Jason Manford replaced Sue Barker for this weekend-only reboot, filmed over two frantic June days at dock10, MediaCityUK. The quiz DNA survived only in the captains: Phil Tufnell and Matt Dawson still picked teams of comedians and Olympians, but rounds now leaned on slapstick and studio games rather than sporting trivia. Helen Skelton delivered pre-recorded inserts, keeping the last link to the parent show’s pacing.
The five-week run paired BBC faces—Chris Ramsey, Katherine Ryan, Louise Minchin—with athletes including Lizzy Yarnold and Rebecca Adlington. Dawson’s side took three wins to Tufnell’s two, the tightest a 9–8 victory settled on 12 July. Viewers noted the set, the banter, even the scoreboard graphics echoed Sky’s A League of Their Own, a comparison the press repeated with glee.
Papers called it lazy scheduling filler; social media dubbed it “Question of Sport without the questions.” The cancellation arrived before the final episode aired, leaving the summer slot empty and the main franchise to regroup under Barker until her own exit four years later.
Production Details
BBC One / 1 Season / 5 Episodes / 2014
Producer(s): Gareth Edwards
Main Cast
