The Game Show Forum
The Game Show Forum => The Big Board => Topic started by: cac8383 on April 09, 2004, 04:56:00 AM
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First saw this at tvgameshows.net, then confirmed it on the FAQs section of BBC America's website and it's official. the UK version of The Weakest Link will make it's way onto BBC America starting May 31st. Click on this link: http://www.bbcamerica.com/about/faq_schedule.jsp#newprograms (http://\"http://www.bbcamerica.com/about/faq_schedule.jsp#newprograms\")
and it should take you there to that portion. I've actually been wanting to see the U.K. version of it for a while now. Opinions?
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Besides the fact that I broke this news about 3 days ago, pretty good. I received the first word of it. I made sure and rushed the info over to Beverly ASAP. But if you want opinions, instead of starting another thread, just check out the one I made a while ago. Is there a way we can just edit the 2 threads together instead of cluttering the space up with two posts about the same thing.
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And besides, it's not your fault anyway. His web site got hacked by spyware this week, hence the delay in updates.
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[quote name=\'Craig Karlberg\' date=\'Apr 10 2004, 02:18 AM\'] His web site got hacked by spyware this week, hence the delay in updates. [/quote]
Huh?
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He has it on his site. A couple of spyware sites were able to hack into his server and basically brought down the entire mess, at least for updating purposes, for a while.
OK, you who don't like the guy here -- FESS UP... (only somewhat joking...)
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[quote name=\'starcade\' date=\'Apr 10 2004, 02:47 PM\'] He has it on his site. A couple of spyware sites were able to hack into his server and basically brought down the entire mess, at least for updating purposes, for a while.
OK, you who don't like the guy here -- FESS UP... (only somewhat joking...) [/quote]
Yeah, I read that, and I still firmly believe he doesn't know what in the blue hell he's talking about.
Here's a hint, Perf: Spyware doesn't get installed on your machine unless YOU LET IT. You clicked Yes to something, whether it was installing a piece of shareware with it packed in, or agreeing to download it while surfing the Web. So suck it up, be a man, get AdAware, and take responsibility for your actions.
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Well, to get back to the topic, my mother has missed that show and can't even watch the reruns of the U.S. syndie version on PAX because that channel is not on her cable system (Adelphia of Morrow, Ohio), not even on the digital tier.
She'd have to upgrade to the system's digital tier to get either this version or the reruns of Anne Robinson's old NBC prime-time episodes on GSN, but I suppose there is a little incentive here. (GSN is Channel 108 on that tier; BBC America is Channel 109.)
For those of you who do have BBC America on your system, here's what to expect on the U.K. version of the show when they will start carrying it:
1. Anne Robinson will be back on our shores as host -- need I say more?
2. Shows are 45 minutes -- a time length I once suggested for the NBC prime-time version for a reason I'll mention later.
3. Nine contestants at the start of each episode.
4. Maximum potential prize: £10,000.
5. Target amount for Rounds 1-7: £1,000. Can be reached by banking one chain of nine consecutive correct answers, or two or more shorter chains totalling that amount.
6. First link in the answer chain is worth £20; subsequent links are worth £50, £100, £200, £300, £450, £600, £800, and £1,000.
7. One player is voted off the show at the end of each of the first 7 rounds of play by the other contestants, as usual -- and hears Anne say those dreaded words to the whole world: "You ARE the Weakest Link -- good-bye!"
8. Last two players get one more chance to add to the prize pot before the head-to-head shootout, as on the NBC prime-time version and the first season of the U.S. syndicated version. However, the money they succeed in banking in this round is tripled, rather than doubled.
9. Anne addresses the home audience only at the very beginning and end of the show. ("Join us next time on The Weakest Link -- good-bye!")
10. However, and very likely -- no "slam-dunking" of Anne on the part of BBC America, as was the case with NBC a couple of years ago!
