator John Sunderland, who also designed the opening and end titles and the themed 'costumes' for the Bin. Sunderland went on to design some of the most successful 'new-wave' populist museums in Britain, starting notably with the Jorvik Viking Centre in York, which like his Dustbin
became an overnight hit with the British public.
In the final series (1987–1988), the 1000 to 1 quiz was replaced by a general-knowledge, fingers-on-buzzers quiz. As before, three couples participated, but in just two rounds of questions. Each couple began with £10 and could earn another £10 for each correct answer. The first round required ten correct answers (in other words, the round would not end if ten questions had been read out and not all answered correctly). As soon as Ted started to ask the question, the couple who hit the buzzer first, after Ted had said their name, had three seconds to answer the question, and if they failed to answer the question in three seconds, or answered the question wrong, Ted would say "On Offer" and the other two couples would have a chance to answer the question. Again the couple who hit the buzzer first, after Ted had said their name, had three seconds to answer, and if they failed to answer the question in three seconds, or answer the question wrong, that question would go into the bin. Following the first round Ted would give the couples a break, while he introduced a "newcomer" to 3–2–1 (another addition to the final series). This was a chance for an act to perform, much like the later rounds as normal, though the "newcomer" had never appeared on 3–2–1 before. Following the newcomer act, round two of the quiz would be played, with only fifteen questions (the "x correct answers" rule did not apply in this round). As with previous series whatever money the couples had after the first round would be the value of the question to them, and it was the same format for answering the questions. The maximum a couple could win in this round was £1650 (as in the starting £10, ten first-round questions answered correctly plus all fifteen in the second round). At the end of the two rounds of questions, the couple with the least money would leave with the money they'd won and their ceramic Dusty Bin, then they would go to the commercial break.
.
as Ted sometimes called them) and read a corresponding rhyme to provide clues for that particular prize.
After three acts, the couples would decide on which object they would like to discard in the hope that it was Dusty Bin and then take part in the final elimination question. The losers would leave with the money they had won in Part 1 of the show, their ceramic Dusty Bin and a consolation prize (such as a twelve piece dinner service) and the winners would go through to part 3 of the show.
At the beginning of part 3 of the show, Ted would decode the clue and reveal the prize which the final couple rejected before the end of part 2 of the show. Another act would then perform and leave another clue, leaving three on the table. Ted would then re-read one of the earlier two clues, before the couple chose their second item to reject before that prize was then revealed to them.
The final variety act would perform and leave a last clue. Ted would then re-read one of the previous clues and the couple would reject their third item, and another prize was then revealed. Ted would then re-read the remaining two clues and the couple would be faced with their final decision leaving them with the prize they have chosen and ultimately won, after seeing what the other prize they had rejected was, and also with the prize they had won, they had the money they won in Part 1 of the show, and their ceramic Dusty Bin.
As well as Dusty Bin, which was always one of the five prizes, the other four prizes normally included a car and a holiday. Later series sometimes featured two cars as prizes.
The clues became notorious for being almost impossibly difficult and obscure, having only a remote connection to the prizes, which contestants sometimes did not appear to grasp even after Ted had revealed it to them. It has often been suggested that the clues had more than one possible explanation, allowing the producers to control which prize the contestants received. Indeed, in one episode, Ted jokingly said to confused contestants, attempting to make a decision: "well, the rhymes could mean anything, as you know"...
For example, a wishbone brought on by Sonny Hayes came with the clue "Take one that never changes, add a pub and a precious stone, bring them all up-to-date, and now you're on your own", which the contestants rejected hoping it referred to Dusty Bin. Rogers explanation of the clue was: "'Take one that never changes', well that could be Dusty Bin which of course is where you might throw a wishbone. 'Add a pub and a precious stone', well that doesn't point to Dusty. 'Bring them all up-to-date, and now you're on your own'. Well what about the wishbone? Sonny said 'a large wishbone', so what might a large wishbone come from? Something larger than a chicken. Turkey
maybe? Now 'one that never changes' is a constant, a pub can also be an inn, there's a lot of precious stones but how many go with 'constant inn'? How about opal? Yes, Constantinople
, up-to-date, the pride of Turkey
, you've rejected the 3–2–1 holiday!"
, Mike Newman, Felix Bowness
, Debbie Arnold
and Duggie Brown
. This format was changed for later series when each show featured a number of variety acts of the day as well as a house dance troupe such as the Brian Rogers Connection who would perform solos for the first act. They would later often dance behind the acts who would invariably top the bill. Previous dance/hostess troupes who appeared include "Lipstick" and "The Gentle Secs".
Other hostesses who appeared on the show include: Mireille Allonville, Jenny Layland, Patsy Ann Scott, Annie St. John, Karen Palmer, Gail Playfair, Tula, Alison Temple-Savage, Libby Roberts, Fiona Curzon, Karan David, Caroline Munro
and Lynda Lee Lewis.
Acts who appeared included: Gloria Gaynor
, George Roper
, Ken Dodd
, Duncan Norvelle
, Black Lace
, Bernie Winters
, Stutz Bear Cats, Kit and The Widow
, Wall Street Crash, Kiki Dee
, 'Nasty Nigel' Lythgoe
, Martin "The Beast" Francis, Tom Pepper, Fay Presto
, Pete Price
, Manhattan Transfer
, Shane Richie
, The Flaming Hamsters, Stan Boardman
, Fascinating Aida, Showaddywaddy
, Kajagoogoo
, Frankie Howerd
, Wilfrid Brambell
from Steptoe and Son
, Sinitta, Five Star
, Indigo Lady, Cheryl Baker
, Phil Cornwell
, Jaki Graham
, Nana Mouskouri
, The Chuckle Brothers, Mark Heap
(The Two Marks) and Vince Hill
.
