I completely forgot about this on Sky Atlantic. So what’s it like?

Well I said there was nothing on this week, but I’ve just read Buzzerblog’s less than complimentary take on new Dick de Rijk philanthropy-porn quiz You Deserve It that starts tonight on ABC in the States. We’ll probably have some sort of opinion when we’ve watched it. Will it be worse, as good as or better than Holding Out For a Hero? It’s on after the first bit of the Dancing With the Stars finale, so it has every chance to make a good impression.

Tuesday edit: Ok, watched it now using the Dark Arts (so not able to link, sorry):

• The show is hosted by Chris Harrison, of The Batchelor fame.
• A contestant is playing for someone they know who has no idea they are being played for. Hidden cameras are set up and Brooke Burns is waiting outside ready to surprise them at the end of the show.
• The show opens with an emotional video montage from people suggesting why they thought you deserved it. To be honest, given that once it’s out of the way it’s pretty much done with for the rest of the show I think it’s reasonable enough really. Refreshingly whilst friends and family are there to support the contestant, they’re mainly there to provide reaction shots not to give advice.
• There are five rounds, worth $10k, $25k, $50k, $100k and $250k.
• In each round the contestant must try to identify a who, what or where thing, and they are given a very broad hint as to what that thing is.
• The contestant has to buy additional hints. The money for the round is broken up into 9 pieces, typically the lowest being 1, 2, 3% of the purse for the round avaliable and the two most expensive being 20% and 30% of the round’s prize pool. These are randomly hidden amongst nine numbers. Contestants pick a number and the money behind it is deducted from the question.
• The hints begin broad and get increasingly more obvious the more that are needed. I thought in the main they were medium-tough (one clue in the first or second round threw me off completely, and then it turned out the thing I thought was correct was right after all) although concensus amongst gameshow people people seemed to be that they weren’t that difficult so make of that what you will.
• Given that you can buy nine hints, and the money is split up nine ways, I don’t know what happens if you take all the clues. Because in theory there’s no money left. It’s certainly possible (although the later clues do become gimmes really).
• To bank the money the contestant has to give the correct answer –  a wrong answer means no money is won for the round. However, it is not enough to say an answer then hit a button to lock it in. Oh no, first Chris must ask if they want him to light the button up. This is so stupid, they edit it out after round two.
• After all five rounds, it’s time for the money shot – literally if you like – as Brooke Burns storms in and tells them to look at a screen because someoe has won them a lot of money. More crying.
• Actually to be fair, save for the opening and closing, the show is a lot less menstural than I was expecting. And it is a very glass half full sort of show.
• Unfortunately there’s no real need to watch any of the other episodes because the trailers for the show pretty much tell you everything you want to know for the remaining five episodes of the programme, so thanks for that. And that’s a shame because I think there’s something that works here. It only managed 2.1 in the key demo last night though, coming off Dancing With the Stars and coming third in its timeslot, so. Edit: Actually 1.7 after adjustments. Ouch.