'The world's biggest gameshow cash prize in history' it has been billed and yes, it does offer a million pounds if you win, yes, it IS absurdly compelling and yes, it wouldn't be if it didn't offer as much prize money.
So how does it work? Well, about a week before the show started (it runs for ten consecutive days), the ever jovial Chris Tarrant pops up in adverts to say 'Hey it's easy, call 0891 444444 and you could win a million!' The idea is to phone up, whence the ever jovial Chris Tarrant (on the answerphone) will say how many shows there are left (because you can phone in anytime until the end of the series). You select one and then the ever jovial Chris Tarrant (on the answerphone) is replaced by a womans voice giving a general knowledge question. If you're anything like me it will be 'What pattern is on a twenty pence piece?' You are given four choices but if you're anything like me, shouting frantically at family members to get a 20p out and tell me doesn't work, and inevitably the ever jovial Chris Tarrant (on the answerphone) will say 'Sorry you got the wrong answer' and I slam the phone down.
Anyway, for each episode, 24 hours before the show goes out, 100 people are rung back and given a general knowledge question (without multiple choice), the nearest ten are allowed to go on the show. They don't know who they are though until he says at the end of the show the day before, when he reads out the names.
Phew, the show itself then. The ten players have a screen in front of them where a multiple choice question will appear. Basically, the first person to press the correct button for the answer is he winner and is invited to try his or her luck to twin a million pounds.
the game is quite simple. The player must answer fifteen multiple choice questions correctly consecutively. If that happens, they win the jackpot. The player can stop at any time because they risk losing money if they get it wrong BUT THEY ARE ALLOWED TO SEE BOTH QUESTION AND POSSIBLE ANSWERS BEFORE MAKING A DECISION. If they get five questions correct they are guaranteed £1,000, if they get 10 correct they are guaranteed £32,000 and if they get all fifteen they get the million. Each contestant also has three lifelines they can use. They can go 50/50 where the computer takes away two of the wrong answers, leaving a correct one and a wrong one, they can ask the audience (they vote on keypads) or they are allowed to phone a friend. Somehow, everyone phoned is away from their TV screen when this happens and the contestant has just thirty seconds to get an answer before the line is cut. The contestant doesn't have to go with any of the advice given but it usually helps. Basically, for every question correct the money doubles and if you get it wrong then you go home with whatever threshhold you crossed.
Simple, compelling, perfect? Well no. While Chris Tarrant is an admirable host, very good at building up tension and the like, he can sometimes fall foul of the unwritten gameshow law, the law of 'Getting On With It.' He seems to go through the rules far too many times during the course of the show and whilst televisual dictatum states this, it does get irritating because the only thing people are interested in is if someone is going to win lots of money, not the rules which lets face it, aren't the most complicated of things, are they?
Secondly, question difficulty. So far (and I've seen 7 of 10 shows), the most anyone has won is £64,000 because they are too scared to go on. Why is this? Because after question 10 the questions get stupidly difficult. Would the ley person know which country was sandwiched between Ghana and Benin? (Toga, incidentally, or Togo if you are actually correct, cheers David!) Of course they wouldn't. Whilst I welcome a progressional difficulty system, it just gets too hard when people are interested and the show is too slow when people are not. The first five questions up to £1000 should be got through much quicker really.
But this is only slightly relevant. The fact is, at times this is real edge-of-your-seat television because IT DOES have that kind of money to throw around (if only once. After a person has one the big one the big prize falls to 'only' £500,000). It's become a ratings bulldozer for ITV so expect another series.
Verdict: 7.5/10 Good Stuff but can be weak in places.
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