So How Badly Did The UK Wreck '500 Questions'?

[Brit Canuck]

Taped on the set of the German version of the show, which has also gone two seasons so far, the new Brit version of the hit ABC quizzer debuted this week on ITV Television, and it became clear to those who were able to follow it that, thanks to some changes to the established format, it's already in trouble.

1.) ITV reportedly ordered just four episodes, all airing on consecutive nights this week. Not exactly a strong vote of confidence from the network still trying to find a worthy successor to the original UK WWTBAM.

2.) Host Giles Coren, a UK breakfast TV personality and food critic, has been described by one source as 'the epitome of metropolitan elitist smarm' (inews.co.uk), and even has some irritating catchphrases of his own ('You must clear the strike against your name!' 'You have eradicated a wrong!' And to those who lose, 'No more questions for you!'). Sounds like Richard Quest is already well on the road to forgiveness.

3.) They reportedly only do one round of 50 questions per episode, and they don't restart at question 1 each time a genius is eliminated. [thecube]Purpose of the whole show ... Daa-Feeted![/thecube] As a result, the payout of winnings is different from other versions, with an eliminated genius losing everything to the incoming challenger, regardless of how far (s)he's come. So under the revised format, someone coming in and starting on question 49 automatically wins the night without needing to do any work. Not sure if they bank those rolling winnings at the end of each show.

4.) The popular 'Lightning Round' introduced on ABC this past season is no longer a bonus round, but a regular recurring question type like 'Battle' and 'Triple Threat' (brought back for the UK version). Contestants must answer two minutes worth of questions from all the categories on the board, and get a strike (and can be eliminated) if they miss three LR questions in a row.

5.) Because of all the different rules for the various rounds, the British press has been having a field day all week with how people on Twitter are comparing the UK's '500 Questions' to 'Bamboozle', Joey's favorite fictional and non-existent quiz show featured on 'Friends'.

I'm sure there'll be more as the week progresses, but this appears to be another example of the golden 'If It Ain't Broke' rule being gloriously ignored.

[Pastor Fireball]

A little biographical information for the Americans:

Giles Coren is the brother of Victoria Coren Mitchell, the poker player and host of the brilliant UK quiz show Only Connect. The Ultimate QOD Challenge that I hosted here a couple of years ago was based on Only Connect. That also makes Giles the brother-in-law of David Mitchell, from the Mitchell & Webb comedy team. If you're familiar with the "Numberwang" game show parody, you can thank Mitchell & Webb for that.

[Coupon Boy]

Given the turnover rate of contestants so far on the UK version (roughly 5 every episode, meaning on average they only last 10 questions) it's somewhat of a good thing that the money rolls over until the show ends, as otherwise they wouldn't have given away anything. Clearly they didn't extend any effort to cast proper quizzers like the US version did.

The first and third episodes are on youtube:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=zImglPLW3-o

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=XSb-FSXBbzI

[Bob78164]

Given the turnover rate of contestants so far on the UK version (roughly 5 every episode, meaning on average they only last 10 questions) it's somewhat of a good thing that the money rolls over until the show ends, as otherwise they wouldn't have given away anything. Clearly they didn't extend any effort to cast proper quizzers like the US version did.

The first and third episodes are on youtube:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=zImglPLW3-o

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=XSb-FSXBbzI

I'm still decidedly unhappy with how the U.S. version treated Richard Mason. --Bob

[Brit Canuck]

I'm still decidedly unhappy with how the U.S. version treated Richard Mason. --Bob

Seconded. (And probably thirded by Ken Jennings.)

Also with you on the 'proper quizzers' comment; I'm pretty sure a lot of the featured contestants were regular civilian contestants rather than trivia champs.
Even the aforementioned German version appears to be guilty of that if this screencap is accurate ( http://images2.teleschau.de/201631/53/2 ... 48x900.jpg ) - one contestant appears to have struck out on the first three questions . Even Jennings' supposed throwing of his game in four questions to protest Mason's omission wasn't that obvious.

More 500 Questions Germany images (their host also does the German WWTBAM, so they gave him somewhere where he can sit still for most of the hour ):
http://www.teleschau.de/tsch/Artikel/31 ... e-quizshow

[Brit Canuck]

Update: '500 Questions UK' is toast, apparently. Good news: no Masongate for ITV.

Source: Game Show Kingdom II
https://bobbymgsk.wordpress.com/2016/10 ... news-notes