As was the style of the day, the show often featured speciality acts such as a female singer who sang unconvincing renditions of popular songs whilst her male partner sketched caricatures of famous people connected with the song on a flip chart (e.g. a sketch of Marilyn Monroe
was drawn whilst the Elton John
song Candle in the Wind
was performed) who were Trevillian 9. The other songs performed were Smile (Though your Heart is Breaking), Eye of the Tiger
accompanied by sketches of Charlie Chaplin
and a boxer.
The prize announcers were: Anthony Schaeffer (1984–5) and later John Benson (1986–7), who had provided the famous voice over for Sale of the Century
.
. Dusty would appear at the very opening of the show's titles, coming to life by the pretitles Yorkshire Television
chevron logo, flying into him outside of the studios in Leeds. Dusty would also appear at the start of each show, dressed in the style of that week's theme, though this did not occur in the 1987 series, as these programmes did not have a theme as per previous series.
The cartoon character of Dusty Bin was created by freelance designer John Sunderland, who developed the character based on the show producers' brief for a booby prize which would work on the English version of the show. The original Spanish version had a pumpkin
as a booby prize. Sunderland's concept for the shows' original titles, which were shown on the original series, included the birth of the bin. The character came to life as YTV's chevron logo falls to earth after shooting up into the sky like a rocket above the studios, exploding in a dustbin standing by the studios stage door. The bin contained a clown's costume, parts of which become one with the bin, it to life as the character Dusty Bin; part dustbin, part clown
, part enduring iconic character.
The original robotic Dusty Bin, and his Yorkshire Terrier
Dog
Garbage, was put together by Ian Rowley, in his converted chapel workshop in Leeds. He used over 73 microprocessors, which was cutting edge 1980s remote control robotic technology in that day, at a cost around £10,000 to manufacture – which was a small fortune in those days – to control Dusty and Garbage, and in 154 shows, some of Dusty's & Garbage's antics included dressing up as a caveman and dinosaur, bull fighting as a matador and bull, dressing up as a baby, driving into the studio in a Ford Model T
, juggling
balls like a clown, playing the piano
like Elton John
, flying round the studio with a James Bond
jetpack, escaping from chains like Harry Houdini
, riding a bike, spraying Ted Rogers with paint and even driving a tank into the studio, to bomb the audience with confetti
.
included Dusty Bin in a parody of Phantom Menace; where Dusty Bin played Droid DB-321. Dawn French makes the 3–2–1 "hand signal" whilst she commands the droid in the guise of Queen Amanana (A parody of Queen Amidala).
Also, as part of Comic Relief 2007 , the BBC showed a short sketch based around The Proclaimers
' 1988 hit song "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)
". Directed by and starring Peter Kay
it featured Dusty Bin dancing with a gaggle of forgotten celebrities from the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. The song was released as a CD single and DVD.
The Class 321
trains were nicknamed 'Dusty Bins' due to the number bearing the same name as the game show.
The Burkiss Way
, a radio comedy show, parodied the show with sketch involving a final clue of 'It's a dustbin and not a car', which was revealed to be an anagram of 'It's a car and not a dustbin' and thus by rejecting it, the contestants had turned down winning a new car.
Another parody was performed by Russ Abbot
et al. The host - played by Les Dennis
- presents as the final clue a suitcase and the rhyme: "I pack my bags to go on one, and stay in a nice hotel, and see the sun shine through the palm trees; this a travel agent might sell". The eager contestants ( Russ Abbot and Bella Emberg
) pick this prize, certain it will be the car...
It turns out to be the bin.
In the Arctic Adventure Game "Planet of Death
" that was made for all major 8 bit computers in the early 80's, 321 was a major clue towards the end of the game. When the character got past the force field, they entered a room that contained their ship and the lift that would take them off the planet. However the lift is unpowered so on some further exploration the character comes across another room in which there are 3 switches and the clue reads – "3,2,1 – No Dusty Bin Rules"
version of 3–2–1 was released by Universal
in 2007. Hosted by Dusty Bin (though Rogers appears in series clips used for the game), it offers both questions from original broadcasts and current ones.
'). Other less extravagant prizes have included: a sofa
that turns into a pool table, gold nugget
s, a family set of folding bicycles and matching 'his and hers' sheepskin
coat
s.
DJ Janice Long
as a contestant alongside her then husband Trevor.
The Christmas editions of the show featured celebrities in place of regular contestants. The first Christmas show in 1978 featured three celebrity partners, paired according to their nationality. The winners were Ireland's Terry Wogan
and Clodagh Rodgers
. The pair eliminated the five prizes available for charity, becoming the series' first contestants to end up with the dustbin prize and thus earn nothing at all for their charity, much to their embarrassment. The following year, 1979, John Inman
and Barbara Windsor
were the winners and they too won the dustbin; but on this occasion, the prizes were all revealed to be 'junk' and the dustbin was in fact the star prize. Inman & Windsor were in on the set up and deliberately contrived to win the dustbin.
, airing on Saturdays and Sundays at 6pm until that channel's demise. The 1986 and 1987 series were once again shown on Challenge in July 2008, airing at 3am weekdays until 31st July 2008 when the license to all series of 3–2–1 expired.
In 2007, ITV produced a series looking back on the golden age of television titled That's What I Call Television hosted by Fern Britton
. On one of the editions, comedian Bradley Walsh who was co-presenting chose 3–2–1 as one of his favourite shows of the 1980s with a look back on the show's history and an interview with one of the couples that took part in the original series. Plus, a puzzle for Fern to solve that was actually read out by Ted Rodgers on 3–2–1.
