Author Topic: 5th Grader Syndie Revamp (Read 3721 times)

TheInquisitiveOne · « **on:** June 15, 2009, 01:02:35 PM »

Good day everyone!

Much like Deal or No Deal, the rules are refreshed for the daytime edition of Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader? Here's the article from Buzzerblog.

Here's the Cliff's Notes version of the rules:

The top prize is $250,000
The cheats are still in play.
There's no walking away. The only decision is made after question 10...if you have any money left.
1st Grade questions are $500; 2nd grade questions are $1,000, 3rd grade is $2,500 each, 4th grade is $3,500, and 5th grade is $5,000. The final question is worth 10 times the amount of money banked.
An incorrect answer doesn't end the game (unless it's question 10), but instead wipes the bank clean and forces the contestant to build a new bank.

And there you go. Does this apply extra incentive to watch the daytime edition, or are you giving it a pass? Sounds like it's worth a shot to me.

The Inquisitive One

kenbob_clarker · « **Reply #1 on:** June 15, 2009, 01:37:56 PM »

Intriguing, to say the least.

In all honesty, my initial reaction was along the lines of "why didn't they do this from the start?" When the show first premiered, I had trouble figuring out if I was watching a serious quiz show or a lighthearted comedy game. With this format, there's some potential for exciting moments, but the budget fits perfectly with what the show's purpose should be- to get laughs.

I'll definitely be checking it out.

Strikerz04 · « **Reply #2 on:** June 15, 2009, 01:58:23 PM »

Its a nice re-tooling. At least we know that you can't end the game right in the middle. You screw up, you keep going, and at least it would get you to a reasonable dropout level if you go 10-for-10.

It'd probably be best to screw up early anyway, I think. There's no guarantee for the top prize, but it'll make for some decent wins.

Matt Ottinger · « **Reply #3 on:** June 15, 2009, 02:10:46 PM »

My first knee-jerk reaction is that it's a pretty clever way to redesign the game so that a single player fills the entire half-hour. You're also building to the big 10x question at the end of the show (which needs a cool name like Final Exam). Hopefully, the home viewer will look forward to that last question no matter what the stakes, much like we do for Final Jeopardy now. Basically, it'll no longer look quite so much like a Millionaire ripoff, and that can only be a good thing.

You're still talking about a Q&A game that'll have exactly eleven questions in thirty minutes, and that's a problem no matter how much funny Mr. Foxworthy brings.

CarShark · « **Reply #4 on:** June 15, 2009, 03:07:48 PM »

I can't get behind this format so long as you can't walk away. How many times will someone get the first nine questions right, miss the tenth, and leave with nothing? In fact, I see a lot of contestants leaving with nothing, which doesn't look like good TV to me.

Clay Zambo · « **Reply #5 on:** June 15, 2009, 03:26:56 PM »

[quote name=\'CarShark\' post=\'218086\' date=\'Jun 15 2009, 03:07 PM\']I can't get behind this format so long as you can't walk away. How many times will someone get the first nine questions right, miss the tenth, and leave with nothing? In fact, I see a lot of contestants leaving with nothing, which doesn't look like good TV to me.[/quote]

Leaving with nothing isn't necessarily good TV, but a half-hour buildup to an all-or-nothing question seems like it would be compelling.

Jeremy Nelson · « **Reply #6 on:** June 15, 2009, 03:44:12 PM »

[quote name=\'CarShark\' post=\'218086\' date=\'Jun 15 2009, 02:07 PM\']I can't get behind this format so long as you can't walk away. How many times will someone get the first nine questions right, miss the tenth, and leave with nothing? In fact, I see a lot of contestants leaving with nothing, which doesn't look like good TV to me.[/quote]
I like this format MUCH better than the primetime one, but you've pointed out the messed up part- whether you've gotten 4 questions or nine questions right, the tenth one basically decides whether or not you get a shot at 10x? Compelling? Yes, but what will we think when somebody gets the first nine right, and then misses the tenth- or for that matter, somebody misses the first nine, gets the tenth, and now gets a shot at $50K?

I hate to take a page from Jeopardy! on this one, but I think they should have just taken the cash away, rather than zero the bank.

toetyper · « **Reply #7 on:** June 15, 2009, 03:51:22 PM »

do you still, choose what order you take the questions

Matt Ottinger · « **Reply #8 on:** June 15, 2009, 03:55:50 PM »

[quote name=\'toetyper\' post=\'218090\' date=\'Jun 15 2009, 03:51 PM\']do you still, choose what order you take the questions[/quote]
That would seem a key part of the strategy that they wouldn't want to mess with, though offhand, I'm not sure what the better strategy would be. Do you take the harder questions first, so that if you miss them you can still build a substantial bank with the rest, or do you save the harder, more valuable questions until the end, so you can build a consolation bank in a hurry if you miss one fairly late?

J.R. · « **Reply #9 on:** June 15, 2009, 04:55:42 PM »

Interesting idea. But, I would prefer if, instead of losing it all, a wrong answer just cuts the bank in half.

That way, unless someone goes 0-10, there's always a final question possibility, even if the gamble could be very low risk.

DrBear · « **Reply #10 on:** June 15, 2009, 06:33:34 PM »

How about calling it No Contestant Left Behind?

clemon79 · « **Reply #11 on:** June 15, 2009, 07:57:44 PM »

One would think they would take a cue from You Bet Your Life and make that last question worth a grand or something if someone goes into it broke.

chad1m · « **Reply #12 on:** June 15, 2009, 08:09:10 PM »

[quote name=\'clemon79\' post=\'218103\' date=\'Jun 15 2009, 07:57 PM\']One would think they would take a cue from You Bet Your Life and make that last question worth a grand or something if someone goes into it broke.[/quote]Well, these notes are only from audience reports, so it's possible that situation has yet to come up.

TimK2003 · « **Reply #13 on:** June 15, 2009, 08:28:37 PM »

One thing I can see with the "new" format is that it does add the play-along factor for people at home. With this format, all the questions (at least the pre 10x questions) are played, and those playing at home can see what they would have won or lost had they been in the hot seat and see if they were smarter than the contestant and/or the 5th graders.

BillCullen1 · « **Reply #14 on:** June 16, 2009, 01:05:10 PM »

Monty Hall said that for a game to be exciting, there has to be a moment when the contestant can "win it all" or "lose it all." This recharged version of 5th Grader has that. I think a maximum of $250K is a good amount for the daytime version. Unless someone tanks on Question 10, they can leave with money, if they choose not to go for Question 11. More players will go for Question 11 if they only lose half the money instead of all. I've always liked 5th Grader, even if it's essentially Millionaire for dummies. I'll definitely watch when it hits the air in September. Glad they got Jeff to sign on for this as well.