Case Studies3 cases studies of TV game shows that have contrasts in format and target audience.

Pointless

PointlessFormat:• The show's format (originally to be called “Obviously”) was envisaged to be a “reverse”

Family Fortunes; rewarding obscure knowledge, while allowing people to also give obvious answers. This meant that it was a quiz which could be sort of highbrow (intellectual) and popular simultaneously.

• The format consists of two elimination rounds, a head-to-head round and the final round. If two teams are tied for the highest point value at the end of the first or second round, a sudden-death round occurs, with the highest-scoring team losing. The couple that wins the head-to-head round are awarded a Pointless trophy and the chance to win the jackpot by finding a pointless answer. If the contestants fail to find a pointless answer in the final round, the jackpot rolls over to the next show and is increased by £1,000.

• In the celebrity shows, the jackpot always starts at £2,500 but it will not be rolled over to the following show, and the jackpot will be reset to £2,500.

• For specials, the jackpot starts at £5,000 and goes up by £500 for each pointless answer, but as with the regular celebrity shows, the jackpot does not roll over to the following show.

PointlessRules:• There are four teams on the programme, who play in teams of two, The object of the game is for

contestants to provide answers which are not only correct but also as obscure as possible to general knowledge questions based on pre-conducted public surveys of 100 people from the UK.

• Prior to the show, 100 people are each given 100 seconds to give as many answers as they can to the questions that contestants will be asked during the show. Correct answers are assigned a point value equal to the number of panellists who gave them, so that less commonly given answers have lower values than those given by many panellists. Contestants try to give answers worth as few points as possible, aiming to have the lowest score amongst the contestants in each round.  An incorrect answer adds 100 points to the contestant's score.

• "Pointless" answers are those correct answers that none of the 100 panellists gave, making them worth zero points. Each time a contestant gets a pointless answer prior to the final round, £250 is added to the jackpot.

• In each round, the team with the highest score is eliminated; the other teams proceed to the next round. Teams can appear on the show twice (only once if they have made it to the final round on their first attempt). In the final a pointless answer is needed to win the jackpot.

PointlessElimination Round:• The teams are given a subject, and each team chooses

one contestant from their team to answer the question first. Then the question within the subject is revealed. After each round the pairs switch positions, each taking turns to answer the question. During each of these rounds, teams may not confer.

• Teams gain points depending on how many people answered the question with that answer. If the contestant gives an incorrect answer, they are awarded the maximum 100 points.

• At the end of each round, the team with the highest score is eliminated from the game. In the event of a tie, the tied teams each give an extra answer each until the deadlock is broken and the team with the highest points eliminated. The teams are allowed to confer in the tie-break

• To complete each round, Osman reveals all the pointless answers, or the three least popular if there are no pointless answers, plus the top three answers, which would be worth the highest amount to any contestant.

Format of questions included:

• Open-ended questions: contestants are given the question and a free choice of answer—no prompts or pre-set answers are shown.

• A list of categories appears on the board after a question and contestants can give any answer that fits into any of those categories – helps to narrow down a wider category.

• The possible answers format gave the question and a board of seven potential answers where one answer was pointless and one was incorrect.

• Clues and answers, was introduced in series 3. The teams are given a two-part subject, and then a list of names relating to part of the question. The contestants must select an item from the list and give the corresponding half of the answer.

• Linked categories, provides the teams with two closely related categories The first category is played on the first pass (by the teams' first contestant), and the second category is played on the second pass (by the second contestants). The questions are still played in an open-ended format.

• A fifth format shows the contestants a picture or pictures containing many people or objects (e.g. cartoon characters) and they have to identify the lowest-scoring person/object in it.

