It's A Knockout and Jeux Sans Frontières come to the end of the line as full series (Jeux Sans Frontières would return six years later, but without British competitors).

This year’s Domestic series saw a ‘first’ of many things in It’s A Knockout. During the opening credits, previews of the games were shown, with replays shown during the end credits, and there were also picture-in-picture shots during the games.

Another overhaul of the It’s a Knockout scoreboard this year (for the final time) - the flat numbered board scores which were changed by the scoregirls, were replaced by wheeled numbers and were changed by a member of the production crew behind the scoreboard out of eyeshot. This was to give the impression of the scores being changed electronically.

Following Eddie Waring’s departure, It’s A Knockout featured different guest presenters to present the marathon in each programme.

It's A Knockout 1982
including
The Knockout Championship and The Knockout Star Gala

Presenters: Stuart Hall and Guest Presenters (see individual listings)
Referees: Arthur Ellis (not Star Gala), Mike Swann (not Star Gala) and
Helen Ashley (not Championship Knockout or Star Gala)
(+ Christopher Coldrey, Paul Ridyard, Bob Battersby and Adrian Sless for Championship Knockout)
International Referee: Gennaro Olivieri (Championship Knockout only)
Scorer: Helen Ashley (Championship Knockout only)

Designer and Games Advisor: Stuart Furber
Producers: Geoffrey Wilson and
Alan Walsh (Knockout Star Gala only, with G.W.)
Director: John Rooney
A BBC North West Production

1982-01

It's A Knockout 1982

Heat 1

BBC1 Transmission: Friday 28th May 1982, 8.00-8.50pm
Recorded: Sunday 4th April 1982

Venue: Play Close, Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire
Weather Conditions: Sunny
Guest Presenters: Sarah Greene, Peter Duncan and Simon Groom, presenters of BBC children's magazine programme, Blue Peter and featuring Blondini (stuntman)

Theme: Farming
Winners’ Trophy presented by: Peter Duncan

Teams: Melton Mowbray v. Charnwood v. Rutland

Team Members included:
Charnwood - Jeremy Ball, John Buckley, John Cryer, Elaine Foster, Ken Fox, Ann Fraser, Veronica Lattow, Brian Pyle, Jill Staven, Neville Wade, Jim Whitehead
Melton Mowbray - Roger Dawkins, Simon Lane, Julie Lucas, Steven Youghan
Rutland - Jamie Jameson

Games: ‘Horse and Carts’, ‘Hay Bales and Pitchforks’, ‘Conveyor Belt Sack Race’,
‘Giant Farmers and Eggs’, ‘Sheep Dipping’, ‘Pigs to Market’, ‘Milk Yoke Twist’,
‘Rock-a-Rooster’ (Marathon) and ‘Stack-a-Sack’

Result:

 Team:

Points:

1st
2nd
3rd

 Charnwood
 Rutland
 Melton Mowbray

26
24
17

Charnwood qualified for Jeux Sans Frontières in Italy: transmitted on 10th September 1982

Did You Know? For the first time ever in It's A knockout history, the allocation of points was given in the order in which the teams appeared on the scoreboard, and not in the order of finishing on the games.

Did You Also Know? Game 5 in this heat - 'Sheep Dipping’ - was an exact copy of Game 5 played at Roundhay Park in Leeds at the British International Heat of Jeux Sans Frontières in 1976!

Did You Also Know? Charnwood had won the heat before the last game, but despite this, the team manager complained about defective pulley equipment on the game. Referee Arthur Ellis stated that the team was responsible for the equipment failure and the complaint was over-ruled.

Did You Also Know? When Stuart Hall placed the winning team’s name on the International venues side of the scoreboard, the Italian venue was clearly shown as Caprera, and the French venue simply as Les-Moulineaux!

Did You Also Know? Scoregirl Helen Ashley was promoted to series referee alongside Arthur Ellis and Mike Swann in the show’s closing credits, but retained her position as scoregirl throughout.

Did You Also Know? With the new scoreboard came a ‘blooper’. Due to slight gaps between the numbers, the member of the production staff could clearly be seen moving across from one side of the scoreboard to the other and changing the score.

Did You Also Know? Charnwood was created under the Local Government Act 1972, and includes the towns of Birstall, Loughborough and Shepshed.

Did You Also Know? Rutland, the smallest county in Great Britain until 1974, was amalgamated into the county of Lincolnshire under the Local Government Act 1972. At this time, it was then created as a local authority and included the towns of Oakham and Uppingham. In 1996, the local authority was abolished, and Rutland was once again given county status and separated from Lincolnshire.

Made in Colour • This programme exists in the BBC Archives

1982-02

It's A Knockout 1982

Heat 2

BBC1 Transmission: Friday 4th June 1982, 8.00-8.50pm
Recorded: Monday 12th April 1982 (Easter Monday)

Venue: Memorial Gardens and River Derwent, Cockermouth, Cumbria
Weather Conditions: Overcast, then Sunny
Guest Presenters: Maggie Philbin and Keith Chegwin, presenters of BBC Saturday morning children's show, The Multi-Coloured Swap Shop
Special Guest: Ron Looney, World Gurning Champion 1978-1981

Theme: Countryside Pursuits
Winners’ Trophy presented by: Maggie Philbin

Teams: Cockermouth v. Keswick v. Maryport

Team Members included:
Cockermouth - Rod Coy, David Falcon, Dave Findley, Susan Hawkins, Jackie Lowther, Terence Scottier, Julian Spears, Graham Thorpe
Keswick - Steve Braken, Caroline Charlton, David Critt, Geoff Davison, Terry Dixon, Grant Horsborough, Ian Miellier, Christine Stevenson, Sean Turner, Janet Wilson, Celia Witham
Maryport - Pam Barlow, Linda Boothwick, Billy Bryan, Malcolm Garden, Michael Hawkins, John Langraw, Teresa Mulgrew, Nigel Nicholson

Games: ‘Grand National Steeplechase’, ‘Giant Scoutmasters’, ‘Flying Target Mountaineers’, ‘Canoe Slalom’, ‘Podium Bridge’, ‘Salmon Fishing’, ‘Erecting the Tent’, ‘Robin and Eggs’ (Marathon) and ‘Scaling the Mountain’

Result:

 Team:

Points:

1st
2nd
3rd

 Keswick
 Cockermouth
 Maryport

28
22
19

Keswick qualified for Jeux Sans Frontières in Yugoslavia: transmitted on 17th September 1982

Did You Know? This heat opened with members of the Allerdale District and Cockermouth Tourist Board along with Stuart Hall with their heads through holes pulling ‘gurned’ faces.

Did You Also Know? Three of the games (Games 4, 5 and 6) in this week’s edition took place on the River Derwent. However, when the It’s A Knockout team arrived, it found the water level was too low and had to build a temporary dam! Arthur Ellis even refereed one of the games - ‘Podium Bridge’ - in waders from the middle of the river.

