[Neil Jones]

Possibly why there's not many spot prizes on shows nowadays is that there is a feeling they cheapen a show and enough prizes are being given away in cash already. It's also more the case with older formats that there was some luck and/or skill involved in landing on a spot prize because it was one screen or one part of the board out of many that anyone playing could get whereas modern shows aren't set up that way, tend to focus on the lone journey and the gameplay is more defined, almost scripted so that it will play out a certain way.

maybe that's the thing. These days you just stand in front of a podium, answer a few questions and if you play your cards right you come away with the dosh. There is no other outcome - either you win everything or you lose everything.

To come back to Bullseye again you pretty much made your own destiny with that, and that's probably what made it more appealing in terms of the prize board and the 101 in 6. You could always make a total hash of the prize board with one prize, yet score 101+ in two darts (or vice versa).

In other words - the linear gameplay was unpredictable. More modern shows as you say feel more contained and trapped in the format, and then you had the likes of Strike It Lucky/Rich where the game was effectively an afterthought, especailly once it had got going after two or three series.