[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.
The thumbnail for that video appears to have been invaded by the intro to Bob’s Full House on the right, there.
Hurrah for lots of big, imaginative games in the style that the Germans do so well, but the show hints at having Britain’s Brightest-style clock-stopping issues as to when the countdown should stop on some of the games. Which, given the overall theme of the show, is a bit of a problem. The finale also strikes me as a bit of a missed opportunity as well. Nevertheless, this could be a show with some very high high points and I cross my fingers that we might get to see more some day.
I saw there was a challenge where one person holds a lightbulb in whilst the others rotate the floor he’s on to screw it in.
It struck me that as a 3 vs 1 game for something else it might be quite fun to have someone try and screw them in whilst everyone else tries to spin the floor in the *other* direction.
It’s Dog Eat Dog vs. Minute to Win It I guess?
Basically. But without the voting.