A League of Their Own (British game show)

Last updated

A League of Their Own
Aleagueoftheirown.png
Genre Comedy
Panel game
Sports
Presented by James Corden
Romesh Ranganathan
Starring Freddie Flintoff
Jamie Redknapp
Georgie Thompson
John Bishop
Jack Whitehall
Micah Richards
Jill Scott
Mo Gilligan
Theme music composerWill Slater
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of series16
No. of episodes232 (As of 23 March 2023) (list of episodes)
Production
Production locations Pinewood Studios (2010)
BBC Elstree Centre (2011–15)
Elstree Studios (2016–)
Running time60 mins (episode 1, series 3–present, specials)
30 mins (series 1–2)
Production company CPL Productions
Original release
Network Sky One (2010–2021)
Sky Max (2021–)
Release11 March 2010 (2010-03-11) 
present

A League of Their Own is a British sports-based comedy panel game show that was first broadcast on Sky One on 11 March 2010. The show is currently hosted by Romesh Ranganathan and features Jamie Redknapp and Jill Scott as team captains and Micah Richards and Mo Gilligan as regular panellists.

Contents

Format

The show is a standard panel quiz show where two teams of three, the Red and Blue teams compete for points awarded in three rounds, to find the overall winning team by points total. [1]

Participants

The show was hosted for the first 13 series by James Corden. The Red Team is captained by former Liverpool and England footballer Jamie Redknapp, who was formerly joined by once regular panellist and stand-up comedian John Bishop. In series 5, Bishop was absent for several episodes due to his Sport Relief challenge, eventually leaving the show as a regular. Redknapp was joined on the red team by comedian Romesh Ranganathan for series 13 and 14. [2] The Blue Team was captained by retired Lancashire and England cricketer Freddie Flintoff for the first 16 series. [3] Flintoff was replaced by a series of guest captains starting from series 17. [4] For the first four series Flintoff was joined by then Sky Sports F1 presenter Georgie Thompson. From series 5, comedian Jack Whitehall replaced Thompson as regular panellist on the blue team due to her F1 commitments. Whitehall himself left the show after series 12. [5] Micah Richards became the blue team's regular panellist from series 17. [4] Former England midfielder Jill Scott and comedian Mo Gilligan will join the show as the new blue team captain from the fortcoming series 18. [6] [7] Each episode the teams are supplemented by special guests.

Neither Corden, Redknapp nor Thompson had been regular features on a television panel show before. Corden was non-committal about whether the show marked a new direction for him as a television host, stating "I spend most of my time sitting in a room with my mates talking about sport anyway. To get paid to do such a thing will be great. I hope it will be a fun show and people will enjoy watching it." [8] Redknapp said "I'm loving it, but it is nerve-wracking" and "the key is to try to have a bit of fun, but to remember that we're not comedians and can't compete with the professionals" referring to Bishop and Corden. [9] Thompson said of the show that it was "the fun factor that I've been looking for" and represented an "exciting opportunity" in her career. [10]

Due to Corden's commitments to his U.S. talk show The Late Late Show , the 14th series was presented, in part, by guest hosts. [11] Corden's absence was extended into the 15th series due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This series was hosted mainly by Ranganathan with Flintoff and Redknapp hosting one episode apiece. [12] Ranganathan was confirmed as the show's new permanent host starting from series 16. [13]

Production

The show was created by Paul Brassey, a development producer at CPL Productions. The show was recorded in Pinewood Studios (BBC Elstree Centre from series 3, and Elstree Film Studios from series 12), [14] being filmed on Mondays and Tuesdays in front of a live studio audience. The show was commissioned by Duncan Gray, with Gray, Danielle Lux and Murray Boland acting as Executive Producers. [15] It was announced on 20 October 2009 that the pilot for the show would be hosted by Corden alongside team captains Redknapp and England cricketer Stuart Broad, [16] although Broad was replaced in the line up by Flintoff by the time of the series 1 start. Executive producer Danielle Lux said it would be "an Olympic standard comedy show for anyone who loves their sport and a fun-filled half-hour for those who don't." [17] The pilot was recorded on 24 October, [15] and was due to be aired later in 2009. [17] Sky One's promotion for the show included a TV advert featuring Corden mis-kicking a football, spoofing contemporary serious sportswear advertising campaigns, accompanied by the tagline "the new panel show that doesn't take sport too seriously". [18]