From 4 June 2011, the 1986 and 1987 series were shown again on Challenge from Saturdays and Sundays at 4pm, almost exactly 3 years since they were last repeated on Challenge. On 3 November 2011, it was repeated again, but was shown in a 10pm slot on Thursdays and Fridays instead.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
game show
Game show
A game show is a type of radio or television program in which members of the public, television personalities or celebrities, sometimes as part of a team, play a game which involves answering questions or solving puzzles usually for money and/or prizes...
that was made by Yorkshire Television
Yorkshire Television
Yorkshire Television, now officially known as ITV Yorkshire and sometimes unofficially abbreviated to YTV, is a British television broadcaster and the contractor for the Yorkshire franchise area on the ITV network...
for ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
. It ran for ten years, between 29 July 1978 and 24 December 1988. Throughout its run, the show was hosted by former Butlins
Butlins
Butlins is a chain of large holiday camps in the United Kingdom. Butlins was founded by Billy Butlin to provide affordable holidays for ordinary British families....
Redcoat
Redcoats (Butlins)
Redcoat is the name given to frontline staff at Butlins holiday camps. A Redcoat may have many duties ranging from adult entertainer or children's entertainer to stewarding.-History:The first Redcoat was Norman Bradford...
Ted Rogers. It was based on a Spanish gameshow called Un, dos, tres... responda otra vez
Un, dos, tres... responda otra vez
Un, dos, tres... responda otra vez , often shortened as Un, dos, tres, and named Un, dos, tres... a leer esta vez in the last season, was a Spanish game show created by Narciso Ibáñez Serrador. The show, which ran from 1972 to 2004 spanning ten seasons, became the most famous game show in the...
and was three shows in one, a quiz show, a variety show and a game show.
The show was a huge success consistently pulling in large ratings. The first series, though intended as a summer filler, attracted up to 16.5 million viewers and subsequent years never failed to peak below 12 million. The show occupied a Saturday early evening slot for most of its run.
The final Christmas special (broadcast on 24th December 1988) attracted 12.5 million viewers, so it was unclear why an 11th series was not commissioned in 1989. Ted Rogers claimed in a 1996 interview that "the Oxbridge lot who had got hold of TV by now did not want it as it was too downmarket for them, even though it was still getting 12 million viewers".
The format
The overall objective of the game was to survive elimination through to part 3 of the show, and try to unravel a series of cryptic clues in order to win the star prize. One of the clues, however, referred to Dusty Bin who was the show's booby prize. If the contestants ended up with Dusty at the end of the show, all they got was a brand new dustbin.Each show had a theme, such as 'Seacruise' or the 'Swinging Sixties'. All of the variety acts, quiz questions, stage sets and clues subsequently followed this theme. In later series Dusty would appear in a costume relating to that week's theme. The changing themes were dropped for the final series where a more generic stage set was re-used each week.
Part 1: The 1000 to 1 quiz
In part 1 of the show, three couples have the chance to win up to £Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
1000 in the '1000 to 1 quiz'.
The first round consisted of a maximum of 10 questions (in 30 seconds), each correct answer being worth £10 (or in early series £1, but with three rounds available). Passes were permitted but there was no opportunity to return to the question. Each member of the couple answered in turn with the lady answering first and, because an incorrect answer, or if they run out of time would end the round, the first answer was given to them to avoid a zero score. This was important as each correct answer in the second round of questions was worth the total amount scored in round 1 and eliminated the possibility of couples leaving the show with absolutely nothing.
The questions were usually of the same 'word association' format. Ted Rogers would say, for example, an island and the contestants would have to name the country to which it belonged (e.g. Ted: "Gozo
Gozo
Gozo is a small island of the Maltese archipelago in the Mediterranean Sea. The island is part of the Southern European country of Malta; after the island of Malta itself, it is the second-largest island in the archipelago...
", Contestant: "Malta
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
"). Another example would be people and their titles (e.g. Ted: "Elizabeth II", Contestant: "Queen").
In the earlier series the winners of the quiz would return the following week to compete again, while the other two couples would progress to part two, but in later series this changed to the worst performing couple being eliminated, taking home the money they won in the quiz and a ceramic model of Dusty Bin.
Dusty Bin was conceived as the booby prize by the show's producer Derek Burrel Davis and created as a cartoon character by the designer and animator John Sunderland, who also designed the opening and end titles and the themed 'costumes' for the Bin. Sunderland went on to design some of the most successful 'new-wave' populist museums in Britain, starting notably with the Jorvik Viking Centre in York, which like his Dustbin
became an overnight hit with the British public.
In the final series (1987–1988), the 1000 to 1 quiz was replaced by a general-knowledge, fingers-on-buzzers quiz. As before, three couples participated, but in just two rounds of questions. Each couple began with £10 and could earn another £10 for each correct answer. The first round required ten correct answers (in other words, the round would not end if ten questions had been read out and not all answered correctly). As soon as Ted started to ask the question, the couple who hit the buzzer first, after Ted had said their name, had three seconds to answer the question, and if they failed to answer the question in three seconds, or answered the question wrong, Ted would say "On Offer" and the other two couples would have a chance to answer the question. Again the couple who hit the buzzer first, after Ted had said their name, had three seconds to answer, and if they failed to answer the question in three seconds, or answer the question wrong, that question would go into the bin. Following the first round Ted would give the couples a break, while he introduced a "newcomer" to 3–2–1 (another addition to the final series). This was a chance for an act to perform, much like the later rounds as normal, though the "newcomer" had never appeared on 3–2–1 before. Following the newcomer act, round two of the quiz would be played, with only fifteen questions (the "x correct answers" rule did not apply in this round). As with previous series whatever money the couples had after the first round would be the value of the question to them, and it was the same format for answering the questions. The maximum a couple could win in this round was £1650 (as in the starting £10, ten first-round questions answered correctly plus all fifteen in the second round). At the end of the two rounds of questions, the couple with the least money would leave with the money they'd won and their ceramic Dusty Bin, then they would go to the commercial break.
