Decade of Games: “Paranoia”
One of the shortest-lived of the million dollar game shows in the beginning of the decade was a Fox Family game Paranoia. The cable network did something no other network tried to up to that point. They tried to create a big money game show that anyone in America could play along, and everyone was against the main contestant. It was a really unique concept, but it got a bit screwed because it was on a crappy network and it was a bit too complicated for its own good. A bit too green-screened, too. But given how old it is I’m amazed they got as much technology as they had in there and made it work
An abbreviated version of the rules is the contestant is given $10,000. The contestant gets a multiple choice question; a right answer does nothing but a wrong answer means the contestant loses $1,000. No matter what the contestant must then select one of the three satellite players to answer the question. If they were right they get $1,000 from the contestant, but if they are wrong they get a strike. Two strikes and a satellite player is knocked out. If all the contestants are knocked out before ten questions are up and the contestant still has at least $1,000 he or she wins the game. Run out of money and it’s game over. At that point an at-home jackpot, which goes down for each answer the people playing over the phone or online got correct, is also given to the contestant.
Ten categories are shown, and the player has to answer one non-multiple choice question from it. Nine of the categories has an X10 multiplier, and one has an X100. A right answer will multiply the contestant’s money by that. Again, that’s an abbreviated version. A more extended version can be read here. I really did enjoy the show. It was pretty unique but it was just a bit too large. Too much was going on. Take a look below. To me, when all is said and done, it’s at least in the upper half of the decade’s million dollar game shows. Notice the little blooper from host Peter Tomarken at the end of the first act we give you. He seems a bit overburdened even.
Another point to make here: This would end up being Peter Tomarken's last full-fledged series. He would do that one Whammy! pilot in 2002 (and of course appeared on the actual series in 2003 for that special "Larson Reunion" episode), and hosted/narrated GSN's documentary about the Larson story, but Paranoia proved to be the end of the road for one of the best-remembered hosts from the '80s boom period.
I give Paranoia full marks for effort and trying, but the show was just too complicated to follow for a first-time viewer. I also feel as if it was a bit ahead of the technology of the time; if you were to try this concept today, some of the rough edges on the technical side might not be so rough.
Ha! Peter had "The Game Show Network" on his mind….
Though I must say that I really like his style of hosting…
I'd like to see a contestant try to hand a $1000 stack to Peter, but "accidentally" drop it down that bottomless void.
It was a cool concept, but I thought there were too many side play-from-home games. This actually kind of reminds me of those early GSN phone games.
I'd like to see a contestant try to hand a $1000 stack to Peter, but "accidentally" drop it down that bottomless void.
It was a cool concept, but I thought there were too many side play-from-home games. This actually kind of reminds me of those early GSN phone games.
Another point to make here: This would end up being Peter Tomarken's last full-fledged series. He would do that one Whammy! pilot in 2002 (and of course appeared on the actual series in 2003 for that special "Larson Reunion" episode), and hosted/narrated GSN's documentary about the Larson story, but Paranoia proved to be the end of the road for one of the best-remembered hosts from the '80s boom period.
I give Paranoia full marks for effort and trying, but the show was just too complicated to follow for a first-time viewer. I also feel as if it was a bit ahead of the technology of the time; if you were to try this concept today, some of the rough edges on the technical side might not be so rough.
Another point to make here: This would end up being Peter Tomarken's last full-fledged series. He would do that one Whammy! pilot in 2002 (and of course appeared on the actual series in 2003 for that special "Larson Reunion" episode), and hosted/narrated GSN's documentary about the Larson story, but Paranoia proved to be the end of the road for one of the best-remembered hosts from the '80s boom period.
I give Paranoia full marks for effort and trying, but the show was just too complicated to follow for a first-time viewer. I also feel as if it was a bit ahead of the technology of the time; if you were to try this concept today, some of the rough edges on the technical side might not be so rough.
Paranoia! One of my faves, if only due to the fact that I won an eMachine computer as one of the five top online scorers for one episode, and was eligible to be a "satellite player" (alas, I wasn't chosen). Think I still have a contestant rules and regulation form for that show somewhere. You are right, Alex — the show was complicated — had to read the form 2-3 times just to get an idea on how the show worked!
It also didn't help that the show was on what was then Fox Family. The network just seemed to sputter and spin around in circles before Disney took control and renamed it ABC Family, and, until recently, it was difficult to develop a hit show on a network still known as "The 700 Club Channel." (IIRC, Fox Family had pretty much started just before Paranoia's premiere)
I'd love to see GSN, the proposed Hasbro/Discovery venture or another cabler try their hands with a revival or something similar. As TheKid notes, today's technology should make the show less "fake looking" than it was earlier in the decade, and a greater online presence could equal more competitive opposition for the in-studio contestants.
Paranoia! One of my faves, if only due to the fact that I won an eMachine computer as one of the five top online scorers for one episode, and was eligible to be a "satellite player" (alas, I wasn't chosen). Think I still have a contestant rules and regulation form for that show somewhere. You are right, Alex — the show was complicated — had to read the form 2-3 times just to get an idea on how the show worked!