Did You Know? In Heat 1, the Marathon scoreboard was located on the left of the main scoreboard and the International venues board was on the right. From this heat onwards they appeared on the opposite sides.

Did You Also Know? Set in Wordsworth country, this heat was perfect for wordsmith Stuart Hall’s inimitable style, as he always recalled quotations and poetry during the programmes. Before Game 3, the camera panned onto a bed of daffodils and he quoted William Wordsworth’s famous poem:

“As I wandered lonely as a cloud,
That floats on high o’er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host of golden daffodils,
Beside the lake and beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.”

The crowd applauded and referee Arthur Ellis stood back in amazement. But then Stuart Hall blundered and inadvertently turned his clipboard over and revealed everything had been written on it!

Did You Also Know? The Keswick team was very strong, and won the first five games (one of which was on their Joker) and were leading in the Marathon (which they eventually won). Victory on the final game meant that the team had won all the games they played except Game 6, on which they finished third.

Did You Also Know? Guest presenter, Keith Chegwin would return as series host when It's A Knockout was re-launched in Great Britain by Channel 5 in 1999.

Made in Colour • This programme exists in the BBC Archives

1982-03

It's A Knockout 1982

Heat 3

BBC1 Transmission: Friday 11th June 1982, 8.00-8.50pm
Recorded: Sunday 18th April 1982

Venue: Christchurch Quay, Christchurch, Dorset
Weather Conditions: Hot and Sunny
Guest Presenters: Floella Benjamin and Brian Cant, presenters of BBC children's educational programme, Play Away

Theme: Gardening
Winners’ Trophy presented by: Floella Benjamin

Teams: Christchurch v. Gosport v. Winchester

Team Members included:
Christchurch - Nicky Arnold, Sean Duckerby, Paul Holmes, Ruth James, David Kemp, Paul Newman, David Perfect, Julia Pitt, Alvin Ransom, Robert Robinson, Graham Sayer, Jeannette Thompson, Peter Thornhill
Gosport - Gary Aldridge, Jill Collins, Mandy East, Duncan Harris, Alison Munsey, Andy Thomas, George Windsor
Winchester - Steven Brock, Mike Bushell, John Collins, Sarah Dean, Helen Ross, Richard Thomas

Games: ‘Planting the Flowers’, ‘Crazy Pavement’, ‘Ladder Walk’, ‘Horses and Flowers’,
‘Frogs and Lily Pads, ‘Giant Farmers and Wheelbarrows’, ‘Watering the Flowers’,
‘Tomato Climb’ (Marathon) and ‘Growing the Sunflower’

Result:

 Team:

Points:

1st
2nd
3rd

 Christchurch
 Gosport
 Winchester

24
23
22

Christchurch qualified for Jeux Sans Frontières in France: transmitted on 24th September 1982

Did You Know? On a glorious sunny day with an very enthusiastic crowd, the best and toughest games, this was clearly the top heat of the Domestic series this year.

Did You Also Know? This heat had the most heart-stopping final game witnessed in any Domestic series. The game - ‘Growing the Sunflower’ - involved a boy and girl from each team faced with a giant Sunflower head which had to be raised up an incline. To do this, rectangular blocks had to be placed one-by-one under the base of the head and then used as stepping stones when the head was out of reach. Ten blocks had to be placed in total and with the scores at Christchurch 22 pts, Gosport 22 pts and Winchester 19 pts, it was a battle between the two leading teams. Christchurch got to eight blocks first and then disaster happened, the stones were out of line and tumbled back to the bottom, and it looked like the Gosport team would win as it was already at nine blocks. With the tenth block on its way up the slope, its stones came tumbling down and it was now a race to see which of the two teams could rebuild the quickest, because Winchester had now completed the course. Christchurch was already at five blocks and it looked like victory was in the bag. Slowly, stone-by-stone, Christchurch team members Sean Duckerby and Julia Pitt raised the flower to eight blocks whilst Gosport was at four blocks, but Christchurch tumbled again. With Gosport at six blocks, time was running out and it looked like victory was now in sight for the team. But Gosport tumbled again at seven blocks, and Christchurch was again at five. This time Christchurch ensured all stones were straight, and after Sean Duckerby placed block number nine, it was all up to Julia Pitt to run up with the tenth block. The blocks held and Julia jumped down. Christchurch was victorious and Julia was in floods of tears, but it allowed for the most dramatic ending ever! The Christchurch team was involved in yet another dramatic final game ending when it went to Issy-les-Moulineaux in Paris for its International Heat. See note after International Heat 3.

Did You Also Know? The scheduled time limit for the final game was 1 minute 45 seconds, but because of the disasters that had happened, the game was extended on-site to a finish and eventually ended at 2 minutes 38 seconds.

Did You Also Know? The mechanics of the new Domestic scoreboard could clearly be seen in this heat when guest presenter Brian Cant was shown changing the wheels at the rear of the scoreboard.

Did You Also Know? The Gosport Joker was played into the arena to the strains of John Philip Sousa’s ‘The Liberty Bell’ (famous as the theme to BBC TV’s Monty Python’s Flying Circus) with the Gosport Royal Marines Light Infantry Cadet Marching Band.

Made in Colour • This programme exists in the BBC Archives

1982-04

It's A Knockout 1982

Heat 4

BBC1 Transmission: Friday 9th July 1982, 8.10-9.00pm
Recorded: Sunday 25th April 1982

Venue: Front Green, Lochgilphead, Strathclyde
Weather Conditions: Overcast and Dull
Guest Presenters: Stu Francis and The Krankies (husband and wife double-act, Ian and Janette Tough) from the BBC children's programme, Crackerjack

Theme: Holiday Fun
Winners’ Trophy presented by: ‘Jimmy Krankie’ (Janette Tough)

Teams: Lochgilphead v. Perth v. Oban

Team Members included:
Lochgilphead - Duncan Aitkin, Craig Campbell, Ian Campbell, ‘Tizzy’ Carmichael, Alistair Dewar, Mayveen Duncan, Linda Farrow, Gordon Lyland, John McAlpine, Liz Pollock, Anita Sinclair
Oban - Maureen Angelini, Jeannie Campbell, David Livingstone, Kevin McInnes, Drew Thompson
Perth - Audrey Dow, Morris McGlanaghan, Russell Thompson, Fiona Turner, Brian Watt

Games: ‘Elimination Horse Race’, ‘Balloon Bash’, ‘Threading the Nets’, ‘Trench Foot Giants’, Salmon Fishing’, ‘Blindfold Tandem Bike Slalom’, ‘Mermaid Bounce’, ‘Defending the Castles’ (Marathon) and ‘Loch Ness Monster Jigsaw’

Result:

 Team:

Points:

1st
2nd
3rd

 Lochgilphead
 Perth
 Oban

25
21
20

Lochgilphead qualified for Jeux Sans Frontières in Switzerland: transmitted on 8th October 1982

Did You Know? On Game 4 - ‘Salmon Fishing - the fishing rod of the Perth team snapped 40 seconds into the game, but team member Brian Watt continued on with the now shorter rod and still won the game which was played on the Joker! Incidentally, referee Arthur Ellis stated at the end of the game that he had allowed an additional ten seconds to the team, in compensation for the broken rod.

