Your First Previews of “Who’s Still Standing?”
NBC is debuting their newest quiz show Who’s Still Standing?, based on the Israeli format Still Standing, next Monday (December 19th) at 8:00PM ET. The show is a head-to-head trivia competition between a Hero and ten strangers, each of which (s)he faces one at a time. Beating all ten wins $1,000,000. We’ve covered the foreign versions rather extensively and given you lots of coverage of NBC’s version, so you know most of what’s to know about it. However, how about seeing it? We’ve got your very first look into the game play of the Ben Bailey hosted quiz show. If anything, it’s leaving me slightly worried, though.
Here’s two rounds of play, courtesy NBC.
GSN had the same issue with Lingo and I’ll repeat it here. When you want to show off a new, exciting show to the press, why would you not lead with your best foot forward? Why would you send clips of two people not knowing very elementary pop culture questions? The first guy could not get the simple concept of a month with the letter P in it, and regardless he refused to rattle off all the months. I really hope the show perks up and gets slightly tougher and more exciting in later rounds. This was maddening and if I have to sit through hours of people like this, I’ll switch it off. And so will most of America.
My only other pet peeve is you can easily see the fingerprints of Minute to Win It all over Who’s Still Standing?. It’s got the same producers, and most of the same production tactics are carried over. I know this sounds nerdy and petty, but that’s what we’re here for. I don’t see why these producers are so opposed to a regular, normal game show introduction and a regular, normal soundtrack. I’m not asking for anything mind blowing. But for some reason this crew decides every one of their shows needs some over the top, nearly parody-like music or a reconstituted pop song playing at all times. Is it really too much to have just a normal package? It can still be strange and different, but something resembling the genre? Millionaire somehow managed to update their stuff to fit 2011 and be new, and be familiar. I don’t get the thought process behind this. Again, petty, but oh well.
Beyond that, though, it does what it sets out to do. Again, the show is basically the Killer Questions end game of Russian Roulette stretched to an hour and it works. It’s not the most thrilling thing ever and Russian Roulette still holds the honor of best drop-based game show, which is an increasing crowd recently, but it’s far better than most of NBC’s recent efforts and certainly a better full package than ABC’s You Deserve It. It looks nice, plays nice, it’s got great play-along, and Ben Bailey is great as host. I really don’t know if America will connect with it, and those game previews supplied to us doesn’t fill me with optimism, but I’m hoping it does OK. We don’t get relatively fast paced quiz shows much anymore.
I’m not going to watch, that’s for sure. Yet another sad example of how shows are being dumbed down in the media. I just hope it doesn’t last long.
Come on Nikolai, don’t say that. If everyone here hoped that all newly-produced game shows didn’t last that long, then networks would just stop producing new game shows altogether. And obviously, we don’t want that to happen.
Sure, I don’t like it when a network can’t put a budget together to create their own music soundtrack for a game show, but Ben’s a funny host and the game looks good overall, aside from the dumb contestants.
I’m willing to give it a chance, just like I’ve done with all new game shows in today’s day and age.
I can understand why game show fans lack optimism. Networks seem so opposed to standard fare shows and think bubble gum-brained contestants and flashy presentations will draw viewers in. I don’t want to see any show fail, but if it’s flimsy (and this could be), it won’t last very long.
That’s Right, Scott and David, Both of you show Nikolai who Rules in the post.
From what I had seen in versions of the show in other countries, I was looking forward to this version in America. But if these clips are indicative of the “fast paced” and “challenging” content typical of this version, I might watch an episode or two out of curiosity, but probably not beyond that. If NBC is looking for a game show to include in its prime time line up, I hear the Million Dollar Mind Game is available.
How do you not know “September”? Looks like another show that celebrates America’s ignorance…and this will air (in many markets) after Jeopardy!, which celebrates intelligence. I can only assume that the questions are designed to weed out the idiots first. Then they’ll get tougher as the game progresses…they’d almost HAVE to!
BTW: Where the heck is my Million Dollar Pyramid?
I don’t think that I’m an idiot, but I would never have gotten September with that clue. Not every game show fan is as smart or clever as you.
Well, you don’t have to be smart or clever to get that question right. Just go through the months in your head (even better, do it out loud), and eventually you’ll be able to fit one with the revealed letters.
I actually watched the clip now, and have to agree: the muscle guy is a moron. September I understand, but not getting Tony the Tiger? I know people who don’t like game shows that could get that in two seconds flat.
The September one is easier than the Tony the Tiger, I think. Truly, just go from January and say them all. You can get through 12 months in 12 seconds if you just say them. The right answer is there and, since guessing is acceptable, just keep saying the months and the right answer will be said.
This show is more frustrating than anything, I think. I’ll check it out…
Maybe not, but I’m sure you could name all 12 months (or just the first 9 until you hit September) within 20 seconds… No penalty for wrong answers.
I have to respectfully disagree with you on the excitement of Russian Roulette, Alex. The only way I was able to enjoy that show, other than recognizing some of the contestants, was to cover up any and all clocks in the room, which is made worse by set top boxes that showed auto-updated times on their LED displays. It may not have been noticeable to the players in the studio, but shows were reliably edited so that each round ended every 10 minutes, and the drops became predictable to me at home.
