Weekend Replay: Series Two of “The Bank Job”
I feel extremely conflicted about Channel 4′s The Bank Job, which came back for a second series this past Friday. It seems like it should be a lot better than it is. There’s a good game in here. It just feels like they took many poor production decisions that it’s hurting the final product. For those that don’t remember the first series, four people play a game of knowledge, nerves, and luck in an actual bank. There’s a board of 25 safes. Get a question right and you get to choose one and take what’s in it. You can then elect to stay in the vault and keep playing or exit with what you have, but be careful because the lowest score at the end of the round is gone. The winner keeps his or her cash and comes back next show.
Changes for series two involve updating the look of the staged vault they created inside the bank. It looks very nice, so good for that. Gone is the somewhat pointless Prisoner’s Dilema “Cash or Trash” element. As we said, the champion keeps it all and comes back next show. The first round has, for some reason, been shrunk to 1:15. This means that a game that lasts 4:15 takes an hour to complete. Also added to the vaults during the game is a Bankrupt, which causes the contestant to lose everything that round, so you’re always in risk. Any money that the two finalists won in the first two rounds is placed into the safes for the final round, so they know four of the amounts for sure. Other than that, it’s the same thing.
Check out some of the most recent episode. It’s got a pretty exciting ending.
The changes that they made, for the most part, are definitely for the better. There are many other issues, though, which haven’t really been adjusted and desperately need it. They have a great theme here of a bank heist but they don’t want to utilize it for some reason. They could set this show in any setting and it would be the same. You’re in a bank vault. You have a giant vault attached to a huge clock ticking down. Actually use it. Add a sense of danger. I like that we got rid of the Prisoner’s Dilema aspect, but the show doesn’t feel as special as it should. Its sister show, Million Pound Drop still has some luster from the giant stakes in play. You know what’s going to happen here. It doesn’t feel as exciting as it should.
Having said all of this, it’s still far from the worst thing we’ve seen. Not even close. I know that sounds like damning praise, but it’s really not as bad as it sounds. I think the series two review is just based on disappointment more than anything. The Bank Job has such potential and they didn’t remotely take it as far as they could have.
I for one Like this new Bank Job. I think that it is better is some parts but lack luster in others. The time in round one is just WRONG!!!! In my opinion it need to me 2:00.
Format is good for the most part but I think there needs to be less steals and more Bankrupts.
Steal are nice but if they want to add more excitement to the game have more Bankrupts.
The whole carryover champion brings back nostalgia. It reminds me of the old days of Wheel Of Fortune.
Over all I think the show is doing good but there are still some minor kinks that need to be worked out.
Score after 2 Episodes: 8.5/10
I like The Bank Job, but I don’t like the fact that they’ve reduced the timer down to 1:15 in the first round, and that the 3rd round starts off with 150,000 instead of 200,000. Obviously, they reduced the money amount by 50,000 because the amounts of money won in Rounds 1 and 2 are added into Round 3, but it kind of makes the first two rounds pointless, because you don’t get to keep the money you win in them.
Aside from that, George still has problems with his iPad, and he still keeps brushing his hair with his hand, which seems to be a bit of a bad habit he’s picked up on. He’s getting better at hosting the game though.
Bank job is fixed, just proved it tonight!! £0,000 hahahaha!