Fun House (British game show) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Fun House
Genre	Game show
Created by	Bob Synes
Presented by	Pat Sharp Melanie and Martina Grant
Voices of	Gary King
Country of origin	United Kingdom
Original language(s)	English
No. of series	11
No. of episodes	145
Production
Executive producer(s)	Sandy Ross Elizabeth Partyka
Producer(s)	Elizabeth Partyka Anne Mason Ann Walker Alan Harding Kim Kinnie
Running time	25 minutes
Production company(s)	Scottish Television
Release
Original network	ITV
Picture format	4:3
Original release	24 February 1989 (1989-02-24) – 29 December 1999 (1999-12-29)
Chronology
Related shows	Fun House

Fun House was a super popular British kids' game show that aired on ITV from 1989 to 1999. It was based on an American show with the same name. The show was hosted by the energetic Pat Sharp, along with twin cheerleaders Melanie Grant (for the red team) and Martina Grant (for the yellow team). Gary King was the announcer, and the catchy theme tune was created by David Pringle and Bob Heatlie. You can still catch repeats of Fun House on the Gameshow TV channel Challenge.

How the Game Worked

Each episode of Fun House featured two teams. Each team had a boy and a girl, representing different schools from around the UK. There were three exciting rounds in every episode.

Round 1: Messy Games

The first part of the show involved three "messy games." These games often used gunge (a slimy, colourful goo) instead of food. One game would be for the boys, one for the girls, and a third game for all four players. The order of these games changed in different episodes. Each game was worth 25 points.

One of these three games was a "key game." If a team lost this game, they would still get points equal to their score in that game. After each game, a question was asked. Answering it correctly earned another 25 points.

Round 2: The Fun Kart Grand Prix

This round was a thrilling race! Teams drove red and yellow go-karts around a track. They had to pick up special tokens to add to their score.

Race Rules and Changes

• Early Years (1989–1994): The race usually lasted two laps. Drivers would switch after the first lap. Teams collected "10" tokens (worth 10 points) and "25" tokens (worth 25 points). The team that won the race also got an extra 25 points.
• Mid-Years (1995): The race was extended to three laps. All tokens were silver and worth 25 points. The winning team received 50 points.
• Later Years (1996–1997): Tokens were replaced with buttons. Teams pressed buttons on alternate laps, earning 10 or 25 points.
• Final Years (1998–1999): Buttons were replaced with steering wheels. Teams collected four steering wheels, each worth 25 points. The winning team also got extra points for finishing first. All points were shown on special light-up displays.

Round 3: The Fun House Challenge

This was the most exciting part of the show! The winning team from the first two rounds got to enter the famous Fun House. Unlike the American version, the UK Fun House was designed like a giant fairground ride.

To win a prize, players had to grab a special tag hidden inside the Fun House. Then, they had to answer a question correctly within 10 seconds. Prizes were never money, as rules in Europe didn't allow children to win cash on game shows.

Fun House Designs Over the Years

The Fun House itself changed its look several times during the show's run.

Early Designs (1989–1993)

The first Fun House was smaller but very colourful. It looked quite different from the later versions.

Bully Theme (1994)

In 1994, the Fun House became much larger. It had a "bully" theme, with inflatable bully figures, including a huge one at the back.

Brighter Look (1995–1997)

The bully theme was removed. The Fun House became even brighter with flashing lights and fake windows to make it feel more like a house.

Major Rebuild (1998)

The Fun House was completely rebuilt in 1998. It was mostly red and yellow, instead of many colours. The entrance was redesigned, and new special effects like explosions and smoke were added. Players would even smash through a wall of boxes to start the round!

Final Version (1999)

The last version of the Fun House had a few small changes. The "Big Leap" obstacle was changed from a fireman's pole to a zip-line seat that carried the player down to the ball pool.

Fun House Obstacles

The Fun House was packed with many different obstacles and challenges. Here are some examples of the types of things contestants had to get through:

• Punch the Panels: A wall with panels to punch through.
• Tube/Python: Rotating tunnels or tubes, sometimes with a snake design.
• Volcano/Temple Doors: Climbing walls or areas where you had to open doors.
• Weather Box/Cloud 9/Aztec Wall: Areas where things like snow might fall, or you had to find holes in a wall.
• Pots of Gold/Box of Tricks: Places to rummage through or interact with computer panels.
• Lava Slide/Slalom: Different types of slides leading to ball pools.
• Lava Pool/Snow Drift: Ball pools, often red for "lava" or white for "snow."
• Pumping Pistons/The Masher: Crawl spaces with moving parts.
• Lava Swamp: Areas filled with foam letters or inflatable obstacles.
• Balloon Tunnel: A tunnel filled with balloons to push through.
• Monster Maze: An area with hanging punchbag monsters.
• Skelter Belter/Wild Slide/Sneaky Slip-n-Slide: Various types of slides, some very steep and fast.
• Climbing Net/Net Ladder: A net to climb up.
• Flying Fox/The Big Drop: Zip lines to slide across.
• Firemans Pole/Jungle Jump: Poles to slide down.
• Crawl Tube/Tumbling Tube: Large plastic tubes to crawl through.
• The Bob Sleigh: A cart that went down a large slide.
• Hole In The Wall/Turning Twister: Walls or boxes with holes or spinning circles where a tag might be hidden.
• Trash Cans/Hungry Burgers: Bins or giant food items where a tag was hidden.
• Snake In The Box: A box filled with snakes.
• Giant Steps: A large staircase.

Episodes Aired