Bingo Night Live
Encyclopedia
Bingo Night Live was an interactive television programme featuring a free-to-play bingo game, broadcast in the United Kingdom
(except in northern and central Scotland
) on the ITV Network
. It aired between 4 June 2008 and 15 November 2008.
to some criticism, attracting significant negative publicity for the group, initially for the perceived poor quality of the shows provided. More criticism was to come when several British TV companies were caught up in a series of scandals related to the manipulation of phone-in quizzes, and the significant revenues generated from Premium rate telephone numbers.
Following investigation by UK regulator Ofcom
, the ITV Play
channel was axed shortly afterwards but with programmes retained on the ITV Network after midnight. It was announced on 12 September 2007 that ITV was to close the ITV Play brand and its shows on the ITV Network 'by the end of 2007'.
The final edition of Glitterball
was broadcast on 30 September 2007. Make Your Play
was then extended to 6 nights a week, until the closure of the brand on 23 December 2007. ITV Play on digital channel ITV2 ended at the start of November 2007. The ITV Play website was renamed as ITV Games in September 2007, with the ITV Play brand only used for itv.com's Bingo, Casino and Poker websites.
Having introduced a documentary series Nightwatch with Steve Scott
to fill the slot, ITV advertisers wanted a return to a more youth-oriented game show format.
Bingo Night Live was a simple and free bingo game, split into:
The show originally aired five times per week (Tuesday to Saturday), and were presented by a total of three presenters:
Before play started, UK astrologer Russell Grant
gave a pre-recorded view of the players' possibilities of winning according to their astrological sign.
At moments during each bingo game, the game was stopped and statistician controller Nichola Dixon provided player statistics, lucky star signs, facts and figures, based on live data of players active during that specific show.
Each of the first two games were followed by phone-in interactive games, initially fronted by Melinda Messenger. These provided additional cash prizes to be won, with normally two extra games played, such as "Magic Numbers" and "Minute to Win It". Later, this was reduced to one phone-in game. After her departure, Jenny Powell replaced Messenger as hostess of this part of the show, until Powell's absence through pregnancy led to Nichola Dixon being required to cover. This meant that occasionally there were only two presenters for the whole programme.
On 30 August 2008, it was announced a fourth game of Bingo (the purple game) would be introduced, to compensate for the reduction in the number of shows from five to three per week. "Minute to Win It" was removed, though the "Magic Number" game remained. New segments such as "Movie Reviews" were introduced. The podium from where the phone-in games were played was moved closer to statistician's desk, meaning that only two presenters were required. The section of the stage where all three presenters had stood at the start of each show was removed.
On 2 October 2008, it was announced that the Golden Jackpot bonus, which had been increasing by £500 since launch night without being won, would be given away on 10 October 2008 to the winner of a full house on the final game, provided it was not won through the normal rules before that point. The amount guaranteed to be given away was £60,000. On the night, Michael from Margate won a total of £60,500 on the blue game, the winning prize including the full house win of £500 plus the jackpot of £60,000. At the end of the show, it was announced by an official adjudicator of the Guinness Book of World Records that the Bingo Night Live players had made a world record for the world’s largest online bingo game, and that every valid player involved in the show would get their own Guinness World Record certificate.
On 19 October 2008, the "Minute To Win It" phone-in game returned each Saturday, giving magic number winners from Wednesday, Thursday and Friday the chance of a £500 win. From this point, the show increased to four nights per week (Wednesday to Saturday). Additionally, the purple bingo game was turned into a turbo round where there was no one-line or two-line win, only the full house win with a chance of the golden jackpot. The numbers were read out at twice the normal speed, accompanied by a faster remix of the original background music.
On 8 November 2008, it was announced that Bingo Night Live would be coming to an end, with the final show being aired on 15 November 2008. During the show on 14 November 2008, it was announced that - as with the show on 10 October 2008 - the Golden Jackpot would be won again on the final show, if not won beforehand. Mike Toolan and Jayne Sharp were the presenters of the final show, during which it was announced that over the 6 months of broadcasting, prizes totalling £500,000 had been won by 15,000 winners.
in Manchester.
