Oh hello, it looks like they’re starting to look for contestants for The Button, which if I recall correctly is a show meant for BBC One co-devised by Alex Horne which is effectively Family Taskmaster In Your House.  From SRO:

FANCY COMPETING IN OUR NEW BBC GAME SHOW WITH YOUR FAMILY FROM THE COMFORT OF YOUR OWN HOME?

– Do you live in a household of 2 or more people?
– Are you all up for a challenge and a good laugh?
– Fancy competing in a series of fun tasks together to win some cash without even having to leave your house?!

Then we want to hear from you!

Contact us now to register your interest in this exciting new show and get an application form. Applications close 25th August.

So there we are.

I don’t know what it is but lately I’ve been getting into sixties and seventies US shows that I’ve been meaning to watch for years and never actually got round to, this time it’s Treasure Hunt, or The New Treasure Hunt seeing as it was based on a show from the fifties, and produced by envelope-pushing producer enfant terrible Chuck Barris, whose schtick (namely shows which mine comedy out of reactions, embarrassment, and the bizarre – such as The Newlywed Game and the currently rebooted The Gong Show) would have fitted right in today.

The game is as light as it comes – women are effectively chosen at random from the audience through some whittling games of luck. The winner picks a box, it might have a klunk (i.e. something of little value) or it might have something really good in it, possibly the grand prize cheque. Each box comes with a cash value attached, and they can take the money or the box. And that’s it.

Except the meat of the show lies with the reveal. There’s a skit to go with each prize, some of these several minutes long, and host Geoff Edwards does a great job of marshalling things along, letting the gag build, quite a lot of the time many of the skits suggest they’ve won a klunk only to discover that actually they’ve won a bigger prize, or a bigger klunk. And sometimes this iterates several times.

Here is quite a notorious clip, there’s quite a lot on Youtube:

This appears to be a thing that’s happening. Only four episodes which is interesting.

Also sounds like they’re modifying the format so it has a bit more of a Price is Right “come on down!” structure. Also star judges in the talent show stylee?

It is probably worth pointing out two things though.

• People saying they’ve been crying out for it doesn’t necessarily mean they will actually watch it, as previous Phamily Phun shows of the last several years will attest.
• I quite like Mel and Sue but frankly it’s a mistake to believe they’re bankers. Outside of Bake Off which is an outlier, and fair enough Insert Name Here is successful enough to warrant additional runs, they’re not exactly blessed with hits either as a double act or on their own.

I think there is plenty to be cautious about but hey! It might be good, knock yourselves out.

I mean I suspect that’s probably not what’s going on here and if you’re in the London area you should apply, but I’m not sure what else there is to take away from this:

No, not the latest winners of the Mercury Music Prize, this is kind of a follow up to the old The Price Is Right post recently. I do recommend a look if you haven’t already, I promise it’s interesting.

This afternoon I took part in another economic experiment, something that comes round every few months, and whilst I can’t go into it as it’s still ongoing and there’s an off chance it might prejudice someone else, I might return to it in a few weeks, it was quite thought provoking. It also strikes me that what Youtube is missing is an idiot’s guide to the games of game theory and their real life applications, kind of like this one I’ve started watching but with more people talking to camera and visual gags. Somebody sort it, I’d be all over it.

Getting back to the title, I discovered through some Youtube suggestions quite an interesting short-lived show in the US from the late 60s the other day called Temptation. It’s interesting because of the rather darker mise-en-scene than you’re probably used to from a show from this period. It’s interesting because host Art James smokes a cigar. It’s interesting because it’s got a spinning stage. And it’s interesting because frankly it wouldn’t surprise me if Endemol came up with something along these sorts of lines about ten years ago when game theory based gameshows were all the rage.

Here’s how it works: Three contestants see three prizes on a stage – one of low value, one of medium value and one of high value. They each lock in which one they want, and if they’re the only person to pick it they win it. This is done five times with increasing stakes each round, in rounds three and four everyone votes then Art gives a hint as to who has picked what and the contestants get the opportunity to change their mind. In Round five if you’re the only person to win a prize you win all three, and as the person who has the accumulated the highest value of prizes gets to come back as champion that’s almost certainly enough.

The video quality here isn’t great so be warned:

It’s pretty much a show that’s exactly 40 years ahead of its time.

…because according to this press release Cash Trapped is returning to the 5pm slot for an extended run from 31st July.

Don’t worry, we’ve already done the ‘The Chase is getting axed again’ gags on Twitter. This is the first year it’s had two breaks in a year though, although this one is during the more traditional August.

Which means I still don’t know what they were playing at with Babushka.

Edit: Because I can’t be bothered to do a new post for it, there’s discussion of Weakest Link returning for Children in Need with a view to a series in the comments.