Did You Also Know? The Perth team won the final game - ‘Loch Ness Monster Jigsaw’ - by just 2 seconds, but when the result was announced, referee Arthur Ellis disqualified the team. He stated that two team members had been used to secure the final piece of the jigsaw, and the rules had clearly stated that it had to be done by just one person! Despite the disqualification however, it made no difference to the outcome of the result, because Lochgilphead was already leading by two points before the game.

Did You Also Know? For only the second time in the programme’s history, the domestic heats were not broadcast weekly. On both occasions (the first being in 1978 - see Did You Know? Domestic Heat 7, 1978) it had been because of the FIFA World Cup Finals. This heat was broadcast on Friday 9th July, three weeks after the previous heat. The reason for this anomaly was that the 1982 FIFA World Cup Finals had begun in Spain on Sunday 13th June 1982, and the BBC was broadcasting ‘live’ first-round matches between Italy and Peru (18th June), England v. Kuwait (25th June) and second-round match between Argentina v. Brazil (2nd July).

Made in Colour • This programme exists in the BBC Archives

1982-05

It's A Knockout 1982

Heat 5

BBC1 Transmission: Friday 16th July 1982, 8.10-9.00pm
Recorded: Monday 3rd May 1982 (Bank Holiday Monday)

Venue: Normanby Hall Country Park, Scunthorpe, Humberside
Weather Conditions: Sunny and Warm
Guest Presenters: Bill Owen (‘Compo’) and Kathy Staff (‘Nora Batty’) from BBC TV’s comedy series, Last of the Summer Wine and Owen Heseltine, Curator of Normanby Hall

Theme: Stately Homes
Winners’ Trophy presented by: Kathy Staff (as herself)

Teams: Scunthorpe v. Cleethorpes v. Rotherham

Team Members included:
Cleethorpes - Jo Boorman, Deborah Bushten, Karen Lake, Philip Percy-Piggott, Ann Screed,
Wayne Shepherd
Rotherham - John Ambler, June Beardsley, Michael Braden, Sharon Burton, Duncan Cadman,
Jackie Cross, Martin Evans, Derek Franks, Brian Hardy, John Timmonds, Janine Winder
Scunthorpe - Sue Clegg, Deborah Graham, Maggie O’Donoghue, Paul Williams, Anita Winterbottom

Games: ‘Giant Butlers’, ‘Building the Pillars’, ‘Painting the Panels’, ‘Horses Tag Match’, ‘Fountain Climb’, ‘Walking the Gruffs’, ‘The Dancing Couples’, ‘Wasbees’ Balloon Burst’ (Marathon) and ‘Harvesting the Apples’

Result:

 Team:

Points:

1st
2nd
3rd

 Rotherham
 Cleethorpes
 Scunthorpe

23
22
21

Rotherham qualified for Jeux Sans Frontières in Portugal: transmitted on 15th October 1982

Did You Know? The opening shot of this heat was of Owen Heseltine announcing, “My Lords, Ladies and Gentlemen! Welcome to Normanby Hall, Scunthorpe for this, Heat 5 of It’s A Knockout 1982”.

Did You Also Know? Actress Kathy Staff (dressed as ‘Nora Batty’) was driven into the arena in a white Rolls Royce Silver Shadow (reg. 20 EVA) and then actor Bill Owen (dressed as ‘Compo’) was released from the car’s boot!

Did You Also Know? The costume and concept of Game 1 - ‘Giant Butlers’ - was an exact copy of Game 1 at the British International Heat of Jeux Sans Frontières at Washington in 1981.

Did You Know? During the filming of Game 6 - ‘Walking the Gruffs’ - a spectator grandstand on the left-hand side of the arena collapsed, causing injuries to sixty people. With clever editing, the collapse went unnoticed on transmission of the programme. The incident was reported on BBC TV’s Nine O’Clock News on the evening of the recording, details of which can be found in the Knockout TV section.

Did You Also Know? The Rotherham Joker was played by a member of the town’s 1974 It’s A Knockout team.

Made in Colour • This programme exists in the BBC Archives

1982-06

It's A Knockout 1982

Heat 6

BBC1 Transmission: Friday 30th July 1982, 7.40-8.30pm
Recorded: Sunday 9th May 1982

Venue: Monkton Park Pool, Chippenham, Wiltshire
Weather Conditions: Sunny and Warm
Guest Presenter: Tom O’Connor, comedian

Theme: Maritime
Winners’ Trophy presented by: Tom O’Connor

Teams: Chippenham v. Gloucester v. Ross-on-Wye

Team Members included:
Chippenham - Chris Ashe, Karen Colly, Dawn Freer, Hughie Irwin, Les Jeffries, David Oakley, Lee Robertson, Sally Wright
Gloucester - Peter Boone, Julie Burrell, Barry Evans, Andy Hammond, Keith Irwin, Lynn Parker-Dodd, Nigel Phelps, Tina Prince, Paul Stanwood, Mike Wilmott, Vivian Woolley
Ross-on-Wye - Gerald Byrd, Ian Gray, Tom Jenkins, Helen Watkins, Jane Wyke

Games: ‘The Paddle Steamers’, ‘The Human Rope Bridge’, ‘Rowing Relay’, ‘Bobbin Along, Bobbin Along’, ‘Pool Target Practice’, ‘Horses and Jockeys’, ‘Shark Chase’, ‘Giant Sailors’ (Marathon) and ‘Raising the Sails’

Result:

 Team:

Points:

1st
2nd
3rd

 Gloucester
 Chippenham
 Ross-on-Wye

24
23
19

Gloucester qualified for Jeux Sans Frontières in Belgium: transmitted on 22nd October 1982.

Did You Know? The opening shot of the programme showed Stuart Hall magically emerging from the pool completely bone dry and then smiling to the camera. This, of course, was done by simply reversing the filmed article. But in actual fact, this was recorded after the programme finished and all the crowd were asked to stay behind for continuity purposes (and a good laugh seeing him fall in the pool!).

Did You Also Know? After finishing last on all the first five games they played, Ross-on-Wye had scored only 6 pts. Miraculously, the team won the Marathon, and then won their Joker game boosting their score to 18 pts. The team then finished last on the final game!

