Bring Back Bullseye - only this time do it properly!

There comes a time in every man's life when he has to take up arms and dedicate himself to a noble cause. However, as I couldn't find one of those, I'm going to dedicate myself to this instead.

We all (British readers, anyway) remember Bullseye, that great 80s game show with Jim Bowen and Bully (who, for the benefit of a certain reader who shall remain anonymous, was not, in point of fact, a hippo). I certainly loved it when I was a kid.

Ok, granted, it was a pretty budget show; one got the impression that they had to pause filming periodically to sellotape Bully's prize board back on to the wall, or send a member of the production team down the bookies to put a bet on if it looked like a contestant would win more than £200, but then back in those days darts players could still smoke on stage, the BDO was the only top-flight organisation and Phil Taylor had a mullet. It was what Big Break would have been like, had it been produced in the early 60s.

An attempt was made at a revival around 2005, but it stuck to much the same format and probably the same props, dusted off after a decade at the back of a shed.

Darts now is growing in popularity and financial clout all the time; would this not be a great time for the PDC to step in and provide a proper, well funded, darts-based gameshow, using the cracking bunch of players which the PDC now has at its disposal?

The time is right, and given the ever-growing TV audiences for darts there must be a market for such a show. It needn't (and indeed almost certainly shouldn't) be a direct knock-off of the old Bullseye; it could have a new format, new set, new players, new prizes, new games and still do what the old Bullseye did so well - introduce new people to darts. After all, the first time I ever watched darts was not a televised championship but an episode of Bullseye.

If anyone from the PDC is reading this (and I hope you are - I don't write this blog for nothing. Oh, wait...) I would ask you to consider the potential that a well designed, well funded, well supported new darts gameshow could have, in these days when darts has never been more popular.

Come on Barry - Bring Back Bully! :o)

Boy, do I feel sheepish

Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa

A combination of holidays, work, business travel and the fact that there was a drought of televised darts for a few weeks has seen to it that I haven't put up a post for a while. However, what with more darts coming up, and more importantly a period of my life in which I'm not running around like a blue arsed fly, hopefully I shall be able to write more often.

I managed to catch the finals of the World Grand Prix, with its clearly delighted victor James Wade, and my even more clearly delighted girlfriend, who's been waiting a while to see her favourite player pick up some silverware (or was it glass?) :o)

The fact that Adrian Lewis finally managed to defeat his mentor Phil Taylor in a televised major, in the course of an epic semi final, is probably ultimately more important than James Wade winning another title. It was one of the few times I've seen Adrian Lewis play consistently at the very, very high level which he has previously displayed in major events only for brief periods; it paid off for him, and made for a cracking game of darts. I hope it gives him confidence and that we're going to see much more of that standard of darts from the Jackpot in future.

Phil Taylor v. Gary Anderson was a cracking match too, and for a while it looked very much like Anderson would get his revenge on Phil Taylor for his UK Open Final caning back in June, but sadly for the Scot it was not to be. The way the crowd barracked the Power was a bit disappointing - cheer/boo once the person has finished his 3 throws by all means, but don't cheer/boo when they miss/hit with individual darts - but then again, darts is a raucous sport, it happens to everyone occasionally and I thought Taylor took it on the chin.

The next biggie coming up is the Winmau World Masters, taking place in Hull and therefore very near to where my girfriend lives; I'm still considering whether or not to get tickets. I'm still waiting for tickets for the inaugural PDC World Cup to go on sale - presumably James Wade's big win means he's on for being the England number 2, which will make a certain someone happy :o)

Oh, and in case anyone was wondering, I've now got a dartboard, but nowhere to put it on the ****ing wall yet, as my plan to put it in my living room was firmly vetoed :o)

Bye for now...