1 vs. 100

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

1 vs. 100 is a game show created by Endemol that is aired in several countries. The game pits one person against 100 others for a chance to win a large cash prize. The game first aired in the Netherlands as Eén Tegen Honderd, sponsored by the National Postcode Lottery.

Contents

[edit] General format

In all versions of 1 vs. 100, one player is selected to play the game as The One against 100 other people, collectively known as The Mob (or what "Mob" translates to in the local language, although the UK version doesn't call its group of 100 "The Mob"). Depending on the format of the game, the player can be selected randomly from the Mob, or selected independently. To win the game outright, the One must eliminate all 100 members of the Mob by answering questions correctly.

After having the opportunity to select a difficulty level or a category in some versions, a multiple-choice question with three options is revealed (on some versions, such as the U.S. and Australia, the player is given only the question, with no opportunity to select a difficulty and a category). The Mob is given a short amount of time (:15 on the US show, :06 for other versions, such as Australia) to lock in their answer before The One is given the opportunity to answer the question. If the One is correct, all Mob members that answered the question incorrectly are eliminated from further play, bringing the lone contestant closer to winning the game. The amount of money in the contestant's bank also increases by an amount dependent on the number of mob members eliminated in that question. If the contestant eliminates all 100 mob members, he or she claims all the money in the bank or a fixed top prize. However, if the One is incorrect, the game ends and he or she leaves with nothing. In some versions, the remaining members of the Mob split the losing contestant's winnings.

The One can select from a limited number of "helps", "escapes" or "dodges" depending on the version; escapes or dodges exempt the player from having to answer the question, but part of the bank must be forfeited (except in France, see below). Alternatively, a player can obtain more information on the mob's answers by using one of the "helps". In some versions of the game, the contestant is given the opportunity to take the amount in the bank and leave the game in between questions.

Some versions even have "jokers", mob members who are worth a certain amount rather than the standard amount for the question should they be eliminated after a question is answered correctly. There are usually three on versions that have them.

[edit] International variants

[edit] Australian format

Question Value
1, 2, 3 $500
4, 5 $1,000
6 $1,500
7 $2,000
8 $2,500
9 $3,000
10 $3,500
11 $4,000
12 $4,500
13+ $5,000

The Australian version of the show was officially launched on January 18, 2007 and premiered on January 29, 2007 on the Nine Network and is recorded in Studio 3 at the Melbourne Docklands Central City Studios. This version is based on the American version of the show, complete with a similar set, identical theme, and a similar prize structure with a AU$1,000,000 prize for knocking out all 100 members of the mob. It is hosted by Who Wants to Be a Millionaire host and ex-CEO of the Nine Network, Eddie McGuire.

A season of 15 episodes has been approved for production by the Nine Network. The first show was scheduled to be shot on Friday, January 19 and air from Monday, January 29.

Controversy is said to have started amongst confirmed and potential contestants, when filming of the first episode was delayed less than 12 hours before it was scheduled to start. The official reason was a problem caused by Melbourne's power blackouts three days earlier. However, speculation is that producer Michael Healy was asked a question at the Thursday night launch party, which was assessed as incorrect, despite the fact that he was right. Producers were reportedly not willing to chance problems at their first taping, hence inconveniencing the players, many of whom had taken time off work to attend the show. It is alleged that around 30 contestants turned up to the taping on Friday, unaware that they were not required.

When filming did get under way on Sunday 21 January, a witness is quoted as saying that a contestant in the first episode answered a question incorrectly: What is the unit of time equivalent to 60 seconds? Due to a technical glitch, the question reportedly had to be reasked, and when it was reshot, the contestant gave the correct answer, robbing the Mob of a chance at just over $100,000. A spokesman for Nine Network denied this account, but admitted that there had been a problem in gameplay with some members of the Mob.[1]

The January 29 debut of 1 vs. 100 did extremely well in the ratings, and was the most-watched program of the night. A peak audience of 2.4 million viewers and an average audience of 1.95 million watched the show in Australia's capital cities.[2] The second episode went to air on 5 February and narrowly lost in viewers to the Season 3 premiere of Desperate Housewives in a competition for viewers against the Seven Network. With 1.43 million viewers, the second episode was well down on the premiere, but still a pleasing number for McGuire.[3]

The Australian show also airs in New Zealand with the New Zealand debut on 1 September 2007 on TV One

[edit] Austrian format

An Austrian version of the show went on air on the ORF during primetime in April 2008. The first season will consist of ten episodes.

