Game for a Laugh is a British light entertainment programme which ran for fifty-six editions and four specials between 26 September 1981 and 23 November 1985, made by LWT for the ITV network.

The show revolved around a variety of practical jokes, either in game-type formats played out within the studio or as often elaborate set-ups on unsuspecting members of the public, either studio-based or shot on location. Studio games included the Dunk Tank (the victim would be lowered into a tank of water) and Pie Chair (a volunteer would be pied when answering a question wrong.) Other games would involve couples from the audience and climaxed with the woman throwing a custard pie at her husband or boyfriend, giggling mischievously at her handiwork and being allowed to escape without even the suggestion of payback. Each segment would end with the victim being made aware of the joke by a presenter, who would then announce that the person had proved to be "game for a laugh".

It has been said that the original format was called Gotcha and was designed as a BBC show to be presented by Paul Daniels, David Copperfield (the British comedian) and Pamela Stephenson. The pilot show was rejected, allegedly, for being 'too vulgar'. Jeremy Beadle then rewrote the format, with producer Michael Hill in the United States.

According to the show's original producer, Brian Wesley, in his 1982 book on the series, "The Game for a Laugh birthplace was the Hollywood office of producer Michael Hill." Jeremy Beadle and Hill's Los Angeles-based television production company Hill-Eubanks Group envisaged a show in which "the people were the stars". Hill developed the eventual show with Beadle and with Jeremy Fox, then head of London-based Action Time, and the son of BBC television executive Sir Paul Fox. Fox then presented the format to LWT. Jeremy Fox also brought to the show a wealth of stunts from Truth or Consequences, a show created by Ralph Edwards Productions in Hollywood from whom LWT bought the rights. At LWT, Head of Light Entertainment Alan Boyd put the finishing touches to it.

The hosts for its first few series were Beadle, Matthew Kelly, Henry Kelly (no relation) and Sarah Kennedy. When both Kellys and Kennedy left, the hosts were Jeremy Beadle, Martin Daniels (the son of Paul Daniels), Rustie Lee and Lee Peck. Debbie Rix replaced Rustie Lee for the final series.

The series had two spin-offs – Surprise, Surprise, which was designed by Alan Boyd to comprise the 'surprising', bizarre and humorous 'real people' elements from Game For a Laugh, and used largely the same product team. The second was Beadle's About which was based mainly around the elaborate on-location pranks played on unsuspecting members of the public.

The series' catchphrase was spoken by the four presenters at the end of the show – "Join us again next week when we very much hope you'll be..." then each of the four would intone, one by one:

Henry – "Watching us..." Sarah – "Watching you..." Matthew – "Watching us..." Jeremy – "Watching you...." (all) – "GOODNIGHT!"