You don’t have to be Einstein to follow this 3-2-1 riddle, but it would probably help
3-2-1 – featuring host Ted Rogers, his dextrous fingers, and the mascot and booby prize Dusty Bin – was an enormous hit for ITV from the late 70s to the late 80s.
The show was in three parts, beginning with a quiz, followed by an elimination round, and in the final section, variety acts would provide visual and verbal clues to a prize.
To say the clues were obscure is putting it mildly. Here’s Ted Rogers talking some contestants through one of them.
Absolute classic impenetrable 3-2-1 riddle pic.twitter.com/qQ7NLa9Hsf
— The Holly and the Ivan (@hellothisisivan) December 4, 2024
The words ‘U wot m8?’ spring to mind – and it wasn’t just us.
1.
I’ve watched this 5 times, I still don’t get it and I now have a migraine
— Ed Hassett (@EdHassett) December 5, 2024
2.
What in the brain seizures is happening here. https://t.co/x3qLTtueNl
— Jamie Smart (@jamiesmart) December 5, 2024
3.
A wonderful example of when GCHQ, MI5 and MI6 were setting clues on 3-2-1.
I swear they could have clues that said “it’s the bin, you put rubbish in it” and could make it the car (“people say ‘you’ve bin somewhere’ and the kids leave it a mess”!)— Ed Whittle (@EdWhittle1968) December 5, 2024
4.
Ted Rogers. The Victoria Coren of his day
— Ed Sullivan (@eddie19666) December 5, 2024
5.
I dunno… I think it’s easy to get VHS Recorder from “Very Handy Space, Initially…”
The rest of it IS impenetrable bollocks though!
— Gavin Winters (@GavinWinters) December 4, 2024
6.
I’m almost sure this logic came direct from a Columbo Episode when the victim was found stuffed in a video player…. he was a TV quiz host too! pic.twitter.com/4PUXBJydXw
— Ian Gowland (@ianbbdesign) December 5, 2024
7.
Bletchley would have had trouble with that.
— NapoleonKnows (@NapoleonKnows) December 5, 2024
8.
How the hell were you meant to work all that out? Comes in a set? Tv set? Cathode rays? Ray guns? Video recorder??
— Gary Northfield (@gnorthfield) December 5, 2024
9.
Yep. You look back at a lot of telly quiz shows from the 70s-80s and they seem patronisingly simple now, but 321 clues are still utterly incomprehensible gibberish
As a kid I had a theory that each clue had multiple solutions they could pick and choose which won what. I still do
— Lee Grice (@LovelyLee_G) December 5, 2024
Game show legend Les Dennis was entertained.
— Les Dennis (@LesDennis) December 5, 2024
Perhaps it’s time for him to step into Ted’s shoes and practise the finger-twiddling.
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Source hellothisisivan Image Screengrab