Reception

Keith Watson of the Metro welcomed the show as a challenger to "Britain's No.1 TV sports spot-the-scripted-bits banter show", referring to the BBC's show A Question of Sport , hosted by Sue Barker. Watson, writing after the first episode, said "Team skippers Freddie Flintoff and Jamie Redknapp are just there as window-dressing/butts of jokes, for this is Corden's show and he takes to it like a puck to the ice rink. [Sue] Barker beware." [19] Sharon Lougher and Larushka Ivan-Zadeh also of the Metro went further, announcing the show as "basically, A Question of Sport for idiots ... the televisual equivalent of Nuts magazine". [20]

Writing after the first episode, Harry Venning of The Stage panned the show, summarising it as "Imagine A Question of Sport without the sports questions, combined with They Think It's All Over without the comedy". Criticising the length of the opening hour-long special, Venning said it contained some fine gags but not enough of them, and the format was "dull, unimaginative and painfully protracted", albeit praising Flintoff for being "surprisingly witty and charming". [21]

The British Comedy Guide said of the first episode that "the sportsman-dominated panel showed: very few laughs, and little charm" and were not convinced of the format, although conceding that not being sports fans they might not be the target audience. [1]

Guest appearances

Comedian Jimmy Carr has made 24 guest appearances, making him the most frequent guest on the programme. Jimmy Carr, 2015-04-13 3 (crop).jpg
Comedian Jimmy Carr has made 24 guest appearances, making him the most frequent guest on the programme.

The following have made more than one appearance on the show as a guest (up to and including series 18, episode 8):

24 appearances
13 appearances
12 appearances
8 appearances
7 appearances
6 appearances
5 appearances
4 appearances
3 appearances
2 appearances

Transmissions

Original

Series

SeriesStart dateEnd dateEpisodesPresenterTeam captainsRegular panellist(s)
111 March 201013 May 201010 James Corden Jamie Redknapp Freddie Flintoff John Bishop & Georgie Thompson
27 October 201011 November 201010
34 March 201129 April 20118
47 October 201118 November 20117
520 April 20128 June 20128 John Bishop & Jack Whitehall
626 October 201214 December 20128 Jack Whitehall
723 August 201311 October 20138
829 August 201417 October 20148
915 May 20153 July 20158
107 January 201625 February 20168
1122 September 201610 November 20168
1214 September 201726 October 20177
1330 August 201818 October 20188 Romesh Ranganathan
1415 August 20193 October 20198 James Corden & Guest presenters
1513 August 20201 October 20208 Romesh Ranganathan N/A
1619 August 20217 October 20218
1718 August 20226 October 20228Guest team captains Micah Richards
1825 October 202313 December 20238 Jill Scott Micah Richards & Mo Gilligan

