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Interceptor (game show)
Interceptor is a British game show created by Jacques Antoine, Jean Jacques Pasquier and Malcolm Heyworth. It was produced by Chatsworth in association with Thames and shown on the ITV network during the summer of 1989, with one last episode held back and shown on 1 January 1990 for a New Year special. It was made in between Treasure Hunt and The Crystal Maze, game shows from the same production company.
The show was hosted by former tennis player and Treasure Hunt sky-runner Annabel Croft. The eponymous Interceptor was played by actor Sean O'Kane.
Only eight episodes (one series) were made (after an un-aired test pilot). It was re-run on digital TV channel Challenge many times between 2001 and 2015. A public vote on UKGameshows in 2002 saw the series voted the UK's 13th best game show.
Each episode of the series was based, like Treasure Hunt in a region of the UK and began from a local tourist attraction. The host, Annabel Croft, would introduce the episode's two contestants, one woman (the yellow contestant) and one man (the blue contestant). Each contestant would be given a locked backpack - one would contain £1,000 in cash, the other containing nothing but weights. Both backpacks had five large infrared receptors on the back. The contestants would be blindfolded and taken by helicopter to locations in the area. The challenge was for both contestants, under radio guidance from Croft, to obtain the key to their opposite number's backpack - usually, some distance away from their start point - and meet up, all within a 40-minute time limit.
The task was simple enough, except for some obstructions placed in their way. Principal among these was the titular Interceptor, a tall man dressed in black, armed with an infrared projector mounted on his left forearm (the technology for which was procured from the British Army), and possessed of an intimidating fish-eagle screech and a catchphrase, "I LIKE IT!" whenever he spotted a contestant from his helicopter or if he won at the end of an episode. His role was to pursue the contestants and - to the accompaniment of post-production sound effects - 'zap' the receptors on their backpacks, causing the locks to jam. Thus, if the contestant carrying the money is 'zapped', neither contestant wins. (Although not declared in the programme, the Interceptor was only allowed a maximum of 20 "zaps" per show, and had a digital readout on his laser projector which informed him of how many shots he had left).
Distance was also a major enemy to the contestant, causing them to ask or borrow any mode of transport available to them. During the course of the series, more or less everything from bicycles to Sea King helicopters were used. The Interceptor, too, was able to hijack available transportation, but had his own fleet available to him. The most-used of these was his black-and-yellow Agusta A109 helicopter registered G-MEAN, piloted by his long-suffering pilot 'Mikey' (played by helicopter pilot Michael Malric-Smith). Also, at his disposal, was a Maserati Biturbo Spyder sports car registration INT 1, and a Kawasaki ZX10 motorbike registration INT 2. There was also an offroad Kawasaki KMX200 motorbike available with the registration INT 3 but was never used and only seen at the Interceptors lair in a few episodes. It was also claimed that a hovercraft was available to him, though, this was never used. The INT number plates were not real; the producers had special permission to film whilst using them.
The contestants' other major enemy was the time limit. Once they had located their key, they often had to perform a task in order to obtain it. Examples included participating in a limited jousting exercise, or removing the key from a horse's braided mane.
The eight episodes were recorded over the summer of 1989 and shown soon afterwards. The first seven episodes were aired on a Wednesday. The only exception was the eighth and final episode, which was intended for a Christmas airing but was instead shown in the New Year. This episode included seasonal greetings from both Annabel and the Interceptor.
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Interceptor (game show)
Interceptor is a British game show created by Jacques Antoine, Jean Jacques Pasquier and Malcolm Heyworth. It was produced by Chatsworth in association with Thames and shown on the ITV network during the summer of 1989, with one last episode held back and shown on 1 January 1990 for a New Year special. It was made in between Treasure Hunt and The Crystal Maze, game shows from the same production company.
The show was hosted by former tennis player and Treasure Hunt sky-runner Annabel Croft. The eponymous Interceptor was played by actor Sean O'Kane.
Only eight episodes (one series) were made (after an un-aired test pilot). It was re-run on digital TV channel Challenge many times between 2001 and 2015. A public vote on UKGameshows in 2002 saw the series voted the UK's 13th best game show.
Each episode of the series was based, like Treasure Hunt in a region of the UK and began from a local tourist attraction. The host, Annabel Croft, would introduce the episode's two contestants, one woman (the yellow contestant) and one man (the blue contestant). Each contestant would be given a locked backpack - one would contain £1,000 in cash, the other containing nothing but weights. Both backpacks had five large infrared receptors on the back. The contestants would be blindfolded and taken by helicopter to locations in the area. The challenge was for both contestants, under radio guidance from Croft, to obtain the key to their opposite number's backpack - usually, some distance away from their start point - and meet up, all within a 40-minute time limit.
The task was simple enough, except for some obstructions placed in their way. Principal among these was the titular Interceptor, a tall man dressed in black, armed with an infrared projector mounted on his left forearm (the technology for which was procured from the British Army), and possessed of an intimidating fish-eagle screech and a catchphrase, "I LIKE IT!" whenever he spotted a contestant from his helicopter or if he won at the end of an episode. His role was to pursue the contestants and - to the accompaniment of post-production sound effects - 'zap' the receptors on their backpacks, causing the locks to jam. Thus, if the contestant carrying the money is 'zapped', neither contestant wins. (Although not declared in the programme, the Interceptor was only allowed a maximum of 20 "zaps" per show, and had a digital readout on his laser projector which informed him of how many shots he had left).
Distance was also a major enemy to the contestant, causing them to ask or borrow any mode of transport available to them. During the course of the series, more or less everything from bicycles to Sea King helicopters were used. The Interceptor, too, was able to hijack available transportation, but had his own fleet available to him. The most-used of these was his black-and-yellow Agusta A109 helicopter registered G-MEAN, piloted by his long-suffering pilot 'Mikey' (played by helicopter pilot Michael Malric-Smith). Also, at his disposal, was a Maserati Biturbo Spyder sports car registration INT 1, and a Kawasaki ZX10 motorbike registration INT 2. There was also an offroad Kawasaki KMX200 motorbike available with the registration INT 3 but was never used and only seen at the Interceptors lair in a few episodes. It was also claimed that a hovercraft was available to him, though, this was never used. The INT number plates were not real; the producers had special permission to film whilst using them.
The contestants' other major enemy was the time limit. Once they had located their key, they often had to perform a task in order to obtain it. Examples included participating in a limited jousting exercise, or removing the key from a horse's braided mane.
The eight episodes were recorded over the summer of 1989 and shown soon afterwards. The first seven episodes were aired on a Wednesday. The only exception was the eighth and final episode, which was intended for a Christmas airing but was instead shown in the New Year. This episode included seasonal greetings from both Annabel and the Interceptor.