Davies holds on to his "Seat"...

[weaklink75]

I could see this as a GSN show......

Here's the general format (this is based on the hour-long French version, so for a half-hour it will probably be altered somewhat):

6 contestants compete to have the chance to win the place of the champion.

Round 1:
Each of the 6 players gets 2 questions. After hearing the question, they can decide to get 2 possible answers for 1 point, 4 possible answers for 3 points, or answer without any choices for 5 points. Top 4 scorers go on to round 2. The champion decides who goes on in case of a tie.

Round 2:
Everyone answers each question with their keyboard. First 3 questions are 2 choices/1 point, next 3 are 4 choices/3 points, last 2 are type-in answers for 5 points. The champion then decides who gets the final 4 questions one at a time- correct answer gets 5 points, but a wrong answer loses 5 points. Top scorer faces the champion- again, champ breaks a tie.

Final Round:
The champ is given 4 categories. He has to pick one for the challenger (one that he thinks the challenger can do well in for reasons given later on, but not too well that he'll lose to), and then one for himself. The challenger goes first, and is given 6 questions with the same 1/3/5 point options, but is not told the correct answers yet (so the champ hears the questions and the challenger's answers, so he might be able to roughly estimate how well the opponent did, but can't be sure). The champion is then given 6 questions of his own the same way, but the correct answers are given immediately. Once the champs final score is determined, they go back and review the challengers' answers. The challenger must beat the champion's score to overthrow him- a tie means champion retains.

The Champion gets 100 Euros for every point the CHALLENGER scored in the final round- so that's why he has to pick a category that the challenger can do well, but not too well in. If the challenger wins, they get 100 Euros per point they scored. However, the champ can elect to offer part of his winnings to the challenger to leave the show and let him remain champ, which the challenger can accept (and leave the show with the offer plus his point winnings-champ gets nothing but his title back) or refuse and become champ with his point winnings. 10 wins in a row by a champ without a buyout wins him a bonus trip, but they can stay until an offer is refused (The current record is 25 wins by two people, one of which bought out a challenger once.)

[TimK2003]

[quote name=\'weaklink75\' post=\'167218\' date=\'Oct 18 2007, 10:40 AM\']
I could see this as a GSN show......
[/quote]

If there's anyone making or producing game shows right now who "gets it", hands down it's Michael Davies.
This show sounds very interesting!!

[colonial]

I fear GSN grabbing a hold of this show, given its fear of returning champions and love of low payouts.

Perhaps Davies could attempt to pair this show with WWTBAM for syndication next year?  

And despite his claim that he will shop this to syndie and cable, I could see him talking to a network starving for programming if a writer strike occurs.

[clemon79]

[quote name=\'TimK2003\' post=\'167219\' date=\'Oct 18 2007, 07:50 AM\']
If there's anyone making or producing game shows right now who "gets it", hands down it's Michael Davies.
[/quote]
Have you SEEN Chain Reaction?

[Brig Bother]

It's an OK show. Surprised it's as popular as it is though, I suspect it will lose quite a lot in translation to US waters - it'll almost certainly drop it's "any excuse for a musical interlude" things the French do very well.

[BrandonFG]

The format sounds intriguing enough, and I love the buyout option. However, I hate the idea of the champion deciding who goes on in case of a tie. Yeah, I know it's good strategy to pick who appears to be the weaker contestant, but I just don't think my fate should be at the mercy of a possibly biased champion, if I played the game.

The champion winning in case of a bonus round tie doesn't sit right with me either.

[quote name=\'clemon79\' post=\'167226\' date=\'Oct 18 2007, 01:01 PM\']
[quote name=\'TimK2003\' post=\'167219\' date=\'Oct 18 2007, 07:50 AM\']
If there's anyone making or producing game shows right now who "gets it", hands down it's Michael Davies.
[/quote]
Have you SEEN Chain Reaction?
[/quote]
Well, even the best producers make mistakes. ;-)

/Trivia Trap...
//Hot Streak...
///Merv Griffin's Crosswords...

[clemon79]

[quote name=\'fostergray82\' post=\'167231\' date=\'Oct 18 2007, 10:23 AM\']
Well, even the best producers make mistakes. ;-)
[/quote]
Not disagreeing, although I (and apparently a lot of Germans) liked Hot Streak. But for Tim to herald Davies as a genius when he's proven that he's just as capable of putting out a dog as anyone else (and I'll point out that the Power of 10 gameplay is no great shakes either) is just ludicrous.

[weaklink75]

[quote name=\'fostergray82\' post=\'167231\' date=\'Oct 18 2007, 01:23 PM\']
The format sounds intriguing enough, and I love the buyout option. However, I hate the idea of the champion deciding who goes on in case of a tie. Yeah, I know it's good strategy to pick who appears to be the weaker contestant, but I just don't think my fate should be at the mercy of a possibly biased champion, if I played the game.

The champion winning in case of a bonus round tie doesn't sit right with me either.

[/quote]

But that's counterbalanced by the fact that the champ's winnings are determined by how well the opponent does in the final round, so the champ can keep the weaker players at the expense of his bankroll. And the show is based on the fact the champ has a ton of advantages in the game, so the "champ wins ties" in the final doesn't bother me too much.

