The game show is one of the mainstays of the television schedules, but has been little studied by media studies academics. This symposium brought together academics and industry practitioners to discuss the television game show.

The symposium opened with a keynote address by Professor Garry Whannel (Bedfordshire University), with a response by Dr Glen Creeber (Aberystwyth University).

The second part of the symposium comprised of a moderated panel discussion. Garry Whannel and Glen Creeber were joined by Dominic Tolfts, production designer on a wide range of light entertainment programmes including Britain’s Got Talent, Celebrity Love Island and Mr and Mrs (the ‘new’ version), and by John Mead, a former television presenter and an experienced producer-director for HTV and the ITV network. John Mead has devised, produced and directed a number of television game shows, including All in the Game, A Question of Stars, Cuckoo in the Nest and About Face.