The final British team, West Dorset, qualified as hosts for Jeux Sans Frontières
in Great Britain, transmitted on 1st October 1982.

Made in Colour • This programme exists in the BBC Archives

1982-07

The Knockout Championship 1982

Summer Special

BBC1 Transmission: Friday 6th August 1982, 7.30-8.30pm
Recorded: Sunday 16th May 1982

Venue: Arena North, Park Hall, Charnock Richard, Lancashire
Weather Conditions: Sunny and Warm
Guest Presenter: Frazer Hines, actor from Yorkshire Television's Emmerdale Farm and the BBC's Doctor Who

Theme: Domestic Re-run
Winners’ Trophy Awarded by: Les Dawson

Teams: Charnwood v. Christchurch v. Gloucester v. Keswick v. Lochgilphead v. Rotherham v. West Dorset

Team Members included:
Charnwood - Jeremy Ball, John Buckley, John Cryer, Elaine Foster, Ken Fox, Ann Fraser, Veronica Lattow, Brian Pyle, Jill Staven, Neville Wade, Jim Whitehead
Christchurch - Nicky Arnold, Sean Duckerby, Paul Holmes, Ruth James, David Kemp, Paul Newman, David Perfect, Julia Pitt, Alvin Ransom, Robert Robinson, Graham Sayer, Jeannette Thompson, Peter Thornhill
Gloucester - Peter Boone, Julie Burrell, Barry Evans, Andy Hammond, Keith Irwin, Lynn Parker-Dodd, Nigel Phelps, Tina Prince, Paul Stanwood, Mike Wilmott, Vivian Woolley
Keswick - Steve Braken, Caroline Charlton, David Critt, Geoff Davison, Terry Dixon, Grant Horsborough, Ian Miellier, Christine Stevenson, Sean Turner, Janet Wilson, Celia Witham
Lochgilphead - Duncan Aitkin, Craig Campbell, Ian Campbell, ‘Tizzy’ Carmichael, Alistair Dewar, Mayveen Duncan, Linda Farrow, Gordon Lyland, John McAlpine, Liz Pollock, Anita Sinclair
Rotherham - John Ambler, June Beardsley, Michael Braden, Sharon Burton, Duncan Cadman, Jackie Cross, Martin Evans, Derek Franks, Brian Hardy, John Timmonds, Janine Winder
West Dorset - Tim Barclay, Sally Bunwell, David Butt, Alex Fairley, Penny Fowler, Robert Hayman, Colin Hayward, David Mason, Peter Mason, Jeff Palmer, Sue Rowe, Chris Thomas-Peters, Michael Woods

Games: ‘Giant Gardeners’, ‘Caterpillar Track Roll’, ‘Double Roller Balance’, ‘Frogs and Lily Pads’, ‘Sailors and Treasure’, ‘Threading the Ball’, ‘Gruffs and Bones’ (Marathon), ‘Stack-a-Sack’ and ‘Grand National Steeplechase’

Result:

 Team:

Points:

1st
1st
3rd
4th
5th
6th
7th

 Charnwood
 West Dorset
 Christchurch
 Gloucester
 Lochgilphead
 Keswick
 Rotherham

40
40
38
37
34
28
18

Did You Know? As in 1981, this competition ended in a draw for first place. Charnwood and West Dorset had ownership of the trophy for six months each.

Did You Also Know? Helen Ashley was demoted back to scoregirl for this heat (see note for Domestic Heat 1)!

Made in Colour • This programme exists in the BBC Archives

1982-08

The Knockout Star Gala 1982

Summer Special

BBC1 Transmission: Bank Holiday Monday 30th August 1982, 6.10-7.10pm
Recorded: Sunday 18th July 1982

Venue: Captain Lewis' Big Top, Stanley Park, Blackpool, Lancashire

Teams: Blackpool 'All Stars' v. The Rest of the World

Team Members included: The Anderson Sisters, Helen Ashley, Gordon Astley, Michael Barrymore, Floella Benjamin, Wyn Calvin, Brian Cant, Bernie Clifton, Billy Dainty, Dana, Suzanne Dando, Les Dawson, Richard Duckenfield, Clive Dunn, Stu Francis, The Grumbleweeds, Jill Ann Halliday, Frazer Hines, Roy Hudd, Karen Kay, Linda Meeks, Tony Melody, Mick Miller, The Nolans, Tom O’Connor, Peter Powell, The Spinners, Kathy Tayler, Sid Waddell

Result:

 Team:

Points:

1st
2nd

 Blackpool 'All Stars'
 The Rest of the World

10
8

Did You Know? This competition was held in a circus tent in Blackpool, Lancashire and was in aid of artistes' and children's charities.

Made in Colour • This programme exists in the BBC Archives

Jeux Sans Frontières 1982

Entrants 1982: Belgium (B) • France (F) • Great Britain (GB)
Italy (I) • Portugal (P) • Switzerland (CH) • Yugoslavia (YU)

Presenters of International Heats:
Mike Verdrengh and Walter Capiau (B), Guy Lux and Simone Garnier (F), Stuart Hall and Brian Cant (GB), Simona Izzo and Michele Gammino (I), Alice Cruz, Elàdio Clímaco and Maria Joao Carriera (P), Mascia Cantoni and Ezio Guidi (CH), Dunja Figenwald and Milan Subota (YU)

Commentators (BBC): Stuart Hall
International Referees: Gennaro Olivieri and Guido Pancaldi

Designer (BBC): Stuart Furber
Producer (BBC): Geoffrey Wilson / Director (BBC): John Rooney
Produced by RTBF-BRT (B), ORTF (F), 
BBC North West (GB), RAI (I), RTP (P), SSR (CH), JRT (YU)

 

Key: International Heats  l = Qualified for International Final / l = Heat Winner (Silver Trophy) International Final l = Gold Trophy   l = Silver Trophy   l = Bronze Trophy

1982-09

Jeux Sans Frontières 1982

Heat 1

BBC1 Transmission: Friday 10th September 1982, 6.50-8.00pm
Recorded: Tuesday 25th May 1982

Venue: Il Rifugio (The Harbour), La Maddalena (Maddalena), Italy
Weather Conditions: Dry and Warm

Theme: The Seven Islands of the Archipelago
Winners’ Trophy presented by: Mayor of La Maddalena (Maddalena)

Teams: Jette (B) v. Sancerre (F) v. Charnwood (GB) v. La Maddalena (Maddalena) (I) v. Tomar (P) v. Gordola (CH) v. Zadar (YU)

