Treasure Hunt (UK show)

1980s British game show (based on a French format and briefly revived a few years ago) involving Anneka Rice and a helicopter. In the last couple of seasons she was replaced by former tennis player Annabel Croft, while the 2000s revival saw Suzi Perry as the "sky runner". Contestants in the studio were given a clue to the location of another clue, and the game consisted of Anneka/Annabel being flown to the location of each clue so the contestants could figure out where she had to find the next clue, etc. The object of the game was to solve the last clue and find the "treasure" within the allotted time. The most common shot in the programme was that of Ms. Rice's lycra-clad behind, winning her "Rear of the Year" on one occasion.

There were two spinoffs:

  • In Interceptor, two contestants have to follow separate routes on foot to reach their goal. Each of the contestants has a backpack, only one of which contains the prize money, and must find the key to the other backpack so that when the two meet they can open the packs and win the money. The complication is that they are being chased, by helicopter or on foot, by the sinister black-clad Interceptor of the title, who has an infra-red zapper that can lock the backpacks and prevent the contestants from getting the money. Most of the show's appeal came from the contestants' desperate attempts to evade the Interceptor, and his sarcastic remarks about their chances of winning.
  • Skyrunners was a variation on the original Treasure Hunt format, in which two teams instructed separate runners to find a single treasure, in an attempt to heighten suspense. The show never got beyond the pilot episode.

Not to be confused with the American game show of the same name.

Tropes used in Treasure Hunt (UK show) include:
  • Christmas Special: A very special one, set in Jerusalem.
  • Male Gaze: The camera, more by accident than intent, spent a lot of time focusing on the back (and rear) of Anneka/Annabel.
    • The official excuse was that the weight of the camera became difficult to bear what with all that running. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.
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