Beat the Star

For the Australian version, see Beat the Star (Australia).
Beat the Star
Genre Game show
Starring Vernon Kay
Phillip Schofield (2 episodes)
Country of origin United Kingdom
Original language(s) English
No. of series 2
No. of episodes 15 (inc. unaired pilot) (list of episodes)
Production
Producer(s) Gallowgate Productions
Diverse Production
Running time 75mins (inc. adverts)
Release
Original network ITV, STV, UTV
Picture format 16:9
Audio format Stereo
Original release 20 April 2008 (2008-04-20) – 31 May 2009 (2009-05-31)

Beat the Star is a British game show airing on television network ITV. It is the British version of the Schlag den Raab franchise, based on the German game show Schlag den Raab (Beat the Raab - Raab being Stefan Raab). A candidate who can beat a celebrity in a number of disciplines wins the jackpot, starting at £50,000.

Premise

Each episode features one contestant battling against a celebrity in a number of disciplines.[1] The games include sports contests such as climbing, motorsport and ice hockey, puzzles and various other challenges.[2] The show notably features several highly unusual challenges, including using a saw to cut a large log, dropping a pea into a bottle from a height of 1 metre, hammering nails into a piece of wood, and chopping a large sausage.

Games carry varying numbers of points for the winner (1 point for game 1, 2 for game 2 etc.), and successful contestants win a prize of £50,000. If the celebrity wins, the jackpot rolls over (series 1), or is added to a prize fund for the season finale in which host Vernon Kay competes (series 2).

Recording

The pilot and first series were recorded in Cologne, Germany, using the set and facilities of the original German version of the show (though the German location is never acknowledged in the show itself).[3] Eight episodes were recorded during April 2008.[4] Members of the studio audience can win €500 or one of 20 tickets for German Schlag den Raab.[5] Candidates needed to be at least 18 years of age, have a driving licence and a passport.[6] In October 2008 ITV announced a second series, having got good ratings with the first.[7] Series 2 was recorded at Pinewood Studios in Buckinghamshire next to the 007 Set.

Differences between Beat the Star and Schlag den Raab

Most noticeably, the UK show features a different celebrity player each week, is not broadcast live and lasts 75 minutes with 7 or 8 scheduled games (though remaining games are not played if the result is decided early).

In Germany, Schlag den Raab starts at 20:15 on Saturdays with a variable running time of at least four hours, with up to 15 individual games. The longest show in the history of "Schlag den Raab" lasted 368 minutes.[8] The show began on Saturday 20:15 and ended on Sunday morning at 02:23. The German version starts with the selection of one of five candidates by televoting. The British remake is pre-recorded.[9] In the German version, a member of the TV audience can win one or more cars, in the British version a member of the studio audience can win €500, though this is not shown in the broadcast show.[5] The British version features different celebrities, whereas the German version is centred on television entertainer and late-night show host Stefan Raab.[10] In the German version there's a jackpot starting with €500,000. The highest prize was €3.5 million on 15 December 2012.

The games are generally similar, although some games were dropped for series 2 of the UK show, when recording no longer took place in the original's Cologne studio.

In 2009, Beat the Star was brought back to Germany as Schlag den Star. Seven seasons with four episodes each have been aired since August 2015. Concerning the differences mentioned above, Schlag den Star is very similar to Beat the Star, but Stefan Raab (not being opponent) is a joker for the contestant in one of the first six games. Schlag den Raab is aired regularly, Schlag den Star irregularly.

