In Britain, few had imagined that the recently televised election debates would become the driving force of the general election campaign, capturing the public imagination and changing the current UK political landscape.
The leaders of the three major British parties agreed to take part in a series of three televised debates for the first time ever in a UK general election, ahead of election day on 6 May. The format has already been integrated into the election process here and in the US.
While each leader recognised the significance of the first of these encounters, none predicted its power to shift public opinion on such an unprecedented scale.
There were early fears that the rigid format, coupled with overly-rehearsed answers, would see viewers switching off in their thousands. However these fears turned out to be unfounded with 9.9m viewers watching the first debate on ITV1 on 15 April.
Pivotal moment for Nick Clegg
Within minutes of Mr Clegg's opening speech, social networking sites and discussion forums came alive with interest, sparked primarily by his unexpectedly impressive performance.
In what has come to be regarded as a pivotal moment in the campaign, the 43-year-old Liberal Democrat leader emerged the indisputable front runner, sending his party soaring to new heights in the polls.
Voters found their loyalties challenged as Mr Clegg painted himself as a credible alternative to the usual Labour/Conservative ping-pong match and ensuring that the battle for election victory would not be the traditional two-horse race of old.
Along with the surge in support, however, came a surge in critical media interest for the Liberal Democrats. Where the third party had previously been given little page space, the Lib Dems soon found themselves subject to intense scrutiny and biting criticism.
All the while, the televised confrontation remained at the centre of political dialogue.
Second Debate
The fact that throngs of spin doctors, journalists and senior frontbenchers gathered in Bristol on for the second debate on 22 April suggested that these debates were now integral to the outcome of the General Election. Research afterwards suggested that Nick Clegg had impressed voters once more.
A Sky News poll of polls had the Tory's David Cameron tied with Nick Clegg with an average of 33% against Prime Minister Gordon Brown on 27%.
An ICM post-debate phone poll for The Guardian handed victory to Mr Clegg on 33%, with Mr Cameron and Mr Brown tied on 29%.
A Populus poll for The Times, based on the first 900 respondents, had Mr Cameron and Mr Clegg running neck-and-neck on 36% and Mr Brown trailing on 27% after they clashed on foreign affairs.
The instant polls of the voters watching at home disagreed over whether Mr Clegg or Mr Cameron won - though most agreed Gordon Brown was trailing in third place.
Meanwhile, conscious of the Lib Dem surge, the Tories stepped up efforts to reverse the poll bounce with a warning that a hung parliament could 'paralyse' Britain.
A mock political broadcast purportedly from 'The Hung Parliament Party' promised to bring the economy to its knees and send interest rates soaring.
This came after the Lib Dem sources warned Mr Clegg could demand the Prime Minister's removal as the price of co-operation with Labour in the event of no clear majority.
And the belligerent mood showed no signs of dying down with a row erupting between the major parties over television coverage of the campaign.
Labour accused the Tories and Lib Dems of pulling out of a joint approach to broadcasters who expressed concern that they were focusing too heavily on the leadership debates at the expense of wider policy issues.
Third Debate
On the eve of the final debate on 29 April, which was to centre around the economy, polls showed that the parties were still deadlocked with just a week to go before the election.
Labour strategists billed the last debate as an opportunity for the Prime Minister to turn the tide of the campaign by insisting on his 'substance' in contrast to his opponents' 'style'.
In a bid to draw a line under his damaging description of a Labour supporter as 'a bigoted woman', Mr Brown urged voters to judge him on economic competence rather than his personality.
The Prime Minister's comments, made after the pensioner confronted him over immigration issues, threw Labour's election campaign into turmoil.
Allusions to the issue made during the debate suggested it could well continue to haunt the Prime Minister and remain at the centre of the leadership contest.
As the third and final debate came to a close, it was Mr Cameron who emerged victorious in the polls.
While research for The Sun found the Tory leader had scored a decisive win - 41% of those polled said he performed best compared to 32% for Nick Clegg and 25% for Gordon Brown - a ComRes poll for ITV News suggested the result had been much closer. It put Mr Cameron on 35% to 33% for Mr Clegg. The Prime Minister was trailing on 26%.
In his final pitch, Mr Brown appealed to voters, exploiting the debate's format to address the electorate directly.
'I know that if things stay as they are, perhaps in eight days' time David Cameron, perhaps supported by Nick Clegg, would be in office,' he said.
'But I have the duty of telling you this evening that while we have policies for the future, the Conservatives would put the recovery immediately at risk with an emergency Budget.'
The three debates may not ultimately have decided the election but there is no doubt they have given it life.
Veteran ITV newscaster Alastair Stewart, who hosted the initial debate said: 'The idea of having a General Election in the UK without televised debates ever again is now laughable.'