Michael Brandenburg
(Which is why I once suggested that the old Sunday-night NBC prime-time version of Weakest Link be simply cut to 45 minutes and only 7 players in order to accommodate those long-running NBA basketball games on that network!)
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[quote name=\'Michael Brandenburg\' date=\'Apr 11 2004, 07:57 AM\']2. Shows are 45 minutes -- a time length I once suggested for the NBC prime-time version for a reason I'll mention later.[/quote]
However, with the commercials added it will end up being an hour (which was true with the U.S. network version--take out the commercials and you had around 45 minutes of program, as in most of prime time). BBCA is not commercial-free, like the parent corporation.
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Here's some more info that I found out about the UK version:
Jon Briggs is the announcer.
3 minutes on the clock for the first round (which begins with the player whose name is first alphabetically, not the player in the first position as on the US versions), then 10 seconds shorter, until 2 are left, at which point they play the 90-second round (which as pointed out earlier, the money that's banked gets tripled).
After the triple round, they go straight into the shoot-out, and on both versions, it's the same rule as the US Primetime version.
Also, there was a primetime version, and just like the US versions, the players had the little push-buttons on the podiums to reveal who they want gone. On the daytime version, they wrote the names down on boards, which they flip over to reveal.
The primetime version had some changes throughout the years, and you can find those at: http://www.geocities.com/yatwl2/theshow.html (http://\"http://www.geocities.com/yatwl2/theshow.html\")
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[quote name=\'uncamark\' date=\'Apr 12 2004, 02:51 PM\'] [quote name=\'Michael Brandenburg\' date=\'Apr 11 2004, 07:57 AM\']2. Shows are 45 minutes -- a time length I once suggested for the NBC prime-time version for a reason I'll mention later.[/quote]
However, with the commercials added it will end up being an hour (which was true with the U.S. network version--take out the commercials and you had around 45 minutes of program, as in most of prime time). BBCA is not commercial-free, like the parent corporation. [/quote]
Here's a question: if they aquire some of the primetime eps, will they still run them as an hour and just add 20 mins of commericals? This wouldn't be that out of the ordinary - there's 11 minutes of commericials per half an hour of Karn Feud.
I wonder if they'll bother getting the 7 person version from BBC Choice/BBC3 ? Is it any good?
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I can't remember the site, but there was a clip of the UK show beginning on somebody's site. And it was 9 contestants. The logo is slightly different too from what I saw of it.
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[quote name=\'passwordplus\' date=\'Apr 12 2004, 07:35 PM\'] I can't remember the site, but there was a clip of the UK show beginning on somebody's site. And it was 9 contestants. The logo is slightly different too from what I saw of it. [/quote]
The UK logo? Yep. that's different from the US logo. It was used on the Aussie, Japan, and Taiwan versions as well as some of the other versions. However, I don't like the animation of it, as I think it looks a little choppy.
Anyway, the UK logo had THE WEAKEST LINK, and sometime in the run, the "THE" was dropped.
Other versions of the show, like Hong Kong, duplicated the logo animation for their shows.
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[quote name=\'passwordplus\' date=\'Apr 12 2004, 07:35 PM\'] I can't remember the site, but there was a clip of the UK show beginning on somebody's site. And it was 9 contestants. The logo is slightly different too from what I saw of it. [/quote]
That one still baffles me, the changing of the logo. All the cynical Britons in my family are saying that's to make it easier to read, but I'm not sure. Anyone have a clue? Randy?
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Is the UK version still in production?
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Yes.
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I don't know if they have ratings systems in UK(like we have Nielsens), but from what I've read it is probably #2 behind UK WWTBAM. I guess they are not burned out on their game shows.
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[quote name=\'passwordplus\' date=\'Apr 13 2004, 11:40 AM\'] I don't know if they have ratings systems in UK(like we have Nielsens), but from what I've read it is probably #2 behind UK WWTBAM. I guess they are not burned out on their game shows. [/quote]
They certainly do, although I'm not sure of the details. Last time I was there, it seemed like all five episodes of WL appeared in the top ten programs on BBC2 each week (that's right, half of their 10 highest rated shows were the Weakest Link). It doesn't even touch WWTBAM, though, but I don't think it's expected to.
