18 replies to this topic

[TWoP Gadget]

I'm just starting this thread to forestall the inevitable "should I start a new thread or bump up the old 'Russian Roulette' debate", since this show is produced by a totally different company.

Please keep the thread primarily about this show, although really, the comparisons are inevitable.

Thanks.

[cheryl1213]

I haven't heard of the other show, but the ads to this bring to mind Ellen's "Know or Go" game.

[Marq DeCarabas]

I loved the speed round, though it's a sad day that knowing Dominique Strauss-kahn gets you a standing ovation. (though to be fair I had completely blanked on his name.)

[Chrysaor]

Since it is basically Russian Roulette with a bigger production budget, I thought I would like it more. But the Deal or No Deal/Minute to Win It dumbing down/schmaltzification of the game just makes me die a little inside. Also it feels like a step down for Ben Bailey. This doesn't feel nearly as classy as Cash Cab.

Edited by Chrysaor, Dec 21, 2011 @ 12:15 AM.

[futurechemist]

The pacing is faster than other "modern" game shows like Deal or No Deal, but I can't stand what they do with the commercial breaks. It's so annoying how they go 15 seconds into the 20 second countdown, see the contestant having trouble, go to commercial, come back and replay the entire question. Why not just break for commercial between questions? Also, the contestant mugging annoys me, though a few contestants just get down to business and answer questions without needing to play to the cameras.

[NYGirl]

I agree . I think that the reason they don't cut to break in between questions is that they want to leave us with a cliffhanger so we won't change the channel. I too hate the mugging and trash talk but I suspect the producers tell them to do that. Since each night seems to be a "stand alone" episode I'm wondering if they will have the final contestant win the million.

[bulldawgtownie]

Since each night seems to be a "stand alone" episode I'm wondering if they will have the final contestant win the million

IMO the way the show is set - up I can't see anyone going for the million. The questions are pop trivia and people know that. The odds that anyone could beat ten people in a head to head pop trivia contest seems small. Also the fact that this is an all or nothing game pretty much ensures people or going to walk away rather than risk losing all of the money they've won, especially when they could get as little as an extra $1,000 for beating someone.

[Marq DeCarabas]

The substitute teacher has a legitimate gripe. Prometheus is not a Greek god he's a titan.

[Chrysaor]

The substitute teacher has a legitimate gripe. Prometheus is not a Greek god he's a titan.

Technically the question was valid; the Titans were also gods and Prometheus had a cult dedicated to his worship. It's just that most people think of the Olympian pantheon of 12 specifically when you talk about Greek gods, and the question in the game did not specify that it was an Olympian.

[snaggle]

Why did this last episode allow the contestant to start w/ 3 passes? In the previous 3 episodes they started w/ 2 passes.

[snappyjo]

Where do they get these contestants? The way they look, dress, looks like a bad comedy out of the 50s!

[Marq DeCarabas]

Why did this last episode allow the contestant to start w/ 3 passes? In the previous 3 episodes they started w/ 2 passes.

They seem to be changing the rules as they go. The just gave this last woman 50,000 for one contestant and let her walk after 3 (I actually wish I had recorded to see if there were actually 7 people still standing at the end. because they've played video of that cop falling and he was never chosen. It makes me think they edited it to fit the time for the episode.) Like she actually dropped 5 people but they made it look like 3 because they didn't have time for all of them

[rory]

They also let her start out with 3 passes which was really unfair because the guy before her only had 2 passes and wouldn't have fallen so soon if he had been given 3.

[Marq DeCarabas]

I think they are in a process of trying to figure out what the right number of passes should be. I don't know they are tired of people dropping out at 5 or they want to make sure people get to 5. I think if they want people to keep playing the should reduce the dollar amounts of the people before 5 and increase them after. Say 1-10000 before and 10000-50000 after. The reason why people keep trying to get as far as they can in Millionaire and other shows is because there is increased value to go with the risk. This show doesn't have that.

That being said if you have two passes and you quit you're an idiot. Two passes means that in order to lose there has to be 3 questions you don't know before he can make a single mistake.

Speaking of using multiple passes, maybe it's just my range of knowledge but did the difficulty rating just jump massively between Camel and Canton last night? I really think they expected the Hero to get Camel and Canton would eliminate the stranger but he screwed up and was forced to use his second pass.

[forumfish]

I actually had this episode on tape, so after reading these comments, I went back to confirm a few things:

Troy was given two passes; Andrea was given three.

Troy missed his question while facing his third opponent, so who knows if he would have been given the option to walk after beating three people, like Andrea did.

Troy was told the dollar amunt could be anywhere from $1,000-20,000; for Andrea, it was $1-50,000.

After defeating three opponents, Andrea had $55,001 and walked. Ben stated that she had seven opponents to go, and all seven were still on stage.

So it looks like none of Andrea's battles were edited out, but they did change the rules mid-show.

[Marq DeCarabas]

Thanks forumfish. (I still wonder if it was edited after the fact to bring people back and reshoot it so they could make it look like it was only 3 people) I wonder if her battle was one of the first they've filmed. I think they expected the dollar amount after 3 people to relatively small and she just got lucky hitting the 50 thousand.

I remember on the very first episode the host said after the first two battles that those were two of the hardest battles we've ever seen.
So they are being shown completely out of order. But the more I watch this show the more I'm convinced they are still trying work the kinks out.
The more I watch the show show the more I'm convinced they were still working it out as they went along and they found too many people were quitting half way through.

I think the random value doesn't work

[crushme12]

I am giving up on this show after this week's episode. The guy had 4 passes and still walked away. It would be next to impossible for him to have lost during the next round.

I don't see people sticking around when every single player just walks away once they're up a little bit of money.

[Marq DeCarabas]

I am giving up on this show after this week's episode. The guy had 4 passes and still walked away. It would be next to impossible for him to have lost during the next round.

I don't see people sticking around when every single player just walks away once they're up a little bit of money.

I have to think they aren't told they can walk away after every person after 5.

I also think the economy is a factor, there's been more then a few people who have said how $50,000 was life changing money. Back when Deal or No Deal was big, people wouldn't settle for less then low to mid 6 figures. I think a lot of people are just looking to clear their debt and have one small splurge.

[JontheAussieBoy]

This came up on daytime TV. I love this. Legitimatly. I love it