Question Value
1 € 500
2 € 1000
3 € 2500
4 € 5000
5 € 7500
6 € 10,000
7 € 25,000
8 € 50,000
9 € 75,000
10 € 100,000

[edit] Belarusian format

The Belarusian version of the show is aired on ОНТ(ONT). The quizmaster is Georgii Koldun (Георгий Колдун), popular singer in Belarus (his brother has take 6 place in Eurovision-2007).

Show was aired one time a week - on Saturday at 18:55 with a top prize of 50,000,000 Belarusian ruble. Like the Portuguese and Bulgarian version, in this version, the player faces only 50 opponents.

If the contestant answered correctly to the 12th question, he or she will take 50,000,000 BR

There have been one winner. 1 vs 50

Question Value
1 50,000 BR
2 100,000 BR
3 150,000 BR
4 200,000 BR
5 250,000 BR
6 300,000 BR
7 350,000 BR
8 400,000 BR
9 450,000 BR
10 500,000 BR
11 750,000 BR
12 1,000,000 BR

[edit] 50,000,000 BR winners

  1. Nikolay Efimenko (22th December, 2007)

[edit] Bulgarian format

The Bulgarian version of the show is aired on Nova Television. The host is Niki Kanchev, who also hosts Who Wants to be a Millionaire and Big Brother.

During its first season, the show was aired three times a week - on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at 21:00 with a top prize of 100,000 leva, as with all game shows aired on the channel. Like the Portuguese version, in this version, the player faces only 50 opponents.

There have been two winners.

Housemates from VIP Brother 2 played as mob members. They sat at podium #13 every time - Petya Pavlova, Kalin Velyov, Tihomir, Katerina Evro, Magi Jelyazkova, Azis and Kitaeca have appeared in the show.

A second season of 1 vs 50 is expected in the summer of 2008.

[edit] Danish format

A Danish version launched on TV3 on February 27, 2007, called 1 mod 100.[4] Football goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel is the host. The format is approximately the same as the British, where the contestant is given a choice between two categories every time, and questions go from a value of 500 Danish kroner up to 20,000 DKK. The top prize, if the player can eliminate all 100 opponents, is 2,000,000 DKK.

Contestant Hans Christian Rørdam (known always by his first two initials) broke a number of records on the show aired 13 April 2007. He knocked out the record-breaking mob-member who had 75 correct answers on his resume. He also knocked out a total of 94 of the mob-members, quitting just after using his last help-option. "H.C." did not bring home the biggest prize, as the mob was reduced rather early on a question about the title of Madonna's 1998 album release - a question "H.C." used a help option to dodge.

On 19 May 2007, contestant Thomas Hansen sat a new record. When only three members of the mob remained, he used his last help - trust the mob, and got knocked out(!) The question was about Danish literature, and tragicly enough Mr. Hansen mentioned that he had a gut feeling for what later showed to be the correct answer. This show left one mob-member with a prize of 399,000 DKK almost breaking the record for biggest prize on the show.

[edit] Dutch format

This original version is hosted by former RTL 4 and TROS broadcaster Caroline Tensen. It airs on Tien. Due to the sale of Tien to RTL Nederland, the show is back on air on RTL 4.

One person is selected to face the presenter. The person is given a series of questions based on varying topics, and is given the opportunity to select an 'Easy' or 'Difficult' question. Both the contestant and the other 100 players must answer the question, given in multiple choice format. If the contestant gets the question right, the presenter tallies how many of the 100 other players got the question wrong. The players who get the question wrong are eliminated from play, and the number of players eliminated is multiplied by a set amount, governed by the following formula (with the base value being €50,000):

50,000\times \frac{n_\mathrm{missed}}{n_\mathrm{total}},

where n is the number of players in the game. ntotal is the amount of players in the game prior to the question, and nmissed is the number of players who missed that question.

The contestant then has that amount of money placed into its money pool. For example, if there are 20 players left and 8 of them get the next question wrong, the lone contestant wins €20,000:

50,000 \times\frac{8}{20} = 20,000.

In short, the player wins the same percentage of €50,000 as that of the remaining mob knocked out.