Team Members included:
Jette (B) - Thierry Hansman
Gordola (CH) - Fabrizzio Bibi
Sancerre (F) - Pascal Debulain, Arnaux Oisnaux
Charnwood (GB) - Jeremy Ball, John Buckley, John Cryer, Elaine Foster, Ken Fox, Ann Fraser, Veronica Lattow, Brian Pyle, Jill Staven, Neville Wade, Jim Whitehead
La Maddalena (Maddalena) (I) - Annamaria Cocco, Luciano Cossu, Giuseppe de Marzo, Salvatore Mannoni, Marcello Meloni, Piero Mendola, Vincenzo Mureddu, Masina Palitta, Gabriella Sabatini, Antonello Sagheddu (Team Captain), Stefano Urgeghe

Games: ‘Collecting Postcards’, ‘Jumping onto Fish’, ‘Rabbits and Golf’, ‘Octopuses’, ‘Escaping the Wild Boar’, ‘Seven Items into Net’, ‘Stopping the Horse’, ‘The Boat’s Flag’ (Fil Rouge) and ‘Donkeys up Slope’
Jokers: National Flags

Result:

 Team:

Points:

1st
2nd
3rd
3rd
5th
6th
7th

 GB • Charnwood l l
 I • La Maddalena (Maddalena) l
 CH • Gordola
 YU • Zadar
 P • Tomar
 F • Sancerre
 B • Jette

44
38
33
33
29
25
20

Did You Know? As the teams entered the arena and as the end credits rolled, the strains of Italian classical music group Rondo Veneziano’s 'Capriccio Veneziano' could be heard.

Did You Also Know? After winning their Joker on Game 2, there was no stopping British team Charnwood. Two more consecutive wins, followed by two 2nd placings ensured that the team had won before the final game (leading by 7 points). It was to prove the final victory by a team from Great Britain in Jeux Sans Frontières.

Did You Also Know? The total time taken to complete ALL six rounds of Game 5 - ‘Escaping the Wild Boar’ - took no more than 36 seconds!

Did You Also Know? Two of the games from this heat were almost exact copies of previous games in Jeux Sans Frontières. Game 3 - ‘Rabbits and Golf’ - was the same as Game 2 in International Heat 3 held at Caslano Malcantone, Switzerland in 1976, but then the rabbits were moles. Also Game 7 - ‘Stopping the Horse’ - was the same as Game 2 in International Heat 1 held at Senigallia, Italy in 1973, but then the horse was a bull.

Did You Also Know? On Game 7, British competitor Jeremy Ball cost the Charnwood team one point. Although he had successfully jumped on the horse, pulled the brake and stopped it ahead of French team Sancerre, success got the better of him and he jumped off the horse before bringing it to a complete halt, and the horse continued to move. The judges deemed that the horse had been stopped at its now ‘new’ position, which was just beyond the French team’s distance!

Made in Colour • This programme exists in the BBC Archives

1982-10

Jeux Sans Frontières 1982

Heat 2

BBC1 Transmission: Friday 17th September 1982, 7.00-8.10pm
Recorded: Tuesday 8th June 1982

Venue: Stadion Šubićevac (Šubićevac Stadium), Šibenik, Yugoslavia
Weather Conditions: Dry and Warm

Theme: Children’s Folk Tales

Teams: Wielsbeke (B) v. Foix (F) v. Keswick (GB) v. San Benedetto del Tronto (I) v. Ilhas dos Açores (P) v. Vallée de Joux (CH) v. Sibenik (YU)

Team Members included:
Keswick (GB) - Steve Braken, Caroline Charlton, David Critt, Geoff Davison, Terry Dixon, Grant Horsborough, Ian Miellier, Christine Stevenson, Sean Turner, Janet Wilson, Celia Witham
San Benedetto del Tronto (I) - Paola Monaldi
Ilhas dos Açores (P) - Delia Tristão
Šibenik (YU) - Andrzej Sznesznowicz

Games: ‘Hansel and Gretel’, ‘Gulliver’s Travels’, ‘Snow White and the Seven Dwarves’, ‘Rapunzel’, ‘Ali Baba’, ‘Sleeping Beauty’, ‘Little Red Riding Hood’, ‘Cinderella’s Slipper’ (Fil Rouge) and ‘The Fairytale Book’
Jokers: The Seven Dwarves

Result:

 Team:

Points:

1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
6th
7th

 F • Foix l l
 B • Wielsbeke
 YU • Šibenik
 GB • Keswick
 P • Ilhas dos Açores
 I • San Benedetto del Tronto
 CH • Vallée de Joux

47
43
38
30
27
20
13

Did You Know? Game 3 - ‘Snow White and the Seven Dwarves’ - was a game of chance and luck. The idea of the game was that a boy dressed as the Prince had to run towards six doors and choose one to open. Behind one was a girl team member dressed as Snow White, but behind the other five would be giant dwarves. If the Prince chose the dwarf, then he had to pick up a giant apple and run back to the beginning of the course and place it in a basket, then come back and choose again. If however he chose the right door, he had to pick up Snow White on his back and carry her to the halfway mark, where roles were reversed and Snow White had to carry the Prince on her back to the finishing line. The French team went first and picked the correct door on the first choice and got a time of 17 seconds. Next went the Italian and again the Prince chose the correct door and got a time of 16 seconds. Amazingly the Yugoslavian went next and chose the correct door again and got a time of 19 seconds. This started to defy the law of chance, but then the fun began. The Belgian went next but failed to pick the correct door on the first two choices and got a time of 39 seconds, and then the Swiss Prince picked ALL five wrong doors, and eventually picked Snow White’s door on the sixth attempt - but she was a very tall girl and weighed about 13-stone, and he just could not pick her up. He hobbled along with her to the change-over point, whereupon she had no problem carrying him. Stuart Hall was in hysterics once again, but the Swiss boy and girl also saw the funny side and were laughing too. Incidentally, British team Keswick went last, and miraculously picked the correct door and got back to the start in 15 seconds, and secured 6 points!

Did You Also Know? On Game 4 - ‘Rapunzel’ - (played in three heats of two teams) a boy was released from the castle and had to jump into the moat and climb out again and go and collect a flaming light. He then had to return to the castle through the moat (without extinguishing the flame) and place it in a holder. He then had to climb halfway up the castle wall by means of Rapunzel’s hair, and then swing across and grab a bunch of flowers. On completing this he then had to climb further up the wall and place these flowers in another holder and then pull a lever which ejected the opposing team’s player to the ground. Belgium and Italy went first and neither completed the game, and then the Portuguese team completed the course in a time of 1 minute and Switzerland was plunged to the ground. When the French team player participated against the British, he forgot to put the flowers in the holder and pulled the lever. Referee Gennaro Olivieri stated that because of this the French team would get a time as a losing team and not a winning team. Despite this mistake it only cost the French team one point because apart from Portugal all other participants got an out-of-time score of 0:00.

