Review: Superstars, Five

3:21pm Tuesday 22nd July 2008

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WHAT on earth has happened to Superstars?

Back when I was a lad – and yes, they did have TV, albeit on three channels – this sporting contest was a real treat.

Boasting one of the great TV theme tunes and a host of top sportsmen and women, exercises such as squat thrusts became compulsive viewing.

Who will ever forget the sight of Kevin Keegan taking all the skin off his leg as he slid off his bike on a cinder track?

The Beeb attempted to revive the series a couple of years back and it was actually reasonably good.

But now five have got their hands on it and, let’s be honest, it would have been kinder to have left us with our memories.

In days gone by Superstars came from athletics tracks and semi-exotic locations. In five’s version we have been transported to the K2 Centre — in Crawley — which looks like a cross between a shopping mall and a local sports centre!

Somehow Olympic legends Kelly Holmes and Steve Redgrave have been persuaded to take part. But now five have tinkered with the format and it’s become a team event.

Last week we saw the captains pick their sides – it was rather like watching playground football as Lee Sharpe was last man to be picked.

To win the climbing event you appear to have to punch a hole in the shopping centre roof, the ‘athletes’ taking part all appear to have retired from their sports and, well, it’s not very good but at least they’ve kept the theme tune.