Play Your Cards Right Opening Titles 1986 

In vision announcers were a jewel in the crown of regional television and built a strong bond with the viewers that was more effective than any expensive branding or promotional efforts. It seemed quaint to visitors (like me in the late 1980s) who came from other regions where it had been disposed of, but its value was recognised instantly by the locals. Note that UTV has brought back IVC in prime-time even now, and indeed it's this very gentleman still doing the shifts!

The good old days when ITV companies' logos would be at the beginning of each programme!

d d d d ..Nice to see you, to see you..(sweep of arms, clap hands) nice. What a marvelous audience, so much better than last week. (scowl at camera 2).

The original theme tune! So much better than the last one.

We all remember Bruce Fer-syth with play YOUR cards... riigghht.

Loved this theme tune, can’t beat the originals. Somewhere I’ve got the clean music and separate cues from back when my partner worked at LWT.

I gone all misty-eyed! looking at this reminds me of those friday nights; first this, then the Fall Guy, followed by Auf Wiedersehen pet.

In its heyday (around 1981), this was one of the few gameshows that was actually quite popular. Just about everybody watched it.

RIP Brucie ♣️♥️♦️♠️

Nice clip.love those old itv regional idents.

Here is my wig my wig is here

oh man that's the one. LE doesn't get better than this. The devastating opening sequence and a bunch of pretty girls escorted onto the stage by a handsome man (not Bruce). And what's at the end? From the ghosting it looked like the little clips of key parts were edited at the time. Is that a collector's record?

Did the continuity anouncer go to the William Shatner school of pronunciation or something ?

I remember this on a Friday night before something like either Airwolf or TJ Hooker.

Fer-Syth apparently. Never heard of him myself.

@psammiad Well incidentally the continuity is from UTV [Ulster Television], and in 2011 they STILL have in-vision continuity, I guess not being part of ITV plc has its advantages.

Having viewed the original version on TV Ark, I'm not convinced that the old ident was any less serious-seeming, or edited any tighter onto the titles than the new one. It does fit much better in terms of the visual style than this bright white one though!

0:57 scared him to death

Bruce F'syth with Play YOUR Cardsright

@MQsCues and very funny he is too! Andddd now on the UTV.... He usually does corrie. When im not in london im with my family in n ireland and we are all visibly upset when he isnt doing the into to corrie!

@psammiad Borders, Tyne tees still had in vision CA until 1995/6. Grampian had them until 1997. STV, Thames, Anglia still had until the start of 1989. only central, LWT and tvs had them gone by 1986. Yorkshire never had them,

The sub-plot is that the slappers are supposed to fancy old wiggie, eh?

Very 80's. Nice wig

play YOUR cards right with BRUCE forsyth...strange emphasis on these words?

@morgansifer82 It would - the non-descript smattering of a grey background, the faux-3D animation, and the horrid drop-shadow would just look shit.

Funny its such a 70s sounding intro tune, it was dated even at the time! It's funny to see an actual continuity announcer too, I'm sure that had already been done away with on English networks by 86.

I think young Julian mis-emphasises the name of the show as well as the star's name. It's a wonder he was kept on at UTV really!

Bruce who? lol

Bruce Fuhsythe with Play Yourcards Right. I'm the worst announcer ever and I'm on camera to boot.

why did they need 4 dealer-girls?

In vision announcers..dear me...plus I think he's anamatronic.