History Series / BeatTheTeacher

The series aired four nights a week, with successful contestants able to return for subsequent editions, and there were also various 'champions' and even celebrity editions. In pitting children against adults, it was a precursor to ''Series/GetYourOwnBack'' and ''Series/AreYouSmarterThanAFifthGrader''.

The show pitted secondary age children against teachers in answering a series of general knowledge questions, logic puzzles and observation tests, with successful answers giving them the opportunity to move rotating cubes on a board, in a large-size stand-up version of {{TabletopGame/TicTacToe}}, or as it's more popularly known in the UK, Noughts and Crosses. The pattern of each cube went blank-nought-blank-cross, enabling tactical play for the sharp-minded.
Completing a row enabled them to score points. Each player also had one opportunity to play a joker, reversing the squares on the board, and a sand timer was then activated to prevent the other player using their joker within the same timeframe. There were various prizes on offer, including the likes of cameras and telescopes, equipment for the competing schools, and in the first series, even a trip to Alton Towers. There were also booby prizes, such as a ''Beat The Teacher'' failure mug (designed to embarrass losing teachers in the staffroom) and later, a pen or baseball cap.

The series aired four nights a week, with successful contestants able to return for subsequent editions, and there were also various 'champions' and even celebrity editions. In pitting children against adults, it was a precursor to {{Series/Get Your Own Back}} and {{Series/Are You Smarter Than A Fifth Grader}}

* ConsolationPrize: A mug, pen or baseball cap for the loser.

* StockPuzzle: Lots, including examples of the MagicSquarePuzzle, RiddleMeThis and the TrainProblem.
* StockSoundEffects. Also some WackySoundEffect, including - to announce the end of the contest - the same duck quack that would be used for Edd the Duck on {{Creator/CBBC}} a few years later.

* {{UsefulNotes/BBCMicro}} Supplied the text and graphics for onscreen puzzles. Also used in later series to calculate audience input - see ThingOMeter below.

* {{TabletopGame/TicTacToe}}

* BrattyHalfPint: One or two of the contestants. Possibly. Even more in the audience.

* BrattyHalfPint: One or two of the contestants. Possibly.

Completing a row enabled them to score points. Each player also had one opportunity to play a joker, reversing the squares on the board, and a sand timer was then activated to prevent the other player using their joker within the same timeframe. There were various prizes on offer, including the likes of cameras and telescopes, equipment for the competing schools, and in the first series, even a trip to Alton Towers. There were also booby prizes, such as a ''Beat The Teacher'' failure mug (designed to embarrass losing teachers in the staffroom) and later, a baseball cap.

* StockSoundEffects. Also some WackySoundEffects, including - to announce the end of the contest - the same duck quack that would be used for Edd the Duck on {{Creator/CBBC}} a few years later.

* TicTacToe

* {{UsefulNotes/BBCMicro}}

* ThingOMeter: A BBC Micro version measured responses to the 'Supporter Questions' in later editions.

* StockPuzzle: Lots, including many examples of the FoxChickenGrainPuzzle, the MagicSquarePuzzle and the TrainProblem.

* DarkerandEdgier: From 1987, the original titles and Mike Batt theme tune were replaced with a more aggressive theme by Martin Cook, accompanying a title sequence showing a scary teacher in mortar board and gown being chased by vengeful children across a paint-bespattered dark background, thoroughly unnerving any younger siblings who might be watching.
* LaterInstalmentWeirdness: The later series added 'Supporter Questions', with the audience given a chance to answer multiple-choice questions on the contestants' behalf, and also video observation questions in the style of {{Series/The Krypton Factor}}'s Observation round. See also DarkerandEdgier above.

* ReplaceTheThemeTune: Mike Batt's original theme was replaced in 1987 with one by Martin Cook, accompanying a new opening title sequence.

* LaterInstalmentWeirdness: The later series added 'Supporter Questions', with the audience given a chance to answer multiple-choice questions on the contestants' behalf, and also video observation questions in the style of {{Series/The Krypton Factor}}'s Observation round.

!!''Beat The Teacher'' provides examples of:

The series aired four nights a week, with successful contestants able to return for subsequent editions, and there were also various 'champions' and even celebrity editions. In pitting children against adults, it was a precursor to {{Series/Get Your Own Back}} and {{Series/Are You Smarter Than A Fifth Grader?}}

The series aired four nights a week, with successful contestants able to return for subsequent editions, and there were also various 'champions' and even celebrity editions.

The series aired four nights a week, with successful contestants able to return for subsequent editions, and also various 'champions' and even celebrity editions.

''Beat The Teacher'' was a children's gameshow made by the {{Creator/BBC}} and broadcast from 1984-88 (on the {{Creator/CBBC}} strand after it began in 1985), created by BBC Children's producer Clive Doig. It was presented by ''That's Life!'''s Howard Stableford, then later by former ''Music/ManfredMann'' frontman Paul Jones (later the star of CBBC's {{Series/Uncle Jack}}) and finally by {{Series/Top Of The Pops}} presenter Bruno Brookes.

''Beat The Teacher'' was a children's gameshow made by the {{Creator/BBC}} and broadcast from 1984-88 (on the {{Creator/CBBC}} after it began in 1985), created by BBC Children's producer Clive Doig. It was presented by ''That's Life!'''s Howard Stableford, then later by former ''Music/ManfredMann'' frontman Paul Jones (later the star of CBBC's {{Series/Uncle Jack}}) and finally by {{Series/TopOfThePops}} presenter Bruno Brookes.

''Beat The Teacher''