Did You Know? Swiss team Vallée de Joux finished with last on SIX of the eight games it participated in, and scored the lowest points score ever - 13 - in any International heat at this point. The previous record had been held by Italian team Gubbio which scored only 14 points at the British International heat at Windsor in 1977.

Did You Also Know? At the end of the contest on the final scoreboard, asterisks appeared beside the top three teams - Foix, Wielsbeke and Šibenik - signifying that these three teams were, at that point, the representative team for its country in the International Final. This was the first time that this had ever occurred and continued throughout this series.

Did You Also Know? The venue for this heat was the home stadium for local football club HNK Šibenik (Hrvatski Nogometni Klub Šibenik).

Made in Colour • This programme exists in the BBC Archives

1982-11

Jeux Sans Frontières 1982

Heat 3

BBC1 Transmission: Friday 24th September 1982, 7.50-9.00pm
Recorded: Tuesday 29th June 1982

Venue: Île-Saint-Germain (St. Germain Island), Issy-Les-Moulineaux, Paris, France
Weather Conditions: Sunny and Warm

Theme: Transport Through the Ages
Winners’ Trophy presented by: Mayor of Issy-les-Moulineaux

Teams: Spa (B) v. Issy-les-Moulineaux (F) v. Christchurch (GB) v. Lanuvio (I) v. Algarve (P) v. Romanshorn (CH) v. Čačak (YU)

Team Members included:
Issy-les-Moulineaux (F) - Francine Dell, Jean-Marc Plessinou
Christchurch (GB) - Nicky Arnold, Sean Duckerby, Paul Holmes, Ruth James, David Kemp, Paul Newman, David Perfect, Julia Pitt, Alvin Ransom, Robert Robinson, Graham Sayer, Jeannette Thompson, Peter Thornhill
Algarve (P) - Luis Seripa

Games: ‘Sedan Chairs’, Cyclo-Cross’, ‘Ambush the Stagecoach’, ‘Pony Express’, ‘Motor Cars’, ‘Helicopter’, ‘Aeroplane Baggage’, ‘Cycling’ (Fil Rouge) and ‘Steam Trains’
Jokers: Montgolfier Balloons

Result:

 Team:

Points:

1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
6th
7th

 YU • Čačak l l
 F • Issy-les-Moulineaux
 CH • Romanshorn
 B • Spa
 P • Algarve
 GB • Christchurch
 I • Lanuvio

45
39
33
31
28
26
25

Did You Know? Television production company A2 produced one of the best French costumed heats at Issy-les-Moulineaux on the Île-Saint-Germain (a small island in the River Seine) with some breathtaking games and sets. The last game featured seven steam trains which were billowing out smoke created by incendiary devices inside the funnels. It was so real that at one point, the smoke threatened to obscure the game completely, and the French camera team found it difficult to film the game. Spectacular stuff!

Did You Also Know? Game 1 in this heat was based on Sedan Chairs, which were used in the 16th and 17th centuries to transport members of the gentry. On the game, a girl on a moving carousel had to run off and sit in a Sedan Chair. It then had to be transported across a moving carousel by two team members over a see-saw (which was on the middle of the carousel) and then down off the carousel and over two more see-saws. It finally had to be carried through a 20th century automatic car wash machine! This somewhat marred the reality of the game.

Did You Also Know? Game 6 - ‘Helicopter’ - featured a real ‘Bell 47G’ crop-spraying helicopter and was used to create a downdraught to blow away the polystyrene boxes which the teams had to build into a pile and then stand atop of.

Did You Also Know? As in 1981, although the Portuguese team was representing the Algarve, the team comprised mainly of members from the towns of Albufeira, Carvoeiro, Portimão, Vilamoura and also this year Faro.

Made in Colour • This programme exists in the BBC Archives

1982-12

Jeux Sans Frontières 1982

Heat 4

BBC1 Transmission: Friday 1st October 1982, 7.45-9.00pm
Recorded: Tuesday 10th August 1982
Recorded as Heat 6

Venue: Sherborne Castle Park, Sherborne, Dorset
Weather Conditions: Warm

Theme: The Sailors' Homecoming
Winner’s Trophy presented by: Stuart Hall

Teams: Frameries (B) v. Dieppe (F) v. West Dorset (GB) v. Lizzano (I) v. Vila Real-Mateus (P) v. Versoix (CH) v. Ulcinj (YU)

Team Members included:
Frameries (B) - Alberto Cassas, Pedro Cassas, Joseline Demustier, Michele Maurice
Versoix (CH) - Jacques Stigmeyer
Dieppe (F) - Philippe Bonpierre
West Dorset (GB) - Tim Barclay, Sally Bunwell, David Butt, Alex Fairley, Penny Fowler, Robert Hayman, Colin Hayward, David Mason, Peter Mason, Jeff Palmer, Sue Rowe, Chris Thomas-Peters, Michael Woods
Lizzano (I) - Rafaella Leio, Cosimo Pelluzza
Vila Real-Mateus (P) - Maria Lopez, Carlos Santos

Games: ‘The Landing Party’, ‘Sir Walter’s Cape’, ‘The Tavern Barmaid’, ‘Sword Fight’, ‘The Sailors’ Parrots’, ‘Barrel of Rum’, ‘The Press Gang’, ‘The Stowaways’ (Fil Rouge) and ‘Return to the Ship’
Jokers: Pirates & Parrots

Result:

 Team:

Points:

1st
2nd
3rd
3rd
5th
6th
7th

 CH • Versoix l l
 YU • Ulcinj
 GB • West Dorset
 P • Vila Real-Mateus
 F • Dieppe
 I • Lizzano
 B • Frameries

46
39
38
38
34
30
14

Did You Know? As in the 1981 series, the BBC elected to show the international heats in an order different to the recording sequence. The BBC transmission, in recording order, ran like this: Heats 1, 2, 3, 6, 4, 5, 7, Final.

Did You Also Know? Although Swiss team Versoix completed the 3rd Fil Rouge in a time of 44 seconds, referee Gennaro Olivieri disqualified the team as they had gained an advantage on time because the boy had failed to completely cover the girl with the sack. The team was therefore given the maximum time of 1 minute 30 seconds. This was also the case for Italian team Lizzano in the 4th Fil Rouge.

Did You Also Know? This was a disappointing night for Belgian team Frameries, as this was the team’s second appearance in Jeux Sans Frontières (the first being in 1977 at International Heat 2 held at Saint-Vrain, France). On that occasion, the team finished a reputable 3rd position, but this year, the team became the second worst team in the programme’s history (at this time) by scoring just 14 points. This equalled Italian team Gubbio’s score of 1977 at International Heat 5 held at Windsor, but the team had been saved from disgrace by Swiss team Vallée de Joux which had scored just 13 points earlier this year in International Heat 2.

