one and done
The forgotten quiz and game shows that deserved more than one series on air – and were fronted by TV’s biggest stars
One show even featured a Love Island host and Top Gear star before its axe in 2017
QUIZ and game shows have a cult following - and us Brits can't get enough of settling down with a warm or cold drink to enjoy them.
They are very much a staple of the TV schedule - and are often big ratings drivers for channels.
On ITV, The Chase, Tipping Point, The 1% Club and the rebooted Deal or No Deal are firm fan-favourites.
Over on the Beeb, Mastermind, Only Connect, Pointless and University Challenge keep viewers' brains occupied.
But while these huge titles bask in their glory - and their prime time slots in the schedule, shows that hoped to be just like them didn't make the cut.
Keep reading as we list shows in the last decade that failed to attract a cult following, yet deserved more than one series.
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Babushka
6
This thriller new game show was hosted by Rylan Clark and landed on ITV in 2017.
The show worked similarly to Deal or No Deal - which sees people open up boxes to reveal cash prizes.
It saw contestants putting their knowledge to the test as they search through 10 giant “babushka” dolls in a bid to win a huge cash prize of up to £44,000.
Most read in News TV
If a doll is empty, hopefuls lost all of their accumulated money – but a smaller doll inside meant they can continue to win more dosh.
Rylan, 36, was forced to temporarily leave social media over abuse he faced after Babushka launched, replacing The Chase which took a break from screens.
Sadly just 20 episodes of the show aired, with ITV confirming it had been axed after one series.
Trailer for Rylan Clark-Neal's gameshow 'Babushka'
Cannonball
6
Staying in 2017, it was the same year ITV launched Cannonball - an exciting new game show presented by Freddie Flintoff.
The Sun had first revealed the show's format and Freddie as host.
Frankie Bridge, Radzi Chinyanganya, Ryan Hand and Maya Jama also starred on-screen as poolside reporters.
Cannonball was described as a barmier version of Total Wipeout and aired on ITV1 but only managed to run for 10 episodes before being quietly shelved.
The Button
6
In 2018 the BBC launched The Button - a brand new game show that was narrated by Taskmaster's .
It saw families take part in challenges at random intervals throughout the day for cash prizes.
Each clan would interact with 'the button' that set each challenge.
At the end of every episode the family with the biggest amount of money would win and choose to walk away with their pot or risk it and return for the next episode in the hope of winning more money.
Unfortunately just eight episodes of The Button aired, and it never returned for a second series.
Go For It
6
Deal or No Deal's Stephen Mulhern was at the helm of Go For It, another game show by ITV.
It made its debut on ITV1 in 2016 as challengers put their unusual skills and implausible party tricks to the test for a cash prize.
If the hopefuls successfully completed their challenge, they'd win £1,000.
The show was based on the hit US game show Challenge Me, which has also enjoyed success in The Netherlands and Ukraine.
However, it failed to have similar luck here and was taken off air after one series.
Memory Bank
6
Memory Bank aired on Channel 5 in 2004 and was presented by Jonathan Gould and Rachel Pierman.
The show's format featured several rounds of memory-orientated games, with the final round consisting of the remaining hopeful remembering all 20 words - as each word remembered was worth a cash prize.
Each episode featured three new contestants, vying to win the jackpot prize.
Despite Memory Bank's entertaining format, it was shelved after one series by execs.
The Celebrity Bank Job
6
Fresh from signing off from Big Brother's Little Brother on Channel 4, George Lamb remained with the broadcaster to host their new game show.
Read More on The Sun
It launched in 2012 and saw contestants answer questions which resulted in them opening boxes to reveal cash prizes.
While two regular series of the show aired, its celebrity version was short-lived and consisted of just two dedicated episodes at the end of the second run.
Latest TV Show Axings
All of the shows we've said goodbye to this year:
- The Masked Dancer, ITV
- Scarlett Moffatt's Driving School, BBC
- The Lazarus Project, Sky
- Better, BBC
- Dance Monsters, Netflix
- Laura Whitmore & Oti Mabuse's weekend shows, ITV
- Ross Kemp's 72 Hours In..., Channel 5
- Rise and Fall, Channel 4
- Dead Boy Detectives, Netflix
- Celeb Cooking School, E4
- The Grand Tour, Prime Video
- James May's Our Man In, Prime Video
- Ninja Warrior UK, ITV
- The Gathering, Channel 4
- Kaos, Netflix
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