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Give us a twirl, Miranda! Generation Game set to return... hosted by TV's queen of comedy
Popular game show set to be relaunched by the BBC
A pilot episode is already taking shape and should be on screens this year
Miranda Hart to set up as presenter for the new-look show
By CHRIS HASTINGS, ARTS CORRESPONDENT
PUBLISHE 22:01, 19 April 2014 | UPDATE 22:01, 19 April 2014
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It is, perhaps, the best loved game show in Britain’s TV history – fondly remembered by millions for its cheesy catchphrases and conveyor belt of less-than-thrilling prizes.
At its peak in the late 1970s, The Generation Game pulled in an astonishing 20 million viewers every Saturday evening, first with Bruce Forsyth at the helm and then Larry Grayson. And now the show is set to make a remarkable return .  .  . with comedienne Miranda Hart taking on the role of presenter.
The BBC plans to screen the new version within a year, and a pilot episode is already taking shape, The Mail on Sunday understands.

Good game, good game: Miranda recreates Bruce Forsyth's legendary pose in an interview last year
‘Everyone is excited about this happening,’ said a BBC source who asked not to be named.
‘Miranda is a great fan of the original show and she has made no secret of her admiration for Sir Bruce Forsyth, the show’s very first host. Miranda and The Generation Game could be a match made in telly heaven.’
Hart, 41, who has established herself as one of the most popular family entertainers in Britain with her sitcom Miranda and her role in hit drama Call The Midwife, will become the first female host of The Generation Game.

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BBC bosses say the idea is at the early stages and nothing has been formally confirmed, but they believe the combination of the show’s format and Hart’s family-friendly persona will prove ratings gold.
The star herself is a huge fan of the show and sang its praises in an interview she did with Forsyth last year. She said: ‘Bruce is too modest to say this but I am going to say it for him. During the 1970s the Generation Game was getting over 20 million viewers every week and my family were among them. I loved it. It is one of the greatest game shows ever.’
She even defended the programme when Forsyth himself said it might now be considered ‘old hat’.

Bruce Forsyth, right, and Anthea Redfern, centre, in action on the show. At its peak in the late 70s it pulled in 20million viewers a week
The show’s format involved couples of family members competing against each other in a series of challenges. Typically the couples comprised family members who were a generation apart, such as mother and son. The new Generation Game is likely to be tweaked to make it relevant for a modern audience but insiders expect all the classic ingredients to remain the same.
It is not known who will be Hart’s co-host and whether the job will go to a man or a woman.
One of hostesses in the original show, Anthea Redfern, famously had an affair with Forsyth and married him in 1973 before divorcing him six years later.
The BBC hopes the new version will prove as popular as Strictly Comes Dancing, which pulls in more than 11 million viewers. A BBC spokesman said: ‘It’s in the early ideas stage at the moment and nothing is confirmed, but it’s an idea we are discussing with Miranda.’
From nice to see you to shut that door, 23 years of catchphrases, calamities and cuddly toys

Family affair: Bruce and Anthea in 1973
The Generation Game was based on the successful Dutch show Een van de acht or One Of The Eight.
An overnight hit when it launched on BBC1 in 1971, the programme initially ran until 1982. However, it was successfully revived in 1990 and remained on TV until 2002.
Sir Bruce Forsyth, who hosted the programme between 1971 and 1977 and again between 1990 and 1994, was the show’s most famous presenter. He was succeeded the first time he left by camp comic Larry Grayson who presented the show from 1978 to 1982 and then Jim Davidson between 1995 and 2002. Each of stars was assisted by a glamorous hostess who was often referred to as ‘Girl Friday’ in the politically incorrect 1970s. Sir Bruce married and divorced his first hostess, Anthea Redfern, and was joined by Rosemarie Ford in 1990. Grayson and his presenting partner Isla St Clair proved to be a popular double act and Davidson had a succession of hostesses, including Sally Meen, Melanie Stace and Lea Kristensen.
Each of the hosts had their own catchphrases, many of which endure to this day. Forsyth’s best known lines included ‘Didn’t they do well?’, ‘Nice to see you, to see you, nice!’, and ‘Give us a twirl’.
Grayson’s offerings included ‘Shut that door’ and ‘What a gay day’. The show’s format remained largely unchanged over the years.
One of the most popular rounds involved competing couples watching a skilled professional construct something such as pottery or perform a tricky dancing routine. They would then attempt to do the same thing, often with disastrous results.
Best remembered, however, is the ‘conveyor belt’ finale. One half of the victorious team – or in later shows, both members – would sit behind the conveyor belt as a string of prizes passed before them, always including a cuddly toy. They would win all those they could recall within a set period of time.
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