It also didn't help that the show was on what was then Fox Family. The network just seemed to sputter and spin around in circles before Disney took control and renamed it ABC Family, and, until recently, it was difficult to develop a hit show on a network still known as "The 700 Club Channel." (IIRC, Fox Family had pretty much started just before Paranoia's premiere)
I'd love to see GSN, the proposed Hasbro/Discovery venture or another cabler try their hands with a revival or something similar. As TheKid notes, today's technology should make the show less "fake looking" than it was earlier in the decade, and a greater online presence could equal more competitive opposition for the in-studio contestants.
Paranoia was definitely WAY ahead of its time. The whole atmosphere was "too busy". Not only that, they run the risk of technical problems since it was mostly live.
The one thing I remember about it was whenever a studio player loses all $10K, I'd play Genesis' "Throwing It All Away" since they "lost it all" to the satellite players. I would've played Pink Floyd's "Money" if they won big, but I didn't have the song at the time. Ah, 2000 memories!
Paranoia was definitely WAY ahead of its time. The whole atmosphere was "too busy". Not only that, they run the risk of technical problems since it was mostly live.
The one thing I remember about it was whenever a studio player loses all $10K, I'd play Genesis' "Throwing It All Away" since they "lost it all" to the satellite players. I would've played Pink Floyd's "Money" if they won big, but I didn't have the song at the time. Ah, 2000 memories!
Paranoia was definitely WAY ahead of its time. The whole atmosphere was "too busy". Not only that, they run the risk of technical problems since it was mostly live.
The one thing I remember about it was whenever a studio player loses all $10K, I'd play Genesis' "Throwing It All Away" since they "lost it all" to the satellite players. I would've played Pink Floyd's "Money" if they won big, but I didn't have the song at the time. Ah, 2000 memories!
HA! Funny!
If this could've been:
A) reworked as a more "traditional" game..that is, all contestants were in-studio
B) on a better cable channel, or even GSN
C) on broadcast TV, as a syndicated series
…still no guarantees, and I'll admit, this is a bit of revisionist thinking, here. But, who's to say?
If this could've been:
A) reworked as a more "traditional" game..that is, all contestants were in-studio
B) on a better cable channel, or even GSN
C) on broadcast TV, as a syndicated series
…still no guarantees, and I'll admit, this is a bit of revisionist thinking, here. But, who's to say?
I'm sure your choice of music was very influential on everybody watching the show.
Quick correction…Paranoia actually aired near the end of Fox Family's existence. ABC Family debuted in the fall of 2000.
Quick correction…Paranoia actually aired near the end of Fox Family's existence. ABC Family debuted in the fall of 2000.
Quick correction…Paranoia actually aired near the end of Fox Family's existence. ABC Family debuted in the fall of 2000.
I'm sure your choice of music was very influential on everybody watching the show.
I'm sure your choice of music was very influential on everybody watching the show.
My head hurts just thinking about this game. When I watched it the first time I was completely confused, and even when seeing the rules explained in short form here, or in long form on one other website, I am still utterly confused. This show was just too confusing for people to understand.
It wouldn't have been that hard to simplify. Get rid of the cards, strikes and the complications with technology.
Just the main contestant playing against five in-studio players, called the 'Population'.
The main contestant has nine questions to try and eliminate those five players.
To try and eliminate the 'Population' on a question you need to answer it correctly. If the main contestant answers it wrong, it's on to the next question and one less chance to eliminate players.
If the main player is right, they get to pick-on a member of the 'Population'. If the member of the 'Population' is wrong, they are out and the main player, gets to pick again, hoping to eliminate more of the 'Population'. If the member of the 'Population' is right, they stay in and it's on to the next question.
Any members of the 'Population' who remain after nine questions get $1000, while if the main contestant knocks out the entire population within the nine questions, they get $1000 for every question left and goes on the play the bonus round.
Rather then having money, questions, cards, players and strikes as indicators to how the player is doing, this version just has questions and 'Population' remaining, making it a more simple game, while retaining the basic concept.
The last member of the 'Population' becomes the next contestant. If there's more then one remaining at the end of the game, whoever was picked-on first/the most will become the main contestant, while the others will remain in the 'Population' for the next game.
It wouldn't have been that hard to simplify. Get rid of the cards, strikes and the complications with technology.
Just the main contestant playing against five in-studio players, called the 'Population'.
The main contestant has nine questions to try and eliminate those five players.
To try and eliminate the 'Population' on a question you need to answer it correctly. If the main contestant answers it wrong, it's on to the next question and one less chance to eliminate players.
If the main player is right, they get to pick-on a member of the 'Population'. If the member of the 'Population' is wrong, they are out and the main player, gets to pick again, hoping to eliminate more of the 'Population'. If the member of the 'Population' is right, they stay in and it's on to the next question.
Any members of the 'Population' who remain after nine questions get $1000, while if the main contestant knocks out the entire population within the nine questions, they get $1000 for every question left and goes on the play the bonus round.
Rather then having money, questions, cards, players and strikes as indicators to how the player is doing, this version just has questions and 'Population' remaining, making it a more simple game, while retaining the basic concept.
The last member of the 'Population' becomes the next contestant. If there's more then one remaining at the end of the game, whoever was picked-on first/the most will become the main contestant, while the others will remain in the 'Population' for the next game.
This idea sounds a little to close to 1 vs 100, IMHO.