The registration service and the actual game was technically run by partner The Gaming Channel, a division of Mirada plc, via its subsidiary Gaming Channel Bookmakers Ltd which was licensed to run the game by the UK Gaming Commission. Participants could then either play by printing out their cards and playing in standard "dobbing" format with a pen; online live where the computer marks their card in front of them; or online automatically, where by the participant did not need to watch the show.
ITV plc claimed that Bingo Night Live boasted the biggest Bingo set on television – "all designed to give viewers all the entertainment, tension and drama you'd expect from a great game of Bingo – but all in the comfort of your own home." The numbers drawn during each game show up on the large "Wall of Numbers" and were marked as they are called by the presenter. The game was stopped as both participants won the various prizes, as well as to increase player tension when statistician controller Dixon showed player statistics, lucky star signs, facts and figures.
and STV Central
) could view the show through Sky Digital
on the ITV1 London
feed, on Virgin Media
on the ITV audio description service, or online at itv.com
.
area. The show was replaced with re-runs of Creature Comforts
and TV's Naughtiest Blunders
. An email explaining the fault was sent to all players telling them "You do not need to do anything further; your cards will be automatically carried across to tonight’s show and entered into the next games".
Further technical problems were encountered on 26 October 2008 where the second game of the show ran in to difficulties after the second number was called. The game was abandoned whilst on air, although it continued to run via the Bingo Night Live website. The show was temporarily replaced with a rerun of Creature Comforts
while the problems were resolved, before coming back on air for the two remaining games of the night.
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...
(except in northern and central Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
) on the ITV Network
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 aired between 4 June 2008 and 15 November 2008.
Background
ITV had introduced ITV PlayITV Play
ITV Play was a 24/7 participation television channel in the United Kingdom owned by ITV plc. The ITV Play name continued on the ITV Network until December 2007....
to some criticism, attracting significant negative publicity for the group, initially for the perceived poor quality of the shows provided. More criticism was to come when several British TV companies were caught up in a series of scandals related to the manipulation of phone-in quizzes, and the significant revenues generated from Premium rate telephone numbers.
Following investigation by UK regulator Ofcom
Ofcom
Ofcom is the government-approved regulatory authority for the broadcasting and telecommunications industries in the United Kingdom. Ofcom was initially established by the Office of Communications Act 2002. It received its full authority from the Communications Act 2003...
, the ITV Play
ITV Play (channel)
ITV Play was a 24/7 participation television channel in the United Kingdom owned by ITV plc. The ITV Play name continued on the ITV Network until December 2007....
channel was axed shortly afterwards but with programmes retained on the ITV Network after midnight. It was announced on 12 September 2007 that ITV was to close the ITV Play brand and its shows on the ITV Network 'by the end of 2007'.
The final edition of Glitterball
Glitterball
Glitterball was a live, late night, interactive television quiz show in the United Kingdom. It was broadcast under the ITV Play branding on ITV a few nights a week from around midnight , and from 1.00am on ITV2. The show launched on 19 February 2007. Both Glitterball and Make Your Play alternated...
was broadcast on 30 September 2007. Make Your Play
Make Your Play
Make Your Play was a live, interactive quiz show, showing in the UK on the ITV Network, from Monday to Saturday, beginning after midnight. The show was launched on Friday September 29, 2006 on ITV and ITV Play....
was then extended to 6 nights a week, until the closure of the brand on 23 December 2007. ITV Play on digital channel ITV2 ended at the start of November 2007. The ITV Play website was renamed as ITV Games in September 2007, with the ITV Play brand only used for itv.com's Bingo, Casino and Poker websites.
Having introduced a documentary series Nightwatch with Steve Scott
Nightwatch with Steve Scott
Nightwatch with Steve Scott is a weekday late-night documentary series on ITV, first broadcast on 8 January 2008. The series is presented by ITV News presenter Steve Scott and is produced by ITV Central. Nightwatch features various regional ITV programmes focusing on crime and emergency services....
to fill the slot, ITV advertisers wanted a return to a more youth-oriented game show format.
Format
- Four (originally three) games of bingo (green, orange, blue and - added later - purple cards). Prizes were given for:
- One line
- Two lines
- A "Golden Jackpot" prize, starting at £25,000 on launch night, given for a full card with less than 32 numbers called
- A full ticket ('Full House')
The show originally aired five times per week (Tuesday to Saturday), and were presented by a total of three presenters:
- a game caller (Anthony CrankAnthony CrankAnthony Crank is a British television presenter, journalist and actor, probably best known for his work on Channel 4's T4, MTV and Bingo Night Live on ITV1.-Career:...
