Les Dennis): "You could do this on your own!" Frequently said when the first contestant in Big Money achieves a high score The American version of the show was entitled 'Family Feud', but Bob Monkhouse didn't want the British version to be called that, on the grounds that it sounded too aggressive.

The game involves two families providing answers to 'everyday questions' that were surveyed by 100 members of the British public before the show (e.g., 'Name something usually done in the dark.') to win cash prizes (and sometimes mystery prizes for giving a correct answer). The top answers to the surveys are displayed on a large electronic board, christened by Bob Monkhouse as "Mr. Babbage". One player from each team is selected. These two players prepare themselves for the first question and sit by their team's buzzer (A or B) on the sound unit, the respective LED will flash for 5 seconds. The host takes out the top card from the question box and tells the players how many answers are on the card (3, 4 or 5) then reads out the first question. The two players by the buzzers rush to press first and give an answer. If this answer appears amongst those on the host's card, the host writes this in the matching position on the front side of the dry wipe board along with the score. If this is the top answer, the successful player consults their team to decide if they want to play or pass on the rest of this round. The team with the lowest total score after the first five rounds will select two of their members to play the first big points round. The player acting as the host can recreate the game show atmosphere by hamming up their performance. Cleaning the Board:

Cleaning the Board:

Rejoin your family - no conferring - but the (whichever) family, think of some answers in case you get a chance to steal..."

a b "Weekly Top 30 Programmes". Broadcasters' Audience Research Board . Retrieved 27 December 2014.Family Fortunes was first hosted by comedian Bob Monkhouse (1980–83), followed by singer and entertainer Max Bygraves (1983–85). The show returned on 27 June 1987 with Les Dennis as presenter and remained on air for the next 15 years. [5] It was then moved to a daily daytime slot, hosted by Andy Collins.

In an interview some years after he'd finished hosting the show, Les Dennis said that he used to fear for his life when a family won the Big Money game, because they'd be going so wild with delight that they'd almost strangle him when trying to hug him - and the fact that he was often doing his final piece to camera at the time can't have helped much. One would imagine that one of Les's former fellow-gameshow hosts, the late Leslie Crowther, would have sympathised, because some of the latter's contestants on The Price is Right tended to do the same. Oh, and during one of the shows, Les revealed that people used to react to seeing him in the street by calling out, "Uh-uhh!" - very similar to the late Richard Whiteley having the Countdown catch-tune, "Da da da da, da-da-da-da, BOOM!" shouted at him in public places. Veteran light entertainment producer William G. Stewart (now best known as the host of Fifteen-to-One) wasn't happy that "only" 10,000 families applied for his series. By an unfortunate coincidence, the episode broadcast on 21 May 2023 had a question that asked "Name somebody who regularly appears on the TV show This Morning", this edition aired a mere 24 hours after Phillip Schofield announced he was leaving the show, although in fairness, it was the last episode to air from the second series of 20 episodes recorded in 2021, they were starting the second series of Sitting on a Fortune the following week, and there were no other episodes on the shelf.This player will be given 45 seconds to answer these five questions. The host presses the '45 second' button on the unit after reading out the first question.(The respective LED will flash then speed up for the last 5 seconds followed by the 'Time up' sound). In the big points round, if one team hits all five top answers and the other doesn't, then that team wins the game. Otherwise, the team with the highest overall score wins. Rules for 3 or 4 players Edwards, Chris (1 July 2020). "Family Fortunes reboot series with Gino D'Acampo officially announced by ITV". Digital Spy. Archived from the original on 1 July 2020 . Retrieved 15 July 2020. When playing a big points round as a single player, that player is given two different sets of five questions. Scoring seven top answers (from the ten questions) acts as the equivalent of two players scoring the five top answers. The single player is given 45 seconds on both sets of five questions. Hamming it up!