Transmissions

Series Start date End date Episodes
1 20 April 2008 22 June 2008 8
2 19 April 2009 31 May 2009 7

Ratings

Episode Viewing figures from BARB[11]

Series 1

Episode Date Total Viewers ITV Weekly Ranking
1 20 April 2008 5,250,000 16
2 27 April 2008 5,170,000 18
3 4 May 2008 3,800,000 20
4 11 May 2008 3,930,000 22
5 18 May 2008 3,900,000 20
6 25 May 2008 4,140,000 18
7 1 June 2008 4,930,000 20
8 22 June 2008 5,190,000 12

Series 2

Episode Date Total Viewers ITV Weekly Ranking
1 19 April 2009 5,590,000 15
2 26 April 2009 4,250,000 20
3 3 May 2009 3,600,000 22
4 10 May 2009 4,140,000 24
5 17 May 2009 4,230,000 18
6 24 May 2009 Under 2,760,000 Outside Top 30
7 31 May 2009 3,870,000 29

International Versions

Country Title Network Host Competing against Games Date aired
 Australia Beat the Star Seven Network Daniel MacPherson Various Unknown 7 September 2010
 Bulgaria Разбий Иван и Андрей
Razbi Ivan i Andrei 		Nova Television Ivan and Andrey Unknown Unknown 26 September 2011
 Croatia Pobijedi Šolu RTL Televizija Belma Hodžic Vlado Šola 15 20 February 2009
 France Qui peut battre Benjamin Castaldi? [12] TF1 Carole Rousseau & Denis Brognart Benjamin Castaldi 13 29 November 2008
 Germany Schlag den Raab
Schlag den Star 		ProSieben Matthias Opdenhövel
Steven Gätjen 		Stefan Raab 15 23 September 2006
 Georgia დაამარცხე ვარსკვლავი
Daamartskhe Varskvlavi 		Rustavi 2 Ann Korkia Unknown Unknown 14 June 2010
 Norway Hvem kan slå Ylvis

Hvem kan slå Aamodt & Kjus

TV Norge Frithjof Wilborn (season 1)

Henriette Bruusgaard (season 2)

 Ylvis brothers (season 1)

Kjetil André Aamodt & Lasse Kjus (season 2)

 Unknown 2009, 2010
 Serbia Izađi na crtu Prva Srđan Karanović Milan Kalinić Unknown 25 September 2011
 Sweden Vem kan slå Filip och Fredrik? [13] Kanal 5 Pontus Gårdinger Filip and Fredrik 15 9 September 2008
 The Netherlands Beat De Mol Veronica TV Johnny De Mol Various Unknown Unknown

References

  1. ↑ Davies, Serena (19 April 2008). "Games master". London: Telegraph. Retrieved 20 April 2008.
  2. ↑ "Can Khan win Vernon's challenge?". digiguide. Retrieved 19 April 2008.
  3. ↑ ""Beat the Star" with Vernon Kay, Monday 5.Nov.2007 - Germany". toytowngermany. Archived from the original on 20 April 2008. Retrieved 7 April 2008.
  4. ↑ "recording dates of Beat the Star". mediabolo.de. Archived from the original on 5 April 2008. Retrieved 7 April 2008.
  5. 1 2 "tickets for Beat the Star". mediabolo.de. Archived from the original on 5 April 2008. Retrieved 7 April 2008.
  6. ↑ "search for candidates". lincsquad.co.uk. Retrieved 13 April 2008.
  7. ↑ http://www.broadcastnow.co.uk/news/terrestrial/2008/10/beat_the_star_to_return.html
  8. ↑ "BRAINPOOL / Raab und ProSieben schlagen RTL am Samstag / November / 2014 / Presse / Home". brainpool.de (in German). Retrieved 19 November 2014.
  9. ↑ "Blog: Can ITV beat the ratings?". broadcastnow. Archived from the original on 1 May 2008. Retrieved 20 April 2008.
  10. ↑ "Exporting TV page 2". ProSiebenSat1. Retrieved 16 April 2008.
  11. ↑ "BARB". BARB. 21 September 2010.
  12. ↑ "Qui peut battre Benjamin Castaldi ?... Audrey Prieto !". Télé 7 Jours (in French). 29 November 2008. Retrieved 8 May 2010.
  13. ↑ "Vem kan slå Filip och Fredrik?". Kanal 5 (in Swedish). Archived from the original on 1 November 2008. Retrieved 11 November 2008.

External links

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