Finders Keepers Start Theme ( 1992 )
Finders Keepers
Finders Keepers is a CITV game show based on the original American format of the same name. It was originally broadcast between 12 April 1991 and 6 August 1996, hosted by Neil Buchanan. It was then revived from 6 January to 14 April 2006, hosted by Jeff Brazier. Two teams of two are given the opportunity to “raid the room” across eight rooms and two rounds to find hidden objects, identified by clues read out by the host prior to raiding. Each room raid lasted 30 seconds and if the object was found, won the team 25 points in the first round, and 50 points in the second. . Each raid was hectic because the rooms had streamers, confetti and Silly String raining from the ceiling as the raids went on.
category – Childrens Game Show
Rooms
Rooms
Mum and Dads Bedroom
Bathroom
Landing
Kids Bedroom
Fantasy Room/Attic (Series 6 only)/Mystery Room
Store Room/Utility Room (Series 6 only)/Garden Room
Kitchen
Hallway
Living Room
Study
Cast
Neil Buchanan (1991–1996)
Jeff Brazier (2006)
Starring Diane Youdale (1996)
Quote
“It could be anywhere!” (Obvious statement, really.)
“Look high, look low!”
“Let’s raid the room!” – 1991 to 1996
Host: “Whose house is it?” Audience: “Our House!”
Host: “What time is it?” Audience: “Room-raiding time!”
Announcer: “And here is the owner of the Finders Keepers house…Neil Buchanan!”
Trivia
Two teams of two had to trash eight rooms in two rounds (four rooms each round) to find hidden objects to obtain points.In its original format, the teams went over to a garage to find four answers to four questions behind eight numbers to win rooms to raid. They had 30 seconds to find the hidden object and score 25 points. Then they played the answer searching game aka ‘Find & Keep’ again to win more rooms to raid. Each correct answer and hidden object found in round 2 was worth double or 50 points. Later shows had ‘Find & Keep’, the answer finding game be played in round 2 before the room searches. This was because the two teams each now have two rooms each to raid.
The final series allowed the teams to have to find items in a garage to get a head start in room searching (Both teams looked for the same exact item in the house and were on the different floors of the house) and find tools in an oil pit to get a head start if both teams were tied, if not the team who completed the tool kit got the head start. When the show was revived in 2006, ‘Find & Keep’, the answer finding game was revived too.
Production moved north in 1996 for the final series when Nigel Pickard, who had been head of children’s programming at TVS, jumped the sinking ship to join STV, taking Art Attack, How 2 and Finders Keepers with him. When the show was moved from Maidstone to Glasgow for the final series in 1996, all they did was dismantle the set, pack it up, place it onto lorries, and take it up north. The only problem was that the studio in Glasgow was about 2ft lower, meaning… well, you can guess. STV finally dropped the series in 1996 because it was too much like home grown classic Fun House.
Even though the show stopped production in 1996, repeats of Series 4-6 were shown on CITV until 1998.
The 2006 revival not only didn’t last, but was moved around everywhere. At first, it started at a simple 4.30pm Friday slot on ITV1, but before long was moved to Saturday Showdown, a show where somehow Jeff Brazier got to appear every week as ‘special guest’. Then after just a few episodes, it got moved to the digital graveyard of the CITV Channel, before finally disappearing altogether.
Finders Keepers Theme ( 1992 )
Trivia
In the studio is a huge house, and hidden inside each of the rooms is an object. Two teams of kids have to find the objects causing as much mess as possible whilst machines blow around lots of paper and fake snow and stuff. A memorable recurring object from the show is the big blue arrow that was shown on the screens to the audience to indicate the location of the item to be found.
Trivia
One of the rooms in the house was the “Fantasy Room” this room changed every week, usually a laboratory, a castle dungeon, a pirate ship, that sort of thing. The team who got to play in that room had to play “Jeremy’s Joker” which usually ment raiding the room while wearing a silly costume, if they found the object, they’d win a special star prize.
Trivia
In several episodes of series 3, 4 and 5, there were celebrity guests, usually to be found in the Fantasy Room. In the Sleeping Beauty-themed room, Frank Bruno was sleeping behind a curtain and the contestants had to find a clue without waking Frank. In the last episode of series 3, Neighbours twins Gayle and Gillian Blakeney appeared from a giant teapot in the Mad Hatter’s tea party-themed room.
Filming Location
World Wide International Television in association with TVS (Scottish Television) (1991–6)
The Foundation (2006)
Trivia
The team that did the best went through to the Supersearch, a sort of Treasure Hunt throughout the eight rooms in the house and if they can find all eight objects within four minutes (three minutes in the first 3 series and the 2006 version) they usually win a trip to Alton Towers or something. If not, at least the losers go home with a Finders Keepers Goodie Paaaaaack!
Trivia
In the 3rd-5th seasons of the Buchanan series, some rooms (usually the Fantasy Room) had Jeremy’s Joker on them. If the team found the object, they would win a holiday. This was named after Jeremy Stockwell, the in voice announcer and writer of for the early Finders Keepers series
Info
| Genre | Children’s Game show |
|---|---|
| Presented by | Neil Buchanan (1991–1996) Jeff Brazier (2006) |
| Starring | Diane Youdale (1996) |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language | English |
| No. of series | 7 |
| No. of episodes | 88 |
| Production | |
| Running time | 25 minutes |
| Production companies | World Wide International Television in association with TVS (Later Scottish Television) (1991–6) The Foundation (2006) |
Quote
And here is the owner of the Finders Keepers house…
…Neiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiil Buchanan!!!
QUIZ
Who from the cast of The Gladiators, co-hosted the Show in 1998
A. Kim Betts (Lightning)
B. Michael Van Wijk (Wolf)
C. Diane Youdale Mayhew (Jet)
D. Jefferson King (Shadow)
Press for Answer
C. Diane Youdale Mayhew (Jet)
Scroll Down for More
QUIZ
Who from the cast of The Gladiators, co-hosted the Show in 1998
A. Kim Betts (Lightning)
B. Michael Van Wijk (Wolf)
C. Diane Youdale Mayhew (Jet)
D. Jefferson King (Shadow)
She left the Gladiators in 1996 after sustaining a neck injury on the show. She then co-hosted the final original series of Finders Keepers with Neil Buchanan in 1996, and in the same year, was the hostess on You Bet!, with Darren Day.
Four times England Junior Gymnast Champion. In FHM’s 100 Sexiest Women poll, she ranked #57 (1995), #19 (1996) and #96 (1997).
-
- Kim Betts (Lightning)
-
- Michael Van Wijk (Wolf)
-
- C. Diane Youdale Mayhew (Jet)
-
- Jefferson King (Shadow)
Retro Tv Themes ( www.gadgetshowprizes.co.uk ) is unofficial and for information only. It is in no way linked to any official companies. All Amazon Links are linked directly to an official Amazon associates affiliated website ( www.amazon.co.uk )