Format
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Main game
Two contestants compete, each attempting to match as many of the six celebrity panellists as possible in a series of fill-in-the-blank statements.
The main game is played in two rounds. The contestant with initial control in each round is given a blind choice of two statements, "A" or "B", and the host reads the chosen one aloud, with one word missing that is indicated by the word "blank". Statements are frequently written with comedic, double entendre answers in mind. A classic example: "Did you catch a glimpse of that girl on the corner? She has the world's biggest blank."
While the contestant thinks of an answer, the celebrities write their responses on cards, without conferring. Once all six have done so, usually indicated by the celebrities lighting up their name card, the contestant states their answer. The host then asks the celebrities to reveal theirs, one at a time. [6] The contestant scores one point for each celebrity whose answer is either an exact match or reasonably close, as determined by a panel of off-screen judges. The opposing contestant then takes a turn with the unused statement.
Initial control of the first round is determined by coin toss, [6] while the trailing contestant after the first round starts the second. Only the celebrities that a contestant fails to match in the first round participate on that turn in the second, so there is only ever a maximum of six points possible. This also increases the chance of a tie-break. If a contestant makes all six matches in the first round, they sit out for the second and the opponent is given one chance to tie the score. Should the trailing contestant fail to at least tie the score, the game ends immediately without the leader having to take a turn.
The high scorer after two rounds wins the game and advances to the Supermatch. Ties are broken with one final question in which both contestants write down their responses and the celebrities then give their answers, one at a time. The first contestant to raise their matching answer wins; if the tiebreaker ends with no winner, a new question is played.
The "A"/"B" choice was eliminated when Les Dawson became the host, and reinstated once Lily Savage succeeded him.
Supermatch
The contestant is presented with a fill-in-the-blank phrase and must attempt to choose the most common response based on a studio audience survey. They may ask any three celebrities for help, then use one of those responses or offer one of their own. The contestant earns 150, 100 or 50 Blanks for matching the first, second, or third most popular answers, respectively. Failing to match any of these answers ends the round immediately. [6]
A second main game is then played with two new contestants, and the winner plays the Supermatch as above. The winner who scores higher in the Supermatch becomes the day's champion; any ties are broken as in the main game. The champion then chooses one celebrity to match against on a short phrase, and an exact match doubles the number of Blanks earned in the Supermatch. Regardless of the outcome, the champion receives a prize whose value depends on the final total of Blanks. Each episode offers a star prize for 300 Blanks, requiring a contestant to match the most popular answer in their own Supermatch and win the head-to-head final. [6]
On Lily Savage's Blankety Blank, the contestant with the highest Supermatch score or winner of a tiebreaker played the head-to-head round for an additional prize. In the current revival, both players play the tiebreaker even without a tie.
Supermatch prizes
Prizes on British game shows prior to 1990 were poor by modern standards. The Independent Broadcasting Authority restricted the value of prizes on ITV shows, and BBC-programme prizes were also of a modest value. [ citation needed ] Channels regulated by the Independent Broadcasting Authority were limited to the giving away prizes with the maximum value usually being £1,750. [7] The poor-quality prizes on Blankety Blank became a running joke throughout the show's various runs, particularly during the Dawson era. Dawson drew attention to the fact that the prizes were less-than-mediocre, not pretending that the show had "fabulous prizes" as others did, but making a joke of it, such as referring to them as "fire salvaged" prizes. On one occasion, the 300 Blanks star prize was a trip on Concorde. As the audience (expecting the usual cheap prizes) clapped and cheered appreciatively, Dawson waved them down with "Don't get excited—it goes to the end of the runway and back."
Most famous, because it was a constant across all series, was the consolation prize—the Blankety Blank chequebook and pen, which Dawson would often call "The Blankety Blank chequepen and book!" The "chequebook" consisted of a silver trophy in the shape of a chequebook. When one contestant had not won anything, Dawson rolled his eyes and asked her "I bet you wish you'd've stopped at home and watched Crossroads . Do you want me to lend you your bus fare home?" However, despite Dawson's constant jibing of the consolation prize ("Never mind love, you might have lost, but you'll never be short of something to prop your door open with now..."), the chequebook and pen are now worth a great deal, as they were never commercially available and only a limited number were made.
A Blankety Blank chequebook, minus the pen, was one of the items uncovered by Andy in Mackenzie Crook's BBC comedy Detectorists .
In 1993, the IBA prize limits had been lifted, and the star prize on the 1990s revival was generally a holiday.
In the 2021 series, the Supermatch prizes consist of £500, £750, and prize worth over £750.
