Today I revisited Minute to Win It. I originally thought it was a bit dull and stodgy, but time has been kind to it and recent episodes are mildly entertaining – nothing to set the world alight, but good fun.
Anyway, it’s come to my attention that there’s now an Australian version. It’s OK, although I get the feeling the more difficult games get played earlier than they do in the US. But the big question is: Darren McMullen – what is that accent?
wikipedia says its a socttish/aussie hybrid, which makes sense.
strangely, my girlfriend is an english/aussie mix, which is equally as odd.
Ta, I couldn’t work out if it was Scottish or Irish.
In the two months or so that the first series of “Minute to Win It” was on here in the States, the show evolved from something of a sincere flattery of “The Cube” to its own particular groove. It always struck me that it was closer to the venerable old “Beat The Clock” then it was to “The Cube”.
The episodes run during May displayed some new approaches, a new set, and better pacing.
The Aussie version seems a bit of a hybrid. Set resembles that of the earlier US episodes. Aussie host less grating than our Guy Fieri. The “safe level” at $2500 hasn’t been used here, but indications have been that something of that sort may be used when “Minute To Win It” returns in July.
NBC has been satisfied with the show’s ratings, despite the fact that they have not really been that great. NBC is so desperate that they will take anything that gets viewers to tune in to their network.
Only Connect in the US?
Someone with the pseudonum Dart, who might conceivably be our own David B. but isn’t, is unofficially running a small Only Connect tournament at the National Puzzlers’ League convention in Seattle, WA in July. Further details of the event here, so you can go and admire, and then curse as the registration deadline was a week and a half ago.
Hey! That was me!
“Tournament” was a strong word; I just wrote three individual episodes for people to solve that had a US-centric bent to the puzzles rather than the UK references the real thing has. A lot of the trivia junkies who were there were aware of the show already, some had tried submitting material for the show, and some were pleasantly surprised that such a show existed somewhere in the English-speaking world.
Hello! *waves*
See, and I thought persona was being original with his US OC at this year’s NPL con. Incorrect!