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Author Topic: Qubit - a new Canadian quiz show  (Read 2243 times)

Lirodon

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Qubit - a new Canadian quiz show
« on: July 06, 2009, 10:41:19 PM »
Yeah, up here in Canadaland, Discovery Channel, who recently used a new provision in their license allowing it to air game shows (having used it too to broadcast their own version of Cash Cab), debuted a new quiz show on Saturday called Qubit. For a Canadian game show, its rather decent. The presentation, is very striking. You got a futuristic looking set, uneven lecterns, epic music, and the centerpiece of the set is this "holographic" cube, which I must say looks rather wicked. All the questions are about science, nature, geography, etc. It's a condition of their license, but it does give it a niche.

It, is your typical four-act quiz show, three players, yadda yadda. First round, is the obligatory "Oh we are so not ripping off Jeopardy!" round, 6 categories (one for each "side" of the cube), and 4 questions on each side (250, 500, 750, 1000). However, you cannot pick your own categories, all categories are randomly picked. You can however ask for a category change (leading to what could be considered the show's catchphrase "que the cube!"). Two of the questions are actually "Wild Sides", which in the episode I saw, one contained a 1000 point "we'll reveal a picture of the answer but you'll lose points the more of the clue we reveal" deal, and a 30-second minigame called "Versus", where the player got 30 seconds to quick-fire answer a question with different pairs of answers (i.e. Which was born first?).

Then we play the "let's eliminate the third place player" card, with no word of any parting gifts...but still. Remaining two play a time trial round, one gets sent to an isolation booth (here, in the episode I saw, player actually got asked what it was like in there :D), 12 questions, you can only answer once. You get up to two clues (first is a clue, in one case it was that the answer was also a Bruce Springsteen song, and then 2 possible answers, then a time penalty of 10 seconds). Fastest time goes to the final round, where they get to "crack the cube" for $10,000, and a minimum of $250 (you'll see).

Picking one of 6 categories, its more questions. However, in a brink of originality, you get a stepladder of $250, $500, $1000, $2500, $5000, $7500, and $10,000. Right answers raise the minimum you can leave with, wrong answers lower the maximum you can leave with. So getting 5 right gets you $7500 (check that, make that Millionaire without lifelines, go home early, and chances to go on even without getting something right)

I got the page here in the Discovery Channel Canada website too, if anyone is up there, its good to at least check out. With some adjustments (like say, general knowledge questions, larger payout, a first round that is actually original), it could work good as a nice syndie quiz. And I must say, the presentation really is as good as I say it is, I think it might also be produced in HD (since it was letterboxed, AND they have an HD channel for it here, but I don't get Discovery HD so there)

Oh yeah, speaking of Discovery Channel, down here, although they had been using that "The World is Just Awesome" campaign for awhile now even with the old logo, they recently did adopt the new US logo alongside the debut of the new season of Canada's Worst Handyman. That, and its sister Canada's Worst Driver, would be excellent shoe-ins for say, NBC mid-season? :D
« Last Edit: July 08, 2009, 06:31:18 PM by Lirodon »

clemon79

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Qubit - a new Canadian quiz show
« Reply #1 on: July 06, 2009, 11:19:42 PM »
[quote name=\'Lirodon\' post=\'219611\' date=\'Jul 6 2009, 07:41 PM\']Right answers raise the minimum you can leave with, wrong answers lower the maximum you can leave with. So getting 5 right gets you $7500[/quote]
You're the second one I've read today who explains this game in this way. I'm hoping that everyone realizes that the "wrong answer takes the top off of the ladder" part is COMPLETELY superficial.
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Lirodon

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Qubit - a new Canadian quiz show
« Reply #2 on: July 06, 2009, 11:23:03 PM »
[quote name=\'clemon79\' post=\'219617\' date=\'Jul 6 2009, 11:19 PM\'][quote name=\'Lirodon\' post=\'219611\' date=\'Jul 6 2009, 07:41 PM\']Right answers raise the minimum you can leave with, wrong answers lower the maximum you can leave with. So getting 5 right gets you $7500[/quote]
You're the second one I've read today who explains this game in this way. I'm hoping that everyone realizes that the "wrong answer takes the top off of the ladder" part is COMPLETELY superficial.
[/quote]

if it was Buzzerblog, I was the person who tipped them about it.

Matt Ottinger

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Qubit - a new Canadian quiz show
« Reply #3 on: July 06, 2009, 11:35:49 PM »
[quote name=\'Lirodon\' post=\'219619\' date=\'Jul 6 2009, 11:23 PM\']if it was Buzzerblog, I was the person who tipped them about it.[/quote]
All well and good, but you DO see Chris' point, don't you?  "[W]rong answers lower the maximum you can leave with" is just  a needlessly complicated way of saying you don't move up the ladder if you're wrong.  How much you win is simply dependent on how many answers you get right.  Kinda boringly straightforward, actually.
This has been another installment of Matt Ottinger's Masters of the Obvious.
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clemon79

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Qubit - a new Canadian quiz show
« Reply #4 on: July 06, 2009, 11:37:23 PM »
[quote name=\'Lirodon\' post=\'219619\' date=\'Jul 6 2009, 08:23 PM\']if it was Buzzerblog, I was the person who tipped them about it.[/quote]
Sounds like he took your description verbatim, then.
Chris Lemon, King Fool, Director of Suck Consolidation
http://fredsmythe.com
Email: clemon79@outlook.com  |  Skype: FredSmythe

Lirodon

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Qubit - a new Canadian quiz show
« Reply #5 on: July 09, 2009, 09:41:37 PM »
Its ridiculous that they tout it as "smart, fast paced, and fun"

There are quite a few flaws, and some things can be touched up. Host doesn't interact much with the contestants (only time he really got to talk to the players was during the 2nd round (where he asked a player about what it was like in the isolation booth).

Scani71

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Qubit - a new Canadian quiz show
« Reply #6 on: July 10, 2009, 06:32:33 PM »
[quote name=\'Lirodon\' post=\'219907\' date=\'Jul 9 2009, 09:41 PM\']Its ridiculous that they tout it as "smart, fast paced, and fun"

There are quite a few flaws, and some things can be touched up. Host doesn't interact much with the contestants (only time he really got to talk to the players was during the 2nd round (where he asked a player about what it was like in the isolation booth).[/quote]

Admittedly, this observation kind of entertains me.

To begin: I actually auditioned for Qubit. Went down to Toronto to write the audition test in early May (Jeopardy!-style, 50 questions, 10 seconds to answer each question), and they called me back a couple of weeks before the schedule to invite me to an alternates' audition. I'll say right away, you won't see me on the show - I never did get The Call from them.

Before going in for the audition, they mentioned that a lot of previous game shows revolved around the host (mentioning The Price is Right under Bob Barker), etc. - their intent was for the game to revolve more around the contestants, hence their interest in casting "interesting" people. Lo and behold, the show goes to air... and there's really not a lot of contestant interaction. Some really quick interviews at the beginning, and prior to the final round you learn a bit more about the contestant competing for the cash.

(Hey... that's just the way I saw it.)

If nothing else, I'm impressed by Qubit's production values, especially with regards to the central holographic "cube" that's been oft-personified in promotion for the show - it's catching to the eye, if nothing else. And the prize budget isn't half bad for Discovery Channel, considering their only other game show offering (Cash Cab) doesn't exactly break the bank - I half-expected the money ladder to be more unfavourable to the contestant.