Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jun 26, 2026

First Class (game show)

First Class is a British game show that originally aired as a regional programme for BBC Scotland from 3 October to 19 December 1984 with Louise Bachelor as host. It was then networked on BBC1 with broadcasts from 8 January 1986 to 21 August 1988 with Debbie Greenwood as host.

Last revised
Jun 26, 2026
Read time
≈ 2 min
Length
495 w
Citations
9
Source
First Class
GenreGame show
Presented byLouise Bachelor (1984)
Debbie Greenwood (1986–88)
Theme music composer"Platinum Part One: Airborne" by Mike Oldfield
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of series4
No. of episodes66 (inc. 3 specials)
Production
Running time30 minutes
Production companyBBC Scotland (1986–88)
Original release
NetworkBBC Scotland (1984)
BBC1 (1986–88)
Release3 October 1984 (1984-10-03) –
21 August 1988 (1988-08-21)

First Class is a British game show that originally aired as a regional programme for BBC Scotland from 3 October to 19 December 1984 with Louise Bachelor as host. It was then networked on BBC1 with broadcasts from 8 January 1986 to 21 August 1988 with Debbie Greenwood as host.

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.

First Class was notable for its use of video games; such footage (of arcade games in particular) was a rarely seen on UK television at the time and the show aired several years before GamesMaster. The designated contestant from each team would earn points by beating the other player's score; rounds would be either turn-based and head-to-head depending on the game / event. The games were often referred to by their events as opposed to their titles, for example the "spring and vault" round or the "clay pigeon shooting".

Transmissions

Series

Series Start date End date Episodes
1 3 October 1984 19 December 1984 12
2 8 January 19861 5 March 19862 15
3 7 January 19873 25 February 19874 15
4 6 February 19885 20 August 19886 24

Specials

Date Entitle
6 March 19867 Celebrity Special
26 February 19878 Celebrity Special
21 August 19889 Celebrity Special
References

References

  1. "FIRST CLASS - THE VIDEO QUIZ". Getty Images. Retrieved 9 June 2020.
  2. "FIRST CLASS - THE VIDEO QUIZ:FINAL". Getty Images. Retrieved 9 June 2020.
  3. "FIRST CLASS". Getty Images. Retrieved 9 June 2020.
  4. "FIRST CLASS". Getty Images. Retrieved 9 June 2020.
  5. "FIRST CLASS". Getty Images. Retrieved 9 June 2020.
  6. "FIRST CLASS". Getty Images. Retrieved 9 June 2020.
  7. "FIRST CLASS - CELEBRITY EDITION". Getty Images. Retrieved 9 June 2020.
  8. "FIRST CLASS - CELEBRITY FIRST CLASS". Getty Images. Retrieved 9 June 2020.
  9. "FIRST CLASS". Getty Images. Retrieved 9 June 2020.
External links