The other issue is that to win the bedroom set, every question they asked counted. You didn't get to nix two hoping they'd get easier. The guy thought Amsterdam was in Denmark, for cripes' sake! Damn it, I am gonna lose sleep over it! This is terrible! This is worse than the Hindenburg! How will our great nation ever survive both this and the Muslim congressman? Heaven help us!

Or GAS, for short.

/I see what you did there
//<braaaap>

Weighing in very late -- any chance we could get ABC to change the title to Miércoles Gigante? And they chose this over Poker Face? I've shown friends Poker Face, they are riveted. If I show them this, I think I will have to find new friends.


--Mike

QFT. PokerFace is just a great game, and I was thrilled to learn it got picked up for a second series in the UK. Whoever greenlit this and passed on that should be fired. Bottom line.

I dunno what QFT stands for, but I agree as well. This game needs an American outlet.

Quoted For Truth. Basically a shortened way of saying "preach on, brother!"

Just read the rulesheet on Wikipedia, and another from ukgameshows.com. Quite an intriguing idea, and I like the idea that a losing contestant could theoretically, walk away with some money, should they bail out.

Anyone know who would've produced the American version? I could see Michael Davies behind this one.

Fremantle. Ant and Dec (the Poker Face hosts and American Idol hosts) have a relationship with them.


--Mike

Check YouTube. Might have been taken down because they're cracking down on copyright issues, but I know for a time the UK finale episode was there, because that's where I saw it. If you're intrigued now, I promise you will be compelled when you see it in action.

If possible, try to find a non-final episode. The final episode was a tad anticlimactic because they had all won something before, and we're pretty good players. It's neater to see the my s***-doesn't-stink players get burned.

I also have all but one episode if you want to, ahem, "make arrangements".

I don't think that's quite fair, the players in the final weren't guaranteed any of their winnings from the heat unless they bailed out, so they actually stood to lose £50k+ if they strategised wrongly.

The best version of SMTM is the Italian version Tutto x Tutto which is a proper fun rollercoaster of a show, and I'll be writing a feature on it at the weekend with loads of screen caps for my site. It does away with the questions completely.

And this makes it _good_?

Trust me on this!

Well, the reason I say that is that the knowledge part of the US show seems to be the only part that anyone _likes_ about our version, so I'm not sure why taking it out wholesale would make it anything other than Deal Or No Deal with more math.

The point Clay makes is right out of Game Show Production 101. SMTM doesn't even have the dramatic element of two or more contestants competing against one another.


If they replaced them with Chippendale's dancers I'll bet a lot of people on this board would like this show a lot less.

That's pretty much it. In fact, it involves even less skill than DoND, but it just so fascinatingly watchable. I think it's the flashing numbers.

In a nutshell, in round one, the contestant gets 5 pluses and 4 minuses. They pick one of the models (mainly male) holding a scroll, and before opening it, have to decide whether they're going use a plus and add the cash amount to their bank or a minus and take it away (cash amounts are 2x €0 and then 10 amounts from €500 to €5,000). The round is over when you've used up all their operators. You should, unless you've been really unlucky, have a score of between €500 and €22,000.

You now get the chance to multiply that by up to 200. You are given four multiplies and four divisions, and this time the models are holding numbers from 1-5 (if you want to do your own maths: 1x1, 3x2, 3x3, 3x4, 2x5). Once again, you have to play all your operators, so you want the muliplies with the big numbers and the divisions with the small numbers. This will leave you with a score of between €10 (if you're unlucky) to over a million euros, if you've been very fortunate indeed.

Finally, you must select one of the remaining scrolls to determine the final factor. Two more models come out holding an envelope each, one with a multiply inside, one with a division. Don't pick the wrong one. The top prize is over €4m, the average prize seems to be about €20,000.

It's a rollercoaster you can't get off, basically. I fully anticipate that to get slagged off, but you know, it just works. It helps that it's hosted by Pupo, who also hosted their version of DoND for a long time, and is hugely excellent.

But roller coasters aren't that much fun to watch. They're fun to ride.

Speaking as a former Atari employee, I don't know if that statement is entirely true. :)

And on the flip side, not *all* roller coasters are fun to ride...I can handle the mega- and giga-coasters, but as each year that passes in my middle age, the maximum amount of loopage before before I turn a lovely shade of green seems to decrease by a loop each year. And don't get me started on the "wild mouse rides" that start spinning you around where you least expect them to.

A good excuse to reload RCT3. ;)