Cat and Mouse was a television game show that aired on Thursday nights and was hosted by Dave Right. It's running time was 30 minutes. The show featured four contestants competing against each other in quizzes to win cash and prizes.
Storylines[]
- Pauline Fowler tells Arthur Fowler that she has signed him up for Cat and Mouse. (23 May 1989)
- Arthur goes to the audition and gets 9 out of 10 questions correct. (25 May 1989)
- Arthur appears on the game show and wins the grand prize; a continental holiday for two and spending money of £2,000. (1 June 1989)
Gameplay[]
The show began with four contestants each taking their place behind a podium on the main set, in what Dave Right refers to as the "Fromage Fun Run". A Cat and Mouse logo and different types of cheeses was featured on the contestant backdrop. Contestant scores were displayed on their podiums.
During the show, contestants took part in a series of quiz rounds and scored one point for each correct answer. At the end of each round, the contestant who had reached the lowest score was eliminated, and left with a gold-plated Cat and Mouse mousetrap and a cash prize. The remaining three contestants headed into the "Cat Flap" round where they needed to buzz-in and answer a number of questions correctly. The two highest scorers moved safely through the 'cat flap' and into the grand final.
The grand final was named the "Mouse Run" round and featured a game board on the contestant backdrop. The two finalists were randomly assigned as either "Cat" or "Mouse," and had to answer questions correctly within the time limit to move forward on the board. During this round, the Cat had to chase the Mouse as their paths crossed on the board, and it was up to the Cat to catch the Mouse before it reached the cheese. If a question was answered incorrectly, then the player lost control of the game board and the questions were passed to their opponent. The winner won a continental holiday for two and spending money of £2,000.
Contestants[]
| Episode | Name | Score | Placement | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 June 1989 | Arthur Fowler | 50 | Winner - Mouse | A continental holiday for two and spending money of £2,000. |
| Joan Russell | 53 | Second Place - Cat | Not mentioned. | |
| Gary | 31 | Third Place | A gold-plated mousetrap and £40 in cash. | |
| Belinda Verge | 6 | Fourth Place | A gold-plated mousetrap and £20 in cash. |
Gallery[]
Photos[]
.jpg "Arthur Fowler Cat and Mouse (1989).jpg (3.39 MB)")
Video[]
Notes[]
- The fictional game show appeared during 1989 when the producers wanted more comic relief on the show.
- The episode on 1 June 1989 was written by Tony McHale and, despite the criticism, it is considered by EastEnders writer Colin Brake as "one of the funniest and most outrageous episodes of EastEnders ever aired".
- The fictional game show used video game music from past Commodore 64 titles.
- Archive footage from 1 June 1989 was shown on 12 February 2025, as Ruby Allen had obtained a copy of the show so that Martin Fowler could show it to his kids. Stacey Slater suggested screening it in The Queen Victoria, which Linda Carter agreed to.