Lingo (British game show)

Lingo
Genre	Game show
Created by	Ralph Andrews
Presented by	Martin Daniels Adil Ray RuPaul
Voices of	Nick Jackson (1988)
Country of origin	Vereinigtes Königreich
Original language	Englisch
No. of series	1 (Original) 2 (revival)
No. of episodes	10 (Original) 90 (revival)
Production
Production location	Dock10 (Revival)
Running time	30 minutes (1988) (inc. adverts) 60 minutes (2021–) (inc. adverts)
Production companies	Thames in association with Ralph Andrews Presentations and Action Time (1988) Objective Media Group North (2021–) Triple Brew Media (2021–)
Original release
Network	ITV
Release	12 May 1988 (1988-05-12) – present
Related
Lingo USA

Lingo is a British game show that aired on ITV from 12 May to 14 July 1988 based on the American show of the same name. The show combines a word guessing game with the game of chance bingo.

In 2021, ITV revived the game show with a different format hosted by Adil Ray. The bingo element has been eliminated in the revival, focusing instead entirely on the word guessing game.

Gameplay

The game is played between teams of two contestants, tasked with solving mystery words. The team in control is given the first letter of each mystery word, and receives five attempts to guess and spell the word. After each guess, the team is told whether their guess contains letters that are in the mystery word, and whether or not they are in the correct position. The two members of the team alternate taking each guess.

If the team fails to identify the word within five guesses, fails to make a guess within a time limit, or gives a misspelt or otherwise invalid word, control is passed to the opposing team and one of the correct letters is revealed.

1988 version

In the 1988 version (based on the original U.S. version of the format), the game was played between two teams, who were assigned a 25-space "Lingo card" (similar to American bingo) with odd or even numbers respectively, and seven numbers on each card automatically marked. Each word was five letters in length, and each correct guess awarded £50 and allowed the team to draw two balls from a hopper; it contained balls with the 18 remaining numbers on the card, two prize balls, and three red balls. Drawn numbers were marked off on the team's Lingo card, but drawing a red ball immediately ended the team's turn, and passed control to their opponents. Forming a "Lingo" line of five numbers vertically, horizontally, or diagonally awarded £100.

The team with the highest score at the end of the game advanced to the bonus round "No Lingo"; the team was given £100,and a new card with 16 spaces covered, arranged in a star shape along the diagonals, middle row and middle column (but excluding the centre space). Unlike the main game, the objective was to avoid forming a line of five in a row.

The team once again had to solve mystery words (given the first letter, and one bonus letter), but were required to draw one ball for each guess taken, and two more as a penalty if they ran out of guesses. The hopper initially contains 39 numbered balls (even numbers from 2 to 80, but excluding the ball corresponding to the centre space), and one silver-coloured ball.

If the team drew a numbered ball, it was discarded, and marked off if it appeared on their card. If the team draws the silver ball, they no longer have to draw any more numbers, and the ball is returned to the hopper. After each successful round, the team's pot is doubled, and they were given the option to either leave with their winnings or play another round. The team could play up to five rounds, with a top prize of £3,200; beginning with the second round, the ball corresponding to the centre space is added to the hopper. If the team forms a Lingo at any point, the game ends, and the team's bonus winnings are reduced by half.

2021 version

The 2021 revival does not use any bingo mechanics, and consists only of word guessing in various formats, beginning with three teams:

• The first round uses four-letter words worth £200 each. Each team plays three words each and a bonus ten letter puzzle word, which starts at £300 but it decreases as more letters are revealed,
• The second round switches to five-letter words, starting with the team with the lowest amount of money after round one. Words are worth £300 each, and can be stolen by other teams if they run out of guesses. There is an eleven-letter puzzle word, which starts at £400. The team with the least amount of money at the end of the round is eliminated.
• In the third round, the two members of each team are assigned to four- and five-letter words respectively, with each member receiving two words. Each word begins at £500, but its value decreases by £50 for each attempt. The puzzle word is twelve letters, and worth up to £750.

The team in the lead after the final round advances to the bonus round, where they must solve a four-letter, five-letter, and six-letter word in 90 seconds. If the team cannot solve a word, they may pass and receive a new one. Solving the four-letter word awards half of the team's winnings, solving the five-letter word awards the entirety of their winnings, and solving the six-letter word doubles their winnings.

Transmissions

Original

Series	Start date	End date	Episodes
1	12 May 1988	14 July 1988	10

Revival

Regular series

Series	Start date	End date	Episodes
1	1 January 2021	11 February 2021	30
2	8 November 2021	4 February 2022	60

Celebrity series

Series	Start date	End date	Episodes
1	4 September 2022	TBD 2022	TBD

See also

• Wordle

External links

• Lingo at UKGameshows.com