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Me
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andrew.gray@
mailcity.com
Send in your IAK stuff.
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IAK links
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Kostas' Jeux sans Frontières website, JSFnet.
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The It's a Knockout Web went on-line 1st February 1998.
Last Updated 2nd January 2006
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| Latest Website Updates & News |
 Update for 2/1/06: Happy New Year! I've finished uni, meaning THE IT'S A KNOCKOUT WEB IS BACK!!! Updates: View the petition to Channel 10 (entertaining reading!). Plus, the Shandell Tribute Page has been updated! E-mail me if you would be interested in attending an IAK convention. I'm thinking of holding one in Melbourne first, and then perhaps more in other Australian capital cities if the first one is successful. 2005-7 are 20 year anniversaries for It's a Knockout!
Repeats of It's a Knockout are currently being broadcast in Argentina, on the Telefé network. Broadcast under the name 'Supermatch', it has been adapted for Spanish-speaking audiences, and Ricky May has a new name -- 'Antonio Sinatra'! If you want IAK videos, perhaps it's time to make some friends in South America! The show is hugely successful and rating well over there. This website is receiving many hits from Argentina, second only to Australia. I'm looking for donations of translation services for the website in all languages!
The It's a Knockout Web has outgrown its current host, Geocities. In particular, web storage space is desperately short. I have purchased a top-level domain name to aid in the site's expansion, and I am inviting offers for the donation of web hosting services and expertise in activating the new domain name. In return, I can offer advertising space on the site. I don't make any money from this site.
Forthcoming developments to the site include behind-the-scenes photos, media articles, video (hopefully) and exciting design improvements. Welcome back!
Older website updates below.
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| It's a Knockout |
It's a Knockout was an Australian television show that aired in the
mid-late 1980's. It was based on the French "Jeux sans frontières".
The competitors represented their state of origin, one of Queensland, New
South Wales, Victoria or South Australia. In each show the four states
competed against each other in events that were quite wacky to say the
least. Although the competitors were generally ordinary members of the
public, some amazingly heroic and athletic feats were often seen.
Competing teams were formed from local Apex clubs and other groups, e.g.
surf-lifesavers and comprised about eight men and women each.
We have prepared this web page as "It's a Knockout" was one of
our favourite TV shows and, despite its popularity, it maintains a
non-existent web presence -- this is the first IAK web page. This page
contains a description of "It's a Knockout", the teams, the
events and results.
More than 100 episodes of the show were hosted by Billy J. Smith and
Fiona MacDonald. Their assistants included the dog Combat and Ellen and
Shandell. The big question is.... where are they now? Does anybody out
there know????? IAK had several celebrity referees, including Ricky May
(RIP), Jon English, Lisa Curry, Edith Bliss, Grant Kenny, Melinda Rutter,
Tiffany Lamb, Warren Blondell, Vince Sorrenti, Tracy Wickham, Jason
Donovan, Mark "wandering hands" Warren, Daryl Cotton,
Kerrie-Anne Kennerly, Kerrie Friend, Wayne Pierce, Jackie Love, Cameron
Daddo etc... The show was filmed at Dural, near Castle Hill in New South
Wales (Englefield Soccer Stadium, New Line Rd). We believe that IAK ended
when its land was bought for use for soccer training. The show was
screened on Channel 10 and produced
by Grundy Television (of Neighbours fame) between 1985 and 1988.
For each event six points were awarded, normally four for the winner and
two for the second-place getter. If two teams drew for first spot, then
each of the teams was awarded three points. The third and fourth
place-getters were awarded zero points. A team's "Joker" could
be used once per show on any event chosen by the team. The Joker doubles
the points awarded to the team for that event, i.e. a winning team
receives eight points and a second placed team wins four. The "wasting"
of the Joker occurs when the team finishes third or fourth -- the team
receives zero. There was no joker in the first series of IAK. There were
six events per show, so the maximum possible score was 28. The highest
attained score known to us, however, was by Stirling (SA), with 25. In
three-way ties for second in an event, the winner is awarded four and the
other teams get one point each. After six events, the winning team is
awarded six points towards its team total, the second place-getter four,
third two and fourth zero. The team with the highest team total in their
state division entered the semi-finals with other division winners. The
successful semi-final teams enter the Grand Final.
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Previous Website Updates
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 Update for 16/8/05: The It's a Knockout Web is not dead! Things have been really busy with uni for me for the past few... years [gulp]. Luckily, that ordeal is almost over (just a few weeks to go now), so I'll be able to update the site and respond to e-mails more often. I've got a big pile of IAK press clippings just ready and waiting to be scanned in and uploaded. There are also over 500 received petition signings to be compiled and placed on the site. Stay tuned for The It's a Knockout Web's exciting return!
 Update for 15/5/02: Sign the petition to bring back IAK!, Competitor of the week: Bob Sellars
 Updates for 28/1/02: Competitor of the Week: Rankin twins (this page) Videos: Slide Basketball, Seesaw, Telephone Call!!!
Updates for 18/10/01: Videos: Frogs, Sailmakers, 100th Episode, Icebergs, Bet Your Loaf (please be patient as Geocities has recently limited website activity to 4 megs per hour), Web design revamp, Shirley Strachan Tribute, Competitor of the Week: John Harbourne, Visitors' Area.
Updates for 19/8/01: In the Media easier to navigate!, Events and State sections cross-referenced with gallery images, Gallery 33 -- Shandell Tribute, Visitors' section -- The Ultimate IAK Episode, new banner, IAK art
Updates for 16/6/01: IAK in the Media -- Andrew's article in 'Farrago', Melbourne Uni's student magazine, Visitors' Area, Galleries 31 & 32, Gallery Index Updates for 28/4/01: Combat In The Media, Galleries 22 to 30 added Updates for 26/3/01: VIDEO AT LAST!!!, Pilgrimage -- I made it -- See Ricky May Road Updates for 24/2/01: Brad Cooper Archive (In The Media), Pilgrimage, Results Revamped, Events, About Us Updates for 28/1/01 -- It's a Flop-Up, IAK In The Media (Catalyst article) Updates for 17/12/00: Eltham's
Secret Weapon, IAK In The Media, plus
others -- Gallery Updated 26/10/00 --
New Sound Clips added 10/9/00 --
IAK In The Media Updated 25/7/00 --
The Board Game added 25/7/00 --
Site Map -- It's a Flop-Up
added 17/6/00 -- Sign the
Guestbook
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Competitor of the Week
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Bob Sellars
Riverland (Captain), South Australia
The words 'Bob' and 'Sellars' when arranged sequentially are synonymous with IAK excellence. In addition to being a virtuoso of IAK strategy, the athletic Sellars never shirked the call to put his body on the line in some of the more difficult or dangerous events. A practising physiotherapist, he doubtlessly employed these skills to himself and his team in their struggle for glory. Glory they experienced often: Riverland achieved two show wins and one second placing in Heat 1 of the 1986 series, to win the SA division. They unluckily finished last in their Semi-final appearance, even considering the formidable competition: Vermont, Newcastle and Childers. The motivation of the motley crew that was the Riverland team (everyone's favourite back-hoe operator Andrew Sloan, Vicky Pudney and Kay Harding) is a credit to Sellars. A very exciting player to watch.
Previous Competitors of the Week
David & Phillip Rankin (Newcastle NSW)
John Harbourne (Childers Qld.)
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