Specials

DateEntitled
20 May 2010The Best of Series 1
27 May 2010The Unseen Bits from Series 1
12 November 2010The Best of Series 2
19 December 2010The Unseen Bits from Series 2
23 December 2010Christmas Special
6 May 2011The Unseen Bits from Series 3 (Part 1)
13 May 2011The Best of Series 3 (Part 1)
20 May 2011The Best of Series 3 (Part 2)
27 May 2011The Unseen Bits from Series 3 (Part 2)
16 December 2011End of Year Special
6 January 2012The Unseen Bits from Series 4
13 January 2012The Best of Series 4
15 June 2012The Unseen Bits from Series 5 (Part 1)
22 June 2012The Unseen Bits from Series 5 (Part 2)
29 June 2012The Best of Series 5
21 December 2012The Unseen Bits from Series 6 (Part 1)
28 December 2012The Unseen Bits from Series 6 (Part 2)
18 October 2013The Unseen Bits from Series 7 (Part 1)
25 October 2013The Unseen Bits from Series 7 (Part 2)
1 November 2013The Best of the Rally Car Special
8 November 2013The Best of Series 7
17 October 2014The Unseen Bits from Series 8 (Part 1)
24 October 2014The Unseen Bits from Series 8 (Part 2)
31 October 2014The Unseen Bits from Series 8 (Part 3)
31 October 2014The Unseen Bits from Series 8 (Part 4)
24 December 2014Christmas Special
10 July 2015The Best of Series 9 (Part 1)
17 July 2015The Best of Series 9 (Part 2)
24 July 2015The Unseen Bits from Series 9 (Part 1)
31 July 2015The Unseen Bits from Series 9 (Part 2)
3 March 2016The Best of Series 10 (Part 1)
10 March 2016The Best of Series 10 (Part 2)
17 November 2016The Unseen Bits from Series 11
24 November 2016The Best of Series 11
24 December 2016Christmas Special
10 August 2017A Premier League of Their Own
5 December 2017The Unseen Bits from Series 12
12 December 2017The Best of Series 12
21 December 2017Christmas Special
25 October 2018The Unseen Bits from Series 13
1 November 2018The Best of Series 13
20 December 2018Christmas Special
10 October 2019The Unseen Bits from Series 14
17 October 2019The Best Bits from Series 14
19 December 2019Christmas Special
15 October 2020The Unseen Bits from Series 15
22 October 2020The Best Bits from Series 15
17 December 2020Christmas Special
14 October 2021The Unseen Bits from Series 16
21 October 2021The Best Bits from Series 16
13 December 2021Christmas Special
13 October 2022The Unseen Bits from Series 17
20 October 2022The Best Bits from Series 17
12 December 2022Christmas Special
12 July 2023The Lionesses Special

Road Trip

Series

SeriesStart dateEnd dateEpisodesArea
110 May 201624 May 20163USA
25 June 201726 June 20174USA
310 January 201931 January 20194Europe
49 January 202030 January 20204Europe
58 April 202129 April 20214UK [g]
67 April 202228 April 20224UK & Ireland [h]
717 February 202310 March 20234 Southeast Asia
8TBC Mexico

Specials

DateEntitle
31 May 2016The Unseen Bits from US Road Trip
3 July 2017The Unseen Bits from US Road Trip 2.0 (Part 1)
10 July 2017The Unseen Bits from US Road Trip 2.0 (Part 2)
17 July 2017The Best of US Road Trip 2.0
7 February 2019The Unseen Bits from European Road Trip
14 February 2019The Best of European Road Trip
6 February 2020The Unseen Bits from European Road Trip
13 February 2020The Best of European Road Trip
6 May 2021The Unseen Bits from Loch Ness to London
13 May 2021The Best of Loch Ness to London
5 May 2022The Unseen Bits from Dingle to Dover
12 May 2022The Best of Dingle to Dover
17 March 2023The Unseen Bits from Southeast Asia
24 March 2023The Best of Southeast Asia

International versions

Australian version

An Australian version of A League of Their Own aired on Network Ten on 16 September 2013. It was presented by comedian Tommy Little and the captains were tennis star Pat Cash and swimmer Eamon Sullivan. The series had ten episodes. Nine episodes were broadcast with the tenth episode being viewed online after it was cancelled to immediate effect after posting a disappointing rating in the show's ninth week.

Danish version

A Danish version of A League of Their Own aired on Kanal 5 on 7 September 2015. The Danish title is "5. Halvleg", in English: "5th half". The show is presented by comedian Carsten Bang and the captains are former professional cyclist Jesper Skibby and comedian Jesper Juhl. In the first series, there was 10 episodes, and the last aired on 5 November 2015.

The first series was very successful, with good ratings, and Kanal 5 decided to renew the show for a second series, with the premiere on 18 February 2016. The series contained 8 episodes, with the same host and captains as in series 1. The last episode of series 2 aired on 14 April 2016.

Series 2 was another successful series for Kanal 5, and they decided to renew the show for a third series, with the same host and captains as in the first two series. The first episode of series 3 aired on 4 September 2016.

Series 4 on 5 went on with the same host and captains. The first episode of series 4 aired on 12 February 2017 and the last episode aired on 22 June 2017. The first episode of series 5 aired on 2 November 2017.

