Take it or Leave It. It’s very much like the Italian show. It even has a very similar theme tune.
The title sequence is the announcer explaining the show. 22 prizes in 22 boxes ranging between 0.01 Euro to 500,000 Euro in value. 22 contestants representing 22 regions of France.
And here’s our host… Arthur!
He’s pointing at a screen which we think keeps count of how much money the show has given away since it started. We think this is on five days a week.
As each player has a go they are replaced by someone else to represent their region. Arthur has a quick chat with the player before the game and they get a copy of the board game (with electronic banker, we can EXCLUSIVELY reveal) as a welcome gift – potential contestants are asked to try and get a month off work, so she could be here for sometime.
The contestants are asked a simple multiple choice question. The computer displays how many got the question right.
This is quite important because inside one of the boxes is the “joker”, and its value is 10,000 Euro for everyone who got the question right. Today it’s worth 220,000 Euro.
The computer then displays which is today’s winning region. We don’t know if this is based on fastest finger, random selection of people who got the question right, or selection amongst people who got it right and have been waiting the longest.
And today’s lucky winner bounds down the aisle, we think to the theme tune of her choice.
Meanwhile the announcer gives us her life story over pictures of old photos and the like.
The independant adjudicator is introduced. We will often cut to him noting things down on some sort of notepad.
Arthur advertises the phone-in competition. You share what our contestant wins, which could be 500,000 Euro!
This competition is quickly advertised after each offer is rejected.
Arthur on the phone to the banker. It’s a very similar phone to our version.
Something I noticed about the Italian show as well – they’re awfully fond of their extreme close-ups.
Anyway, here’s the current board. You’ll notice that some of the prizes on the left hand side aren’t cash, they’re booby prizes (the two she’s eliminated already are a loudspeaker and and a scarf. She could still win a pair of knickers though.
Also: look at that jump from 500 to 5000. This is really quite a high skewing board (25k, 75k, 100k are the missing values on the right).
22,000 is the opening offer which I think is rather high. The French box opening system is 6, 3, 3, 3, 3, 2, final choice.
The contestant either refers to the player’s box number to indicate they should open their box or thier region. The host will give everyone a nickname over the course of their stay on the show.
Interestingly, there appear to be twins representing the Languedoc-Rousillion region.
And they have bad news.
A shot of the gameboard in action.
Music plays a vital part of this show- there’s always some in the background. Some songs seem to get played when certain prizes are revealed (the death march always seems to accompany the 500,000 Euro box being opened, and various pop tunes clips accompany other things). There’s often romantic music when the host is flirting with the contestant and the final boxes seem to be accompanied by the theme from Gladiator. It works quite well.
For some reason Satisfaction has just started so everyone has a little dance.
Arthur produces a bunch of flowers for the contestant from the safe. They weren’t there at the top of the show!
They seem to talk about flowers a lot. Whether it’s because our contestant is a florist or just because Arthur fancies her we just don’t know.
The bank has offered to swap the last two boxes.
On the episodes we’ve viewed, he always gives this option. However, cruelly, he doesn’t always phone back up to offer a final cash offer. Sometimes you’re forced to take what’s in a box.
He does this time though. Our contestant is speaking to him now. The rousing Conquest of Paradise theme is playing in the background.
Everyone joins hands! The offer is for 29,000 Euro. She turns it down!
Arthur peeks inside the other box…
And it’s an excellent decision! Well done.
In 2006 the French show was updated…
As you can see, the prize has been upped to €1,000,000.
The titles have been rather Americanized, but we quite like the rocky version of the theme, even if we miss the cheesy bontempi keyboard of the original.
The show opens with the giant safe door being shut.
The totaliser remains.
The new set. Also: give us yer money!
There are now 24 contestants, two new “regions” (consisting of overseas departments and ex-pats) have joined the existing 22.
The new contestant is introduced and given a copy of the board game (which hasn’t been updated).
It’s time to select today’s contestant. It is no longer done by quiz, it is now presetermined.
What is tonight’s lucky region?
It’s Centre!
Today’s lucky contestant has her photo-biography done and then bounds down the aisle carrying her box.
The new board, split into blues and golds.
Look at those jumps towards the end of the blues, there.
Arthur has a quick chat with Jean-Louis Hauguel, the show’s adjudicator.
She would like €75,000 to buy a house, if my non-existant French is correct. Game on!
Six boxes to open in the first round.
There are 24 boxes now. In round two she’ll open five, round three four, round four three and then she’ll go box by box.
The boxes haven’t changed. Neither has the music – upbeat pop when low boxes get opened, suddenly changing into dramatic film score when big boxes are eliminated.
The death march for losing the top prize seems to have been replaced by Barber’s Adagio for Strings.
Arthur introduces the three sages, they’re random audience members who have been plucked out to give the contestant advice throughout the show.
When the phone rings the entire platform bursts into bright sparkles.
That’s the Banker’s Booth up there. The Banker keeps his back to the audience at all times.
The offer is €34,000.
Good board though, she’ll play on.
New and previous offers are shown on this bit of gold ribbon.
Arthur has an interlude hwere he speaks to someone on the phone, they’re a past winner of the home competition. It sounds like they won €200,000!
As before, there’s a break at the six box stage. Unlike before, now she is made an offer after every box. She’s being offered €28,000 here.
The loss of the 50k hurt there… the house is looking further and further away.
But she’s had some luck, she’s now guaranteed a minimum of €20,000.
This is still quite a low offer though, I wonder if the bank’s trying something…
Ah-ha, it’s the old no cash final offer, now how confident are you in your box game.
Will she switch?
She doesn’t.
Excellent move!
She had the €200,000 in her box all along, the bank couldn’t shift her.
She can buy her house…
…and this person at home hasn’t done too badly either. Come back tomorrow!