[Neumms]

[quote name=\'weaklink75\' post=\'167239\' date=\'Oct 18 2007, 01:42 PM\']
But that's counterbalanced by the fact that the champ's winnings are determined by how well the opponent does in the final round, so the champ can keep the weaker players at the expense of his bankroll. And the show is based on the fact the champ has a ton of advantages in the game, so the "champ wins ties" in the final doesn't bother me too much.
[/quote]

I question whether the bankroll is enough of an inducement, however. Weakest Link players rarely took that into account over simply having the best chance of winning. And presumably the prize for those who win 10 in a row will be bigger than a trip in this version.

I also question how interesting it is to watch contestants answer questions on a keyboard, though Davies could change that part.

[Clay Zambo]

[quote name=\'Neumms\' post=\'167241\' date=\'Oct 18 2007, 03:05 PM\']
I also question how interesting it is to watch contestants answer questions on a keyboard, though Davies could change that part.
[/quote]

The same question could be asked of pushing fastest-finger buttons on Millionaire, the Mob voting on 1vs, or even watching a bunch of goofy celebs writing on Match Game cards.  I guess it depends on how it's handled.

[Brig Bother]

[quote name=\'weaklink75\' post=\'167239\' date=\'Oct 18 2007, 07:42 PM\']
[quote name=\'fostergray82\' post=\'167231\' date=\'Oct 18 2007, 01:23 PM\']
The format sounds intriguing enough, and I love the buyout option. However, I hate the idea of the champion deciding who goes on in case of a tie. Yeah, I know it's good strategy to pick who appears to be the weaker contestant, but I just don't think my fate should be at the mercy of a possibly biased champion, if I played the game.

The champion winning in case of a bonus round tie doesn't sit right with me either.

[/quote]

But that's counterbalanced by the fact that the champ's winnings are determined by how well the opponent does in the final round, so the champ can keep the weaker players at the expense of his bankroll. And the show is based on the fact the champ has a ton of advantages in the game, so the "champ wins ties" in the final doesn't bother me too much.
[/quote]

That bit is really important. There are many people who feel that the champion's advantages don't actually go far enough.

Eerily similar, a show called The Master that was on Aussie TV, which appears to be no relation despite being almost exactly the same thing.

[Steve McClellan]

[quote name=\'Clay Zambo\' post=\'167250\' date=\'Oct 18 2007, 01:07 PM\'] [quote name=\'Neumms\' post=\'167241\' date=\'Oct 18 2007, 03:05 PM\']
I also question how interesting it is to watch contestants answer questions on a keyboard, though Davies could change that part.[/quote]
The same question could be asked of pushing fastest-finger buttons on Millionaire, the Mob voting on 1vs, or even watching a bunch of goofy celebs writing on Match Game cards.  I guess it depends on how it's handled.[/quote]
And there was this other show, where contestants wrote their answers down, and they had a full 30 seconds to do it. Maybe, if they put a piece of music to it, it'd catch on.

[vtown7]

I do watch the show often from my France 2 feed and it's a good show.  I agree with Brig on the music bit though, and the other thing that makes it a solid hour is that the host Nagui banters well with each of the contestants.  That being said, quite often it takes the better part of 20-25 minutes to finish the first round (and that would be without commercials).

If you can make it past the language barrier, there's a great web based game on france2.fr.

Ryan.

[TLEberle]

[quote name=\'TimK2003\' post=\'167219\' date=\'Oct 18 2007, 07:50 AM\']If there's anyone making or producing game shows right now who "gets it", hands down it's Michael Davies.This show sounds very interesting!![/quote]Maybe I wasn't concentrating enough, but it didn't make all that much sense to me. Or the idea that a dethroned champ can weasel his way back to the throne by saying "Please, take your money, but allow me to continue on winning." Dunno.

[quote name=\'clemon79\' post=\'167226\' date=\'Oct 18 2007, 01:01 PM\']
[quote name=\'TimK2003\' post=\'167219\' date=\'Oct 18 2007, 07:50 AM\']
If there's anyone making or producing game shows right now who "gets it", hands down it's Michael Davies.

Have you SEEN Chain Reaction?
[/quote]
Well, even the best producers make mistakes. ;-)

/Trivia Trap...
//Hot Streak...
///Merv Griffin's Crosswords...
[/quote]I'd actually put Scattergories ahead of Hot Streak as the Grundy flop, but that's just me. And the thing of Chain Reaction: 2006 is that there was a finished and proven good product there, and Davies allowed it to be bungled.

Which brings up a behind-the-scenes question, since I only see what comes out of the TV. Any of those programs would have been improved in a number of ways, but who has final say-so about what we see as the final product? It's possible that Davies was going to go another way with CR, but someone said "We really think people want to watch a battle-of-the-sexes, and you gotta keep Instant Reaction, come hell or high water."

[quote name=\'Brig Bother\' post=\'167252\' date=\'Oct 18 2007, 01:40 PM\']Eerily similar, a show called The Master that was on Aussie TV, which appears to be no relation despite being almost exactly the same thing.
[/quote]I watched that episode, thinking that it had an interesting premise.

How wrong I was. Five novice quizzers compete to take on a Millionaire winner in the Penalty Kick round from Weakest Link. Filed under: clever idea, poor execution, I thought.

[itiparanoid13]

If we are to believe the massive amounts of NYC Craigslist postings, Embassy Row (IE Davies) is reviving Newlywed Game and Dating Game.  I smell GSN all over this one.