Part 2: The elimination
The elimination mechanism for reducing the remaining couples down to one changed over the course of the show. In the early years it was a physical game to fit in with the show's theme. This changed to the contestants competing head to head in a computer game (such as Breakout), and was finally amended to an elimination question which the last two couples would answer after seeing the first three variety acts in part 2 of the show. The commercial break followed the question, and in later series, a viewers' question was posed to win a 14 inches (355.6 mm) colour television, with 3 runners up getting a ceramic Dusty Bin. The entry form for that was in that week's edition of TV TimesTV Times
TVTimes is a television listings magazine published in the United Kingdom by IPC Media, a subsidiary of Time Warner. It is known for its access to television actors and their programmes. In 2006 it was refreshed for a more modern look, increasing its emphasis on big star interviews and soaps...
.
Part 3: The acts and prize clues
The final version of the show's format was amended so that from the beginning of part 2 of the show, the two remaining couples from the quiz watched the first three variety acts together. At the end of each act one of the performers would come over to the table and give Ted a clue object (or MacGuffinMacGuffin
A MacGuffin is "a plot element that catches the viewers' attention or drives the plot of a work of fiction". The defining aspect of a MacGuffin is that the major players in the story are willing to do and sacrifice almost anything to obtain it, regardless of what the MacGuffin actually is...
as Ted sometimes called them) and read a corresponding rhyme to provide clues for that particular prize.
After three acts, the couples would decide on which object they would like to discard in the hope that it was Dusty Bin and then take part in the final elimination question. The losers would leave with the money they had won in Part 1 of the show, their ceramic Dusty Bin and a consolation prize (such as a twelve piece dinner service) and the winners would go through to part 3 of the show.
At the beginning of part 3 of the show, Ted would decode the clue and reveal the prize which the final couple rejected before the end of part 2 of the show. Another act would then perform and leave another clue, leaving three on the table. Ted would then re-read one of the earlier two clues, before the couple chose their second item to reject before that prize was then revealed to them.
The final variety act would perform and leave a last clue. Ted would then re-read one of the previous clues and the couple would reject their third item, and another prize was then revealed. Ted would then re-read the remaining two clues and the couple would be faced with their final decision leaving them with the prize they have chosen and ultimately won, after seeing what the other prize they had rejected was, and also with the prize they had won, they had the money they won in Part 1 of the show, and their ceramic Dusty Bin.
As well as Dusty Bin, which was always one of the five prizes, the other four prizes normally included a car and a holiday. Later series sometimes featured two cars as prizes.
The clues became notorious for being almost impossibly difficult and obscure, having only a remote connection to the prizes, which contestants sometimes did not appear to grasp even after Ted had revealed it to them. It has often been suggested that the clues had more than one possible explanation, allowing the producers to control which prize the contestants received. Indeed, in one episode, Ted jokingly said to confused contestants, attempting to make a decision: "well, the rhymes could mean anything, as you know"...
For example, a wishbone brought on by Sonny Hayes came with the clue "Take one that never changes, add a pub and a precious stone, bring them all up-to-date, and now you're on your own", which the contestants rejected hoping it referred to Dusty Bin. Rogers explanation of the clue was: "'Take one that never changes', well that could be Dusty Bin which of course is where you might throw a wishbone. 'Add a pub and a precious stone', well that doesn't point to Dusty. 'Bring them all up-to-date, and now you're on your own'. Well what about the wishbone? Sonny said 'a large wishbone', so what might a large wishbone come from? Something larger than a chicken. Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
maybe? Now 'one that never changes' is a constant, a pub can also be an inn, there's a lot of precious stones but how many go with 'constant inn'? How about opal? Yes, Constantinople
Constantinople
Constantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...
, up-to-date, the pride of Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
, you've rejected the 3–2–1 holiday!"
Acts who appeared on the show
The early series of the programme featured a regular cast of comedy performers including Chris EmmettChris Emmett
Chris Emmett is a British actor and comedian best known for his work in the late 1970s on the BBC Radio 4 comedy The Burkiss Way. He was a regular on various series starring Roy Hudd, including The News Huddlines, The Newly Discovered Casebook of Sherlock Holmes, Huddwinks and Crowned Hudds...
, Mike Newman, Felix Bowness
Felix Bowness
Felix Bowness was an English comedy actor best remembered for his portrayal of the jockey Fred Quilly in the BBC sitcom Hi-de-Hi!.-Biography:...
, Debbie Arnold
Debbie Arnold
Jeanette Debbie Arnold is an English actress and voice artiste. She is best known for her work on British television, although she is also a veteran stage actress. She is one of the top voiceover artistes in England.-Career:Arnold was born into showbusiness...
and Duggie Brown
Duggie Brown
Duggie Brown is an English comedian and actor. He is the brother of the late Coronation Street actress Lynne Perrie ....
. This format was changed for later series when each show featured a number of variety acts of the day as well as a house dance troupe such as the Brian Rogers Connection who would perform solos for the first act. They would later often dance behind the acts who would invariably top the bill. Previous dance/hostess troupes who appeared include "Lipstick" and "The Gentle Secs".
Other hostesses who appeared on the show include: Mireille Allonville, Jenny Layland, Patsy Ann Scott, Annie St. John, Karen Palmer, Gail Playfair, Tula, Alison Temple-Savage, Libby Roberts, Fiona Curzon, Karan David, Caroline Munro
Caroline Munro
Caroline Munro is an English actress and model known for her many appearances in horror, science fiction and action films of the 1970s and 1980s.-Early career:...
and Lynda Lee Lewis.
