Fort Boyard (British game show)

Fort Boyard
Logo used in the Channel 5 series
GenreGame show
Created byJacques Antoine
Based onFort Boyard
by Jacques Antoine
Directed byPaul Kirrage (1998–2001)
Laurent Daum (2003)
Presented byMelinda Messenger (1998–2001)
Jodie Penfold (2003)
StarringLeslie Grantham (1998–2001)
Christopher Ellison (2003)
Geoffrey Bayldon (1998–2001)
Tom Baker (2003)
Theme music composerPaul Koulak
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of series5
No. of episodes78
Production
Executive producersRichard Holloway (1998–2001)
Emma Gunnell (2003)
Jonathan Webb (2003)
Production locationsFort Boyard, France
Running time60–80 mins (inc. adverts)
Production companiesAdventure Line Productions
Grundy Productions (1998–2001)
Thames (2001)
Ronin TV (2003)
Original release
NetworkChannel 5
Release16 October 1998 (1998-10-16) –
29 December 2001 (2001-12-29)
NetworkChallenge
Release20 October (2003-10-20) –
3 December 2003 (2003-12-03)
Related
The Crystal Maze
The Desert Forges
Fort Boyard: Takes On The World
Fort Boyard: Ultimate Challenge
Infobox instructions (only shown in preview)

Fort Boyard is a British game show devised by Jacques Antoine, based upon his format for the French game show of the same name that was first broadcast in 1990. The British version aired for five series, spanning from 16 October 1998 to 3 December 2003. The first four series were broadcast on Channel 5, concluding in December 2001. Challenge TV then revived the show for a fifth series in 2003 with a ten-part documentary series, Fort Boyard: Takes On The World, broadcast in October 2004.

It was originally presented by Melinda Messenger and starred Leslie Grantham as Boyard, and Geoffrey Bayldon as The Professor; they were replaced by Jodie Penfold, Christopher Ellison and Tom Baker as Captain Baker for the Challenge TV version. Fort Boyard later returned to UK television in January 2012 under a new format aired on children's channel CITV, Fort Boyard: Ultimate Challenge. This version ended in December 2014 after five series, the first two of which were co-produced with Disney XD in the United States.