Poor The Way Out, it can’t get a look in. Richard Osman announced on The Rest is Entertainment this morning that he’s going to be the host of new ITV Talpa/Studio Lambert quiz The Golden Elevators (that title has to change surely). One of Osman’s first writing jobs was on Incredible Games in the 90s, now he will likely loom large on some screens in some lifts so in many ways this represents a career full circle for him.
The show was originally announced in February with the US getting in on the action as well but the host announcement (Richmond Osman apparently) was this morning. The premise seems simple, ten contestants, a question with two answers and two elevators. Pick the right elevator and go up, pick the wrong answer and go down and get eliminated. Get to the top and win £100,000. Difficult to see where the secret sauce is based on that premise – how do you win the show, do you go “no, you go for that answer, I’ll heroically sacrifice myself and go for this definitely wrong answer right here?” Is it just going to be endless blocks of five minutes of people arguing as to what year England won the World Cup followed by some lifts moving tediously slowly? I guess that almost works for Joko and Klaas’ Ein Sehr Gutes Quiz. Anyway I can’t wait to find out, and there’s going to be eight episodes.
And as I write this some BREAKING NEWS, or some BIG BREAKING NEWS rather (thanks), 20 episodes of Big Break with Paddy McGuinness and Stephen Hendry coming to BBC 2 daytimes, 30 minutes each. Unusual (although almost certainly overdue) but fun commission! Do you remember when everyone was absolutely convinced Ben Frow was about to announce it for Channel 5 any day now for several years? Great days.
https://www.televisual.com/news/studio-lambert-ties-with-tale-on-golden-elevators/ calls The Golden Elevators a psychological battlefield. ITV still obsessed with The Traitors then?
Big Break is now three rounds of trick shots then a finale, the press release also suggesting the show leaning into fancy tech. I guess with it being BBC2 it can be more arsey less entertainmenty but multiple rounds of trick shots sounds boring. At least they’re keeping the theme tune and it’s still only half an hour.
I’m going to stick my neck out and suggest the press release is misleading and probably won’t be three rounds of trick shots and a finale.
I have it on good authority in fact it will be similar to the original.
Interesting commission and a format that’s simple to follow but I hope they add more substance to it, as you’ve said.
I’d like them to mess about with the elevators, each going up and down but not quite reaching the next floor/lobby, before one shoots straight down.