Jeux Sans Frontières
| Jeux Sans Frontières | |
|---|---|
Title card
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| Genre | Game show |
| Created by |
Guy Lux Pierre Brive Claude Savarit Jean-Louis Marest |
| Theme music composer | Jacques Revaux |
| Original language(s) | English and French |
| No. of episodes | 30 editions |
| Production | |
| Location(s) | Held around Europe |
| Production company(s) | European Broadcasting Union |
| Distributor | Eurovision |
| Release | |
| Picture format | 4:3 |
| Original release | 26 May 1965 – 23 September 1999 |
| Chronology | |
| Related shows | It's a Knockout |
Jeux Sans Frontières (English: Games Without Frontiers, or Games Without Borders) was a Europe-wide television game show. In English-speaking countries, the show is also known as It's a Knockout, the title of the BBC's domestic version.
In its original conception, it was broadcast from 1965 to 1999 under the auspices of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and featured teams from different European countries in outlandish costumes (often large latex suits) competing to complete bizarre tasks in funny games. The original series run ended in 1982. It was revived in 1988 with a different complexion of nations and was hosted by smaller broadcasters, with the notable exception of Italy's RAI, which hosted three edition with a fixed location in 1996, 1998, 1999.
The idea of the show came from French President Charles de Gaulle, whose wish was that French and German youth would meet in a series of funny games to reinforce the friendship between France and Germany. The games were inspired by the matches between French cities. Some games were played in swimming pools. In 1965, three French men (Pierre Brive, Claude Savarit, and Jean-Louis Marest) spread the idea of the games to other European countries. Teams representing France, Germany, Belgium, and Italy took part in the first edition of the show called Inter Nations Games.
In the United Kingdom, participants came from the heats of It's a Knockout. The original presenter was McDonald Hobley, but he stayed for just one series before handing over to Katie Boyle, who in turn was replaced by David Vine and Eddie Waring. It was not until 1971 that the presenter most associated with the role, Stuart Hall, took over presenting the UK heats and also provided the British commentary for the international version along with Waring, who was better known as the BBC's Rugby League commentator. Wales had its own team between 1991 and 1994 and the programme was broadcast on S4C in Welsh by Iestyn Garlick.
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