H.G. Nelson to host It’s A Knockout revival
The rumours are true as TEN confirms a summer revival of It's a Knockout, hosted by H.G. Nelson, Brad McEwan and Charli Robinson.
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Sporting guru H.G. Nelson will host a long-awaited revival of iconic family game-show, It’s a Knockout.
Confirmed to screen on TEN across summer, Brad McEwan will be the show’s anchor joined by Charli Robinson.
As revealed by TV Tonight, it will be filmed in Kuala Lumpur.
Similar to it’s original series which ran from 1985 to 1987, there will be four teams of 15 members in a state vs state smackdown.
The eight episodes mark the first commission for Spring, the recently established division of FremantleMedia Australia.
H. G. Nelson said: “It’s a Knockout is The People’s Olympics. This hour of fun features contestants with no real athletic abilities having a crack at events that should be starters on London’s gold medal agenda.
“Knockout fills the yawning hole in TEN’s sports schedule now that it has moved on from its top rating AFL coverage. Personally it is a dream come true to be packing down with Brad and Charli trackside calling the fund raising mayhem.”
David Mott, TEN’s chief programming officer said: “Summer is a time for light, fun, family viewing and It’s A Knockout is the perfect show to offer all that and more. Our line up of HG, Brad and Charli is sure to bring the right mix of social commentary, humour and dare I say sporting acumen…to this contemporary take on TV’s ultimate arena showdown.”
Spring boss Tony Skinner added: “Spring is delighted to be producing one of Australia’s most remembered and loved game shows. HG, Brad and Charli will undoubtedly give It’s A Knockout a whole new level of entertainment. This summer will be a whole lot brighter thanks to the foresight of TEN and ingenuity of the production team at Spring.”
The Spring production will use a base at Kuala Lumpur similar to the way Nine kept costs down on Wipeout Australia by filming in Argentina. Despite the amusing ‘off-shore processing’ analogies that might be levelled at the show, TEN’s move to shoot an original series for summer is a bold move.
In a wonderfully nostalgic nod, Spring has also commissioned Rick Turk the original composer of the memorable theme song to create a contemporary version for the 2011 series.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5p5ddiJI44[/youtube]
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- Tagged with AFL, It's a Knockout, Olympics, Wipeout Australia
51 Responses
Well….it was physically funny…but HG belongs with Roy in this arena. That young dude was just awkward, looked at HG weirdly the whole time, made no camera eye contact while HG was talking which made it look like he was in some strange awe instead of being a partner, and had nothing to say. Absolutely Zero spontaniety. Roy and HG are a team and feed off each other in a free flowing laugh fest, throwing wit and hilarious stupidity back and forth like a frisbee. Poor HG looked like he was thinking “wtf am I doing here with this dude?” but he made the best of it that he could. Bring Roy in! That being said, I am sure they offered but maybe Roy had better things to do? Pfft. You should have been there Roy – would have made it a blockbuster. There is still time…
All episodes are in the can.
I love this show. How do we get to play. Thank god someone has bought back some television that is for the family. (Truley I have been saying to the husband for some years that this so should come back .Last time round most players had to be in a lions club etc), what about US, the Aussies how are out there that have a great group of friends that really really want to participate.. How do we get to enter a team. I really want to be in this.
Also, I think you have chosen a great host in HG, it really couldn’t get any better , and I haven’t even seen it yet.
Cheers
Debbie from Nowra
Already filmed in Kuala Lumpur.
Will McDonalds wheel out the McDonalds?
sorry that was Fiona Mcdonald… how could i forget?
ah yes, it’s back… but what about Marty the Monster? Stefan the hairdresser? Jackie the Macdonald? Hmmm, only time will tell.
Showing the *zany* old episodes on 11 is a good idea though…
Nice… another production company moving overseas to make “Australian Content” all the while paying foriegn production crews local exploitative wages and avoiding Australian OH&S regulation for both crew and competitors.
I won’t be watching!
Channel TEN should bring back some old episodes of the original series of It’s A Knockout & put them on ELEVEN just to get us in the mood for the new series.
Bring on the new It’s a Knockout!!!
So is there a current version running in Malaysia?
i hope the guys are going to wear speedos like in the original!
With a Young Talent Time and It’s A Knockout revival, all we need now is a remake of Prisoner!
@Andrew: No, not surprised at all. Good on them getting McDonalds on board as key sponsor. Probably scratching my head as to why they wouldn’t run IAKO in the normal ratings period rather than holiday season, though.
But it’s the way things are going to be regardless of non-ratings and ratings periods in future i.e. programmes will be financed (brand-funded) or revenue raised (product placement) along with multi-media opportunities leveraged.
Most of the major independent production companies now have entities similar to Spring. Networks 9 & 7 also have internal units to service brand-funded programmes and client intergration.
Oh my Gawd, this has bomb written all over it in six foot high neon letters.
I have not seen the original series, so hopefully it will be fun and exciting. However, according to the Australian Financial Review, it will be a giant advertisement for McDonalds, with the company paying half of the production cost and providing a team consisting of a franchisee, a manager and staff from the restaurant and head office.
Whatever made a talent like H.G. get involved in this stinker? It was an awful unwatchable piece of junk back in the eighties and I would hope that even an audience reduced to slobbering idiocy by the endless stream of unreality pap over the last quarter century will have the sense to avoid this pitiful remake at all costs.
The hilarious HG Nelson, the hot Charli Delaney, and some stupid ‘sports’ challenges? Sounds unreal!
Network Ten does not have any foresight, they simply finally gave into those roumors. This has a huge chance of failure or success sadly in recent years of bringing shows back it has ended negatively. Hopefully this show does work for everyones sake. ALso Charli Robinson is hot she will be the eye candy the show will need.
Agree, lets have federal cabinet version, wont go two rounds however
The new series should be set in the Labor Party offices.
@Buddha: You seem surprised that a couple of commercial enterprises (Ten, Spring) are only interested in ventures that make money? That’s what they’re in business for.
I’d rather watch paint dry, come on ten be original.
Great news! Not many shows that we can sit as a family with young children to watch together. Loved it as a kid and hope my kids do too.
But why film in KL??? Seems odd to me.
Cant understand why people think this is going to be a huge hit!!! Its recorded in Malaysia, so TEN have to fly out all the contestants, and there families.At what cost !! Dont tell me that Malaysia is now classed as local content??? Make the show in Australia!!!!
@ Rod. Yeah, I didn’t think this old format had much hope but you add HG
and some laughs and it could be a whole new show. Possibly.