Awards

Host Carsten Bang was nominated for Best Host at Zulu Awards 2016.

German version

A German version of A League of Their Own called Eine Liga für sich - Buschis Sechserkette, in English: A League of its Own - Buschi's Chain of Six aired on German TV channel Sky 1 on 13 March 2017. It is presented by sports commentator and former basketball player Frank Buschmann. Comedian Matze Knop and television host and former professional handball player Panagiota Petridou serve as captains.

American version

An American version of A League of Their Own called Game On! aired on CBS on 27 May 2020 until 22 July 2020. The show was hosted by Keegan-Michael Key with tennis champion Venus Williams and three-time Super Bowl champion Rob Gronkowski as team captains. James Corden (who hosts The Late Late Show for the network and was the presenter of the original British version) served as executive producer of the show. At the time, this version was going to be aired on 20 May before the change to 27 May.

CountryTitleBroadcasterPresenterPremiereFinale
Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia A League of Their Own Network Ten Tommy Little 16 September 201311 November 2013
Flag of Denmark.svg  Denmark 5. Halvleg Kanal 5 Carsten Bang7 September 20152017
Flag of Germany.svg  Germany Eine Liga für sich - Buschis Sechserkette Sky 1 Frank Buschmann13 March 201714 February 2022
Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States Game On! CBS Keegan-Michael Key 27 May 202022 July 2020

Related Research Articles

<i>Never Mind the Buzzcocks</i> British comedy panel game television show

Never Mind the Buzzcocks is a British comedy panel game show with a pop music theme. It has aired on Sky Max since September 2021, having originally aired between November 1996 and January 2015 on BBC Two. The original series was first hosted by Mark Lamarr, then by Simon Amstell, and later by a number of guest presenters, with Rhod Gilbert hosting the final series. It first starred Phill Jupitus and Sean Hughes as team captains, with Hughes being replaced by Bill Bailey from the eleventh series, and Bailey replaced by Noel Fielding for some of series 21 and from series 23 onward. The show returned six years later, now hosted by Greg Davies, with Daisy May Cooper as the new captain and Fielding returning as a captain. The show is produced by Talkback. The title plays on the names of the Sex Pistols album Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols and the band Buzzcocks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bob Mortimer</span> English comedian, presenter, actor (born 1959)

Robert Renwick Mortimer is an English comedian, author, television presenter and actor. He is known for his work with Vic Reeves as part of their Vic and Bob double act, and more recently the Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing series with Paul Whitehouse. He has also appeared on panel shows such as Would I Lie to You? and Taskmaster.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chris Addison</span> British comedian, writer, actor, and director

Christopher David Addison is a British comedian, writer, actor, and director. He is perhaps best known for his role as a regular panellist on Mock the Week. He is also known for his lecture-style comedy shows, two of which he later adapted for BBC Radio 4.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paddy McGuinness</span> English actor, comedian and television presenter

Patrick Joseph McGuinness is an English comedian, actor, writer, and television presenter. He rose to fame with the help of fellow comedian Peter Kay, who invited him to appear on the television comedy series That Peter Kay Thing (2000), and the sitcoms Phoenix Nights (2000–2001) and Max and Paddy's Road to Nowhere (2004). McGuinness went on to present various televisions shows, including Take Me Out (2010–2019), 71 Degrees North (2011), Paddy's TV Guide (2013), Top Gear (2019–2022), I Can See Your Voice (2021–2022), and Question of Sport (2021–2023).

<i>Mock the Week</i> British celebrity panel show

Mock the Week was a topical satirical celebrity panel show, created by Dan Patterson and Mark Leveson. It was produced by Angst Productions for BBC Two, and was broadcast from 5 June 2005 to 4 November 2022. The programme was presented by Dara Ó Briain and featured regular appearances by comedian Hugh Dennis, as well as guest appearances by a variety of stand-up comedians, some of whom had regular appearances in several series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Corden</span> English comedian, actor, singer and former television host (born 1978)

James Kimberley Corden is an English actor, comedian, singer, writer, producer, and former television host. In the United Kingdom, he is best known for co-writing and starring in the critically acclaimed BBC sitcom Gavin & Stacey. In the United States, he is best known as the host of The Late Late Show with James Corden, a late-night talk show that aired on CBS from 2015 to 2023.