Did You Also Know? Bloopers galore in this heat! Due to the BBC’s transmission sequence being different to the recording order, it failed to re-edit the commentary and screen displays. At the end of the programme, Portuguese team Vila Real-Mateus should have been asterisked to show it was at the time qualifying for the International Final, but it wasn’t. Stuart Hall stated that Versoix had bettered the Tesserete’s score and were qualifying for the International Final, but Tesserete’s heat had not yet been transmitted! Also the end credits showed RTBF’s commentator as Georges Kleinmann (Swiss TV commentator) instead of Paule Herreman. Oops!

Made in Colour • This programme exists in the BBC Archives

1982-13

Jeux Sans Frontières 1982

Heat 5

BBC1 Transmission: Friday 8th October 1982, 7.50-9.00pm
Recorded: Tuesday 13th July 1982
Recorded as Heat 4

Venue: Esercito Caserma Parata Terreno (Army Barracks Parade Ground), Tesserete, Switzerland
Weather Conditions: Torrential Rain with Thunder and Lightning

Theme: Local Customs, Folklore and Festivals
Winners’ Trophy presented by: Mayor of Tesserete

Teams: Turnhout (B) v. Vendôme (F) v. Lochgilphead (GB) v. Garda (I) v. Caldas da Rainha (P) v. Tesserete (CH) v. Umag (YU)

Team Members included:
Lochgilphead (GB) - Duncan Aitkin, Craig Campbell, Ian Campbell, ‘Tizzy’ Carmichael, Alistair Dewar, Mayveen Duncan, Linda Farrow, Gordon Lyland, John McAlpine, Liz Pollock, Anita Sinclair

Games: ‘Tossing the Baton’, ‘Tiling the Roof’, ‘Nuts and Spoons’, ‘Articles on the Island’, ‘Nests on Chimneys’, ‘Pudding Bowl’, ‘Chickens on Carpets’, ‘The Drunken Husbands’ (Fil Rouge) and ‘Blasting the Granite’
Jokers: Bunches of Grapes

Result:

 Team:

Points:

1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
6th
7th

 CH • Tesserete l
 B • Turnhout
 I • Garda
 P • Caldas da Rainha
 GB • Lochgilphead
 YU • Umag
 F • Vendôme

45
42
35
32
25
23
19

Did You Know? Following two nights of clear weather for the rehearsals, the weather changed dramatically and torrential rain poured down during the recording. Lightning could clearly be seen and thunder heard during the TV transmission.

Did You Also Know? After a good start (1st place on Game 1, 2nd place on Game 2), things went sour for British team Lochgilphead. On Game 3, team member Alistair Dewar did not comply with the rules and was placed last, a placing they repeated on Game 4. The team was not able to recover and continued this downward trend.

Did You Also Know? Game 4 - ‘Articles on the Island’ - involved a boy from each team standing on a floating podium in the pool, and he had to hold sixteen larger-than-life items (without any of them touching the podium) which were given to him by his team-mates. These items included a beach ball, a bottle of wine, a box of chocolates, a bunch of grapes, a carpet, a cigarette packet, a framed picture, a roll of cloth, a shoe, a smoker’s pipe, a straw hat, a string of sausages, a suitcase, a vase, a watch and a wedge of cheese.

Did You Also Know? Due to the inclement weather it was decided that at the start of Fil Rouge 2, to remove the large shoes on the feet of the ‘Drunken Husbands’, because the teams had had a hard time negotiating the course. This of course created faster times to complete the course, but hindered those teams that had scored good times on the first round, one of which was the British team!

Did You Also Know? Belgian town Turnhout was the centre of the playing card manufacturing industry in Europe at the time, with six major factories producing playing cards. All around the arena there were strewn hundreds of playing cards.

Did You Also Know? More bloopers galore in this heat! Once again, the BBC had failed to re-edit the commentary and screen displays. At the end of the programme, Swiss team Tesserete and Portuguese team Caldas da Rainha were both asterisked to show they were at the time qualifying for the International Final. However, the previous week, the BBC had already transmitted the recorded Heat 6, wherein Swiss team Versoix and Portuguese team Vila Real-Mateus had both achieved better positions and were currently the qualifying teams. Even Stuart Hall stated that no other team had bettered Tesserete’s score, and there had been four different winning countries from the first four heats, whereas in reality this was the fifth heat the BBC had transmitted. Oops again!

Made in Colour • This programme exists in the BBC Archives

1982-14

Jeux Sans Frontières 1982

Heat 6

BBC1 Transmission: Friday 15th October 1982, 7.50-9.00pm
Recorded: Tuesday 27th July 1982
Recorded as Heat 5

Venue: Escola Secundária de Francisco Franco (Francisco Franco Secondary School), Funchal (Madeira), Portugal
Weather Conditions: Warm and Dry

Theme: Madeiran Life

Teams: Rochefort (B) v. Lodève (F) v. Rotherham (GB) v. Recoaro Terme (I) v. Ilha da Madeira (P) v. Schinznach (CH) v. Novi Sad (YU)

Team Members included:
Rotherham (GB) - John Ambler, June Beardsley, Michael Braden, Sharon Burton, Duncan Cadman, Jackie Cross, Martin Evans, Derek Franks, Brian Hardy, John Timmonds, Janine Winder
Recoaro Terme (I) - Mauro Asnicar, Raffaella Besco, Nevio Bosa, Alfonso Castagna, Giorgio Castagna, Laura Cornale, Diego dalla Vecchia, Giovanna Luna, Gastone Pace, Maria Cristina Randon, Elena Rovere, Davide Stocchero, Livio Storti, Maurizio Storti

Games: ‘Oxen and Sledges’, ‘Trampling the Grapes’, ‘Uncorking the Wine’, ‘Cats and Fish’, ‘Collecting Fruit’, ‘Riding the Seagull’, ‘Defending the Goal’, ‘Cycling, Washing and Flowers’ (Fil Rouge) and ‘Donkeys and ‘Madeira’’
Jokers: Brinquinhos

Result:

 Team:

Points:

1st
1st
3rd
3rd
5th
6th
7th

 B • Rochefort l l
 P • Ilha da Madeira l l
 CH • Schinznach
 YU • Novi Sad
 I • Recoaro Terme
 F • Lodève
 GB • Rotherham

40
40
37
37
28
25
16

Did You Know? This was the heat where Great Britain achieved its lowest ever score. Rotherham had the lowest score of any team ever in Jeux Sans Frontieres after Game 6. The scorecard for Rotherham at that point was as follows: Game 1 (1 point), Game 2 (did not compete), Game 3 (1 point), Game 4 (1 point), Game 5 (1 point - played the Joker), Game 6 (1 point). A total of 5 points from 6 games!

Did You Also Know? The cat costumes used on Game 4 of this heat were the same as those used at the Portuguese International Heat at Belém in 1981.

