Mad for It

Last updated
Mad for It
Genre Game show
Presented by Mike McClean
Yiolanda Tokkallos (1998-99)
Danielle Nicholls (2000)
Nigel Mitchell (2000)
Opening theme"Harmonica Man" by Bravado
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of series2
No. of episodes39
Production
Production location Carlton Studios [1]
Running time25 minutes
Production company Carlton Television
Original release
Network ITV
Release2 September 1998 (1998-09-02) 
31 March 2000 (2000-03-31)

Mad for It is a British game show for children which was produced by Carlton Television broadcast on ITV from 2 September 1998 to 31 March 2000. Series 1 was hosted by former Nickelodeon presenters Mike McClean and Yiolanda Tokkallos. Series 2 was hosted by Mike McClean, Danielle Nicholls, and Nigel Mitchell. There was also a regular character called Pie Boy, played by Alex Verrey, who would go around hitting random people in the studio with flans in a manner like The Phantom Flan Flinger from Tiswas.

Contents

Games in the show

Games included were:

A frequent feature of Mad For It was "gunge", a green slimy goo which was regularly poured onto losing contestants and occasionally on the hosts themselves. Those who lost the games were sent to a "Dungeon of Gunge" an enclosure directly beneath a large nose, which expelled gunge onto the hapless prisoners. In the last episode, the tables were turned and the pie boy ended up getting shoved in the dungeon.

The most notable contestant on Mad For It was Katie Melua, who appeared on the show when she was fifteen. [3] She won the "Stars Up Their Noses" game after singing "Without You" by Badfinger. If she had lost the challenge, she would have been gunged.

The show was considered a parody of "adult programmes like Blind Date and Stars in their Eyes". [4]

Episode Guide

Series 1

Episode 1 (2 September 1998)

Backchat with the Bedheads
Stars Up Their Nose - Heat 1
OrderActTalentResult
1Acquiess5-piece male rock band performing the song "Supersonic" by Oasis Eliminated
2Tom FieldhouseUnicycling and diablo juggling to "Harmonica Man" by Bravado Heat Winner
3Lucy KingsnorthSinging the song "Ain't That Just the Way" by Lutricia McNeal Eliminated
How Far Will You Go?
That's My Pet

Episode 2 (9 September 1998)

Backchat with the Bedheads
Smarty Pants
Stars Up Their Nose - Heat 2
OrderActTalentResult
1Aaron BuckinghamSinging the song "No Matter What" by Boyzone Eliminated
2Bethanie HootonDancing to "C'est la Vie" by B*Witched Eliminated
3Melanie Femi-OlaSinging the song "How Do I Live" by LeAnn Rimes Heat Winner
Make It a Date
  • Prize: A day at the racetrack with Team McLaren
BoyResultGirlResult
DeanNot chosenLucindaNot chosen
DanNot chosenRhianNot chosen
NickNot chosenJoNot chosen
DavidChosenSamChosen
JamesNot chosenSuzanneNot chosen
IanNot chosenCarolineNot chosen

Episode 3 (16 September 1998)

Backchat with the Bedheads
Stars Up Their Nose - Heat 3
OrderActTalentResult
1The Spice BoysDancing and miming the song "Wannabe" by Spice Girls Eliminated
2Instant Replay4-piece girl group singing the song "Power of a Woman" by Eternal Eliminated
3Stephen and MichaelLine dancing to "Kung Fu Fighting" by Bus Stop and Carl Douglas Heat Winner
Make It a Date
  • Prize: A day at Zippo's Circus
BoyResultGirlResult
AdamNot chosenLauraNot chosen
BobbyNot chosenDonnaNot chosen
AndyNot chosenMarie AnneNot chosen
JoeNot chosenJennyNot chosen
RyanChosenToriNot chosen
DanielNot chosenCharlotteChosen
That's My Pet

Episode 4 (23 September 1998)

Backchat with the Bedheads
Sad or Bad?
Stars Up Their Nose - Semi Final 1
OrderActWinner ofTalentResult
1Tom FieldhouseHeat 1Unicycling and diablo juggling to "Harmonica Man" by Bravado Semi Final Winner
2Melanie Femi-OlaHeat 2Singing the song "How Do I Live" by LeAnn Rimes Eliminated
3Stephen and MichaelHeat 3Line dancing to "C'est la Vie" by B*Witched Eliminated
How Far Will You Go?

Series 2

Transmissions

SeriesStart dateEnd dateEpisodes
12 September 199810 March 199926
27 January 200031 March 200013

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References

  1. "Ex-ITV Regional Studios". TV Studio History. Retrieved 15 July 2020.
  2. "Katie Melua talks about new album". The Bolton News. 21 August 2007. Retrieved 21 September 2023.
  3. "Katie Melua looks back in time before Roundhouse anniversary show". Ham & High. 26 September 2013. Retrieved 21 September 2023.
  4. Davies, Máire Messenger (27 September 2001). 'Dear BBC': Children, Television Storytelling and the Public Sphere. Cambridge University Press. ISBN   978-0-521-78560-0.