This continues round after round until one of two things happens:

  • If all of the 100 players are eliminated, the lone contestant wins whatever winnings are in the pool.
  • If the lone contestant gets a question wrong at any time, he or she goes home with nothing. The lone contestant can never quit out.

The contestant also has the option to use one of three "escapes" from the second question onwards. The contestant can choose to give up a proportion of his or her winnings — 25%, 50% and 75%, in that order — of whatever money is in the pool in exchange for not having to answer the question correctly. If the contestant uses an "escape" for a question, the question is asked and all remaining players from the group of 100 must answer the question. Those players who answered the question incorrectly are eliminated from further play, although the contestant does not score from those eliminated.

The contestant also has a "doubler" — if he or she is confident of an answer and thinks that their opponents will get it wrong, the contestant can use it to double the money he or she earns. Like other lifelines in the game, the "doubler" can be used only once.

Should the lone contestant ever get a question wrong, one of the contestants who got the right answer from the group of 100 becomes the new lone contestant. The lone contestant never has the option to quit out of the game.

After the show came back to RTL 4, some rules has been altered. The "doubler" has been replaced by the "ABC", which the contestant can use if he or she wants to know how many players have got one of the three answers.

[edit] French format

Question Value
1 €100
2 €150
3 €200
4 €250
5 €300
6 €350
7 €400
8 €500
9 €600
10 €700
11+ €1,000

The French version of 1 vs. 100, called Un Contre 100, premiered on TF1 on January 8, 2007. It airs weekdays on the network at 18:20. The set and logo strongly resemble those on the first series of the US version. Benjamin Castaldi is the host of the show. This version is no longer aired on the channel due to poor ratings.

Money is awarded for each question answered incorrectly by Mob members ("le mur") using the prize table to the right. The contestant can leave after answering any number of questions correctly, although their winnings up to that point are split with a home viewer. If the contestant succeeds in eliminating all 100 players, he or she wins €200,000, split with a home viewer. However, if the contestant answers a question incorrectly, he or she leaves with nothing; the remaining Mob members split half of the accumulated winnings, and a lucky home viewer wins the other half.

Contestants receive three helps ("jokers") along the way, of which the contestant can use up to two on a single question:

  • Dodge ("Je Passe"): The contestant passes on the question, but still earns money for each Mob member that answers incorrectly. Unlike the traditional versions of the show where a contestant has three dodges, there is only one dodge in the French game.
  • Second Chance ("La seconde chance"): If the contestant indicates he wants to use this help before answering the question and answers incorrectly, he or she will have a second chance to answer the question.
  • Poll the Mob ("Qui pense comme moi?"): This is played like the US and Australian "Poll the Mob". The contestant will be told how many Mob members chose one particular answer of the contestant's choice. The contestant can then choose whether or not to lock in that answer.

If the contestant exhausts all three helps and is not sure of the answer, he or she has the chance to walk away with 25% of the accumulated winnings, which are split with a home viewer. The remaining mob members divide the remaining 75%.

Eleven people won €200,000 in this version.

[edit] German format

The German version, called Einer gegen 100, aired in 2002 on RTL and was hosted by Linda de Mol, host of the Dutch show Miljoenenjacht. Like the Dutch version, it had the same three "escapes" as well as a "doubler".

A renewed daily version (Mon-Fri) of Einer gegen 100 started to air on May 5th, 2008 on RTL. The top prize is €100,000.

[edit] Hungarian format

The Hungarian version of the show premiered on TV2 on February 24, 2007. Sváby András is the host. The show is called Egy a 100 ellen. The top prize, if the player can eliminate all 100 opponents, is 50,000,000 Ft. The format is based on the original US version, with a progressive tree, but does not require a contestant to answer three questions correctly in the first round, and then two questions in the second round, before receiving the option to stop.

Question Value
1 1,000 Ft
2 4,000 Ft
3 8,000 Ft
4 16,000 Ft
5 32,000 Ft
6 50,000 Ft
7 60,000 Ft
8 80,000 Ft
9 100,000 Ft
10 200,000 Ft
11 400,000 Ft
12+ 500,000 Ft

[edit] Israeli format

Question Value
1 ₪100
2 ₪250
3 ₪500
4 ₪750
5 ₪1,000
6 ₪1,500
7 ₪2,000
8 ₪2,500
9 ₪3,000
10 ₪4,000
11 and on ₪5,000

The Israeli version, titled Echad Neged Me'ah (אחד נגד מאה), premiered on the Reshet programming lineup of Channel 2 on May 7, 2007. The show is hosted by Avri Gilad. The top prize for eliminating all opponents is 1,000,000 NIS (₪).

