I’m just going to quote Iain Weaver verbatim:
The Fifteen-to-One revival of 2014 is happening. It starts on Saturday 5 April at 5.15, with what appears to be an hour-long edition featuring “celebrities”.
Then it pops up on Monday 7 at 4.30, still running for a full hour, I think those are “civilian” episodes.
Other channels are pulling out their big guns: provisional schedules feature new Tipping Point, new Chase, new Pointless, and repeats of The Great British Bake Off.
I expect a reasonable amount of excitement for the first few episodes – very intrigued to see what happens after that. I couldn’t see it doing well when the idea was mooted, I still can’t, especially at 60 minutes in length. And 5:15 feels early for a celeb special of something they hope will breakout, I don’t think Pointless Celebs will have much to worry about.
I predict 900k-1m for the first civvy episode and everyone will get excited and go “ooh it’s a hit!” and it’ll be below 700k by the end of week two. I don’t know how much it needs to be seen as a success, but it’s not like Come Dine On A Trip In A Bed is expensive to make.
Needless to say, it would be quite embarrassing if it turns out Deal Or No Deal is STILL more popular almost ten years on, and with barely 15% of its peak audience.
I could see them stringing it out for 45 minutes, but 60?! Sheesh. I wonder if they’re going to split round 2 into maybe a couple of parts – getting down the final player for the final break, and then using up the remaining questions for the last bit of the show.
Well they’re evidently aiming for a something a bit less dry and with ‘banter’, contestants get three chances to make the final round I’m informed so perhaps they’re hoping the audience will have favourites. I don’t know.
I wonder if the longer length means people might not get stiffed in Round One.
Although the celeb version didn’t drag as much as I feared they’re missing the whole point of 15 to 1 if they drag it out to an hour. Sadly though many a quiz show is killed nowadays due to broadcasters seemingly refusing to even consider 30 minute formats.
I only have one word for this conniving practice: expurgation.
Thanks for absolutely zilch, Clusterfine4.
Well I’m in the civilian series, and I don’t remember Sandi throwing to a break three times, only two. Could be wrong about that though, my memory’s a bit addled on account of episode one having been a FIVE HOUR record.
I can’t believe that. Do you think William G Stewart would stand for it?
Well he never had to, because his set didn’t have misbehaving LEDs all over the floor, and because he read the questions off cards instead of an unreliable tablet. (Did they learn nothing from The Bank Job?!)
In defence of tablets, if the questions are just listed as a .pdf file you can swipe (like John Barrowman’s appears to on Pressure Pad) then there’s no reason not to use them. If you’re getting them delivered from a server then you’re always inviting issues.
It seemed that Sandi’s questions were appearing as separate screens: Question –> Answer –> Interesting related fact to bump the running time up to 60 minutes.
Regarding that running time, I suppose there’s little point in hiring a comedian to present a show if there’s no time for her personality to come across in the edit. Although at the recording, she was a lot funnier between takes than on camera.
The more I think about it, the more I’m convinced we were told it was getting a 45-minute slot, and it was recorded in 3 parts.
Three parts would make more natural sense, although the celeb specials are all an hour, and I’m certainly happy to trust Iain’s factual judgement here. Maybe they didn’t know when they were going to insert a break in round two during recording so Sandi’s recording a throw to camera they can just edit in.
Did they do the mooted three attempts to reach the final thing? All the suggestions I’m reading suggest one and done.
Yep, everyone gets 3 chances to reach the final round.
How have they cast it would you say? I predicted they would cast for characters, would you say the standard of quizzing was decent?
Along the lines of Pointless really, a diverse mix, no total thickos, a few people you might remember from other shows, and a few that you might know from the quiz league circuit.
Interesting stuff, thanks.
Press release:
http://www.channel4.com/info/press/news/fifteen-to-one-returns-to-channel-4-this-april
£40,000 – what’s wrong with a bit of old dirty pottery. And why £40k – obviously the budget didn’t stretch to £50k so I’d have gone for £25k and pocketed the £15k as a bonus.
I can understand having returning contestants though with just a 20 episode run having the same people on three shows is a bit much. Also interesting how they now try and make a big thing about the nominating as if it’s a big evil twist – can’t remember anyone viewing it as such during the original run.
Pace is the big worry – listings now confirm the shows are an hour long (5.15pm on Sat, then 4.30pm the rest of the week) As others have said 45 minutes would be fine and probably suit the format arguably more so than half an hour.
Going on a limb here, could it be a reference to the original Fifteen to One format having 40 questions in the final?
In fact, does anyone know how long the final rounds are intended to be in this version? If they keep it at 40 questions, then a possibility opens up. Would they have a fixed jackpot, or base it on the grand final contestant’s overall score (somewhat similar to the celebrity revival last year, but minus all the bonuses)?
Yeah, there are 40 questions available in the final. Other than the running time and the “three chances to reach the final”, the rules are exactly the same as they ever were.
Very pleased to hear it.
Certainly would expect to see some familiar faces on the show.
UPDATE: The first episode, this Saturday evening, is a CIVILIAN show, not a celebrity one. I’ll be the one on podium 8.
That’s interesting, given five eps a week the grand final would be on a Thursday. I suppose racing would bump the days a bit.
Only weekday meeting after the National is Fri 25th April at Sandown Park – but considering neither Cheltenham or Aintree air on C4 beyond 4.30pm can’t see that affecting it either. They’ll probably just repeat the celeb special in the slot instead.