This edition saw a massive jump in the ratings, with the show rising 25 places in the charts to 35th place.
The sudden rise in Wipeout's fortunes would appear to have been directly related to ITV. For the first seven weeks of the show it was being screened directly opposite ITV's perennially popular This Is Your Life (1955), which was in the Top 30 for every one of those weeks.
The eighth week saw ITV place a second series of Michael Ball (1993) in the Wednesday 7pm timeslot. Although the first week saw it reach 25th place/7.46 million viewers and widely beat Wipeout in the ratings, this second week saw the viewers fall away from the singer's programme, causing it to drop to 71st place with 5.5 million viewers. Wipeout, in contrast, rose to an audience of 7.08 million.
The sudden rise in Wipeout's fortunes would appear to have been directly related to ITV. For the first seven weeks of the show it was being screened directly opposite ITV's perennially popular This Is Your Life (1955), which was in the Top 30 for every one of those weeks.
The eighth week saw ITV place a second series of Michael Ball (1993) in the Wednesday 7pm timeslot. Although the first week saw it reach 25th place/7.46 million viewers and widely beat Wipeout in the ratings, this second week saw the viewers fall away from the singer's programme, causing it to drop to 71st place with 5.5 million viewers. Wipeout, in contrast, rose to an audience of 7.08 million.
An example of changing times can be gleaned with Paul's introduction of one contestant who has: "fathered two little girls... he believes".
Paul's joking suggestion that the contestant's wife had had an affair and his children were really another man's is taken in good spirit by the contestant.
Paul's joking suggestion that the contestant's wife had had an affair and his children were really another man's is taken in good spirit by the contestant.
The example final grid that Paul uses to demonstrate to the qualifying contestant - felons - was previously used in Unaired Pilot 2 (1994). The only difference is that an option of "President Richard Nixon" is replaced by "Richard Madeley".
The grid subjects featured on this edition are:
Main Grids: Inventions named after their inventors; Lyrics from 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover; Celebrities born abroad.
Auction Grids: Scientific instruments ending with "meter"; African animals.
Final Grid: Decathlon events.
Main Grids: Inventions named after their inventors; Lyrics from 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover; Celebrities born abroad.
Auction Grids: Scientific instruments ending with "meter"; African animals.
Final Grid: Decathlon events.