• Facts about a subject

• Word puzzles

PointlessChannel Broadcasted On: • The series was first broadcast on BBC Two on 24 August 2009 before it transferred to BBC One in 2011 where it has

continued till date.The Host:• Alexander Henry Fenwick Armstrong: an English comedian, actor, television presenter and singer, best known as one

half of the comedy duo Armstrong and Miller and as host of the BBC TV game show Pointless.Starring (Co-Host):• Richard Osman: an English television presenter, producer and director. He is the creator and co-presenter of the BBC

One television quiz show Pointless.Success:• The show has a peak audience of over 7 million viewers and the format has been exported to other European

countries.• By 2013, the programme was averaging 3.6 million viewers daily, and starting to gain more viewers than ITV game

show, The Chase, which also airs in roughly the same time slot.• They have also won the best daytime programme award at The Television and Radio Industries Club Awards in 2015

PointlessContestants:• Pointless accept general public contestants for their daily day time

programmes. You must be a resident of the UK and at least 18 years old to be on the show.

• Pointless Celebrities is a celebrity edition of Pointless and airs on Saturday nights during prime time/peak time (early peak is 5:30pm – 8:00pm) (late peak is 8:00pm – 11:00pm). Each episode features four pairs of celebrity contestants playing to win money for charities of their choice, and there is usually a theme in regards to the contestants (e.g. a “reality TV” special which aired in December 2015 featured pairs of contestants famous for appearances on reality television shows like Big Brother and Made in Chelsea

PointlessPrize:• The aim of the Final is to get one pointless answer to win the jackpot. For reaching the

final the team receives a "coveted" Pointless trophy, regardless of what happens in the final. The trophy is made from a 120mm tall block of optical quality crystal, 3D laser-engraved with a stack of 100 Pointless discs and the Pointless logo.

• For the regular shows, the team is given a choice of five categories. After choosing one, they get the question, and have 60 seconds to converse and give three answers for that category. If any individual response is a pointless answer, the team wins the jackpot and the jackpot is reset to £1,000 for the following game. If not, £1,000 is added to the jackpot.

• In celebrity episodes, if the celebrity duo do not win the jackpot, a consolation prize of £500 is given for their respective charities.

• A record jackpot of £24,750 was won in the episode broadcast 8 March 2013.

PointlessAudience:• Pointless currently is filmed at Elstree Studios and has an average of

an audience capacity of 300 for general and celebrity shows.• This type of audience can likely be older as it is a show that is popular

during the day and it is a genre based on knowledge. Based on this we can say they will be very few, if none, young people present. We can be stereotypical and predict there are retired men and women or housewives that will be most likely to watch or attend the recordings.

Broadcast:• On BBC One at 5:15 every weekday for 50 minutes

Would I Lie To You?

Would I Lie To You?Format/Rules:• The team captains are comedians David Mitchell and Lee Mack.

For each show, two celebrity guests join each of the team captains. The teams compete as each player reveals unusual facts and embarrassing personal tales for the evaluation of the opposing team. Some of these are true; some are not, and the panellists’ task is to decide which is which.

• In all rounds, the scoring system is the same; teams gain a point for correctly guessing whether a statement is true or not, but if they guess incorrectly the opposing team gets a point. It is impossible for viewers to follow the scores until they are read out at the end of each round, as some questions are edited out

Would I Lie To You?Current Rounds:• "Home Truths": Panellists read out a statement about themselves. The opposing

team has to decide whether it is true or false by asking the panellist questions. The first series used all six panellists; from the second series onwards, only the four guests read statements.

• "This is My...": A guest person is introduced. Panellists on one of the teams tell the opposing team about their relationship to the guest person; only one is genuine, and the opposing team has to work out which it is.

• "Quick-Fire Lies": Same as "Home Truths" but ostensibly against the clock, with the panellists chosen at random. In series two a 'possessions' element was introduced; the panellist takes an item out of a box and has to convince the opposing team that it belongs to them.

Would I Lie To You?Channel Broadcasted On:• A British comedy panel show aired on BBC One, made by Zeppotron for the BBC. It was first broadcast on 16 June

2007.The Host:• Robert Brydon Jones, MBE: known professionally as Rob Brydon, is a Welsh actor, comedian, radio and television

presenter, singer and impressionist.Success:• The series 5 premiere had the show's highest ratings to date, with 4 million viewers and a 17.2% audience share• The show won the British Comedy Guide 2011 awards for the category "Best British TV Panel Show. It also won the

category in 2013, and the "Comedy of the Year 2013" award, making it the first non-scripted show to do so. It won the "Panel Show" category for the third time at the 2014 awards.

