Format Update: “Celebrity Name Game”, British “Minute to Win It”, and “High Stakes”

Good morning everyone.  Three different game shows we’ll be able to see either shot their pilot or first episodes this past week.  The three shows are ITV’s High Stakes, ITV2′s completely revamped Minute to Win It, and CBS’s pilot of Celebrity Name Game, formerly Identity Crisis.  We’ve seen reports of all three and while one is a clunker, the other two could be good.  Celebrity Name Game, in particular, sounds great.

*In June CBS ordered a pilot of Identity Crisis, based on the board game of the same name, from producers David Arquette and Courtney Cox.  The name has changed to Celebrity Name Game and Craig Ferguson, the best late night host on television, is the host of the show.  I don’t think there’s been a game show to give more of a party vibe, much like the old Win, Lose, or Draw show you may remember, more than this.

Hollywood Junket has a write-up.  Without going into massive details the show has two contestants playing a game with a celebrity partner attempting to name other celebrities for cash.  The set is apparently a giant living room-looking place to keep the feel that people are playing a board game.  There’s no money chain, no lifelines, no terrifying fake suspense…it’s just the fun game.  You can’t ask for much more.  Reading the write up my fingers are crossed we see this one come to life.  This sounds fantastic and incredibly fun to watch.  They nailed the look, feel, and game, it seems.  CBS always does great with game shows.  This is no exception.

*ITV2 in England taped their first episode of their version of the former NBC game show Minute to Win It.  We were a little confused when we heard they were picking it up and we expected changes.  ITV1 airs The Cube, a very similar show, so they aren’t going to take the show as-is.  They didn’t, and I think it could work out to be a bit better.  You can read the write up here but the game is now a head to head competition between six males and six females, each with a celebrity captain in there.  There are up to six games and each team sends at least one person out to play.  They have 60 seconds to earn as many points as they can.  After 6 rounds the team with the most points plays the end game, the Cash Builder, for over £10,000.

I’ve gone on the record saying my issue with Minute to Win It was its complete lack of originality.  It was straight up Millionaire without questions.  And I’ve also gone on the record and said the only reason I truly enjoy The Cube is because of the technology.  Without it, it would be a boring show.  While ITV’s Minute to Win It isn’t exactly a new, novel concept, it is different enough and adds some actual competition which interests me.  The best episodes of NBC’s version were the Last Man Standing where 10 people played against each other.  Those episodes were easily watchable and very fun.  They’re keeping that feeling here.  We’ll see how it goes.

*We come to ITV1′s High Stakes which falls into the category of, “Well, it’s got a nice set.”  The game just isn’t that good, according to audience reports.  The game involves a contestant standing on a video floor platform two floors above the ground (audience around).  On the platform is a grid of six rows of seven numbers.  Row one has one trap, row two has two traps, and so on to row six having six out of seven spaces traps.  All you have to do is stand on a square and hope it’s good.  If it is you get money.  If it’s not then the floor slowly lowers taking you below.  If you get afraid you have ten Clues to use all game which give you a question letting you know which space on the row to avoid.

It’s just not that great of a format, sorry.  The way the report sounds everyone, rather wisely, just uses the ten clues getting to the £25,000 level and stops.  There’s really no reason to do any more.  The odds are so stacked against the contestant that it’ll be a miracle to see anyone go far.  There’s really not a show out there that’s more pick-a-square-win-a-prize than this, either.  The entire point of the show is having it take place off the ground.  Without it, it’s just not that great.  If they used trap doors, fine, there’s some sense of danger.  Getting slowly lowered a little lame.  Good try, because we always love seeing new game shows.  It only helps our genre.  This is just one of those clunkers I can’t see going far.