Well done to ITV’s The Chase which has just been “picked up” (as they say “in the trade”) for 324 new episodes, two series of 150 episodes, and 24 celebrity specials. Goodness me, I didn’t know there were that many celebrities.

That means ITV have about twice as much confidence in The Chase than the BBC have for Pointless which got a 183 episode order recently. Game on!

In other news, Pointless begins recording at Elstree in March.

Edit: Hat tip to David, here’s the pitch film for Catchphrase 2013! Not for the faint of heart. It’s taken from the pilots, so the set will look different (better I think) when it hits your screens soon. The “advanced 3D graphics” are the same though.

The most important time for YOU today is 8pm, as that’s when we’re playing our first round of Mix It Up Real Good which you are free to come and play in for free.

Edit: Here’s a crib sheet for Omaha Hi/Lo I’ve wrtten so you have an idea of what to look out for.

In rather sad news Lewis Ogbajoj’s computer is broken so there will be a break in Fifty 50 Show for a few weeks (also 21 Questions Wrong) until he gets a new one. On the plus side, if you’re going to breakdown, what an episode to have as the last one before a break.

But don’t worry podcast fans! Another episode of The Line Up approaches on the horizon and will happen within the next couple of weeks.

[Don’t forget we are playing cards Sunday at 8pm, do join us.]

So as it’s rather quiet we thought we’d take a brief look at one of the shows bought up in the recent Poll of 2012 results in the International category.

This is Opdenhövel’s Countdown, a show broadcast on the German first channel in 2012. In it, four contestants play up to ten games (of the mental and physical kind) designed either to build up the jackpot as a team or knock out the weakest competitor until one person remains to try and take the lot. The binding theme is that each game is against the clock.

It is hosted by Matthias Opdenhövel who long term readers will recognise as the long time ex-host of Schlag den Raab and more recently one of the judges on Die Klügste Deutsche. Unfortunately this show was not very successful, only three episodes were made, although there is talk of bringing it back under a different guise.

Unfortunately we can’t find a full episode, but there are some clips on Youtube. Here’s a clip of one of the more physical games:

The other clips suggest some fun ideas. Bungee dominos. Definitely something we’d like to see more of, at any rate.

A quick reminder, in BSOP off-weeks we have a championship for people to try out poker variants for no money, but with a glass-effect trophy at the end of it. Mix It Up Real Good returns this Sunday at 8pm and you’re more than welcome to come along and play and chat.

This week we’re playing the action packed No Limit Omaha Hi/Lo. Links to how to play all the games are provided on the MIURG page. Join us!

In other news, Five Minutes to a Fortune films in March.

OK, so Objective’s Reflex is an actual Thing That Is Happening, Broadcast reporting (note: behind paywall) that it’s going to be 6 episodes of 45 minutes length for Saturday nights, and the legend Shane Ritchie is going to host it.

FOTB Martyn went and saw the pilot in Mediacity last July and didn’t sound very impressed although it sounds like they have made some changes – now it’s two families of three battling it out for £20,000 for a start. The contestant call on UKGameshows.com suggests the games might be a little more involving although the Broadcast article suggests otherwise.

Commissioning exec Karl Warner says:

“Reflex will be the fastest game show on TV, bringing together state of the art technology and brilliant game design that BBC1 families will hopefully enjoy”

The fastest gameshow on TV, with three or four different tasks over 45 minutes  strung out with endless super-slo-mo replays there.

Gut feeling is not good on this one. But you never know.

Right, so friend of the Bar VierkanteO (Twitter, excellent blog when he updates it etc.) spotted this earlier, a show called Money Time heading to Spain:

This looks rather a lot like Channel 4’s upcoming Five Minutes to a Fortune, does it not? I was under the impression 5MtaF would have non-quiz element tasks in it, although I may well be wrong.

Edit: Comments also discuss Israel’s Raid the Cage.