Abracadabra (ITV 1961-1962, Roy Ward Dickson)

A word game in which general knowledge questions provide the key to a vocabulary challenge with cash and prizes.

Hosted by Canadian quizmaster Roy Ward Dickson, this game show combined two distinct rounds of play. Contestants first answered a series of general knowledge questions. For each correct response, they won the right to pick a letter tile from a concealed selection. These letters were then used in the second stage: an attempt to build five-letter words on a large board. The board was framed by the programme’s title, with the central seven letters being movable “magic tiles” that could also be used to form words. Dickson’s wife, Shirley Dickson, served as umpire in the first series, with Gaynor Jones assisting in the second.

THE PIER (ARMCHAIR THEATRE)

From The Archives: The Day Regulators Vowed to End ITV’s ‘Unnecessary Violence’ in 1964

All God’s Children Got Rhythm (ITV 1978)

All Back To Mine With Paul Weller (Channel 4 1998)

Billed as “word-magic with a magic word,” this Associated-Rediffusion production was built around the formidable reputation of its creator and host. Roy Ward Dickson, promoted as “The King of Quizz,” was a well-known personality from Canadian radio and television, brought to the UK specifically for the series. The programme’s format was a deliberate attempt to create a more dynamic and visually engaging quiz than a simple question-and-answer session. Gimmicks like the “magic” sliding letter board and a “lollipot” from which contestants could grab fistfuls of money gave the straightforward game a sense of funfair excitement.

Broadcast: ITV – Associated-Rediffusion, 26 Episodes, 15 June 1961 – 7 September 1961, 14 June 1962 – 6 September 1962
Devised by: Roy Ward Dickson
Directors: Tig Roe, Eric Croall

Main Cast: Roy Ward Dickson (Host), Shirley Dickson, Gaynor Jones