Miranda Hart 'in talks to host Generation Game'

Comedian Miranda Hart is in "early talks" with the BBC about a revival of The Generation Game.

Launched by Sir Bruce Forsyth in 1971, the slapstick game show attracted audiences of 20 million at its peak.

It featured couples from four families competing in comedic challenges like pot-throwing and morris dancing, and the famed conveyor belt memory game.

Hart would be the show's first female host, following Sir Bruce, Larry Grayson and Jim Davidson.

She previously appeared on a 2011 Comic Relief edition of the show, hosted by Vernon Kay.

The 41-year-old is best known for her self-titled sitcom and her role in hit drama Call The Midwife, but she is a self-confessed fan of The Generation Game.

Interviewing Sir Bruce for a career retrospective last year, she said: "Bruce is too modest to say this, so I am going to say it for him: During the 1970s, The Generation Game was getting over 20 million viewers every single week and my family was one of them.

"I loved it. It is one of the greatest game shows ever."

When Sir Bruce said the show "may be a bit old hat now", Hart replied "but we need to get back to entertainment, Bruce".

The Generation Game challenged its contestants to learn new skills and take part in slapstick sketches, with the host's irreverent banter a key part of the appeal.

It climaxed every week with the conveyor belt game, where one contestant had to memorise a series of household goods as they travelled past. The selection invariably included a cuddly toy.

It was the number one game show in the 1970s, with Larry Grayson achieving an estimated audience of 25 million in 1979.

A 1990s revival also fared well, with Bruce Forsyth's Christmas Day episode in 1990 watched by more than 16 million people.

However, a new series is not guaranteed.

A BBC spokesman said: "It's in the early ideas stage at the moment. Nothing is confirmed and no series [is] planned."