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[quote name=\'tommycharles\' date=\'Apr 13 2004, 11:46 AM\'][quote name=\'passwordplus\' date=\'Apr 13 2004, 11:40 AM\'] I don't know if they have ratings systems in UK(like we have Nielsens), but from what I've read it is probably #2 behind UK WWTBAM. I guess they are not burned out on their game shows. [/quote]
They certainly do, although I'm not sure of the details. Last time I was there, it seemed like all five episodes of WL appeared in the top ten programs on BBC2 each week (that's right, half of their 10 highest rated shows were the Weakest Link). It doesn't even touch WWTBAM, though, but I don't think it's expected to.[/quote]
More importantly, it dominates the "teatime" slot in the ratings--the only show that's competitive between 5 and 6 p.m. (with the last 15 minutes of "Ready--Steady--Cook!" from 5 to 5:15) is the Aussie soap "Neighbours" at 5:35 p.m. on BBC1 (the remainder of the kiddie show lineup's on that channel between 5 and 5:35). A long series of ITV shows have bombed in that 5 p.m. slot and Channel 4's "Richard and Judy" talk show continues to disappoint at 5 p.m. (after the channel spent a lot of money to snare the Madeleys from ITV). Channel 5 has news at 5:30 and the conclusion of a movie at 5.
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[quote name=\'uncamark\' date=\'Apr 13 2004, 04:15 PM\'] More importantly, it dominates the "teatime" slot in the ratings--the only show that's competitive between 5 and 6 p.m. (with the last 15 minutes of "Ready--Steady--Cook!" from 5 to 5:15) is the Aussie soap "Neighbours" at 5:35 p.m. on BBC1 (the remainder of the kiddie show lineup's on that channel between 5 and 5:35). A long series of ITV shows have bombed in that 5 p.m. slot and Channel 4's "Richard and Judy" talk show continues to disappoint at 5 p.m. (after the channel spent a lot of money to snare the Madeleys from ITV). Channel 5 has news at 5:30 and the conclusion of a movie at 5. [/quote]
And if there's anything that will continue to puzzle me it's why Channel 4 doesn't put another game or...just about anything except a talk show after Countdown. They could easily take "Link" to task if they wanted to.
Speaking of UK games, though - I personally would have much prefered Friends Like These instead of Dog Eat Dog. Much better show, IMO.
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Well that's a bit unfair on Richard and Judy really, they have a core following that is growing. C4 seem to be pleased to have stuck by them at any rate.
Countdown was moved (from the time it had always been on since 1982 - give or take the extra fifteen minutes) to an earlier time slot in the afternoon to make way for two property themed shows. I don't think they want a quiz in the run up to Richard and Judy.
I've always loved Dog Eat Dog myself although many of the games were pitched too easy (this is the Brit puzzle-a-thon rather than the more physical American game) when they should have been more of an average level. I think the idea towards the end was that it would be more about interpersonal relationships and voting off than about the games themselves which I think is a real shame - series two is the stand out here I think.
Friends Like These got surprisingly dull when Ant and Dec stopped hosting it. It didn't help that they didn't add many new challenges from series to series. It got stale.
Current BBC1 Saturday Night Interactivityfest "Come and Have a Go... If You Think You're Smart Enough" is bombing against the mighty Ant and Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway.
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[quote name=\'Brig Bother\' date=\'Apr 14 2004, 02:02 AM\'] "Come and Have a Go... If You Think You're Smart Enough"
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I just want to say that I simply cannot think of a more British name for a game show than this. :)
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[quote name=\'Brig Bother\' date=\'Apr 14 2004, 04:02 AM\'] Well that's a bit unfair on Richard and Judy really, they have a core following that is growing. C4 seem to be pleased to have stuck by them at any rate.
