Jailbreak (TV series)
Encyclopedia
Jailbreak was a reality television
game show. It was hosted by Craig Charles
, and co-presented by Charlie Stayt
and Ruth England
. It was shown in 2000 by Five in the UK. Original host Ulrika Jonsson
had to pull out of the project due to health concerns over her newborn child.
Contestants in Jailbreak had to escape from a mock prison in order to win a cash prize of £100,000. The "prison", at a secret location near Potters Bar
, Hertfordshire
, was fitted with hi-tech security systems. "Inmates" faced a three-week authentic prison regime, complete with 35 prison guards and a 18 feet (5.5 m) high fence topped with razor wire. A number of chinks in the security system were deliberately placed by the production team. Escapes were aided by a series of clues (often revealing flaws in the security system through cryptic messages), and by texts from the viewing public with suggestions on escape routes.
The show was won by three female contestants Roberta Woodhouse, 29, Hannah Davies, 24, and Laura Hawkins, 22. They broke out of the prison in the early hours of a Saturday morning - 14 days into the show.
It has not been commissioned for a further series.
Reality television
Reality television is a genre of television programming that presents purportedly unscripted dramatic or humorous situations, documents actual events, and usually features ordinary people instead of professional actors, sometimes in a contest or other situation where a prize is awarded...
game show. It was hosted by Craig Charles
Craig Charles
Craig Joseph Charles is an English actor, stand-up comedian, author, poet, radio and television presenter, best known for playing Dave Lister in the British cult-favourite science fiction sitcom Red Dwarf...
, and co-presented by Charlie Stayt
Charlie Stayt
Charles Stayt is a British journalist and presenter, currently working freelance with the BBC as a presenter of BBC Breakfast.-Early life:Stayt was born in 1962 in Gloucester in Gloucestershire, in the West of England...
and Ruth England
Ruth England
Ruth England is a British television presenter and actress. Currently, she stars in the Discovery Channel show Man, Woman, Wild with her husband Mykel Hawke, a former Army Special Forces officer...
. It was shown in 2000 by Five in the UK. Original host Ulrika Jonsson
Ulrika Jonsson
Eva Ulrika Jonsson is a Swedish television presenter in the UK, who became famous as a TV-am weather presenter and moved on to present Gladiators and became a team captain of the show Shooting Stars.-Early life:...
had to pull out of the project due to health concerns over her newborn child.
Contestants in Jailbreak had to escape from a mock prison in order to win a cash prize of £100,000. The "prison", at a secret location near Potters Bar
Potters Bar
Potters Bar is a town in the Hertsmere borough of Hertfordshire, England, located north of Central London. In 2001 it had a population of 21,618....
, Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford.The county is one of the Home Counties and lies inland, bordered by Greater London , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and...
, was fitted with hi-tech security systems. "Inmates" faced a three-week authentic prison regime, complete with 35 prison guards and a 18 feet (5.5 m) high fence topped with razor wire. A number of chinks in the security system were deliberately placed by the production team. Escapes were aided by a series of clues (often revealing flaws in the security system through cryptic messages), and by texts from the viewing public with suggestions on escape routes.
The show was won by three female contestants Roberta Woodhouse, 29, Hannah Davies, 24, and Laura Hawkins, 22. They broke out of the prison in the early hours of a Saturday morning - 14 days into the show.
It has not been commissioned for a further series.