The Cellar

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Weekdays, 5pm

New relationship testing quiz with the usually awesome Tim Vine. Went to a recording, thought it was a bit meh although also thought the end game was quite fun, but you never know how it will all come across in the edit do you?

This films this weekend starting today. A full recording review will appear here over the weekend, but if you go we’re interested in your thoughts.

Right, I’ve seen this now. I think David Howell’s thoughts are perfectly good so I’m going to regurgitate them and add a few things to the end:

* Start delayed. They were still putting a few bits together to be honest, on an oversized set for the show despite an audience of 50-odd. Five didn’t make it to the end.
* Once we got going it flowed adequately for episode one.
* Four parent/sibling couples play the game. Three elimination rounds build up the “inheritance fund” the winner plays for.
* In round 1 (which had a jokey title, think it was “Questions Needing Answers”), it was standard Q&A, but the siblings buzzed whenever they thought their parent knew the answer. Add a grand if right, a wrong answer and it’s a grand to all their opponents. Repeat about ten times, maybe a bit more, I forgot and lost count. Team in last goes out. Cue cheesy catchphrase. (” We’ve lost a team” “It’s the end of a dream!” Yes, we chanted that bit.) ad break.
* Round 2, also with a stupid name, is the round that may decide most games. Four categories on the board, sibling picks category for parent, they have 30 seconds to get as many answers as possible from a top ten in that category. A grand for each right answer, and this was ridiculously swingy tonight. Last place goes out, catchphrase, ad break.
* Round 3 (“Clue – doh!”) works the same as round 1 except there’s three clues for each question instead of straight Q&A.
* The winner plays the endgame and this time it’s the sibling who answers all the questions. Five questions right to win the whole lot, as soon as you’ve got one wrong the money counts down at £100 every 0.4ish seconds but you’re still just trying to get five right, and they don’t have to be consecutive.
* Nearly every game will be played for something in the high teens, I reckon. Wins might vary a bit.
* It’s an hour, and it doesn’t need to be, but Tim is so funny with the contestants that the padding might almost help it.
* It’s certainly much more lighthearted than The Chase or Tipping Point.
* I’d watch it occasionally, but I think it’s more fun to watch recorded because of all the Tim Vine fun that won’t make the edit.

And now a few things I’m going to add:

• Started recording about 2:30, finished about four. So what’s everybody else’s excuse? Good work 12 Yard.
• Tim Vine. I love him, but he didn’t seem a perfect fit here sadly, didn’t seem quite at ease. Also his act works because it’s relentless as stand-up, it gets no real chance to build here.
• Round two is a bit borked. The order of play is determined by money at the end of round one, top scorer first, low scorer last. This is fine where there are potentially an infinite amount of correct answers to be had. In this instance, with just ten answers available, there’s a real chance that the third team will be too far behind to even bother playing. Tension. Should be other way round really, so even if the low team stuffs up you can still build up positional play with the other two.
• Round three goes on a bit.
• Final is fine. I quite like it, starts off slow then could become a hi-octane money chase at any time.
• It’s nice that 12 Yard have done a show which doesn’t require the contestants to think answers out for 45 seconds to a minute. More please!!!!
• The title logo and coins should blow up as a visual segue.
• It’s fine. It’s not a format to get excited about but it’s a show that basically is simple and works.

At Elstree. If you were in the audience (or even a contestant!) then we’re interested in what you think – mail me a report or leave it in a comment.

I have a trusted correspondent going to see Don’t Blow The Inheritance at the weekend and is going to write it up, so look out for that.

Well there’s my ‘in’, Tim Vine’s hosting Don’t Blow the Inheritance. It’s filming 7 episodes total at Television Centre Friday 20th- Sunday 22nd July. Tickets via Lost in TV.

Here is this week’s Top Tweet:

@bothersbar amazing how two words can completely improve your opinion of a format. turns out those words are Tim vine.

— Phil Smith (@sphilsmith) June 27, 2012

Good selective use of capitalisation there, Phil.

We are on the look out for fun and lively personalities who would like to take part in ‘Don’t blow the inheritance’. We will be holding nationwide auditions over the next few weeks.

For more details and how to apply email us today at contributors@12yard.com

All applicants must be 18 years of age or over and be currently resident and living in the UK, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man.

Applications are subject to the terms and conditions in the application form.

What we know: teams of two from different generations take part in a quiz. The older member builds up a bank, the younger member tries to win it.

If you and your chums prefer to do something ker-a-zee for ITV2 with Rufus Hound, he’s fronting a hypnotism game I Know What You Did Last Week – details and application form here (looks like a pilot).

I wonder what happened to Mesmerized with Dale Winton (was it?)?

MEANWHILE!!! Endemol doing a comedy gameshow pilot called The Bodyguard (from SRO):

From the producers of ‘Total Wipeout’ comes a brand new comedy game show pilot The Bodyguard.

For the first time ever, the BBC is opening the doors to reveal The Celebrity Bodyguard Training Academy and for one night only three contestants will become superhero Bodyguards.

Each of our trainee bodyguards will be teamed with their favourite celebrity and must be willing to take a hit for them…quite literally. Proving their worth in a series of fun but challenging games, they’ll need to put their bodyguard skills to the test.

Only one of our trainees will successfully graduate through to the Final and get the chance to win a cash prize and be crowned The Ultimate Bodyguard.

In more @tvscoops news, 12 Yard working on a show called Don’t Blow the Inheritance for ITV. Sounds like The Generation Game for high stakes quizzes – older generation build up a bank, younger team member has to win it. Let’s hope it does a bit better than Holding Out For a Hero.

Meanwhile here is a photo for The All New Skill Based Red or Black. I can’t quite picture how it’s going to look on television, although it looks like half will be voting for red and half black again. If you’ve been, feel free to tell us how it works (use a pseudonym if you like) - I’m not interested in the results.