Weakest Link: are you there, Rob?

• From: stipenn
• Date: Wed, 18 Apr 2001 09:46:13 -0700
• Message-ID: <000TDRH6L.001836M9T.12170551-quizbowl_at_...>

I guess my major objection to the show is that
knowledge can actually be *punished.*

There are a
few differences between the US version and the
British version, which I suspect may be a factor in the
lowered winnings on the US version:

(A) The
British version starts with NINE contestants, and
therefore has EIGHT rounds, with the final round being
played for *treble* value rather than double.

(B)
The first round starts out with 3.00, rather than
2.30, on the clock. [Net result: US version--14.00 of
game play; British version--19.20 or so.]

(C)
The British chain, as there are nine contestants, is
NINE answers, rather than 8:

US chain: $1,000
-- $2,500 -- $5,000 -- $10,000 -- $25,000 -- $50,000
-- $75,000 -- $125,000.

UK chain: 20 -- 50
-- 100 -- 200 -- 300 -- 400 -- 600 -- 800 --
1000.

... but the chains in the US are somewhat more
"top-heavy" than the UK version.

Should any team get
up to the $75,000 level, it'll be interesting to see
if they try to go for the $125,000--is it worth
risking $75,000 to win an additional $50,000? [It reminds
me of the "Twenty One" revival, where contestants
were expected to risk $150K for a chance at $60K....
not likely.]

As for the one question I am sure
some of us are wondering: Rob, on the UK version, *is*
there a clock visible to the contestants? I realize
that just because there was/n't one in the UK doesn't
mean there's one here, but, from the way they were
playing here, they certainly appeared to be oblivious of
the clock.

--STI

P.S. No, I'm not
making this
up....

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