The highest prize won in the Israeli version was just over 200,000₪. The contestant was against three mob members, and after answering, it was revealed that only one of the mob members answered correctly. He won all of the money the contestant won in the game, and received a standing ovation from the other 99 mob members.

[edit] Helps

  • First help - the player selects one of the three answers — not necessarily the contestant's answer — and the "mob" players who chose that answer are revealed. The contestant can choose one of the revealed mob members to discuss with him or her about her answer.
  • Second help - two mob members are randomly selected: one who answered correctly and one who answered incorrectly. Each explains his or her decision to the contestant. This also eliminates the third choice from consideration.

[edit] Joker

In the second season, the Jokers were added to the Israeli version. In every episode, there were three jokers in the "mob". When a joker gets a question wrong, he's worth 10,000₪, instead of question value (means that eliminating jokers is worth more in the first questions).

[edit] Italian format

The Italian version, called 1 contro 100, started on the 7th of May, 2007, on Canale 5, hosted by Amadeus. The set, music, and format are almost identical to the French version. The top prize is €200,000. The contestant has 3 "jollys" (jokers), which are the same as those on the French show: 1) refuse to answer the question, 2) double answer (like "Double Dip" lifeline in the US "Super Millionaire" show, 3) This Joker takes away one wrong answer. The progressive tree is below.

Question Value
1 €50
2 €100
3 €150
4 €200
5 €250
6 €300
7 €400
8 €500
9 €700
10+ €1,000

[edit] €200,000 winners

  1. Giorgio Cascini (15th May, 2007)
  2. Marco Cito (28th May, 2007)
  3. Name Unknown (17th December, 2007)

[edit] Norwegian format

The Norwegian version, called Alle mot En (everyone against one), premiered in April 2006 on TV 2. Øyvind Mund is the host. The first season consisted of twelve episodes. The second season premiered in March 2007, and airs Mondays at 20:00.

[edit] Philippine format

The Philippine version of this game show has premiered on ABS-CBN on 25 August 2007. The estimated jackpot prize is P2,000,000. Those who want to join the game show as the main contestant or one of the hundred (the mob) may register through SMS. It is hosted by Edu Manzano, host of another ABS-CBN game-show Pilipinas, Game KNB? and formerly of the Philippine version of The Weakest Link. It is the fourth show ABS-CBN acquired from Endemol and one of the most expensive shows in the Philippines. In this version, if The One answers incorrectly, the remaining members of The Mob will equally split the money The One has accumulated since the first question amongst themselves and return in the following episode. The first winner of P2,000,000 in 1 vs. 100 is the comedian Reynold "Pooh" Garcia on October 20, 2007, ironically in a "1 vs. 100 Kids" episode. This show airs at 7:00 pm on Saturdays.

Question Value
1 P1,000
2 P2,000
3 P3,000
4 P4,000
5 P5,000
6 P6,000
7 P7,000
8 P8,000
9 P9,000
10 P10,000
11+ P20,000

[edit] Portuguese format

The Portuguese version, called Um Contra Todos, airs weekday evenings on RTP1. José Carlos Malato hosts. Unlike the other versions, the contestant faces only 50 opponents. Players have the same three escapes as in the Dutch version. The base value for questions is €12,500 (earlier €25,000), and winnings per question are calculated using the standard formula.

Later, the show was reformatted to conform to the American version. The set and music are now very similar to those on the US show. While it keeps the 50% escape and the doubler, contestants now choose from two categories rather than two difficulties from the same category in order to see the next question. In this version, contestants are selected from among the remaining Mob members of the previous game.

[edit] Russian format

The Russian version launched on TVC on December 9, 2007, called "Один против всех" (one against all). Famous Russian DJ Alexandr Nuzhdin is the host. The format is very similar to the old US version, and the top prize is 1,000,000 Rubles.

