AllMovie

One of the first "original" offerings from Britain's Sky One service, the weekly game show Spellbound was yet another variation on a familiar formula. The contestants attempted to build words by choosing the letters shown on a three-by-five-foot rebus board, comprised of tiny TV monitors. No points were scored if the contestants chose a "lousy" letter or failed to spell out any word that hadn't been pre-selected by the judges. After three rounds of this, the finalists participated in a final round using rows of playing cards rather than letters, with the winner going home with either a 1,000-pound prize or a swell vacation. The game could also be played interactively by the folks at home via phone-ins and mail-ins. The hosts were Paul Coia and Debbie Greenwood who happened to be husband and wife. Spellbound began making itself known to British viewers in 1990.