Thomas Paul Allen is an English comedian, actor, writer and presenter. In 2005, he won the So You Think You're Funny contest at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

The Apprentice: You're Fired is a companion discussion programme, aired alongside The Apprentice since 2006, created by Mark Burnett for the BBC. The programme, initially shown on BBC Three before moving to BBC Two in 2007, focuses on interviews between the host and panel of guests, with a prominent candidate from the latest episode of the main programme that had been broadcast, often mixing general discussion, expert opinion and interviews, with highlight clips and small sketches designed for comedic effect. The programme is currently hosted by Tom Allen since 2019; over the course of its broadcast history, it has been hosted by Adrian Chiles, Dara Ó Briain, Jack Dee, and Rhod Gilbert.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jack Whitehall</span> English comedian, actor, presenter and writer

Jack Peter Benedict Whitehall is an English comedian, actor, writer, and television personality. He is known for his roles as JP in the comedy-drama series Fresh Meat (2011–2016) and as Alfie Wickers in the sitcom Bad Education also co-writing the latter and its film adaptation, The Bad Education Movie (2015).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Bishop</span> English comedian and actor

John Joseph Bishop is an English comedian, presenter, actor and former semi pro footballer.

<i>Stand Up for the Week</i> British television comedy series

Stand Up for the Week is a British television comedy series that was shown on Channel 4, featuring stand-up comedy performances reflecting topical events. The show began in June 2010 with a six-episode series aired on Friday nights, moving to Saturday nights for the second series which began in March 2011. The first series was hosted by Patrick Kielty, with regular performers Jack Whitehall, Kevin Bridges, Andi Osho and Rich Hall. Bridges replaced Kielty as host for the second series, with Jon Richardson joining as a regular performer. Richardson took over as host of the show for the third series which aired in late 2011, and aside from Rich Hall returning, an otherwise entirely new group of regular performers joined the show: Seann Walsh, Sara Pascoe, Josh Widdicombe and Paul Chowdhry. For the fourth series Andrew Lawrence replaced Rich Hall. For the fifth series, Chowdhry took over as host and new regulars Angela Barnes, Simon Evans and Romesh Ranganathan replaced Chowdhry, Lawrence and Pascoe. In October 2015 Channel 4 confirmed there are no plans to produce more episodes of the show.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joe Wilkinson</span> English comedian

Joseph Roland Wilkinson is an English comedian, actor and screenwriter. He began his comedy career in 2004 and has supported Alan Carr and Russell Howard on tour. He has also made numerous appearances on television programmes such as Live at the Electric and has been touring solo since 2011. He began appearing on 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown in 2012, initially as Rachel Riley's assistant. He has since gone on to become a frequent panellist or guest team captain. He is also in the comedy duo Two Episodes of Mash, alongside Diane Morgan. In 2019 Wilkinson won a celebrity special version of The Great British Bake Off.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rob Beckett</span> English comedian

Robert Anthony Beckett is an English comedian, narrator, and presenter. He was a co-host on the ITV2 spin-off show I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! NOW! from 2012 to 2014. Since 2016, Beckett has been a team captain on the E4 panel show 8 Out of 10 Cats and the narrator of the reality series Celebs Go Dating. He presents BBC One entertainment series Wedding Day Winners and All Together Now.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Romesh Ranganathan</span> English comedian

Jonathan Romesh Ranganathan is an English comedian, presenter, and actor. His style of comedy is deadpan and often self-deprecating.

<i>Play to the Whistle</i> British TV series or programme

Play to the Whistle is a British sports comedy panel game show that aired on ITV from 11 April 2015 to 4 April 2017. In each episode two teams of three competed in sports knowledge rounds and physical games to achieve points for their teams, at the end the team with the most points was declared the winner.

