I’d say that’s true, wouldn’t you? Back in the day, Sunday evenings weren’t the same without Bullseye. No YouTube, no streaming malarkey—just good old telly, and what a treat it was. The catchy theme tune would kick off, and there I was, ready to unleash a one-liner that’d been so bad even a lollipop stick company wouldn’t touch it.
Still, you lot loved it. Or at least you laughed politely.
The setup was cracking—three pairs of contestants: one to throw darts and the other to answer questions. Simple, really. And then there was the star of the show, the one and only Bully. Our mascot, a big animated bull in a red-and-white stripey shirt, blue trousers, and a cheeky grin, would leap out of a pub sign, wander into a boozer for a darts contest, and—bam!—hit the bullseye. Not bad for a cartoon character.
“Let’s have a look at what you could’ve won!”
Ah, the prizes! The prizes were something else. You could walk away with a set of garden furniture, a microwave, or even… a speedboat. Yes, a speedboat—for someone living in Walsall! But it was all part of the fun.
The final round was the real heart-stopper: six darts to score 101 or more and win the mystery prize. Some contestants were cool as ice, others—well, let’s just say the dartboard had a few scars after they’d finished. And whether you walked away with the lot or with nowt, you always took home a Bendy Bully and a bit of pride.
“Keep out of the black and in the red, nothing in this game for two in a bed!”
Now, let’s not forget the professional darts players. Legends like Eric Bristow, Bob Anderson, and Mike Gregory would step up to the oche for the charity round. Nine darts, a chance to double the money, and—if they were lucky—a shot at the Bronze Bully. What a trophy! It was more sought after than a World Darts Championship medal, I’ll tell you that for nowt.
I’ll never forget Alan Evans scoring a whopping 401 before the Bronze Bully was even a thing. Incredible stuff! And when the wheels fell off for him, well, I reckon it was Tony Green’s shouty enthusiasm that did it. “One-hundred-and-eiiiiiiiiighty!” Poor lad.
Speaking of Tony, he was the best. Knew his darts inside out and kept the banter flying. He was even mates with Sid Waddell—the Voice of Darts. What a team we made, eh? Super smashing.
“Look at what you could’ve won!”
Now, I know some of you remember the oddities too. The live audience? Lovely people, but let’s be honest, half of them looked like they’d come straight from the Over-60s Club. And the contestants? Some brilliant dart players, others… couldn’t hit a barn door with a beach ball. But they all gave it a go, and that’s what made Bullseye special.
Over 16 series and 354 episodes, we had laughs, tears, and more corny jokes than you could shake a stick at. The show ran until 1996, and when it went, it left a big hole in Sunday night telly.
So there you have it, folks. A game show that brought people together, made memories, and gave us some of the best telly moments of all time. As I always said:
“You can’t beat a bit of Bully!”
Photo: Freepik