Did You Also Know? Yet another blooper this year! At the end of the fourth Fil Rouge, Stuart Hall stated that the Belgian team had won three out of the four Fil Rouge’s and that it was the first time a team had achieved it. He had a very short memory as it was only the previous year that the team of Kingston-upon-Hull achieved the same feat at Pula in Yugoslavia!

Made in Colour • This programme exists in the BBC Archives

1982-15

Jeux Sans Frontières 1982

Heat 7

BBC1 Transmission: Friday 22nd October 1982, 7.50-9.00pm
Recorded: Tuesday 24th August 1982

Venue: Sint-Pietersplein (St. Peter’s Square), Gent, Belgium
Weather Conditions: Torrential Rain at start / Warm

Theme: Gent in the Year 1544
Winner’s Trophy presented by: Mike Verdrengh

Teams: Gent (B) v. Le Cannet (F) v. Gloucester (GB) v. Maratea (I) v. Viseu (P) v. Plaffeien (CH) v. Jajce (YU)

Team Members included:
Gent (B) - Michael Pauls, Bruno Everite
Plaffeien (CH) - Christiane Pillar
Gloucester (GB) - Peter Boone, Julie Burrell, Barry Evans, Andy Hammond, Keith Irwin, Lynn Parker-Dodd, Nigel Phelps, Tina Prince, Paul Stanwood, Mike Wilmott, Vivian Woolley
Viseu (P) - Pedro Palma

Games: ‘Unsaddling Horsemen’, ‘Escaping from Dungeon’, ‘Loading the Carts’, ‘Erecting the Painting’, ‘Lifting the Mace’, ‘The Cooking Pot’, ‘The Giant Dragons’, ‘The Flying Men’ (Fil Rouge) and ‘Unreeling the Banners’
Jokers: Flying Dragons

Result:

 Team:

Points:

1st
2nd
2nd
4th
5th
6th
7th

 F • Le Cannet l
 CH • Plaffeien
 GB • Gloucester
 B • Gent
 YU • Jajce
 P • Viseu
 I • Maratea

39
37
37
34
30
28
17

Did You Know? This heat was definitely the best Belgian heat to date, and ironically happened to be the last heat of the current run!

Did You Also Know? It was déjà vu for Great Britain in this heat. Game 5 - ‘Lifting the Mace’ - was an exact copy of Game 5 at the Swiss International held at Carouge in 1977. On that occasion, British team Macclesfield had to lift a 25-foot hammer, and turn it 180° on a pivot, whereas in this heat it was a giant mace. The same fate happened to the Gloucester team - it was unable to lift the giant mace and finished in last place on the game.

Did You Also Know? The most hilarious game of the night was Game 6 - ‘The Cooking Pot’ - which again was based on another game, this time Game 4 at the Belgian International Heat held at Antwerpen in 1977. The game involved a large steaming cooking pot and three team members dressed as vegetables - a stick of celery, a leek and a carrot - and an opposing girl team member dressed as a headless chicken. The idea of the game was for the two boys to lift the ‘vegetables’ into the pot whilst the ‘chicken’ obstructed them from doing so. Then the chicken had to be lifted (with obvious impediment from the girl inside) into the pot as well, to obtain the time. Whilst most of the girls (as headless chickens) used their head (no pun intended) and ran to the end of the course after the second vegetable had been lifted into the pot, it was a different story when the Italian girl from Maratea played against Great Britain. After the second ‘vegetable’ had been lifted into the pot, the Italian ‘chicken’ stayed at the edge of the pot and so made it easy for the British boys to grab and lift her in the pot! The Yugoslavians and the Swiss both played their Jokers on this game but were demoted to 2nd and 3rd places respectively because Great Britain won the game (the second on the night). Once again, BBC commentator Stuart Hall was in fits of hysterics, and the crowd could clearly be seen and heard laughing and clapping.

Did You Also Know? With Gloucester securing a 2nd place in this heat, Great Britain achieved a quite unique record this year, by having teams placed at every possible position:

1st Place - Charnwood; 2nd Place - Gloucester; 3rd Place - West Dorset; 4th Place - Keswick; 5th Place - Lochgilphead; 6th Place - Christchurch and 7th Place - Rotherham.

Made in Colour • This programme exists in the BBC Archives

1982-16

Jeux Sans Frontières 1982

International Final

BBC1 Transmission: Friday 29th October 1982, 7.50-9.00pm
Recorded: Tuesday 7th September 1982

Venue: Piazzale del Meratele (Meratele Square), Urbino, Italy
Weather Conditions: Raining

Theme: Choice Games

Teams: Rochefort (B) v. Foix (F) v. Charnwood (GB) v. La Maddalena (Maddalena) (I) v. Ilha da Madeira (P) v. Versoix (CH) v. Čačak (YU)

Team Members included:
Versoix (CH) - Dominic Benier, Jacques Stigmeyer
Charnwood (GB) - Jeremy Ball, John Buckley, John Cryer, Elaine Foster, Ken Fox, Ann Fraser, Veronica Lattow, Brian Pyle, Tina Small, Shelna Stant, Jill Staven, Neville Wade, Jim Whitehead
La Maddalena (Maddalena) (I) - Antonello Sagheddu (Team Captain), Luciano Cossu, Annamaria Cocco, Giuseppe de Marzo, Salvatore Mannoni, Marcello Meloni, Piero Mendola, Vincenzo Mureddu, Masina Palitta, Gabriella Sabatini, Stefano Urgeghe

Games: ‘The High Jump’ (Italy), ‘Mice and Cheese’ (Switzerland), ‘Stilt Walkers’ (Belgium), ‘Chess Pieces’ (Yugoslavia), ‘Swimming to Lifebelts’ (Portugal), ‘Roasting the Chickens’ (France), ‘The Balancing Tigers’ (Great Britain), ‘Descending Orchestra’ (Fil Rouge) and ‘Plates of Spaghetti’.
Jokers: Irish Leprechauns

Result:

 Team:

Points:

1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
6th
7th

 B • Rochefort l
 CH • Versoix l
 P • Ilha da Madeira l
 I • La Maddalena (Maddalena)
 GB • Charnwood
 YU • Čačak
 F • Foix

45
38
35
33
30
28
24

Did You Know? For the first time ever, the teams were not introduced into the arena. Their entrances had been filmed earlier in the day, in and around Duke Federico da Monfeltro’s palace (which over-shadowed the arena) and were played on the TV screens for the spectators.

Did You Also Know? The old saying “If at first you don’t succeed, try and try again” clearly came to fruition for Belgian team Rochefort this year. After three attempts in Jeux Sans Frontières (the first being in 1975 when the team finished 5th, the second in 1978 when they finished 2nd), not only did the team succeed in winning their International Heat, but was also victorious in this International Final!

Did You Also Know?</