Countdown was moved (from the time it had always been on since 1982 - give or take the extra fifteen minutes) to an earlier time slot in the afternoon to make way for two property themed shows. I don't think they want a quiz in the run up to Richard and Judy.
Friends Like These got surprisingly dull when Ant and Dec stopped hosting it. It didn't help that they didn't add many new challenges from series to series. It got stale.
Current BBC1 Saturday Night Interactivityfest "Come and Have a Go... If You Think You're Smart Enough" is bombing against the mighty Ant and Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway. [/quote]
Oh...so Countdown isn't on at 415 anymore? Wow, I'm out of touch :-)
I don't know - I like Ian Wright, myself. When I first heard that he was going the game show route, I was a little unsure, but he proved himself in that series.
And I haven't seen "Come and Have a Go...", but I have a feeling Saturday Night Takeaway is winning is because...Saturday Night Takeaway is actually a good show. I only saw it two or three times (it *did* help that Brian May was a guest on one of those shows :-) ), but it was suprisingly well done.
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Oh man! Ian Wright just comes across as really annoying to me and quite a lot of other people. I don't think his lottery show, Wright Around the World is coming back either.
(For the uninitiated, Ian Wright was a footb... I mean soccer player who for some reason someone decided to sign up for television).
Ant and Dec's SNT is just a big lovely entertainment show that's distilled the best bits of Noel's House Party, Don't Forget Your Toothbrush and Last Chance Lottery. Not much in it is particularly original therefore, but Ant and Dec are smashing live hosts who are family friendly but weigh in with just enough irony for people who don't like that sort of thing to like that sort of thing.
Come and Have Go Smart Etc is actually quite an interesting new format. Four quiz teams in the studio take on 35 multiple choice questions. However, the exciting twist is that anybody connected to the internet, watching through most digital television sets or on special mobile phones can phone up and register and play along too (adding a bit to the prize pot). After the first show, the smartest home team is quickly found and a satellite camera set up in their front room. At 21:50 there's a second live show where the best studio team take on the smartest home team for a £30,000+registry fees cash prize and the chance to come to the studio next week to defend their place.
It's a very ambitious show and it just about works. It's not quite as good as I'd like it to be though. I would go into why but it's almost 1AM and I'm going to bed :)
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Ant and Dec are riots!!!
I had the opportunity to hear them do not only "World Idol" but also a goof on Simon during the second season American tryouts. They are funny and they take no prisoners and they don't hide what they're thinking...
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I found another difference:
The background when the players are interviewed on the UK Daytime version is wall paper with the UK logo all over it.
The UK Primetime version, has the set in the BG, like the US versions.
And like the US Daytime version, both versions have had teams that have ran the whole chain (banking after the target question is nailed, that is).
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[quote name=\'gameshowguy2000\' date=\'Apr 17 2004, 10:37 PM\'] And like the US Daytime version, both versions have had teams that have ran the whole chain (banking after the target question is nailed, that is). [/quote]
It's happened on US Primetime as well, though I've only seen it happen once.
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[quote name=\'MCArroyo1\' date=\'Apr 18 2004, 07:31 AM\'] [quote name=\'gameshowguy2000\' date=\'Apr 17 2004, 10:37 PM\'] And like the US Daytime version, both versions have had teams that have ran the whole chain (banking after the target question is nailed, that is). [/quote]
It's happened on US Primetime as well, though I've only seen it happen once. [/quote]
Well, they reached and banked the $125,000 target. But they didn't do it in one chain.
The first chain had $75,000; was banked, then the 2nd had $50,000; and was added to the $75K, for the full $125K.
When I mean by running the chain, in this case, I mean, by going 8 answers in a row, and THEN banking. That never happened.
In the case of the US Daytime version, that'd be 6 answers in a row, then banking. That certainly happened.
As for the UK versions, that'd be 9 answers in a row, and then banking. This has happened at least once before.