It’s a Knockout, a physical and absurd TV challenge put Aberdeen’s fittest, fastest, and perhaps most fearless, citizens to the test.
The hit TV gameshow, which originated in France, took Saturday night entertainment by storm.
The show’s format saw different towns and cities across the UK pitted against each other in physical tasks at their local park.
In a wild deviation from today’s health and safety risk assessments, Aberdeen City Council parks department used to host a version of the competition at Duthie Park.
And in May 1970, Aberdeen’s Duthie Park was the venue for real televised It’s a Knockout. A round filmed there saw Aberdeen compete against Arbroath.
The episode aired on BBC1, showcasing the hilarity and humility of the Aberdonians brave enough to risk making a fool of themselves on national TV.
But ultimately, this was a competition, and not just anybody got to represent Aberdeen.
Oh no, the training was taken very seriously with a pool of 120 intrepid volunteers being whittled down to 40 athletes.
Local PE teacher Jim Banks helped to coach competitors in agility, but also teamwork, he explained: “A very important quality is determination and the will to work.”
But all the training in the world couldn’t prepare the athletes for some of the “twisted genius” of the challenges that lay ahead.
Being ripped could only get you so far when some tasks saw competitors having floats strapped to their feet while they retrieved plastic penguins from the Duthie Park pond.
Sadly no footage seems to exist that we could find of this particular episode, but Aberdeen proved victorious.
In front of a crowd of 20,000, competitors won 14 points to Arbroath’s four, going on to compete at the next round in Belgium.
But whether you took part or just enjoyed watching from the comfort of your sofa, these photos might jog some memories.
Pictures: It’s a Knockout
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