Baffling decisions of our time

By | December 2, 2016

With thanks to Greg Scott, the English language pilot of current France 3 show Trouvez l’intrus (Find the Intruder, called The Exception here), a show which has Air Productions all over it.

But they have made one baffling decision, they’ve made a big visual set piece end game and then, in the pilot, well…

15 thoughts on “Baffling decisions of our time

    1. Brig Bother Post author

      It sounds like the French show is doing fairly well incidentally, slightly above what Pointless had been getting. Although that’s only a million, just shy of 10%.

      Reply
    1. Brig Bother Post author

      This one’s been doing rather less well, I gather.

      I briefly mentioned them both a few weeks ago and thought they looked a bit “meh”. TI doesn’t do much for me in English, I’ve yet to give 8 Chances a proper look beyond a description and some screenshots. But I shall now endeavour to do so this evening.

      Reply
      1. Brig Bother Post author

        This is quite a fun idea although the competitive element is largely needless and the end game not greatly exciting.

        QUALIFIER:

        Two couples play. A question with eight possible quantifiable choices is given (which of these eight bones is highest in the body?), first team to lock in an answer takes it, other team can seemingly spend as long as they like coming up with the best answer from what’s left. Answers are then ranked and scored, 8 points for best possible answer, 1 point for least good answer. After three questions, lowest scorers sent to the sin bin, winners play on.

        MAIN GAME:

        The winning couple must now survive five rounds to make it through to the final. They begin with 8 Chances and eight screens, on each screen (in round one) are ‘identify the picture’ questions. They get a minute to do all eight, they can do it any order, can change answers if time allows. Each one they get wrong turns that screen off, meaning they get one fewer question/response in the following round and five seconds less answering time. Questions may also be listing items – one chance, one answer.

        If the team run out of chances the opposing team take over. Whoever is in charge after round five goes through to the final.

        FINAL

        Couple given 2:30 to answer eight four-option multiple choice questions, they can can go back and change answers as time allows. Each right answer is worth €100 BUT before the answers are revealed, for each Chance they survived the main game with they can turn the answer gold, these questions are worth €1,000.

        The final makes perfect sense but you’d struggle to call it exciting.

        Reply
        1. David B

          One subtlety here which is quite clever – if they lose 3 options in question 1, question 2 might be “Name the 5 colours of the Olympic rings”. So they’ve written a bunch of stuff for each of 1 to 8 answers and there’s no “wastage” in (e.g.) sourcing facts or pictures that never get used.

          Reply
          1. Nico W.

            But the episode I saw had as final question with two possible answers “Name letters the Italian alphabet does not have, but the French one does” which had four possible answers I think. Seemed mean to the losing couple, because they didn’t really have less chances imho. Before that I thought they had numbers for 1 – 8 as well.

  1. Marcoraymondo

    Am I being deliberately obtuse here but when I hear about a pilot how is it they have a returning champion? Ps – loving the graphics on the door wall on the end game.

    Reply
    1. Barry

      They pretend that the returning champ is actually returning. Remember the creators are trying to sell the show and can’t do that if the pilot is dull.

      Reply
  2. Nico W.

    Does the bar like Greg Scott? I’m not sure about him, either I don’t like him or the problem is the audience that seems to not understand him very well because they’re apparently French.
    And I have no idea why the end game has been done that way in the pilot. And I don’t like the graphics used in the end.
    Also, if the returning champion can win five grand plus the jackpot, why does he not possibly win one plus two plus five grand and the jackpot? Seems illogical to me.

    Reply
  3. peter todd

    I have watched it via youtube & I quite enjoyed the pilot. Great game play, I do like the way the pretend that the winning man was returning to make the show fill real. Greg Scott suits the job, great jokes along the way. I do like the way they told us the prize (Jackpot) rolls over. I do hope Air Productions do get a commission out of that. ITV for me seems like a channel which would sign the show. They could give it a 10 show run during the summer pilots.

    Reply

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