This weekend’s MOST EXCITING news is that Bother’s Bar’s favourite Australian cable access comedy quiz show, 31 Questions, is returning to Channel 31 in Melbourne for a second series next year. Well done David M Green and team, really pleased for you. If you’ve not seen 31 Questions, watch them all now.
In other news Fort Boyard: Ultimate Challenge began this morning. Have’t had the chance to watch it, so what have they changed to make it into an hour long format?
I really enjoyed Fort Boyard this morning, much better than the joint co production with the US IMO. It looks like the chosen teams now consist entirely of older teens more 15,16,17 rather than 12 and 13 with an older captain.
Andy follows one team and Laura with the other, head to head after 2 individual ones.
I don’t want to spoil it for anybody that has not watched it it but i will say all changes have been for the better IMO.
Longer run time
key system
treasure room changes
ditching the co production
older kids
The show has a great sense of rivalry between the teams, i really think this format would be even better with ultra competitive adults.
It will be interesting to see what happens if a player does not escape in time (this almost happened).
Looking forward to tomorrows show now
Ya the format is better. More games. Duel Team game Duel Team games Duel team games then Duel then TR. Teams need 5 keys for max time. Done really well. Good to watch
Left a comment on 31 Questions’ page before I went out today, about how we’d be excited about the second season, and they replied with “Thanks Andrew Keshihead Sullivan! You can be our official 31 Questions Northern Hemisphere Correspondents”
There’s a lot to like about the new Fort Boyard, but the pacing is noticeably slower.
The series last spring was of short programmes – 20½ minutes is an ITV half-hour compressed into a Disney half-hour. It went by so fast that it almost tripped over its own feet. This new run is 43 minutes of show, and it feels padded so it just meets the requirement for three internal breaks. There are nine traditional games, and a lot of standing around and chattering and reviewing the thing we’ve just seen. In some cases, standing around talking about the thing we’re about to see rather than getting on and seeing it.
Three internal breaks, and Laura twice used the very clunky script “there are more challenges to come on .” Watching on ITV Breakfast Broadcasting, just one break was earning revenue, another contained a trailer for the programme you’re watching right now, or would be if you weren’t watching a trailer for the programme you’re watching.
Basic format is: two-team race, an individual team game each, ad break, repeat three times; then a Maîtres challenge and the Treasure Room. There, teams get their map at the door rather than bringing it in. The optimum is five keys: 10 second penalty for each key short, 150 point bonus for each additional win. Both teams can win five keys.
The teams appear to be that bit older, and are allowed some of the more difficult challenges (competitive Bizutage, three of them shinning up the numberpoles). I don’t think there’s a lock-in mechanism, just challenges unwon.
In game terms, all these changes are for the better; the padding annoys slightly. I agree that ITV could make this work in primetime – perhaps it’ll take a celebrity special along the lines of The Saturdays versus One Direction. Certainly they’re making an effort to get this series done – Saturday and Sunday for the rest of the year, plus Boxing Day and 27 December so the final is on 30 December.
Yes, pretty much agree with all this having watched them both.
As usual as I’m a bit limited in what I can say without getting the sack. That being said I did have a long and interesting conversation with a CITV colleague about the number of parts, given the duration and the fact that a children’s 55 minute slot can only ever have 1 commercial break. (To meet the requirements for 3 internal commercial breaks it would have to be in a 90 minute slot; we’re allowed as many non-commercial breaks as we like.) It’s what you might call a ‘known issue’ that I hope wil become a ‘non-issue’ in the near future.
You’re right to say that the changes have allowed tougher games into the mix, they’ve also allowed longer games in the mix. Many of the games I passed up the chain for the first filming block were dismissed as being too long. I note with glee therefore that the Tightrope makes an appearance this year; this was the game that made me fall in love with Fort Boyard so many years ago.
The new scoring is simpler and has a decent scoreboard to go with it. The treasure room now has a bit more pace, and is easier to follow. Nice use of graphics to make the crests illuminate I note. It would be nice to have a lock-in mechanic but it would mean rebalancing the game split. Maybe a penalty at the next dual if someone gets locked in?
I note with much disappointment that “Hazing’ is called ‘Trapdoor’ in FBUC. Not because I wanted it to be called Hazing, but because whenever it appears I’ve always shouted – in a gameshow voice – ‘It’s Mystery Ceiling Boxes!’
Laura’s as good as she was last year and clearly enjoys presenting it. Andy also seems to be settling in well. Hopefully they’ll get the chance to work together again on other things – they seem to have decent chemistry.
The Dutch have a penalty system for lock ins – 50 coins knocked off (IIRC). I think something like that is quite effective with this sort of tournament style, although the issue with one-offs is that you have an end game that might as well not be played if one team has too much of an advantage, it’s actually quite difficult to get the balance right. I think FBUC has made a good stab.
Right, I’m catching up with this week’s episodes, they do need to do *sonething*, currently we have the two hosts imploring them to get out of the rooms within the time, someone getting locked in in the Mission Impossible game but no penalty.
Kids will accept editing for time as I believe is happening here but they’re not stupid, they will begin to twig that currently it doesn’t matter.
the set of the upcoming RAI Saturday night program, hosted by Paola Perego
https://twitter.com/peregopaola/status/277455629893902336/photo/1
the German program.
Interesting, thanks.
This shouldn’t be confused with Die Klugste Deutsche, which begins as Britain’s Brightest with Claire Balding on BBC1 in January:
http://www.daserste.de/unterhaltung/quiz-show/der-kluegste-deutsche/index.html
Amazing clip.
It’s not a game show, but someone here appears to have presaged one of the jokes from the most recent episode of Peep Show. (First two episodes this series: mmm, I think Peep Show has covered this ground before. This episode: brilliant.)
I haven’t watched Peep Show for ages. Do go on!
Nah, watch it yourself. You’ll be amused.