First Class

First Class is a British game show that originally aired as a regional programme for BBC Wales from 3 October to 19 December 1984 with Louise Bachelor as host. It was then networked on BBC1 and recorded in the BBC's Scotland studios in Glasgow, with broadcasts from 8 January 1986 to 21 August 1988 with Debbie Greenwood as host. Series 1 was shown on Wednesdays, Series 2 & 3 on Wednesday & Thursday evenings, and series 4 was moved to Saturday evenings in 1988. Format The show was two teams of three students (each team representing a particular school) would take part in a multi-format quiz featuring questions on both general knowledge and popular culture, as well as innovative video game rounds. Rounds such as the "Spinning Gold Disc" made use of a simulated computer display similar to other game shows of the same era, such as Blockbusters and Catchphrase. Other rounds such as "Word of Mouth" used a real computer display from a BBC Micro. This computer also provided the on-screen captions and scores and was nicknamed Eugene, after the show's original programmer Eugene Crozier. The competition was a knockout tournament; the eventual winners of the series would be presented with a computer (usually a BBC Master) for their school. Celebrity episodes of the show were also aired, featuring cast members from Grange Hill and EastEnders.