• The show won the British Comedy Award for "Best British TV Panel Show" in 2010. It further won the award twice in a row at the 2013 and 2014 ceremonies. The show has also been nominated for the BAFTA’s in 2014, 2015 and 2016.

• The show airs on ABC1 and ABC2 in Australia, and began screening on BBC UKTV in New Zealand from November 2014.

• There have been DVD’s made of the series’ and a board game based on the show.

Would I Lie To You?Contestants:• This show is not open for audience participation. There are only

celebrities that have guest appearances as the panellists on the show. Along side the team captains David Mitchell and Lee Mack; there have many other guests on the show.

Would I Lie To You?Prizes:• In this game show, there are no

prizes. It is played to entertain the audience in the studio and the people watching at home. The host does keep count of the scores but the point do not result in a prize. The host will simply announce the winning team with the highest score in the particular episode and end the show.

Would I Lie To You?Audience:• Would I Lie To You? is currently filmed at Pinewood Studios which can manage

large studio audiences for big live shows – up to 2,000+ people.• We can automatically assume that due to the genre of comedy and a relaxed

mood of the show, the potential audience will also reflect these ideas. We can imagine that the audience will be young and more interested in the entertainment factor of gameshows rather than wanting to learn new information. These factors portray an audience of young men or women who are modern and casual.

Broadcast:• Currently showing repeats on BBC One at 11:25pm. Season 1 aired at 9:55pm,

Season 2 at 9:00pm, Season 3 and 4 at 10:35pm, Season 5 at 9:30pm and finally Season 6 at a pre-watershed slot of 8:30pm for the first time. The show airs for 30 minutes.

Total Wipeout

Total WipeoutFormat/Rules:• Total Wipeout was hosted by Richard Hammond, who commentates as the contestants

attempt to complete the challenges. He is also seen in a studio to provide certain links within the show. Meanwhile Amanda Byram interviewed the contestants during the show and remained on the side-lines as they made their way through the course.

• Each week, 20 contestants competed in a series of challenges in an attempt to win £10,000. These challenges were based in large pools of water or mud and generally involved large assault courses that participants had to cross.

• Total Wipeout was a licensed version of Wipeout, the Endemol show that originated in the United States in 2008, with the name slightly altered to avoid confusion with the BBC version of the earlier game show of the same name.

• During Total Wipeout contestants are put through a series of obstacle courses and challenges. After each challenge a certain number of them are eliminated from the competition. After the fourth and final round the fastest of the remaining three competitors around the course wins the game and the cash prize. The eliminated contestants can be seen sitting at the side during later challenges.

Total WipeoutRules:Stage 1 – The Qualifier:• The Qualifier involves twenty contestants attempting to complete

a short obstacle course in the least time possible; the eight contestants with the slowest times are eliminated, with the fastest twelve advancing to either The Sweeper or Crash Mountain or Double Cross. The Qualifier contains the dominant Sucker Punch and Big Balls. The first and last obstacles change every week, however the first obstacle is always set over a pool of water or mud, and the final obstacle is always a 'swing' to the goal. 29 contenders in the show's history have conquered the Big Balls, declared by Hammond as the hardest Wipeout obstacle ever.

Stage 2 – The Sweeper (Series 1-2):• The Sweeper involves the twelve remaining contestants standing

on 10-foot-tall (3.0 m) podiums, over water, while a robotic arm spins around in a circular motion. The contestants have to jump over it, with the arm getting faster and higher in random sections of every rotation. The game continues until a single player remains, but unlike the American version the winner does not receive a prize. The six contestants who are first to fall are eliminated; the rest move on to Dizzy Dummies.

Crash Mountain (Series 3-4):• involves the twelve remaining contestants standing on 10 ft tall

podiums over water while three robotic arms swing round in a circular motion. One arm is designed for the contestants to jump onto to reach the centre of the mountain; the other arms are designed to knock the contestants into the water while spinning in opposite directions. If any contestants falls into the water they must go to any unoccupied podium, climb and attempt it again. Contestants do not have to attempt to reach the mountain on every rotation of the arm. The five who make it to the centre first advance to Dizzy Dummies.