Acts who appeared included: Gloria Gaynor
Gloria Gaynor
Gloria Gaynor is an American singer, best known for the disco era hits; "I Will Survive" , "Never Can Say Goodbye" , "Let Me Know " and "I Am What I Am" .-Early career:Gaynor was a singer with the Soul...
, George Roper
George Roper
This is an article about the British comedian. For information on the British sitcom character, see Man About the House.George Roper was an English stand-up comedian, best known for his appearances in the long-running UK television series The Comedians.- Early history :He was born George Francis...
, Ken Dodd
Ken Dodd
Kenneth Arthur Dodd OBE is a British comedian and singer songwriter, famous for his frizzy hair or “fluff dom” and buck teeth or “denchers”, his favourite cleaner, the feather duster and his greeting "How tickled I am!", as well as his send-off “Lots and Lots of Happiness!”...
, Duncan Norvelle
Duncan Norvelle
Duncan Norvelle is a comedian in the variety tradition who appeared on television from the early and mid-1980s. He is probably most famous for his catch phrase "Chase Me!", leading to him often being referred to as Duncan "Chase Me" Norvelle...
, Black Lace
Black Lace (band)
Black Lace is a British Euro pop band, best known for novelty party records, including their biggest hit, "Agadoo". The band first came to the public eye after being selected to represent the UK in the 1979 Eurovision Song Contest, in which they finished seventh with the song "Mary Ann"...
, Bernie Winters
Bernie Winters
Bernie Winters was an English comedian and the comic relief of the double act, Mike and Bernie Winters with his brother, Mike. He later performed solo, often with the aid of his St...
, Stutz Bear Cats, Kit and The Widow
Kit and The Widow
Kit and The Widow are a double act, performing humorous songs in the vein of Tom Lehrer or Flanders and Swann; they also cite Anna Russell as an influence. They are Kit Hesketh-Harvey and Richard Sisson . They have performed at the Edinburgh Fringe and in West End theatres, and accept private...
, Wall Street Crash, Kiki Dee
Kiki Dee
Kiki Dee is an English singer with a career spanning more than 40 years....
, 'Nasty Nigel' Lythgoe
Nigel Lythgoe
Nigel Lythgoe is an English television and film director and producer, and former dancer in the Young Generation and choreographer. He is noted for being the producer of the shows Pop Idol and American Idol as well as being a creator, executive producer and a regular judge for So You Think You Can...
, Martin "The Beast" Francis, Tom Pepper, Fay Presto
Fay Presto
Fay Presto is a British trans woman who is known as a magician and a member of The Inner Magic Circle. In 2001, Fay Presto played herself in ITV's Emmerdale. In 1998 she was voted ‘Party Entertainer of the Year’ by Tatler Magazine...
, Pete Price
Pete Price
Pete Price is a British media personality and radio presenter, based in Merseyside, England. He is best known for the Sunday night talk radio show Pete Price: Unzipped, broadcast across sister stations City Talk 105.9 and Radio City 96.7. The show is aired live from 10pm to 2am and follows an open...
, Manhattan Transfer
The Manhattan Transfer
The Manhattan Transfer is an American vocal music group. There have been two manifestations of the group, with Tim Hauser being the only person to be part of both...
, Shane Richie
Shane Richie
Shane Richie is an English actor, comedian, singer and media personality, known for his portrayal of the character Alfie Moon in the BBC One soap opera EastEnders.-Early life and career beginnings:...
, The Flaming Hamsters, Stan Boardman
Stan Boardman
Stan Boardman is an English comedian.- Early life :Boardman was evacuated with his family to Wrexham during World War II, and after the family returned to their Merseyside home mistakenly thinking the area had escaped the German bombs, his elder brother Tommy was killed in a bombing raid.He had...
, Fascinating Aida, Showaddywaddy
Showaddywaddy
Showaddywaddy are a 1970s pop group from Leicester, England. They specialised in revivals of hit songs from the 1950s and early 1960s, and dressed as Teddy Boys.-History:...
, Kajagoogoo
Kajagoogoo
Kajagoogoo are a British pop band, best known for their hit single, "Too Shy", which reached No. 1 in the UK Singles Chart and No. 5 on the U.S...
, Frankie Howerd
Frankie Howerd
Francis Alick "Frankie" Howerd OBE was an English comedian and comic actor whose career, described by fellow comedian Barry Cryer as "a series of comebacks", spanned six decades.-Early career:...
, Wilfrid Brambell
Wilfrid Brambell
Henry Wilfrid Brambell was an Irish film and television actor best known for his role in the British television series Steptoe and Son. He also performed alongside The Beatles in their film A Hard Day's Night, playing Paul McCartney's fictional grandfather.- Early life :Brambell was born in Dublin...
from Steptoe and Son
Steptoe and Son
Steptoe and Son is a British sitcom written by Ray Galton and Alan Simpson about two rag and bone men living in Oil Drum Lane, a fictional street in Shepherd's Bush, London. Four series were broadcast by the BBC from 1962 to 1965, followed by a second run from 1970 to 1974. Its theme tune, "Old...
, Sinitta, Five Star
Five Star
Five Star are a British pop / R&B group, formed in 1983. Comprising siblings Stedman, Lorraine, Denise, Doris and Delroy Pearson, they were known for their flamboyant image, matching costumes and heavily choreographed dance routines...
, Indigo Lady, Cheryl Baker
Cheryl Baker
Cheryl Baker is an English television presenter and singer. She is most famous for being a member of 1980s pop group Bucks Fizz, and has performed for the UK in the Eurovision Song Contest twice, winning it the second time.-Early career:After leaving school and a series of secretarial jobs, Cheryl...
