The (brief) return of Bullseye...

So, it’s back! On the 4th July 2020, funnyman Alan Carr will take the helm of one of our sport and nations favourite shows of the ’80s as part of ITV's Epic Gameshow.

As Generation X children, finding out the news had Tiger Darts HQ overcome with nostalgia. Remembering those days of TV filled with technology-less classic gameshows. Memories of Jim Bowen’s classic quotes like “Super, smashing, great”, “Look at what you could have won” and not forgetting the gameplay-related “Stay out of the black and into the red, nothing in this game for two in a bed”. Supported by a more professional manner in the dulcet tones of Tony Green, keeping scores. Whilst the Cheshire-born Comedian had the audience amused with catchphrases and missed cue cards, it was the game's mascot, Bully, who stole the show, or rather, Bully’s prizes did...

Bullseye was famed (and laughed at) for its poor prizes. It paired contestants together, of which one was usually a regular darts player and the other the brains of the team. The being to hit areas of a dartboard and answer quiz questions to progress. Prizes would be won throughout the show, with a brief appearance of a professional player attempting to win money for charity. This all leads up to the opportunity for the contestants to risk their winnings and play for Bully’s Star Prize. If they took the bait, they could then look forward to driving home in a new car, towing a caravan back, preparing for a luxury holiday or, er, finding somewhere to moor a speedboat! The latter recently finding itself the subject of hundreds of rather inappropriate Twitter memes.

I will always remember sitting on my parents’ smoke-filled sofa, watching on our Radio Rentals television, tuned in to “Channel 3” on a Sunday night (yes diehard fans, I suspect never saw series 1 on Monday nights) and seeing a huge selection of white goods slide out on a rather large dartboard. Even in my pre-double figure age, I understood the look of disappointment on the winner’s faces. If only eBay was around in those days!

Fast-forward thirty or so years and here we go again. We can’t wait to see how Alan Carr will step into the late great Jim's shoes in a revamped Bullseye production set. And although it’s only a one-off, that it’ll encourage (if it needs anymore since we've all been on lockdown with the recent Covid-19 events) more people to try out the UK’s most accessible sport, our beloved game of darts.

Whilst Bullseye wasn’t my first experience of darts it was certainly influential in my life. Our parents were super keen amateurs (or super keen drinkers!?) and often found playing in a pub darts team somewhere, practising in the dining room or outside in the summer on the makeshift Oche. I’ll never forget waking one Christmas morning, super excited and hyper hoping to find Star Figures under the tree only of open a present courtesy of the “Crafty Cockney”, a set of the legend Eric Bristow’s darts with UK flag-style flights, a new beginning...

Don't forget to tune in as... “You can't beat a bit of Bully!"

If you find yourself needing a good easy read about Jim and the show, grab a copy of his book Right Place, Right Time here for further insight into his life and the show.