It looks as if vintage shopping game show Supermarket Sweep could be making a comeback to our screens years after it became a weirdly successful smash with Dale Winton as presenter.
FremantleMedia, a TV production company, has reportedly snapped up the rights with the intention of returning it to screens, presumably for students, skivers and the lazy viewer in all of us.
The production company's executive vice president of
global acquisitions and development, Vasha Wallace, said: "Modern technology
allows us the opportunity to update the show, making it relevant for a 21st
century audience."
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So, with Supermarket Sweep seemingly set to be back in business after 10 years with empty shelves, who better to speak to than former host Winton on the show's glory days.
Credit: ITV / Supermarket Sweep
An icon of the 90s
You ask anyone over 18 and it's almost guaranteed they've seen the show. But why did we love watching six people run around a supermarket in search of two-grand?
For Dale, the answer to that, is the trolley dash. He told LADbible in an interview which took place before FremantleMedia's announcement: "You can't sell a car without wheels, you can't sell a house without a roof. A gameshow must have jeopardy with a good end game. The end game matters, you're building up to it.
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"The trolley dash is the ultimate end game. You're waiting the full half hour for the trolley dash."
It's true, we were all waiting for Sandra to fall flat on her face, or Big Jim to scoop the two-grand from behind the herbs (all after they'd seen Dale's shopping list and peeled off the inflatable banana to reveal '£100 Dale')
The Secrets
"We filmed the first series in the summer," Dale told LADbible. "We needed a big audience, but to get a load of people to come and sit in the studio at the height of summer for an eternity was difficult.
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"So, we used to trawl old people's homes and bus them in. They'd move people around between shows, to make it look different.
"These old people would arrive on set with their nurses, slippers and drips. We even had one person who died in the audience, he just expired, the poor thing.
"We didn't know what to do. Do we just leave him for the entire recording?
"If you look to the side, on a wide shot, you can occasionally see a load of wheelchairs and nurses."
Now, Dale would strike you as a man who could love anyone and anything. Except if you're a greedy selfish couple....
Credit: ITV / Supermarket Sweep
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He said: "We had one couple who were in the contestant room and were very negative. Instead of being there for a laugh, they were only in it for the two-grand. I instantly thought 'I don't want them to win'.
"They go through the first round with the most time, and in the mini-sweep they had the most money. We did the final round and they found the £2,000 we'd hidden behind the milk in the fridge.
"Now, usually my arms are outstretched for any winner. But as they came flying the aisle with the cash I couldn't bring myself to do it.
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"Instead of having my arms out for a hug, I held one arm out for a handshake. It was awful."
The show that very nearly didn't happen...
It's hard to imagine Supermarket Sweep without Dale. But it nearly happened. The host was down and out on his luck. He'd got no qualifications and no permanent job (he'd given up his radio career and was just pulling pints to get by), but knew he wanted to be a TV star.
Eventually after making a tape for a shopping channel and piloting a dating show he found a mentor who wanted to work with him. He managed to get a meeting with the bosses at ITV for Supermarket Sweep.
Credit: ITV / Supermarket Sweep
"In August 1992, nobody wanted the gig. Keith Chegwin turned it down. Matthew Kelly did the same. And I can see why. If I was a 'made' TV star I wouldn't have touched it either probably. So I begged for the show. I knew the show would be a hit, I had nothing to lose.
"I'd heard of Supermarket Sweep because it had been going on in America since the 60s. I loved it. I thought it was the campest, most-fabulous show."
Go on then, do the really arduous wave goodbye. You know you want to.
Featured Image Credit: ITV/Supermarket SweepTopics: TV and Film