, Phil Cornwell
Phil Cornwell
Phil Cornwell is an English comedian, actor, impressionist and writer. He is probably best known as being part of the Dead Ringers television and radio series...
, Jaki Graham
Jaki Graham
Jaki Graham is an English singer. Her biggest international success was reaching number one on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart in 1994, with her cover version of Chaka Khan's hit, "Ain't Nobody"....
, Nana Mouskouri
Nana Mouskouri
Nana Mouskouri , born Ioánna Moúschouri on October 13, 1934, in Chania, Crete, Greece, is a Greek singer who has sold about 300 million records worldwide in a career spanning over five decades, making her one of the best-selling music artists of all time. She was known as Nána to her friends and...
, The Chuckle Brothers, Mark Heap
Mark Heap
Mark Heap is an English actor. He began his acting career in the 1980s as a member of the Medieval Players, a touring company performing medieval and early modern theatre, and featuring stilt-walking, juggling and puppetry...
(The Two Marks) and Vince Hill
Vince Hill
Vince Hill is an English traditional pop music singer, songwriter and record producer.-Biography:...
.
As was the style of the day, the show often featured speciality acts such as a female singer who sang unconvincing renditions of popular songs whilst her male partner sketched caricatures of famous people connected with the song on a flip chart (e.g. a sketch of Marilyn Monroe
Marilyn Monroe
Marilyn Monroe was an American actress, singer, model and showgirl who became a major sex symbol, starring in a number of commercially successful motion pictures during the 1950s....
was drawn whilst the Elton John
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
song Candle in the Wind
Candle in the Wind
"Candle in the Wind" is a song with music by Elton John and lyrics by Bernie Taupin. It was originally written in 1973, in honour of Marilyn Monroe, who had died 11 years earlier....
was performed) who were Trevillian 9. The other songs performed were Smile (Though your Heart is Breaking), Eye of the Tiger
Eye of the Tiger
"Eye of the Tiger" is a single by American rock band Survivor, from their third album Eye of the Tiger. It was released as a single on May 29, 1982, the same year as the album. It was written at the request of actor Sylvester Stallone, who was unable to get permission for Queen's "Another One Bites...
accompanied by sketches of Charlie Chaplin
Charlie Chaplin
Sir Charles Spencer "Charlie" Chaplin, KBE was an English comic actor, film director and composer best known for his work during the silent film era. He became the most famous film star in the world before the end of World War I...
and a boxer.
The prize announcers were: Anthony Schaeffer (1984–5) and later John Benson (1986–7), who had provided the famous voice over for Sale of the Century
Sale of the Century
Sale of the Century is a television game show format that has been screened in several countries in various incarnations since 1969. The show found its biggest success in Australia, where it aired weeknights from 1980 to 2001...
.
Catchphrases
Although the show did not rely on catchphrases in the traditional sense, Ted Rogers would regularly make a lightning fast 3–2–1 hand gesture. This became an important gimmick of the show – and a school playground favourite – mainly because it was quite difficult to do, and resulted in a rude hand gesture if performed incorrectly. The correct way of doing the gesture is to hold up three fingers (index, middle, and ring), facing inward; two (index and middle) facing outward; and then one (index) facing inward, turning your hand as you change your fingers.Dusty Bin
Dusty Bin was both the show's "mascot" and its booby prizeBooby prize
A booby prize is a joke prize usually given in recognition of a terrible performance or last-place finish. A person who finishes last, for example, may get a booby prize such as a worthless coin. Booby prizes are sometimes humorously and jokingly coveted as an object of pride.Booby prizes, however,...
. Dusty would appear at the very opening of the show's titles, coming to life by the pretitles Yorkshire Television
Yorkshire Television
Yorkshire Television, now officially known as ITV Yorkshire and sometimes unofficially abbreviated to YTV, is a British television broadcaster and the contractor for the Yorkshire franchise area on the ITV network...
chevron logo, flying into him outside of the studios in Leeds. Dusty would also appear at the start of each show, dressed in the style of that week's theme, though this did not occur in the 1987 series, as these programmes did not have a theme as per previous series.
The cartoon character of Dusty Bin was created by freelance designer John Sunderland, who developed the character based on the show producers' brief for a booby prize which would work on the English version of the show. The original Spanish version had a pumpkin
Pumpkin
A pumpkin is a gourd-like squash of the genus Cucurbita and the family Cucurbitaceae . It commonly refers to cultivars of any one of the species Cucurbita pepo, Cucurbita mixta, Cucurbita maxima, and Cucurbita moschata, and is native to North America...
as a booby prize. Sunderland's concept for the shows' original titles, which were shown on the original series, included the birth of the bin. The character came to life as YTV's chevron logo falls to earth after shooting up into the sky like a rocket above the studios, exploding in a dustbin standing by the studios stage door. The bin contained a clown's costume, parts of which become one with the bin, it to life as the character Dusty Bin; part dustbin, part clown
Clown
Clowns are comic performers stereotypically characterized by the grotesque image of the circus clown's colored wigs, stylistic makeup, outlandish costumes, unusually large footwear, and red nose, which evolved to project their actions to large audiences. Other less grotesque styles have also...
, part enduring iconic character.
The original robotic Dusty Bin, and his Yorkshire Terrier
Yorkshire Terrier
The Yorkshire Terrier is a small dog breed of terrier type, developed in the 19th century in the county of Yorkshire, England to catch rats in clothing mills. The defining features of the breed are its size, to , and its silky blue and tan coat...
Dog
Dog
The domestic dog is a domesticated form of the gray wolf, a member of the Canidae family of the order Carnivora. The term is used for both feral and pet varieties. The dog may have been the first animal to be domesticated, and has been the most widely kept working, hunting, and companion animal in...
