Well, it’s The Krypton Factor Tuesday, I thought it would be fun to dig out our feature on the early eighties American version and put it up on the Specials Board.
In retrospect, I was probably a little bit harsh on it – some of its ideas were actually used on our very early versions if my research is correct. I would kill to see early Krypton Factors again.
We stuck up clips back in the day, but you can actually watch the full episode featured on Youtube.
I do not have the best of memories, but am sure that last week in the first round when the contestents tied they awarded them joint places.
This week they went on fastest to get that score, if correct surely this change in rule will have an impact on the highest scoring runner up.
The rule for modern K-Fac are fairly clear – you can tie further down, but each round must have a decisive winner. I was surprised more Mental Agility rounds in the previous series weren’t tied, to the point where I suspected the person on the end got slightly easier/harder tasks to make such a result unlikely.
This rule for Mental Agility applied from, I think 1990 onwards. Whichever year they changed the set and had everybody answering observation questions on keypads, at any rate. Although everyone was seperated then.
I’ve never liked highest-scoring runner-up for this because there is a bit too much luck involved for my liking with regards to the quality of your fellow contestants.
Just to confirm things for you there Brig, it was 1991 when Observation became multiple-choice questions on keypads and the “futuristic” set (as Gordon Burns described it) was unveiled – as well as when speed-based tie-breakers in Mental Agility were introduced.
Probably be fairer to have the best four runner ups in a repercharge episode before the semi-finals, but heck, gameshows aren’t always about being fair and the highest scoring runner up works well enough without getting too complex.
Not sure whether I should post this here or find the topic where you posted the last pic, but another sneak peek from Wipeout today – http://twitpic.com/xsq9l – doesn’t reveal too much, but I’m assuming (probably incorrectly) the podiums after the Big Balls may move up and down ala Hurtles.
Probably be fairer to have the best four runner ups in a repercharge episode before the semi-finals
Pfft, you might as well just have an eighth heat.
The current idea is to post general discussion things (i.e. things not properly interesting enough to get a full post out of) in the most recent round-up thread, the combination of “last comments” and “at a glance” should make it easy to work out where the fun is. But I can’t say I’m particularly bothered where anybody posts anything.
364,000 viewers for OC episode 2, or 7k more than last week.
Good stuff. Any news as to whether you’re going to get a transfer to BBC2?
Surprised there isn’t more early-80’s Krypton on youtube and the like. VHS was in its infancy then, but the show regularly drew in over 10 million, 15 millions at its height. Must be plenty of folks about with episodes knocking about.
Would expect to be seeing even more of the more recent stuff, especially the maligned ’95 series to mock.
In the UK Krypton Factor, the early series didn’t have the “knock-out” Mental Agility format but they did have the Identity Parade, with nine instead of just six people. As of now there are three of the five US KF 1981 episodes floating around in trading circles, and the audio from another, the final, is also around. What I’d like to see, however, is the 1990 US version for teens hosted by Willie Aames.