“Top” throw-things-against-a-wall-and-pray-it-sticks quiz format 500 Questions returns to the US for a five episode run beginning with a two hour special on May 26th – that’s just three weeks! And some of the changes involve cutting rounds to 30 questions (looking forward to the natural denouement on Round 16 2/3rds), adding a two minute speed round and stunt casting as one of the contestants on the first night is none other than Ken Jennings!
You may remember Ken from winning over $2m on Jeopardy in a 74 game winning streak in 2004 and has managed to remain Still A Thing (he’s a mildly amusing Twitter follow). With new host Dan Harris, it’s sure to Definitely Be A Success This Time.
But if you can’t wait for that and live in Germany you can watch the UK version being filmed on the German set in Koln on the 11th and 12th of May. We are aware that neither we or the Germans are taking the US version straight, the German show is also a four-episode affair like ours (theirs is also two hours an episode although we don’t know what the UK one is going to do yet) and offers a €3m top prize.
What’s baffling that we’ve heard from a reputable source that the UK version for ITV is going to be fronted by edgy restaurant critic and brother of Victoria Giles Coren, which is such a baffling choice I can only assume someone was thinking of Gyles Brandreth and got a bit confused.
If that’s right, do we applaud ITV for getting someone in who isn’t part of the Philip Schofield/Vernon Kay/Stephen Mulhern trinity, or just stare vacantly in the hope a rational explanation materialises?
Apologies for back-to-back posting – a titbit of news from France, where Mot de Passe/Password’s just been axed out of the blue, despite putting on half a million viewers in its early Saturday evening slot since the start of the year.
I’m never entirely sure what constitutes a good French rating, my Twitter is bombarded daily with the idea that Joker is a big success, despite only pulling in 1m and an 8% share and being dull, so I’ve got no idea.
Think Tank got picked up for another run of 30 eps apparently…I thought it was OK, not great (I prefer The Code, even with the issues it has with pacing)…