Garbage, was put together by Ian Rowley, in his converted chapel workshop in Leeds. He used over 73 microprocessors, which was cutting edge 1980s remote control robotic technology in that day, at a cost around £10,000 to manufacture – which was a small fortune in those days – to control Dusty and Garbage, and in 154 shows, some of Dusty's & Garbage's antics included dressing up as a caveman and dinosaur, bull fighting as a matador and bull, dressing up as a baby, driving into the studio in a Ford Model T
Ford Model T
The Ford Model T is an automobile that was produced by Henry Ford's Ford Motor Company from September 1908 to May 1927...
, juggling
Juggling
Juggling is a skill involving moving objects for entertainment or sport. The most recognizable form of juggling is toss juggling, in which the juggler throws objects up to catch and toss up again. This may be one object or many objects, at the same time with one or many hands. Jugglers often refer...
balls like a clown, playing the piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
like Elton John
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
, flying round the studio with a James Bond
James Bond
James Bond, code name 007, is a fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short story collections. There have been a six other authors who wrote authorised Bond novels or novelizations after Fleming's death in 1964: Kingsley Amis,...
jetpack, escaping from chains like Harry Houdini
Harry Houdini
Harry Houdini was a Hungarian-born American magician and escapologist, stunt performer, actor and film producer noted for his sensational escape acts...
, riding a bike, spraying Ted Rogers with paint and even driving a tank into the studio, to bomb the audience with confetti
Confetti
Confetti is a multitude of pieces of paper, mylar or metallic material which is usually thrown at parades and celebrations, especially weddings . Confetti is made in a variety of colors, and commercially available confetti is available in imaginative shapes...
.
In popular culture
In 1999, as part of their Christmas special entitled "The Phantom Millennium"; French and SaundersFrench and Saunders
French and Saunders is a British sketch comedy television show written by and starring comic duo Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders. It is also the name by which the performers are known on the occasions when they appear elsewhere as a double act....
included Dusty Bin in a parody of Phantom Menace; where Dusty Bin played Droid DB-321. Dawn French makes the 3–2–1 "hand signal" whilst she commands the droid in the guise of Queen Amanana (A parody of Queen Amidala).
Also, as part of Comic Relief 2007 , the BBC showed a short sketch based around The Proclaimers
The Proclaimers
The Proclaimers are a Scottish band composed of identical twin brothers, Charlie and Craig Reid . They are probably best known for the songs "Letter from America", "I'm On My Way" and "I'm Gonna Be ". The band tours extensively throughout Europe and other continents...
' 1988 hit song "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)
I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)
"I'm Gonna Be " is a song written and performed by The Proclaimers. It was released on their 1988 Sunshine on Leith album, and subsequently as a single. It has become one of their most popular songs, reaching No. 11 in the UK charts and No. 1 on the Australian ARIA Charts in 1989, plus, five years...
". Directed by and starring Peter Kay
Peter Kay
Peter John Kay is an English comedian, writer, actor, director and producer. His work includes That Peter Kay Thing , Phoenix Nights , Max and Paddy's Road to Nowhere , Britain's Got the Pop Factor... and other independent productions which have included two sell out tours.-Early career:Peter Kay...
it featured Dusty Bin dancing with a gaggle of forgotten celebrities from the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. The song was released as a CD single and DVD.
The Class 321
British Rail Class 321
The British Rail Class 321 alternating current electric multiple units were built by BREL York in three batches from 1988-91. The design was successful and led to the development of the similar Class 320 and Class 322 units for use by Strathclyde PTE and Stansted Express respectively...
trains were nicknamed 'Dusty Bins' due to the number bearing the same name as the game show.
The Burkiss Way
The Burkiss Way
The Burkiss Way was a BBC Radio 4 sketch comedy series broadcast from August 1976 to November 1980. It was written by Andrew Marshall and David Renwick, with additional material in early episodes by John Mason, Colin Bostock-Smith, Douglas Adams, John Lloyd and others. The show starred Denise...
, a radio comedy show, parodied the show with sketch involving a final clue of 'It's a dustbin and not a car', which was revealed to be an anagram of 'It's a car and not a dustbin' and thus by rejecting it, the contestants had turned down winning a new car.
Another parody was performed by Russ Abbot
Russ Abbot
Russ Abbot is an English musician, comedian and actor who first came to public notice during the 1970s as the singer and drummer with British comedy showband the Black Abbots, later forging a prominent solo career as a television comedian with his own weekly show on British television.Continuing...
et al. The host - played by Les Dennis
Les Dennis
Les Dennis is an English comedian, television presenter and actor best known as the host of Family Fortunes for 15 years.-Early life:...
- presents as the final clue a suitcase and the rhyme: "I pack my bags to go on one, and stay in a nice hotel, and see the sun shine through the palm trees; this a travel agent might sell". The eager contestants ( Russ Abbot and Bella Emberg
Bella Emberg
Bella Emberg is a British actress probably best known for her appearances on The Benny Hill Show and The Russ Abbot Show, where she notably played Blunderwoman...
) pick this prize, certain it will be the car...
It turns out to be the bin.
In the Arctic Adventure Game "Planet of Death
Adventure A
Adventure A: Planet of Death is a 1981 adventure game from Artic Computing for the ZX81 and ZX Spectrum computers. In this adventure, the player is stranded on an alien planet. The aim is to escape from this planet by finding his or her captured and disabled spaceship...
" that was made for all major 8 bit computers in the early 80's, 321 was a major clue towards the end of the game. When the character got past the force field, they entered a room that contained their ship and the lift that would take them off the planet. However the lift is unpowered so on some further exploration the character comes across another room in which there are 3 switches and the clue reads – "3,2,1 – No Dusty Bin Rules"
DVD game
An interactive DVDDVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
version of 3–2–1 was released by Universal
Universal Studios
Universal Pictures , a subsidiary of NBCUniversal, is one of the six major movie studios....
in 2007. Hosted by Dusty Bin (though Rogers appears in series clips used for the game), it offers both questions from original broadcasts and current ones.