[edit] Serbian format

The Serbian version, called 1 protiv 100, started in Spring 2007 on RTV Pink. The top prize is 3,000,000 RSD.

[edit] South Korean format

Question Value
1 10,000 Won
2 50,000 Won
3 100,000 Won
4 150,000 Won
5 200,000 Won
6 250,000 Won
7 300,000 Won
8 350,000 Won
9 400,000 Won
10 450,000 Won
11 500,000 Won
Top Prize 50,000,000 Won

The Korean version of 1 vs. 100 is called 1 대 100 or il dae baek. The program started on May 1, 2007 and airs every Tuesday at 20:50 on KBS2. It is hosted by the comedian Kim Yong-Man and the top prize is 50,000,000 won.

There are three "helps" (called "Chance" in Korean) available to the contestant, but two of them are somewhat different from the US version of the program. The contestant can "Ask the Mob", where two Mob members explain why they chose different answers. There is a combination of "Trust the Mob" and "Poll the Mob" available to the contestant, where they can see the Mob's most popular answer, but don't have to choose it. The last help is the option of phoning a past winner for advice, a "help" that seems to have been adapted from the show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?. On 5 June 2007 reporter Jeong Young-jin became the first person ever to win the top prize of 50,000,000 won.

Just after the first episode aired, the Korean Internet portal Daum, in cooperation with KBS, allowed Internet users to submit possible questions for future episodes. Due to a copyright agreement with Endemol, on-demand Internet viewing of this program is not available. (Most KBS programming can be accessed on the Internet for free.)

Special themed episodes have featured 100 former Miss Korea contestants, 100 male college bodybuilders, and 100 medical school students.

[edit] Spanish format

The Spanish version of the show is named 1 contra 100 and is broadcasted on Antena 3. Hosted by Carlos Sobera, 1 contra 100 started December 23, 2006 and airs both Saturday and Sunday at 8:00 pm. Like other versions, if the contestant answers incorrectly, the game is over. Before each question, the contestant chooses one of two categories. This version has 3 escapes that players can use so that they can continue the game without answering incorrectly, with the downside that using them reduces the contestant's winnings. They can also "poll the mob" twice. In addition, contestants receive a "doubler" to use on one question, for which the contestant receives double the normal amount for each contestant eliminated. Normally, contestants earn €300 for each opponent eliminated. If they can win by eliminating all 100 opponents, they earn an additional €30,000. The top potential prize is €60,000 if the contestant can eliminate all 100 opponents without using the escapes.

[edit] Thai format

The Thai version of the show is named "1 ต่อ 100" (1 tor 100, 1 vs. 100). This version is based on the American version of the show with a THB500,000 prize for eliminate all 100 members of the mob but choose wrong answer you walk alway it nothing. 1 tor 100 is hosted by Tin Chokekamolkij. After many serious electronic problems and difficult questions in the first recording of the show, producers canceled the taping and "1 tor 100" was postponed from schedule for almost 2 months, before finally premiering on 5th April 2008.

Question Value
1 ฿100
2 ฿200
3 ฿300
4 ฿400
5 ฿500
6 ฿700
7 ฿1,000
8 ฿1,500
9 ฿2,000
10 ฿3,000
11 ฿4,000
12+ ฿5,000

[edit] Turkish format

The Turkish version of the show will air on Cine 5. Tamer Karadagli will be the host. The top prize is YTL500,000 (as with all Turkish quizzes). The prizes for eliminating individual Mob members are as follows:

Question Value
1 50
2 100
3 200
4 400
5 700
6 1,000
7 2,000
8 3,000
9 4,000
10+ 5,000

[edit] UK format

The UK version of the show airs on BBC One and is produced in conjunction with the National Lottery. It was hosted by TV and radio host Dermot O'Leary in series one and two, with Ben Shephard taking over in series three due to O'Leary hosting series four of X Factor. In this version the first player is chosen apparently at random from 101 contestants, although in truth by the production team.[citation needed]} The contestant first gets to choose between two categories for each question. The 'one' and the 100 are given the question to which they must all decide between 3 answers. The 'one' wins £1000 for every one of the 100 that gets the question wrong.

After the first question they have 2 weapons at their disposal:

Dodges — which means they can skip a question if they do not think they know the answer. If they take this option they make no money on the members of the 100 who get this question wrong, and their current prize fund is halved. They are given three dodges throughout the game.

