18Oct2007
Davies Takes “Hold Onto Your Seat”
Michael Davies and Embassy Row have snatched up the rights to the French quizzer Hold Onto Your Seat which hopefully will have a better name if anything is done with it in America. In the show, five challengers try to unseat a reigning champion, who has a number of advantages in the game. The latest champion remained on the air for five weeks. “It is so rare to see something in the game show format that is so inherently stylish,” Davies said. “This game show could only have been created in France; it’s like the Chanel of daytime game shows.”
That sounds a lot like the french show “Tout le monde veut prendre sa place” (everyone wants to take their place). on the french version the champion’s advantages come in play in the fianl round, the champion chooses one of four categories for themeselves and one for their opponent, each is aksed 5 questions, when the question si read the contestant can answer open-ended for 5 points, 4 multiple choices for 3 points or 2 choices for 1 point. The player who finishes with the highest score wins 100 euros per point and becomes champion returning next show, but here’s the weird part: if a champion is defeated he/she may if they want offer the new champ ALL of their previous winnings to leave, should the new champ take the offer the previous champ returns with $0.
I first noticed the show becuase the format is somewhat similar to an idea I wrote up years ago called “Trivia Time” since then I no longer publish any of my game show ideas.
I would assume Micheal Davies’ version will have a bigger prize budget than $100 a point.
This sounds like an intellectual (I hope) version of King of the Mountain.
I’ll take anything over Temptation.
Marc Power: That’s because it IS an american version of “Tout le monde veut prendre sa place”.
‘Hold Onto Your Seat’ is an amusing working title. It’s still better than Let’s Do Crosswords, and that show’s great idea-flawed execution is about what I’m expecting from this format right now.
I don’t know about that. There are some good shows on French TV.
If they don’t monkey with the rules (and why would they?), then the game is at least already road-tested, so the rules won’t be actually broken like MG’sC’s are.
Actually, the 1970s pilot to which you refer is called King of the Hill, and I do notice the similarities.
Marc has most of the rules right, save for one small wrinkle. If the challenger wins the endgame, the champion may bribe them by offering ANY amount the champion wishes, from their accumulated winnings. The challenger may take the money and run, leaving the chapm to return the next time.
A champion named Jean-Pierre faced this situation after 12 consecutive wins and 17,800 Euros ($25,200 US) to his name. When he lost his 13th duel, he offered the challenger TEN THOUSAND of his money in order to keep his title! The challenger promptly accepted, Jean-Pierre continued with 7,800 Euros, and went on to win 25 games before finally bowing out.
thanks for pointing that out Charles, I only saw this situation once before and the champion had only won 1 game and had 1,400 euros and offered the challenger the whole thing which the challenger wisely turned down.