I think two things could make this very interesting. Ringers, for starters, but also if the format were switched to use a cumulative countdown, like in Grand Slam.
How did they select these non-heroes? It almost seems like they have cast knuckleheads almost to ensure that the Hero gets close to the Million — before losing to a real smarty-pants.
This shows how NBC really knows how to butcher traditional game shows… I long for shows like 1 vs 100 which required some intelligence.
I don’t understand this at all. First off, it doesn’t seem too lasting ’cause all it is is a Russian Roulette rip-off. Secondly, how come every new game show seems to be “dumbed down” here in the States? Whatever happened to game shows from the past that are more straightforward and more fun? Why can’t we have the same flavor as the UK Deal or No Deal for example?
Side question: As you all know, Jeopardy! and Millionaire are the most dominant quiz shows on television today; how come you don’t see the greatness of a quiz/game show in this day in age in the States where new game shows only last one season before it’s as good as dead? If anyone can explain this to me why this is, please do ’cause as far as game shows in this day in age goes in the States, I’m ashamed to be an American. :(
Ugh. They can’t seriously be using a rap song for their theme. It’s just like Minute To Win It’s second season all over again. TT_TT
This showed so much promise, too. Whoever let the Minute To Win It guys make another show needs to be fired before they can do it again.
THIS is why Minute to Win It failed miserably and was CANCELLED after two seasons. Because after the first 10 episodes of the first season, they removed the good music and replaced it was lousy songs from the radio. Aside from which, I only listen to Oldies radio stations nowadays, since many of the newer songs are lousy.
But seriously, is there no room in the game show budget to create unique music for the program? Are we so cheap these days that it’s not bad enough to pay out the $1 Million over 20 years, but also that we have to steal tunes from the radio to act as themes for a game show?
This is what Million Dollar Mind Game did best. Having its own unique music and sound effects throughout the entire show. It added to the drama and suspense of the questions.
I recognize the contestant from the first clip; Bob Glouberman, who’s been on so many shows I’ve lost count.
Seeing Bob again prompted me to check if he ever was paid for his “incomplete” game of “Show Me The Money” when it was axed. According to Wikipedia, he was still paid $882K even though the conclusion of his game never aired!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Show_Me_the_Money_(U.S._game_show)
Let the priceless-ness continue. Apparently Bob Glouberman was on Russian Roulette…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DUXqIrGI1fg
That’s unfair. Some of us are lucky enough to make it on 1 game show, never mind winning a huge amount of cash on that game show. What did he do? Spend all of his $800k in Casinos, so he’s back to win even more money?
Thanks Ryan, you just made us start the actor tally…
Bob Glouberman on imdb… http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0323067/
“How come every new game show seems to be “dumbed down” here in the States?”. That’s easy; the producers love budget-savers, they love to show contestants who make the audience feel smarter, and that’s the way it’s been for quite a while now. The days of skilled contestants (aside from Jeopardy) are done, so the less it’s complained about, the better we’ll all feel.
These questions are son easy. Why the hunky guy didn’t get cereal question? But I will still watch this new show cuz of one thing: seeing people drop!! I excited for that.
One of the problems that US game shows have is the feeling that the contestants are all out of Central Casting. If this Ron Guberman has been on “more game shows than one could count”, then that would seem to make the point.
Compare that with something like, say, “The Chase”, which is a larger presence on YouTube thanks to such users as TheBankersNephew (may his tribe increase!) The people look like “just folks”, and they do not come off as absolute cretins. Nor do they appear to be making fools of themselves–with the rare exception.
It’s no “Jeopardy!”, but is does appear to be faster-paced than usual for a current American game sow. And if the contestants do prove to be so lacking in intelligence, that’s what we are stuck with.
It’s a delicate balancing act. A network or producer does not want his show to be too erudite, lest he turn off the mass audience. (For example: “Million Dollar Mind Game”, which was too smart for the mass audience.) But you don’t want a spelling bee that rewards one for spelling K-A-T–unless you’re trying to have a show where the contestant has to give deliberately wrong answers!
Well said. If only we knew what producers were actually thinking…
I think you’re mistaken, Alex. I think they believe that this IS putting their best foot forward. They’re showing off what the show is about: dropping idiots through a hole in the floor. Not even with much dignity, either, dropping them mid-sentence with that weird music.
Hell, half of the comedies on the air these days are filled with idiotic characters. People like watching the stupid guy.
I agree that the muscle man was dumb, but I do like the clips. They need to leave the element of surprise in the drop and not make it seem like the contestants knows when they are dropping. IT TOTALLY has remains of Minute to Win It ALL OVER IT> The lightning, music, sounds, everything, but i like it a lot better than You Deserve It
*facepalm*
I wish this had been given to CBS. They don’t have many recent offerings, but the few they have done over the past decade have been perfect examples of everything a modern-day game show should be. NBC and ABC can’t seem to stop doing the exact opposite.
You do realize that all of the primary contestants on WSS have been professional actors (they’re Googleable on the net). Given that they misrepresent their occupations/residences, all that’s left are the ads, so WSS is an infommercial. Shame on NBC and the FCC.
Very informative blog article.Much thanks again. Fantastic.