Best British Game Shows

Us Brits love a good game show. And what’s not to love? Watching people make fools of themselves on TV and realizing that you’re actually pretty sharp is a wonderful feeling. Add on the extra bonus of being able to shout, “Everyone knows that, you plonker!” without any repercussions is a sure way to get your evening off to a good start.

For many a year, the world thought bingo was the only game we actually played in the UK and this was our way to prove them wrong. Yes, bingo is still top of the pops in our books but there’s nothing quite like settling in to your favourite game show for the night.

This is our list of the best British game shows of all time:

10. Golden Balls

As bingo lovers ourselves, we’re always fans of a game involving balls (get your mind out of the gutter). Now this game show might sound a bit like an X-rated James Bond spin-off, but we can assure you that it’s nothing more than good old fashioned game show fun.

Unfortunately this split or steal game only graced our screens for two seasons, but what a great two seasons they were. If you could imagine Deal or No Deal and Would I Lie To You having a game show baby, this would be it.

9. The £100k Drop

Okay, this is going to make us sound like awful people, but is there anything that is quite as satisfying as seeing other people lose money directly due to their own stupidity? Come on, we know you agree with us, even if you wouldn’t admit it publicly. The game, formerly known as The Million Pound Drop, well… dropped its million pounds to a hundred thousand when it came back to TV. Still, watching teams squander their cash has a certain appeal to it.

8. Deal or No Deal

7. Pointless

Yes, we’re talking about the game show, not the new Top Gear here. Pointless was made extra special by the great connection and witty banter between the hosts, Armstrong and Osman. The game itself is uniquely strange, where contestants do their best to outsmart unfortunate members of the public that have somehow managed to take part in their surveys.

6. The Crystal Maze

If you didn’t grow up watching The Crystal Maze in the 90s then you’ve probably not got the full benefit of your formative years. It’s Saturday night, the theme song comes on, you’re racing to the couch with your mum threatening a walloping if you don’t simmer down, and you watch contestants failing in some situations that your pet hamster would have thought his way out of. Ah, those were the days! We miss Richard O’Brien and Saturdays in front of the maze.

5. The Weakest Link

Nothing was quite as scathing as Anne Robinson winking before announcing, “You are the weakest link. Goodbye!” This was the complete show: great questions, a fierce but sassy host, cut-throat eliminations and much more. Undoubtedly one of the best shows to come out of the UK in the 2000s.

4. Total Wipeout

There’s not much that needs to be said about Total Wipeout. What’s not to love about a show with chaotic energy where you just knew that at least one person would be skipping across the water like a flat stone? There isn’t much that rivals watching athletic people (who think they are in the Olympics) injuring themselves (not seriously) on the telly.

3. The Cube

Hosted by our fabulously favourite presenter Phillip Schofield, The Cube gave participants nine lives to complete seemingly simple tasks while being watched by an audience and confined to The Cube itself. There was no way to prepare for the tasks in advance and there was £250,000 on the line just for a bit of added pressure.

2. Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?

We’re pretty sure that we learned more from this show than we did at school. With hosts like Chris Tarrant and, later on, Jeremy Clarkson, there wasn’t much about the show that you couldn’t like. A shot at £1,000,000 and increasingly difficult multiple-choice questions had us on the edge of our seats every episode.

1. The Chase

Let’s be honest here, Bradders makes this show. And what a show it is, with the best cast in the history of all UK game shows. This is simply the most harmonic game show out there and there’s a little bit of everything for everyone. A little drama, stupidity, cockiness, tension, and greed. If this show is ever cancelled, you best believe we’ll see rioting on the streets!

Play Britain’s favourite game with Lucky Pants Bingo

The sad reality is that not all of us are going to make it as a contestant onto a game show, but luckily there’s still a chance to get your paws on some cash in a game that’s just as entertaining — and that has the added advantage of having a little less pressure to contend with. We’re talking about online bingo of course!

The greatest thing about playing online bingo games is that you don’t even need to get fully clothed! Pop on your lucky pants, make yourself comfortable and spend the evening playing! We have a huge variety of games to choose from, including traditional 75 and 90 ball varieties, as well as the ever-popular Slingo bingo. You can even try your hand at slots if you fancy a flutter with us!