It’s A Knockout, also known as “Jeux sans frontières“, was a TV show where teams of contestants battled it out over various physical challenges, in order to win the most points.

The idea for the show came from French President Charles de Gaulle, whose wish was that French and German youth would meet in a series of games to reinforce the friendship between the two countries. The domestic BBC English language version of the show was called “It’s A Knockout“.

The TV show grew during the 1970s and became popular throughout Europe, with various countries getting their own local and national versions, and the winners going through to a European final where individual countries would take each other on. These finals were usually much bigger-budget, with elaborate costumes and challenges, than in the early rounds, and they were broadcast throughout Europe on a regular basis for at least a couple of decades. It’s A Knockout was a phenomenon back in the late 70s and 80s. It’s since been replaced by similar shows like Tekashi’s Castle.

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