<i>The Ranganation</i> British TV topical comedy (BBC Two, 2019–)

The Ranganation is a British comedy show hosted by Romesh Ranganathan and broadcast on BBC Two. Ranganathan joins a group of 25 members of the public, including his mother, to discuss news events of the week. Two celebrity guests are also featured. The first series of six 45-minute episodes premiered on 19 May 2019. The second series of six episodes was filmed remotely due to the COVID-19 pandemic and first aired on 10 May 2020.

Rob and Romesh Vs… is a British light entertainment comedy television series made for Sky Television in which comedians Rob Beckett and Romesh Ranganathan meet people from the worlds of sport and entertainment. The show was first broadcast on Sky One in January 2019 following a one-off special in April 2017 titled Anthony Joshua vs Rob & Romesh in which pair met the heavyweight boxer ahead of his world title fight with Wladimir Klitschko. Guests have included the England national football team, Andy Murray, and Usain Bolt. The Guardian described the show as “comedic guinea pigs Rob Beckett and Romesh Ranganathan continue to try their hands at learning new skills, coached by professionals”.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "A League of Their Own". The British Comedy Guide. n.d. Archived from the original on 11 March 2010. Retrieved 26 March 2010.
  2. "Romesh Ranganathan replaces Jack Whitehall on A League Of Their Own". British Comedy Guide. 9 February 2018. Retrieved 9 February 2018.
  3. "Freddie Flintoff quits A League Of Their Own". British Comedy Guide. 14 February 2022. Retrieved 20 February 2022.
  4. 1 2 "Micah Richards joins A League Of Their Own". British Comedy Guide. 8 July 2022. Retrieved 8 July 2022.
  5. "Jack Whitehall quits A League Of Their Own after six years to pursue career in America". Evening Standard. 9 February 2018. Retrieved 20 February 2022.
  6. "There's a new Angel up north, and she's in A League of Her Own!". Sky UK. 4 July 2023. Retrieved 5 July 2023.
  7. "Sky's A League of Their Own announce major new signing of triple BAFTA winner Mo Gilligan as recurring red team panellist". Sky Group. 5 September 2023. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
  8. Natalie Jamieson (20 January 2010). "Corden wants David Beckham for a Sport Relief sketch". Newsbeat. BBC Radio 1. Retrieved 26 March 2010.
  9. Alex Fletcher (10 March 2010). "Redknapp nervous about comedy show". Digital Spy. Archived from the original on 11 March 2010. Retrieved 26 March 2010.
  10. Alex Fletcher (10 March 2010). "Thompson: 'I'm out of comfort zone'". Digital Spy. Archived from the original on 13 March 2010. Retrieved 26 March 2010.
  11. "Who's standing in for James Corden on A League Of Their Own". Chortle . Retrieved 16 July 2019.
  12. "Romesh Ranganathan to host Sky One's A League of Their Own in James Corden's absence". Radio Times . Retrieved 7 August 2020.
  13. "Romesh Ranganathan becomes new A League Of Their Own host". British Comedy Guide. 24 June 2021. Retrieved 20 February 2022.
  14. ""A League of Their Own"". comedy.co.uk. Retrieved 16 October 2017.
  15. 1 2 "A League of Their Own – Production Details". The British Comedy Guide. n.d. Retrieved 26 March 2010.
  16. Dan French (20 October 2009). "Corden, Redknapp for Sky1's 'League'". Digital Spy. Archived from the original on 2 April 2010. Retrieved 26 March 2010.
  17. 1 2 "Corden to host sports quiz". Chortle.co.uk. 20 October 2009. Retrieved 26 March 2010.
  18. "Watch James Corden in A League of Their Own ad". The Guardian. London. 19 February 2010. Archived from the original on 5 April 2010. Retrieved 26 March 2010.
  19. Keith Watson (12 March 2010). "James Corden steps into Sue Barker role for A League of Their Own". Metro. Archived from the original on 14 March 2010. Retrieved 26 March 2010.
  20. Sharon Lougher, Larushka Ivan-Zadeh (11 March 2010). "Today's TV highlights". Metro. Archived from the original on 13 March 2010. Retrieved 26 March 2010.
  21. Harry Venning (15 March 2010). "TV review". The Stage. Retrieved 26 March 2010.