Rockbusters

designed by Pilkipedia's Dr Funke

Rockbusters was conceived by Karl Pilkington and was played on Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant's long running Xfm radio show in between 2002-2005. It was brought back in 2006 as part of The Ricky Gervais Show podcast.

It debuted on 12 October 2002 as a phone-in but converted to an e-mail competition the following week. Despite its titular pun, the game has very little in common with Blockbusters. It is played by Karl giving three clues, which he considers "cryptic" but are in reality convoluted colloquialisms which often depend on the answer being mispronounced. Steve once aptly referred to them as "craptic" clues. Along with the "clue", Karl includes the initials of the answer. The winners of Rockbusters would win a selection of prizes known simply as the usual tat.

History

Details of previous Rockbusters competitions:

12 October 2002

• This young man prepared for his death (WY) = Will Young
• Better than the average homeless person (S) = Supertramp
• The little girl is hungry; what shall we do? (F) = Feeder
• Exploding pet (AK) = Atomic Kitten

19 October 2002

• I'll take that book to the toilet with me (LR) = Lou Reed
• Blow the candles out before you eat the cake (FL) = Flaming Lips
• How can I wash up in something shaped like that? (NS) = N-Sync

26 October 2002

• At the moment I'm in a river full of logs (JT) = Justin Timberlake
• That lad's got bad asthma (W) = Weezer
• I saw that Mousetrap the other night, but the heating was knackered (C) = Coldplay

02 November 2002

• I don't like them girls; they shouldn't be allowed in this area (B) = The Bangles
• He doesn't like women, yet he's got a couple of kids. That's a bit weird. (PD) = Puff Daddy
• That bloke who does sport on telly, he's got a little kid (DC) = Destiny's Child

09 November 2002

• That army has got some well nice trenches (DW) = Dandy Warhols
• The top of them curtains are wrecked; all the material's worn (HV) = Holly Valance
• I was in Texas, I landed on my knees in a puddle (WH) = Whitney Houston

16 November 2002

• The fella has only got one badge left (E) = Elastica
• The unmarried lady is a friend I eat out with (MD) = Ms Dynamite
• I really really love that woman. I love everything she does (M) = Madonna

23 November 2002

from Karls Mum...

• This group would be good at doing your hair (TP) = The Platters
• This group sound like dinosaurs (TR) = T.Rex
• This group like to be by the sand and the sea (TBB) = The Beach Boys
• This guy sounds soup-perb (GC) = Glen Campbell

and the official ones...

• Stop throwing that fruit about (CB) = Chuck Berry
• That Scottish fella has made an error (M) = Mistique
• God, you can make a right load of toast with them (G) = Gorillaz

14 June 2003

• He has got American coins all the way down his spine. Why would that be? (N) = Nickelback
• Jeremy Beadle has got arthritis. What's going on there? (SLF) = Stiff Little Fingers
• Foxy, Shipman and some country and western singer on a merry go round (SD) = Spin Doctors