Double — if the contestant believes that there are many people in play who are likely to get the question wrong then they can play a double. This means that they win £2,000 for every contestant they knock out with this question.

After they have knocked out 75% of the audience they have one further choice:

Bonus Dodge — when the category choices come up, one of them is a Bonus Dodge. This comes in the form of a visual, audio clip or picture plus a question. If a contestant decides to take the Bonus Dodge they may not dodge the question and must answer correctly to stay in the game. This can be a risky option as if you do not know the answer you will be out of the game completely.

A contestant must either answer a question or dodge it, and if they get a question wrong they are out of the game with nothing. They cannot, in the UK version of the game, walk away with any of the prize fund unless they knock out all 100 opponents.

If a contestant eliminates all 100 opponents, they are given one opportunity to bail out of the game and take their money before finding out if their answer is correct. If they play on and have the correct answer, they get a £50,000 bonus. The next player is selected from the remaining 100 (usually of a different demographic profile from the previous player) and a new player takes the old players seat so that there are 100 opponents again.

If a contestant loses, the next player is selected from the remaining contestants still in play when the contestant lost. This is the incentive that the 100 have for getting the question right — a better chance of being the next contestant.

For the first series, four people went away with money: Geoff: £80,250 Brian: £67,125 Lynne: £59,000 Neil: £16,250

Starting October 2006, the first series consisted of 8 episodes on a Saturday evening. The second series began in January 2007.

For the second series: Neill: £62,500 Niall: £63,000

For the third series: Julia: £61,000

[edit] US format

US logo of 1 vs. 100
US logo of 1 vs. 100

[edit] Basics of the show

The American version of 1 vs. 100 premiered on the NBC network on Friday, October 13, 2006 at 9:00 p.m,[5] but has since moved to a regular timeslot of Fridays at 8:00 p.m. The show is hosted by actor-comedian Bob Saget and announced by Joe Cipriano, and the top prize is $1,000,000.

As in other versions of the game, a single player competes against one hundred contestants, nicknamed the "mob", in answering a series of trivia questions, each of which is presented in a multiple-choice format (A,B,C) with three possible answers. Each question is assigned a dollar value, as shown on the table, right. Each of the mob members individually answer the question pressing one of three buttons located in front of them. Then, the player must also answer the question. If the player answers incorrectly, then she or he is eliminated and receives none of the prize pool. The remaining mob members who answered correctly then will share the prize among themselves. If the player answers correctly, then any mob member who answers incorrectly is eliminated from the game. The prize pool then increases according to how many mob members incorrectly answered the question (the accumulation of money has varied over the show's history; see below for this information). The player then has a choice to (1) risk his/her prize pool by continuing to play against the mob or to (2) exit the game and take home the money accumulated, unlike most other versions of the show, including the original Dutch version. (This is usually presented as "Do you want the money...or the mob?") Once the player has chosen the mob, they cannot walk away from a question with their winnings (There was one episode where someone who was close to winning the million dollars was allowed to see the question but not the answers before deciding whether or not to take the money). If the player eliminates all 100 members of the mob by the final question, the player receives the top prize of $1,000,000. This has happened only once - on January 4, 2008. The further along a player goes, the harder the questions get.

[edit] Prize money structure

[edit] Episodes 1-5

For the first five episodes, the questions were worth these amounts times the mob members eliminated:

Question 1 - $100

Question 2 - $250 (in the first episode only, this question was omitted, and the money ladder had $7,000 and $8,000 questions instead of a $7,500 question; these amounts are, of course, multipliers for how many mob members were eliminated on a particular question).

Question 3 - $500

Question 4 - $1,000

Question 5 - $2,000

Question 6 - $3,000

Question 7 - $4,000

Question 8 - $5,000

Question 9 - $6,000

Question 10 - $7,500

Questions 11+ (this was never reached by a contestant) - $10,000

[edit] Episode 6 through all of 2007

From episode 6 through all of 2007, a Deal or No Deal style stepladder format was adopted where players had to answer the first three consecutive questions before deciding to take the money or the mob. These three questions earned a player $1,000 for each mob member who got the question wrong. The player then was required answer the next two consecutive questions before making the next decision. These two questions earned a player $2,000 for each mob member who got the question wrong. From there on, there was one question to answer before making the next decision. With each question, starting at $3,000 per mob member eliminated, the dollar amount multiplier increased by $1,000, all the way to $10,000 (which applied for the thirteenth and following questions, although nobody reached this point); however, a contestant did answer a question with a $9,000 multiplier once and then took the most money home by a contestant who did not win a million dollars).

