ABC orders "500 Questions"

[NickintheATL]

Don't know what to make of this one yet...

Story from B&C

[BrandonFG]

Details on the show’s format were not revealed, though the network promised in its announcement that it will test “the smarts — and nerve — of contestants in a pressure-packed, incredibly intense environment.”

“[500 Questions] is the first network game show to combine what audiences love about serialized unscripted hits with a huge game show event,” Burnett said. “It has ongoing characters and huge stakes.”

Sounds like the extreme elements of The Chamber and The Chair, with the irritating contestants from just about every primetime game show of the last decade.

Completely judging a book by its cover, it also sounds like I'll pass.

[TLEberle]

Sounds like the extreme elements of The Chamber and The Chair,

I didn't pick up on that. I thought it sounded like (again, just from the title) a watered down Million Second Quiz. The testing of nerves could just be whether to bet on the next question or not.

If you're going to judge, judge by the fact that Mark Burnett is involved with a quiz show, not the article.

[BrandonFG]

It could be anything...I'm just speculating based on how I interpreted the logline. Given Million Second Quiz was more recent, it may be what they're shooting for. Reading "pressure-packed, incredibly intense environment" took me back to 2002, though.

Honestly, all three were colossal flops, so I wouldn't know why they'd want to copy any of them, but Hollywood isn't the most creative place, now is it?

/The fact that Burnett's producing isn't lost on me either

[TLEberle]

So here's a thing. Their most recent "quiz" show didn't even ask ten questions in an entire hour. Millionaire gets either ten or fifteen question in a half hour, but not more. Someone here could tell me how long it took to get through a question on MSQ (does thirty seconds sound right?) but it does sound like they're going for a big long-form event and not self-contained episodes.

[Fedya]

I want normal people, not "ongoing characters".

[BrandonFG]

I want normal people, not "ongoing characters".

Agreed 100%. Unfortunately, it looks like that ship sailed years ago.