Double Cross (Series 5):• Double Cross was introduced and is the same as the American

version: contestants enter on the three green platforms and exit from the single red one as four sweeper arms come the other way. The fastest six go through to Terror-Go-Round.

Total WipeoutRules:Stage 3:Dizzy Dummies (Series 1-4):• Dizzy Dummies involves two rounds with one contestant being eliminated in

each round. The five contestants are strapped onto a "human merry-go-round" and spun at speed for 40 seconds. When they are released, the contestants must make their way to the finish line by crossing the obstacles in their way. The challenge has two different routes: round 1 uses the first route, round 2 uses the second. The losing contestant in each round to reach the finish line is eliminated. The rest spin again and take part in the next round. Examples of obstacles in Dizzy Dummies include the Tippy Tables, Teeter Totters, Dock Maze, Crazy Beams, Doughnuts and the Barrel Crossing.

The Dreadmill (Series 2-3):• The Dreadmill also involves three rounds in which the six semi-finalists are

paired up. There are two challenges on the dreadmill, which change from show to show. In the first challenge the participants must stand on two parallel treadmills, and when the klaxon sounds they must duck to avoid a giant swinging wrecking ball, which is being lowered and getting faster with every swing. The first person who falls from The Dreadmill is eliminated. In the second challenge, when the klaxon sounds the contestants must lift three rubber doors to reach the end of The Dreadmill. The last person to reach the end of The Dreadmill, or the first to fall off, is eliminated. In both challenges the dreadmill is going against them, making the challenge even harder. The winners of each of the three heats advance to 'The Wipeout Zone'.

Terror-Go-Round (Series 5):• Terror-Go-Round is the same as the American version

except for the name; the American version is called 'The Spinner Round'. Contestants need to keep running while the sweeper arms move and the Terror Twins throw things at them. The game is played over three heats, with the winner of each heat going through to 'The Wipeout Zone'.

Final Stage:The Wipeout Zone:• The Wipeout Zone is the final stage of the competition.

The three remaining contestants must complete the "toughest obstacle course in the world" in the quickest time possible. The contestant who completes the zone fastest wins the grand prize of £10,000. The Wipeout Zone is made up of five/six obstacles

Total WipeoutChannel Broadcasted On:• On BBC One from 3 January 2009 – 31 December 2012. They also had specials of The Winter Wipeout.The Hosts:• Richard Mark Hammond: a British presenter, writer, and journalist, best known for co-hosting the BBC

Two motoring programme Top Gear from 2002 until 2015 with Jeremy Clarkson and James May. (He presented Total Wipeout from the studio.)

• Amanda Byram is an Irish television presenter and former model, best known for co-presenting BBC One game show Total Wipeout with Richard Hammond, and for hosting the American television show, Paradise Hotel. (She presented Total Wipeout on location.)

Success:• They had 4 very successful series of Total Wipeout and 1 series of Winter Wipeout before deciding to

cancel the show. They had a successful 4 year run.• Highest viewing rate was 6.80 million on 7th February 2009 (Series 1)

Total WipeoutContestants:• The general public would usually sign up to take part in the show and try to

complete the obstacle race. However, there have been numerous celebrity specials (Celebrity Total Wipeout) where the format is slightly different but famous stars such as Strictly Come Dancing Dancers James and Ola Jordan, Ex-Eastenders star Chris Parker and Hollyoaks actor James Sutton have taken part. There have also been celebrity contestants in the Celebrity Winter Wipeout.

Prizes:• The regular shows would have contestants playing to win £10,000 but the

celebrity specials would most likely have the stars playing to earn money to donate to a charity of their choice.

Total WipeoutAudience:• There would be no audience to view this event because it is an outdoor,

physical event filmed in Argentina. There would be the 20 contestants that would watch the remaining contestants complete the obstacle races if they had been eliminated when they sat on the side. This shows that the main audience would be the viewers at home, watching the TV. This type of show would attract a variety of people ranging from young children/teenagers to older people. It is a form of visual entertainment.

Broadcast:• On BBC One for 60 minutes at 5:00pm – usually weekdays and

weekends.