Can't Beat A Bit Of Bully
October 8, 2011 9:31 AM   Subscribe

 
Oh. My. God. Bullseye was just atrocious. Amazing to think that is how we actually looked in the UK back then.
posted by marienbad at 9:40 AM on October 8, 2011


I saw this blog linked from somewhere. I was so confused. I had no idea that Bullseye was even a show. At first I thought it was a hairstyle I'd never heard of, since the first two guys had mullets. I don't particularly feel more enlightened, but a hell of a lot less confused.
posted by cjorgensen at 9:52 AM on October 8, 2011




Amazing to think that is how we actually looked in the UK North back then.

Watching clips from Bullseye I get the feeling it's filmed in the local Servicemen's or Workingmen's Club, and half expect Peter Kay to pop up in his wheelchair.
posted by Jehan at 10:03 AM on October 8, 2011


You got ear-studs on the NHS back then.
posted by Abiezer at 10:08 AM on October 8, 2011 [1 favorite]


Oh noes! What was that godforsaken rhyme that explained the rules? I can feel it formulating in my brain....
Keep out of the black and in the red - you'll get nothing in this game for two in a bed
Aaaagh! I want my BFH! (Bus Fare Home for the uninitiated).
posted by Monkeymoo at 10:10 AM on October 8, 2011


Monkeymoo, I much preferred:

Jim: And what do you do?
Woman contestant: I'm just a housewife!
Jim: Don't say just a housewife.
posted by biffa at 10:33 AM on October 8, 2011


Can't beat a bit of bully.
posted by GallonOfAlan at 10:48 AM on October 8, 2011


I guess this was before the International Shitty Haircut Line was moved from the Prime Meridian to points gradually further east.
posted by Inspector.Gadget at 11:09 AM on October 8, 2011


Related classic Brit sport TV - Indoor Games, presented by cricket legend Fred Trueman!
posted by TheWaves at 11:45 AM on October 8, 2011


Oh dear, that should be 'Indoor League' (with apologies to Yorkshire TV and skittles fans everywhere)!
posted by TheWaves at 11:52 AM on October 8, 2011


Sunday dinner, Italian football on Channel 4, the Borrowers, Supergran, Bullseye, then a bath before an early night 'cos you've got school in the morning. That's basically all I remember of the 80s.
posted by afx237vi at 2:54 PM on October 8, 2011 [2 favorites]


Disappointed that there's no mention of speed boats in the post.
posted by NordyneDefenceDynamics at 4:18 PM on October 8, 2011


Why was it always a speedboat? Because apparently the program had done some sort of deal with a speedboat company (they only wheeled it out if they won btw... some other prize if they had lost - presumably a lesser deal from whoever as they would be associated with failure)

Even back then Bullseye was seen as a bit low rent compared with more shinier Sat night fair like Play Your Cards Right. But as it went out on a early Sunday evening when there was sod all else on the telly it pulled in a huge audience. Though the shabbiness was somewhat relieved by Bowan's kinda anti-showbiz presenting style, piss-easy questions so it was easy to feel smugly superior and a rock-solid format.

One of my fave bits was the mid-game break when they would bring on a pro dart player to throw some arrows for the leading couple's fave charity, points = pounds (er 301 or more with 6 darts and they doubled it?) In early seasons the dart pros alternated with grade z 'celebrities' who would be given a 60 head-start. It was obvious in many cases they had never thrown a dart in their life (or in George Best's memorable appearance, come straight from the pub - he missed the board entirely with one throw). Cue pathetic score and dark looks from the contestants resulting with a mumbled apology and a 'I'll add some of my own money' from the 'sleb
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 2:27 AM on October 9, 2011


Never watched Bullseye, but everyone in the town I grew up in looked like this. Due to the framing of the shots you can't see the shoes, but all the women will be wearing stilettos and all the blokes will be wearing white socks.
posted by Coobeastie at 5:06 AM on October 9, 2011 [1 favorite]


Jesus, the haircuts. Incredible.
(Incidentally, the tumblr blog is put together by Viz mag legend Christina Martin, who I see reached such a level of prolificacy in her Letterbocks submissions to the current issue that they had to give her a half-page of her own.)
posted by hydatius at 12:03 PM on October 9, 2011


This needs to exist
posted by devious truculent and unreliable at 4:13 AM on October 10, 2011


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