Celebrity Squares (2014)

Celebrity Squares, TV review

The real problem with a revived Celebrity Squares - even ignoring its place in the appendix of a big fat book entitled "Primetime British Television Has Lost Its Imagination" - is that it's not serious enough.

Because throwing darts at old copies of TV Times is easier than thinking up new ideas, here's another refried dollop of light entertainment to join Catchphrase, Surprise Surprise and Through The Keyhole in the ITV schedules. This repurposing follows the same format as in its heyday, with a three-by-three nonet of notable names acting as surrogate noughts and crosses for two contestants chasing a cash prize. Warwick Davis holds sway over the tic-tac-tomfoolery with ease, making for an amiable hour of TV.

Radio Times review

Readers of a certain age will remember the Bob Monkhouse version of this genial noughts-and-crosses quiz game from the 1970s. Revived now with host Warwick Davis - who is just the right combination of cheeky yet charming - the format is pretty well the same as the original. General knowledge questions are put to the celebrities and the contestants decide whether or not they've answered correctly. If they're right, they win that square. The object then is to try to get three in a line.

As in the show's previous incarnation, the comedians (James Corden in Willie Rushton's central square position, Tim Vine, Joe Wilkinson etc) try to be funny. And sometimes they succeed.

Warwick Davis interview

'I grew up watching this show,' Warwick Davis enthuses. 'My goal is to have a chat show, so Celebrity Squares allows me to do that with nine celebrities each week.'

Do the stars on Celebrity Squares deserve better?

The gameshow, which ran in the 1970s and 1990s, has been brought back by ITV with Warwick Davis hosting. But how will its creaky noughts-and-crosses format fare in the modern age?

Warwick Davis interview

Warwick Davis and Ricky Gervais are friends, and even after the end of their comedy Life's Too Short which followed the fortunes of Davis's character in the world of showbusiness, they stay in touch. However there is one thing the actor, presenter and former Ewok Davis would never ask his pal, it seems: to go on his gameshow Celebrity Squares.

Warwick Davis takes on Celebrity Squares

Warwick Davis admits that his new role as a TV quiz master in the re-booted version of this classic comedy game show is one of his most challenging yet.

Warwick Davis interview

TV Choice met Warwick to discuss his new project...