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The U.K., as you probably know, is the quiz show/game show capital of the world. Most of the hit shows here in the states are mere adaptations of the original, which were first aired across the pond. Yes, they’ll make a game show on any topic in the U.K. – obscure poetry, episodes of The West Wing, even extinct animals. Here are four recent shows I’ve been following with some interest as I get ready to pitch my own quiz show.
1. Eggheads
I’m not sure why this one hasn’t caught on here in the States. It’s a fun, simple show in which five amateur quizzers take on five quiz professionals called the Eggheads. Check out the clip below and watch some pretty smart Oxford students cracking the Eggheads and whipping them good.
2. Postcode Challenge
In this one, four teams of six neighbors—sorry, neighbours—compete for a big cash prize by answering general knowledge questions. Okay, so what’s so interesting about the show? You guessed it: each team shares the same or similar postcode. Brilliant! As you’ll see in the clip, there are also lots of questions that revolve around postcodes and censuses. Only in the U.K.!
3. Dirty Rotten Cheater
A new-ish BBC show in which honest players have to out the cheater. Every contestant is given the opportunity to vote off contestants who they suspect of cheating. A majority vote is needed. If they’re correct, the cheater is forced into the Losers Lounge. If they’re wrong, the innocent player still leaves the game empty-handed and the money of the remaining players is halved. If they can’t agree, everyone still loses half their money and the cheater gets to eliminate the contestant he or she likes by pressing a secret button.
4. PokerFace
This is another bizarre one, sorta similar to the above, in which we have to discern the truth. In fact, in PokerFace, contestants don’t necessarily need to get the questions right in order to win. As the name implies, they can bluff their way through the game and pressure their opponents into folding. Home viewers get to see who’s telling the truth and who’s lying.
Comments (19)
Comment
What about QI?
:) It’s my favorite UK Panel Show of all time ever.
posted by Ashley on 6-10-2008 at 8:01 am
Another vote for QI! And does Never Mind the Buzzcocks (which is music and pop-culture focused rather than general knowledge) count?
posted by srah on 6-10-2008 at 8:50 am
I’m also sad about the lack of inclusion for NMtB. Simon Amstell is an amazing host.
posted by Sarah on 6-10-2008 at 9:00 am
I have to say my absolute favourite UK game show was The Crystal Maze, cancelled long ago. I watched it as a kid when I would go over to England and it completely mesmerized us! If anyone knows of any clips floating about that would be brilliant! There were all kinds of puzzles and building that the contestants needed to complete to move on through the maze and get to the finale which required the contestants to put together very creative methods to create a maze of sorts to get the crystals (wow it has been a long time since I have thought about this! Some of my memories might be a little off) :)
posted by Katie on 6-10-2008 at 9:26 am
When I spent 3 weeks in London, I found they have some really great game shows. Never saw any of these, but my absolute favorite one was a kids game show in which kids would call in to compete.
One event consisted of 4 doors, 3 brick walls, two kids on the phone and a little person in safety gear. The kids would input which door they thought DIDN’T have the brick wall behind it. If they were right they won like a crappy MP3 player. So first kid guesses a door, little person takes about a 50 yard running start and launches himself into the door. Bricks. Repeat… twice. It was random and somewhat violent, yet oddly compelling.
posted by Kevin on 6-10-2008 at 9:45 am
QI!
Stephen Fry!
posted by becky on 6-10-2008 at 10:44 am
We did have a show comparable to The Eggheads. It was called Beat the Geeks.
posted by Mattie on 6-10-2008 at 12:00 pm
Dirty Rotten Cheater has aired here in the U.S. as well, maybe four or five years ago. It was on a cable channel — not GSN, but something with normal programming — and had Bil Dwyer as the host. I thought it was a clever idea.
posted by John I. Carney on 6-10-2008 at 12:23 pm
You remember The Crystal Maze too, Katie? I loved that show! Too bad it’s not on DVD or anything–it’d be silly to put a game show on DVD in the first place, but I do miss watching it.
posted by Caitlin on 6-10-2008 at 12:52 pm
Countdown!! The now-deceased host Richard Whiteley once complimented co-host (and uber-brain) Carol Vorderman by telling her that she “was just like a rose… best up against a wall.” And this was a daytime show! I still giggle about that every now and again.
posted by Megan on 6-10-2008 at 1:55 pm
No University Challenge? Jeremy Paxman is a game show (an News Night) god!
I second QI, Countdown and Never Mind The Buzzcocks (but only the one’s with Mark Lamarr as host).
Also, The Krypton Factor … quite possibly the most difficult game show I have ever seen.
posted by Alice on 6-10-2008 at 2:13 pm
The Krypton Factor was amazing. I still occasionally catch it on obscure channels.
Plus, Eggheads is one of the best things since sliced bread. Seriously. I’ve gotten so many people into it, especially when the potential prize was around £40,000.
Talking Telephone Numbers was an awesome programme too.
posted by Jeni on 6-10-2008 at 3:11 pm
What about Nevermind The Buzzcocks!?
posted by Haya Rizvi on 6-10-2008 at 3:43 pm
I love the Eggheads!!! A couple of them can get a bit arrogant about their knowledge but it’s altogether fantastic. Oh and the best part about this show: no commercials!
I also watch the British version of Deal or No Deal and think it’s infinitely better than the US version. The people who open the boxes are the contestant pool for the upcoming shows (sorry for those who enjoy hot women in hardly anything), so you get to know them. It’s a real feeling of comaraderie among the contestants and the very genuine host Noel Edmonds.
posted by Tricia on 6-10-2008 at 7:30 pm
Loved this article. The show Dirty Rotten Cheater was originally an American show. Sort of a twist on how our current good game shows started in Great Britian and came here.
posted by Cynthia on 6-10-2008 at 7:55 pm
That clip for Eggheads has to be the most boring gameshow I’ve ever seen. Is there no time limit on the questions? It wouldn’t last a week here.
posted by PartiallyDeflected on 6-10-2008 at 9:27 pm
Tricia,
I could not disagree more. The brit version of Deal Or No Deal is awful. It is cheaply done, boring, sterile and drab. Also, Noel Edmonds is like … Mr. Safe gentle comedy … blah. The man is Buzz Killington. Gimme Howie Mandel and the hot chicks any day of the week. The US prize money is better as well.
posted by Alice on 6-10-2008 at 10:55 pm
Never Mind the Buzzcocks. Simon Amstell only though. Mark Lamarr is so meh compared to Simon. Even though NMtB seems to be a music quiz show, the real aim is just too make the most jokes.
posted by v on 6-11-2008 at 5:00 am
Alice,
I totally understand where you’re coming from. I didn’t like it much at first either. It’s grown on me a LOT since I moved to England.
posted by Tricia on 6-11-2008 at 1:01 pm