, Michael UnderwoodMichael UnderwoodMichael Paul Underwood is a British television presenter. He famously won a six week CBBC presenting contract on Gaby Roslin's BBC television show Whatever You Want.-Career:...
or Mike Toolan) - a statistician (Nichola DixonNichola DixonNichola Dixon is a British television presenter, best known as a co-presenter of ITV1's interactive game show, Bingo Night Live....
) - a supporting presenter for the phone-in segments of the show (Melinda MessengerMelinda MessengerMelinda Jayne Messenger is an English ex-glamour model, Page 3 Girl and a former presenter on the magazine programme Live from Studio Five. She is currently co-broadcaster of the reality show Cowboy Builders.-Biography:...
or Jenny PowellJenny PowellJenny Powell , is a British television presenter.-Early life:Powell's parents are from South Africa, she attended Woodford County High School for Girls in Woodford Green and the Italia Conti school in London.-Career:...
)
Before play started, UK astrologer Russell Grant
Russell Grant
Russell John Dammerall Grant is a British astrologer and media personality. He has written several books on Astrology, provides syndicated newspaper horoscopes and operates premium rate astrology phone lines. In March 2010, he began offering a "Pet Psychic" service...
gave a pre-recorded view of the players' possibilities of winning according to their astrological sign.
At moments during each bingo game, the game was stopped and statistician controller Nichola Dixon provided player statistics, lucky star signs, facts and figures, based on live data of players active during that specific show.
Each of the first two games were followed by phone-in interactive games, initially fronted by Melinda Messenger. These provided additional cash prizes to be won, with normally two extra games played, such as "Magic Numbers" and "Minute to Win It". Later, this was reduced to one phone-in game. After her departure, Jenny Powell replaced Messenger as hostess of this part of the show, until Powell's absence through pregnancy led to Nichola Dixon being required to cover. This meant that occasionally there were only two presenters for the whole programme.
On 30 August 2008, it was announced a fourth game of Bingo (the purple game) would be introduced, to compensate for the reduction in the number of shows from five to three per week. "Minute to Win It" was removed, though the "Magic Number" game remained. New segments such as "Movie Reviews" were introduced. The podium from where the phone-in games were played was moved closer to statistician's desk, meaning that only two presenters were required. The section of the stage where all three presenters had stood at the start of each show was removed.
On 2 October 2008, it was announced that the Golden Jackpot bonus, which had been increasing by £500 since launch night without being won, would be given away on 10 October 2008 to the winner of a full house on the final game, provided it was not won through the normal rules before that point. The amount guaranteed to be given away was £60,000. On the night, Michael from Margate won a total of £60,500 on the blue game, the winning prize including the full house win of £500 plus the jackpot of £60,000. At the end of the show, it was announced by an official adjudicator of the Guinness Book of World Records that the Bingo Night Live players had made a world record for the world’s largest online bingo game, and that every valid player involved in the show would get their own Guinness World Record certificate.
On 19 October 2008, the "Minute To Win It" phone-in game returned each Saturday, giving magic number winners from Wednesday, Thursday and Friday the chance of a £500 win. From this point, the show increased to four nights per week (Wednesday to Saturday). Additionally, the purple bingo game was turned into a turbo round where there was no one-line or two-line win, only the full house win with a chance of the golden jackpot. The numbers were read out at twice the normal speed, accompanied by a faster remix of the original background music.
On 8 November 2008, it was announced that Bingo Night Live would be coming to an end, with the final show being aired on 15 November 2008. During the show on 14 November 2008, it was announced that - as with the show on 10 October 2008 - the Golden Jackpot would be won again on the final show, if not won beforehand. Mike Toolan and Jayne Sharp were the presenters of the final show, during which it was announced that over the 6 months of broadcasting, prizes totalling £500,000 had been won by 15,000 winners.
Production
The show was produced in a one-hour format by A2 Media Group on behalf of ITV, with the first show televised from 4 June 2008. The programme was broadcast from the studios of Granada TelevisionGranada Television
Granada 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....
in Manchester.
