Crosswits
Crosswits is a British game show produced by Tyne Tees in association with Cove Productions and Action Time, and filmed from Tyne Tees' City Road studios in Newcastle upon Tyne. First shown on 3 September 1985, it was originally hosted by Barry Cryer for the first two series; comedian Tom O'Connor then took over from series 3 until the show ended on 23 December 1998. The show consisted of two members of the public competing against each other to solve simple crossword puzzles. A "celebrity" partner helped each player. The announcers for the show were generally Tyne Tees, as well as continuity announcers Judi Lines, Jonathan Morrell and Bill Steel.
Gameplay
The teams consisted of two players, solving words in a crossword puzzle, with six words to solve and with a clue word, all of which were clues to a keyword. Each correct answer kept control and earned one point per letter in the answer, plus a chance to solve the keyword for 10 bonus points. On the first two series, which were transmitted weekly, the teams played for pounds. Later in the run, teams always took turns whether they were right or wrong.There were also special rounds in the game:
- Anagram round – the first letter of every answer in the crossword puzzle would make up the keyword.
- Mystery round – finding a keyword after one clue without assistance from a clue word would win the contestant a small prize, such as a cordless phone or a pocket TV.
- Song round – all clues were lyrics to a well-known song.
Crossfire round
The winning team was shown one last crossword puzzle with 10 words, none of which were clues to a master puzzle. If they could solve all ten clues in 60 seconds or less, the player would win a holiday, or a gold pen and pencil set otherwise.Transmissions
Regional transmissions information
1985
The first series aired on Tuesday afternoons at 3pm, apart from TVS who aired the series on Thursday afternoons at the same time.Early 1987
The second series aired on Monday evenings at 6:30pm in the Tyne Tees region. The rest of the regions aired the series on Tuesday afternoons at 3pm.Late 1987
The third series aired on Tuesday to Thursday afternoons at 2pm, apart from TVS which aired the series on Monday afternoons at 3pm, but did not air all the episodes, and Channel Television|Channel] which aired the series on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday afternoons at 3pm.1988–94
From the fourth series up until the tenth series, the show aired on Monday to Friday mornings at 9:25am, just after TV-am/GMTV had finished.1996
The eleventh series aired on Monday to Friday afternoons but was not networked. Depending on the region, it aired at random times in certain areas.- Carlton, Central, Tyne Tees, Westcountry and Yorkshire had shown the series at 1:25pm.
- Ulster aired the episodes at 1:55pm.
- Grampian put the shows out at 2:50pm.
- Scottish aired the episodes at 2:20pm, but only four times a week.
- Border and Granada aired the episodes at 5:10pm most days.
- Anglia and Meridian aired the episodes on most days at 12:55pm. Anglia continued to broadcast more episodes, finishing on 24 January 1997.
- HTV aired over half the episodes at 2:25pm, but did not complete the run.
1998