The prizes
3–2–1 was famous for its cheap and tacky prizes and for couples taking home only a brand new metal dustbin if the final clue revealed was Dusty Bin. However 3–2–1 has also become notorious for prizes that would be unacceptable today. On at least two occasions a pet dog was the prize (Show 1 featured 'a St. Bernard and a year's supply of whiskyWhisky
Whisky or whiskey is a type of distilled alcoholic beverage made from fermented grain mash. Different grains are used for different varieties, including barley, malted barley, rye, malted rye, wheat, and corn...
'). Other less extravagant prizes have included: a sofa
Couch
A couch, also called a sofa, is an item of furniture designed to seat more than one person, and providing support for the back and arms. Typically, it will have an armrest on either side. In homes couches are normally found in the family room, living room, den or the lounge...
that turns into a pool table, gold nugget
Gold nugget
A gold nugget is a naturally occurring piece of native gold. Watercourses often concentrate and grow the nuggets. Nuggets are recovered by placer mining, but they are also found in residual deposits where the gold-bearing veins or lodes are weathered...
s, a family set of folding bicycles and matching 'his and hers' sheepskin
Sheepskin
Sheepskin is the hide of a sheep, sometimes also called lambskin or lambswool.Sheepskin may also refer to:* Parchment, a thin material made from calfskin, sheepskin or goatskin** Diploma, originally made of sheepskin...
coat
Coat (clothing)
A coat is a long garment worn by both men and women, for warmth or fashion. Coats typically have long sleeves and are open down the front, closing by means of buttons, zippers, hook-and-loop fasteners, toggles, a belt, or a combination of some of these...
s.
Famous contestants
The very first 1978 show featured an early TV appearance of the then unknown Radio 1BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
DJ Janice Long
Janice Long
Janice Long is an English radio broadcaster currently working on BBC Radio 2. Her show is on Sunday to Thursday nights from midnight to 02:00. She is the older sister of TV and radio personality Keith Chegwin.-Early career:...
as a contestant alongside her then husband Trevor.
The Christmas editions of the show featured celebrities in place of regular contestants. The first Christmas show in 1978 featured three celebrity partners, paired according to their nationality. The winners were Ireland's Terry Wogan
Terry Wogan
Sir Michael Terence Wogan, KBE, DL , or also known as Terry Wogan, is a veteran Irish radio and television broadcaster who holds dual Irish and British citizenship. Wogan has worked for the BBC in the United Kingdom for most of his career...
and Clodagh Rodgers
Clodagh Rodgers
Clodagh Rodgers is a singer and actress from Northern Ireland, best known for her hit single, "Jack in the Box".-Career:...
. The pair eliminated the five prizes available for charity, becoming the series' first contestants to end up with the dustbin prize and thus earn nothing at all for their charity, much to their embarrassment. The following year, 1979, John Inman
John Inman
Frederick John Inman was an English actor best known for his role as Mr. Humphries in Are You Being Served?, a British sitcom in the 1970s and 1980s. Inman was also well known in the United Kingdom as a pantomime dame....
and Barbara Windsor
Barbara Windsor
Barbara Ann Windsor, MBE , better known by her stage name Barbara Windsor, is an English actress. Her best known roles are in the Carry On films and as Peggy Mitchell in the BBC soap opera EastEnders....
were the winners and they too won the dustbin; but on this occasion, the prizes were all revealed to be 'junk' and the dustbin was in fact the star prize. Inman & Windsor were in on the set up and deliberately contrived to win the dustbin.
Recent history
Re-runs were broadcast on Challenge from 1997 onwards. From January to February 2007, the 1986 and 1987 series were shown on Challenge at 7am from Mondays to Fridays. From August to October 2007, both the 1986 and 1987 series were shown on Challenge's sister channel FtnFtn
Ftn was a television channel from Virgin Media Television transmitting free-to-air on Freeview and Virgin Media, and as a subscription channel on Sky Digital. The channel was broadcast between 18:00 and 06:00 daily...
, airing on Saturdays and Sundays at 6pm until that channel's demise. The 1986 and 1987 series were once again shown on Challenge in July 2008, airing at 3am weekdays until 31st July 2008 when the license to all series of 3–2–1 expired.
In 2007, ITV produced a series looking back on the golden age of television titled That's What I Call Television hosted by Fern Britton
Fern Britton
Fern Britton is an English television presenter, known as the former main co-presenter on the ITV magazine programme This Morning alongside Phillip Schofield. She left the show on 17 July 2009, her 52nd birthday.- Early life :...
. On one of the editions, comedian Bradley Walsh who was co-presenting chose 3–2–1 as one of his favourite shows of the 1980s with a look back on the show's history and an interview with one of the couples that took part in the original series. Plus, a puzzle for Fern to solve that was actually read out by Ted Rodgers on 3–2–1.
From 4 June 2011, the 1986 and 1987 series were shown again on Challenge from Saturdays and Sundays at 4pm, almost exactly 3 years since they were last repeated on Challenge. On 3 November 2011, it was repeated again, but was shown in a 10pm slot on Thursdays and Fridays instead.
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- This show was postponed from 25 December 1978 because of a strike at Yorkshire Television which had taken the company off the air and prevented any of its shows from being transmitted to the network.
- This show was transmitted on 4 September on Granada TelevisionGranada TelevisionGranada Television is the ITV contractor for North West England. Based in Manchester since its inception, it is the only surviving original ITA franchisee from 1954 and is ITV's most successful....
because of football coverage.