Mad for It explained

Genre:Game show
Presenter:Mike McClean
Yiolanda Tokkallos (1998-99)
Danielle Nicholls (2000)
Nigel Mitchell (2000)
Opentheme:"Harmonica Man" by Bravado
Country:United Kingdom
Language:English
Num Series:2
Num Episodes:39
Location:Carlton Studios[1]
Runtime:25 minutes
Company:Carlton Television
Network:ITV

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.

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 OasisEliminated
    2Tom FieldhouseUnicycling and diablo juggling to "Harmonica Man" by BravadoHeat Winner
    3Lucy KingsnorthSinging the song "Ain't That Just the Way" by Lutricia McNealEliminated
    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 BoyzoneEliminated
    2Bethanie HootonDancing to "C'est la Vie" by B*WitchedEliminated
    3Melanie Femi-OlaSinging the song "How Do I Live" by LeAnn RimesHeat Winner
    Make It a Date
    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 GirlsEliminated
    2Instant Replay4-piece girl group singing the song "Power of a Woman" by EternalEliminated
    3Stephen and MichaelLine dancing to "Kung Fu Fighting" by Bus Stop and Carl DouglasHeat Winner
    Make It a Date
    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 BravadoSemi Final Winner
    2Melanie Femi-OlaHeat 2Singing the song "How Do I Live" by LeAnn RimesEliminated
    3Stephen and MichaelHeat 3Line dancing to "C'est la Vie" by B*WitchedEliminated
    How Far Will You Go?

    Series 2

    Transmissions

    Series Start date End date Episodes
    1 2 September 1998 10 March 1999 26
    2 7 January 2000 31 March 2000 13

    External links

    Notes and References

    1. Web site: Ex-ITV Regional Studios . TV Studio History . 15 July 2020.
    2. Web site: 2007-08-21 . Katie Melua talks about new album . 2023-09-21 . The Bolton News . en.
    3. Web site: 2013-09-26 . Katie Melua looks back in time before Roundhouse anniversary show . 2023-09-21 . Ham & High . en.
    4. Book: Davies, Máire Messenger . 'Dear BBC': Children, Television Storytelling and the Public Sphere . 2001-09-27 . Cambridge University Press . 978-0-521-78560-0 . en.