When you hear that beep.......!! (Dale's Supermarket Sweep)

Member Name: pmcds

Product:	Dale's Supermarket Sweep
Date:	13/06/08 (63 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Fun shopping at the end

Disadvantages: First half a bit dull

Supermarket Sweep was a TV show that ran from 1992 until 2001, and then returned last year in 2007 for a 60 episode run. It is based on the American gameshow of the same name that has been running across the pond since the 1960s.

The British version is hosted by Dale Winton, in a rather Maplins style camp way. He brings a lot of charisma to the screen. The show features three teams of two competing for the grand prize at the end. First time around, prize money was £2000. This went up to £5000 in 2007.

In the first half of the show, teams would answer questions to increase the amount of time they have on the clock, and then in the second half, they have that set amount of time to run around the supermarket with a trolley and shop for as high an amount as they can get. Along the way around the store there are bonuses in the form of inflatable items that can be worth from £25 to £100 and 'Dale's Sale' consisting of three items, and if they collect them they get £50.

The winner is the team with the most amount of money spent once the value of the goods in the trolley is added to the bonuses. The winners then have a set amount of time to solve clues to find certain items around the store in a treasure hunt against the clock to find the final item and win the prize money.

I always enjoyed watching the final part of the show, but found the questions rounds quite boring. The whole show is set in a supermarket, and the entertainment factor was as high as the frustration factor. Why people put tins in the trolley when there are far more expensive items I guess I'll never know, but I think I only ever saw one person shop using their brain and pile the most expensive items in. Dale Winton as a presenter was quite charming and always made it as exciting as possible. Used to enjoy it a lot when I was at school and then at Uni as well. I didn't really see much of it when it returned last year, but what I did see was much of the same, camp entertainment.

Summary: Dale's Supermarket Sweep - fun