The Alphabet Game
1996 British game show
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The Alphabet Game is a comedy panel game show that aired on BBC1 from 5 August 1996 to 27 March 1997 and is hosted by Andrew O'Connor. The programme was created by O'Connor, Rebecca Thornhill, Mark Maxwell-Smith and produced by Objective Productions. It was remade in Spain as Pasapalabra,[1] for which ITV Studios sued Telecinco for €17,000,000;[2] ITV would later remake the show as Alphabetical.[3]
- Rebecca Thornhill
- Mark Maxwell-Smith
- Andrew O'Connor
| The Alphabet Game | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Comedy panel game |
| Created by |
|
| Presented by | Andrew O'Connor |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language | English |
| No. of series | 2 |
| No. of episodes | 73 |
| Production | |
| Production location | New Broadcasting House |
| Running time | 25 minutes |
| Production companies | |
| Original release | |
| Network | BBC1 |
| Release | 5 August 1996 – 27 March 1997 |
| Related | |
| Alphabetical | |
Format
Two members of the public team up with two celebrities each, while a fifth acts as judge. The five celebrities are there all week, while the contestants rotate. Round 1 sees the teams trying to buzz in for control of a question such as 'things I would do if I won the lottery'; the teams must then go through the alphabet to provide answers. The other team can challenge an answer if they feel it is incorrect, in which case the judge decides which team is correct. If the judge decides the challenging team is correct or a team member can't think of an answer, play passes to the other team. This round ends when one team passes Z, and the next consists of the teams trying to create a chain of words each starting with the end of the last. In round three, the teams are given a sentence and asked to finish it, for example "Kevin likes to F". The three members of the other team have a card each with one answer on which the opposing team must give. Each team member gets seven seconds each.[4]
In round four, contestants must try and describe something using word/phrases beginning with each letter. Round five is a repeat of round one to be played until time is up. Round six is played by the winner; if the ties are scored, the teams decide amongst themselves to find one to win the prize for both teams. O'Connor will then ask a question with a three word answer, for example "Who invented the telephone?" and the three team members must answer "A G B" (Alexander Graham Bell). Five correct answers in sixty seconds nets them the prize.[4]
Transmissions
International versions
The format has been aired in France, Spain, Colombia, Argentina, Panama, Portugal, Brazil, Italy, Turkey, Chile, Uruguay, Germany and Greece. The format in countries outside of the UK is more of a straight-laced game show, following the format of the Italian adaptation Passaparola, and with a famous final round where players have to name an answer to a question for every letter (or the majority of letters) of the alphabet in a time limit, which itself comes from an abandoned Dutch quiz show idea called 21×100.
| Country | Title | Broadcaster(s) | Presenter(s) | Premiere | Finale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Argentina | Pasapalabra | Azul TV (7 January – 18 March 2002) El Trece (21 January 2016 – 10 April 2020) Telefe (1 March 2021 – 6 November 2022; 26 January 2025 – present) | Claribel Medina (2002) Iván de Pineda (2016–2020; 2021–2022; 2025–present) | 7 January 2002 | present |
 Brazil | A Grande Chance | Rede Bandeirantes | Gilberto Barros | 24 April 2007 | 21 June 2008 |
 Chile | Pasapalabra | Chilevisión | Julián Elfenbein | 7 January 2018 | 3 January 2025 |
 Colombia | Pasapalabra | RCN Televisión | Jéssica de la Peña | 2003 | 2003 |
 France | En toutes lettres (2009–2011) Tout le monde a son mot à dire (2017–) | France 2 | Julien Courbet (31 August 2009 – 30 June 2011) Olivier Minne and Sidonie Bonnec (6 March 2017 – 23 August 2025) Bruno Guillon and Sidonie Bonnec (25 August 2025 – present) | 31 August 2009 | present |
 Germany | Buchstaben Battle | Sat.1 | Ruth Moschner | 12 October 2020 | 28 January 2022 |
 Greece | Πες Τη Λεξη Pes Ti Lexi | ERT1 | Yorgos Karamihos | 22 October 2022 | 22 December 2024 |
 Italy | Passaparola | Canale 5 | Gerry Scotti (11 January – 27 February 1999; 21 June 1999 – 27 January 2008) Claudio Lippi (1 March – 19 June 1999) | 11 January 1999 | 27 January 2008 |
 Panama | Pasapalabra | TVN | Marelissa Him | 18 October 2021 | 23 December 2022 |
 Portugal | Passo a Palavra | RTP1 | Nicolau Breyner | 2003 | 2003 |
 Spain | Pasapalabra | Antena 3 (24 July 2000 – 9 June 2006; 13 May 2020 – present) Telecinco (16 July 2007 – 1 October 2019) | Silvia Jato (2000–2002; 2003–2006) Constantino Romero (2002–2003) Jaime Cantizano (2006) Christian Gálvez (2007–2019) Roberto Leal (2020–present) | 24 July 2000 | present |
 Turkey | Passaparola | Star TV (14 October 2002 – 11 November 2005; 14 May 2010 – 30 January 2011) Kanal 1 (3 July 2006 – 14 March 2008) | Metin Uca (2002 – February 2005; 2006–2008; 2010–2011) Mehmet Ali Erbil (February – May 2005) Mesut Yar (May – 11 November 2005) | 14 October 2002 | 30 January 2011 |
| Parola Parola | TV8 | Kaan Sekban | 17 August 2024 | 20 October 2024 | |
 United Kingdom (original version) |
The Alphabet Game | BBC1 | Andrew O'Connor | 5 August 1996 | 27 March 1997 |
| Alphabetical | ITV | Jeff Stelling | 15 August 2016 | 27 October 2017 | |
 Uruguay | Pasapalabra | Canal 10 | Jorge Piñeyrúa | 11 March 2019 | 9 June 2024 |