Opportunity Knocks (British TV series)
| Company type | Television and radio programme |
|---|---|
| Industry | Entertainment |
| Founded | February 18, 1949 |
| Founder | Hughie Green |
| Headquarters | United Kingdom |
| Products | Talent competition show |
Opportunity Knocks is a UK-based television and radio talent competition initially developed and presented by Hughie Green. It experienced revivals in the late 1980s, hosted first by Bob Monkhouse and subsequently by former champion Les Dawson. Debuting on BBC Radio in 1949, the show played a key role in launching the careers of performers such as Spike Milligan and Frankie Vaughan. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, it consistently drew weekly audiences reaching up to 20 million viewers, establishing itself as one of Britain's most-watched entertainment programmes.
The original radio broadcast aired on the BBC Light Programme between 18 February and 29 September 1949 before transitioning to Radio Luxembourg during the 1950s. Its television debut occurred on ITV from 20 June to 29 August 1956, with production managed by Associated Rediffusion. A longer-running television series followed from 11 July 1964 until 20 March 1978, initially under the production of ABC and later by Thames, featuring Bob Sharples as musical director. Additionally, Green hosted a special episode for RTÉ in 1979.
The programme was revived by the BBC from 21 March 1987 through to 2 June 1990, partly as a response to ITV’s relaunch of New Faces. During this period, Monkhouse fronted the show from 1987 to 1989 under the name Bob Says Opportunity Knocks!, with Dawson taking over in 1990. The revival adopted Kiki Dee’s popular track "Star" as its opening theme.
Voting system
In contrast to its competitor New Faces, winners on Opportunity Knocks were chosen by public vote rather than by a panel of judges. The ITV version relied on postal voting, with results revealed the following week, while the BBC revival introduced the telephone voting method that has since become standard. Although studio audience enthusiasm was gauged using a clap-o-meter, these measurements did not influence the final outcome.
Episodes were recorded on Fridays prior to broadcast, requiring votes to be submitted by Thursday. According to host Hughie Green, votes had to be "in your own handwriting" to maintain fairness.
While public voting helped discover significant talent, it occasionally favored novelty acts, particularly those involving children or animals. For instance, young performer Su Pollard once finished second to a singing dog.
Famous alumni
The show featured numerous well-known entertainers including Freddie Starr, Su Pollard, Paul Daniels, Darren Day, Pete the Plate Spinning Dog, Los Caracas (who later became Middle of the Road), Mary Hopkin, Bonnie Langford, Les Dawson, Royston Vasey (better known as Roy Chubby Brown), Little and Large, Bobby Crush, Berni Flint, Tony Holland (The Muscle Man), Millican & Nesbitt, Neil Reid, Peters and Lee, Lena Zavaroni, Frank Carson, Max Boyce, Pam Ayres, Juniper Green, Gerry Monroe, Debra Stephenson, Tammy Jones, Paper Lace, Michael Ward, Barry and Paul Elliott and Tony Monopoly. Several victors such as Tammy Jones and Tony Monopoly later took part in the UK's Eurovision selection contest, A Song for Europe. Comedian Lee Evans auditioned in 1986 but did not advance. Additionally, singer Kaz Hawkins appeared as a child during the 1980s revival.
Influence
Numerous aspects of Opportunity Knocks have influenced ITV's talent competition Britain's Got Talent, which was developed by music executive Simon Cowell. The telephone voting system, initially introduced by Opportunity Knocks, continues to be widely used in comparable programs around the globe.
During the Beatles' debut live rendition of "Yesterday" on Blackpool Night Out, George Harrison references the show by stating, "For Paul McCartney of Liverpool, opportunity knocks!" This particular performance is included on Anthology 2.
BBC Light Programme
| Series | Start date | End date | Number of episodes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 18 February 1949 | 29 September 1949 | 33 |
ITV
| Series | Start date | End date | Number of episodes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 20 June 1956 | 29 August 1956 | 11 |
| 2 | 11 July 1964 | 3 October 1964 | 13 |
| 3 | 3 July 1965 | 25 December 1965 | 26 |
| 4 | 2 July 1966 | 24 December 1966 | 26 |
| 5 | 29 April 1967 | 23 December 1967 | 35 |
| 6 | 16 March 1968 | 27 July 1968 | 20 |
| 7 | 21 August 1968 | 6 November 1968 | 12 |
| 8 | 25 December 1968 | 23 June 1969 | 27 |
| 9 | 8 September 1969 | 2 March 1970 | 26 |
| 10 | 15 June 1970 | 7 December 1970 | 26 |
| 11 | 15 March 1971 | 6 September 1971 | 26 |
| 12 | 8 November 1971 | 1 May 1972 | 26 |
| 13 | 7 August 1972 | 30 April 1973 | 39 |
| 14 | 6 August 1973 | 29 April 1974 | 39 |
| 15 | 5 August1974 | 28 April1975 | 39 |
| 16 | 29 September1975 | 22 March1976 | 26 |
| 17 | 27 September1976 | 4 April1977 | 28 |
| 18 | 19 September1977 | 20 March1978 | 27 |
BBC1
| Series | Start date | End date | Number of episodes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 21 March1987 | 20 June1987 | 13 |
| 2 | 5 March1988 | 4 June1988 | 13 |
| 3 | 4 March1989 | 3 June1989 | 13 |
| 4 | 31 March1990 | 2 June1990 | 9 |