The Alphabet Game is a comedy panel game show that aired on BBC1 from 5 August 1996 to 27 March 1997 and is hosted by Andrew O'Connor. The programme was created by O'Connor, Rebecca Thornhill, Mark Maxwell-Smith and produced by Objective Productions. It was remade in Spain as Pasapalabra,^[1] for which ITV Studios sued Telecinco for €17,000,000;^[2] ITV would later remake the show as Alphabetical.^[3]

Format

Two members of the public team up with two celebrities each, while a fifth acts as judge. The five celebrities are there all week, while the contestants rotate. Round 1 sees the teams trying to buzz in for control of a question such as 'things I would do if I won the lottery'; the teams must then go through the alphabet to provide answers. The other team can challenge an answer if they feel it is incorrect, in which case the judge decides which team is correct. If the judge decides the challenging team is correct or a team member can't think of an answer, play passes to the other team. This round ends when one team passes Z, and the next consists of the teams trying to create a chain of words each starting with the end of the last. In round three, the teams are given a sentence and asked to finish it, for example "Kevin likes to F". The three members of the other team have a card each with one answer on which the opposing team must give. Each team member gets seven seconds each.^[4]

In round four, contestants must try and describe something using word/phrases beginning with each letter. Round five is a repeat of round one to be played until time is up. Round six is played by the winner; if the ties are scored, the teams decide amongst themselves to find one to win the prize for both teams. O'Connor will then ask a question with a three word answer, for example "Who invented the telephone?" and the three team members must answer "A G B" (Alexander Graham Bell). Five correct answers in sixty seconds nets them the prize.^[4]

Transmissions

International versions

The format has been adapted in France, Spain, Colombia, Argentina, Panama, Portugal, Brasil, Italy, Turkey, Chile, Uruguay and Germany.

Country	Title	Broadcaster(s)	Presenter(s)	Premiere	Finale
Argentina	Pasapalabra	Azul TV (7 January 2002 – 18 March 2002) eltrece (21 January 2016 – 10 April 2020) Telefe (1 March 2021 – 6 November 2022)	Claribel Medina (2002) Iván de Pineda (2016–2020; 2021–2022)	7 January 2002	6 November 2022
Brazil	A Grande Chance	Rede Bandeirantes	Gilberto Barros	24 April 2007	21 June 2008
Chile	Pasapalabra	Chilevisión	Julián Elfenbein	7 January 2018 1 January 2024	30 March 2023 present
Colombia	Pasapalabra	RCN Televisión	Jéssica de la Peña	2003	2003
France	En toutes lettres (2009–2011) Tout le monde a son mot à dire (2017–)	France 2	Julien Courbet (31 August 2009 – 30 June 2011) Olivier Minne and Sidonie Bonnec (6 March 2017 – present)	31 August 2009	present
Germany	Buchstaben Battle	Sat.1	Ruth Moschner	12 October 2020	28 January 2022
Italy	Passaparola	Canale 5	Gerry Scotti (11 January – 27 February 1999; 21 June 1999 – 27 January 2008) Claudio Lippi (1 March – 19 June 1999)	11 January 1999	27 January 2008
Panama	Pasapalabra	TVN	Marelissa Him	18 October 2021	23 December 2022
Portugal	Passo a Palavra	RTP1	Nicolau Breyner	2003	2003
Spain	Pasapalabra	Antena 3 (24 July 2000 – 9 June 2006; 13 May 2020 – present) Telecinco (16 July 2007 – 1 October 2019)	Silvia Jato (2000–2002; 2003–2006) Constantino Romero (2002–2003) Jaime Cantizano (2006) Christian Gálvez (2007–2019) Roberto Leal (2020–present)	24 July 2000	present
Turkey	Passaparola	Star TV (14 October 2002 – 11 November 2005; 14 May 2010 – 30 January 2011) Kanal 1 [tr] (3 July 2006 – 14 March 2008)	Metin Uca (2002 – February 2005; 2006–2008; 2010–2011) Mehmet Ali Erbil (February – May 2005) Mesut Yar (May – 11 November 2005)	14 October 2002	30 January 2011
Uruguay	Pasapalabra	Canal 10	Jorge Piñeyrúa	11 March 2019	present