The registration service and the actual game was technically run by partner The Gaming Channel, a division of Mirada plc, via its subsidiary Gaming Channel Bookmakers Ltd which was licensed to run the game by the UK Gaming Commission. Participants could then either play by printing out their cards and playing in standard "dobbing" format with a pen; online live where the computer marks their card in front of them; or online automatically, where by the participant did not need to watch the show.
ITV plc claimed that Bingo Night Live boasted the biggest Bingo set on television – "all designed to give viewers all the entertainment, tension and drama you'd expect from a great game of Bingo – but all in the comfort of your own home." The numbers drawn during each game show up on the large "Wall of Numbers" and were marked as they are called by the presenter. The game was stopped as both participants won the various prizes, as well as to increase player tension when statistician controller Dixon showed player statistics, lucky star signs, facts and figures.
STV
Bingo Night Live was not broadcast on STV (the ITV broadcaster in northern and central Scotland), reportedly owing to a dispute over costs and associated advertising revenues. However, viewers in the two STV regions (STV NorthGrampian Television
Grampian Television is the ITV franchisee for the North and North East of Scotland. Its coverage area includes the Scottish Highlands , Inverness, Aberdeen, Dundee and parts of north Fife...
and STV Central
Scottish Television
Scottish Television is Scotland's largest ITV franchisee, and has held the ITV franchise for Central Scotland since 31 August 1957. It is the second oldest ITV franchisee still active...
) could view the show through Sky Digital
Sky Digital (UK & Ireland)
Sky is the brand name for British Sky Broadcasting's digital satellite television and radio service, transmitted from SES Astra satellites located at 28.2° east and Eutelsat's Eurobird 1 satellite at 28.5°E. The service was originally launched as Sky Digital, distinguishing it from the original...
on the ITV1 London
ITV London
ITV London is the on-air brand name used by ITV Broadcasting Limited for the two Channel 3 broadcast franchises, Carlton Television and London Weekend Television in the London ITV region.-History:...
feed, on Virgin Media
Virgin Media
Virgin Media Inc. is a company which provides fixed and mobile telephone, television and broadband internet services to businesses and consumers in the United Kingdom...
on the ITV audio description service, or online at itv.com
Itv.com
itv.com is the main website of ITV plc, the UK's largest commercial television broadcaster which operates 11 out of 15 regions on the ITV network under the ITV1 brand. The website offers on-line streaming, ITV archive, news, sport, entertainment, games, soaps, lifestyle, drama and an interactive TV...
.
Technical breakdowns
Bingo Night Live was ITV's first interactive televised/web programme. At launch there were various problems with the reliability of the web interface. On 17 July 2008 Bingo Night Live was not shown due to a power cut in the Greater ManchesterGreater Manchester
Greater Manchester is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 2.6 million. It encompasses one of the largest metropolitan areas in the United Kingdom and comprises ten metropolitan boroughs: Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, Wigan, and the...
area. The show was replaced with re-runs of Creature Comforts
Creature Comforts
Creature Comforts was originally a 1989 British humorous animated short film about how animals feel about living in a zoo, featuring the voices of the British public "spoken" by the animals. It was created by Nick Park and Aardman Animations...
and TV's Naughtiest Blunders
TV's Naughtiest Blunders
TV's Naughtiest Blunders was an out-takes show, that ran from 2000 till 2005. It was shown on ITV and produced by Carlton Television. The show was narrated by Neil Morrissey and features edited out clips and mistakes made by people on TV...
. An email explaining the fault was sent to all players telling them "You do not need to do anything further; your cards will be automatically carried across to tonight’s show and entered into the next games".
Further technical problems were encountered on 26 October 2008 where the second game of the show ran in to difficulties after the second number was called. The game was abandoned whilst on air, although it continued to run via the Bingo Night Live website. The show was temporarily replaced with a rerun of Creature Comforts
Creature Comforts
Creature Comforts was originally a 1989 British humorous animated short film about how animals feel about living in a zoo, featuring the voices of the British public "spoken" by the animals. It was created by Nick Park and Aardman Animations...
while the problems were resolved, before coming back on air for the two remaining games of the night.