As of January 4, 2008, the prize structure is now determined by the number of mob members that are eliminated. Therefore, every 10 mob members eliminated increases the amount for the solo player, working similar to Hong Kong's version. This version was meant to increase the risks that the solo player made, and apparently worked, as on the very first show in this format, the show saw its first $1,000,000 winner, on a battle of the sexes themed show. The first player with the new money format, who was a woman, went home with nothing after missing a question regarding prime numbers. The male who played the next game in the battle of the sexes episode won the first ever $1,000,000 prize.

[edit] 2008 to present

This is the current format for winnings on 1 vs. 100 in America. See above for previous money allotments.

Mob members left Player's total
100 to 91 $0
90 to 81 $1,000
80 to 71 $5,000
70 to 61 $10,000
60 to 51 $25,000
50 to 41 $50,000
40 to 31 $75,000
30 to 21 $100,000
20 to 11 $250,000
10 to 1 $500,000
0 $1,000,000

[edit] Helps

Unlike the European (and Hong Kong) versions of the show, there are no "escapes" or "doublers" on the show. Instead, each player receives opportunities to receive assistance from the mob, known as "helps". Originally there were two helps, which could only be used in order. Starting with the sixth episode, a third option was added, the three helps were given names, and players could choose any of the three at any point in the game.

  • During "Poll The Mob" (originally the first help), the player selects one of the three answers about which to get more information — though this is not necessarily the contestant's answer. The number of "mob" players who chose that answer is revealed, and the contestant chooses one of the revealed mob members to discuss his or her response.
  • For "Ask The Mob" (originally the second help) two mob members are randomly selected: one who answered correctly and one who answered incorrectly. Each explains his or her decision to the contestant. This also eliminates the third choice from consideration. It is unknown what would happen if a contestant requested to use this help but everyone in the mob either got the question right or wrong.
  • For "Trust The Mob" (added in episode 6) the most popular answer the mob gave is revealed. The contestant is then committed to this answer.

While mob members are required to be honest about which of the three answers they selected, they are under no obligation to be truthful with the player regarding the reasoning behind their responses. They are permitted to deceive the player in an attempt to solicit an incorrect response.

The American show has also incorporated the "Sneak Peek," which allows a player to see their next question (but not the three answers) before deciding whether or not to answer the next question. This only applies when a player is out of helps. The sneak peek was used briefly towards the end of two games that were broadcast in 2007, but the producers' choice to use this had nothing to do with the status of the player's helps.

[edit] Special mob member appearances

Top American game show champions have participated in the shows. In the first two episodes, legendary 74-time Jeopardy! champion Ken Jennings was prominently featured.[6] He was seated at podium number thirteen during the premiere episode.[7] Jennings was part of the first mob to defeat a contestant, winning about $700, before being eliminated on the question, "What color is the number 1 on a roulette wheel"? Jennings guessed black, but the answer was red. The man who defeated Jennings in the Jeopardy! Ultimate Tournament of Champions, Brad Rutter, joined the mob for episode 6, staying for more episodes, but was unable to defeat a contestant. Champions from Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, Nancy Christy, John Carpenter, and Kevin Olmstead were in another episode. All three were eliminated on one question, and won nothing.

Three models from Deal or No Deal (Endemol USA and NBC's brother show that aired before 1 vs. 100) were also in an early mob, which also featured an eclectic mix of professors, valedictorians, schoolteachers, and athletes. Mob members remain in the game until they miss a question, and continue against subsequent contestants if they are not eliminated. Unlike other versions of the game, players are not selected from among the mob. (Producers intended the "last player standing" all-star match aired February 9 to be an exception. Under the rules of that match, upon the featured player's elimination, producers would choose a mob member at random to face whatever other members remained. However, Annie Duke, the all-star whom producers invited to compete first, missed a question which only one member answered correctly, giving that member the victory and bringing the match to a close before any randomly selected member could be featured.)

Musician and then-husband of Britney Spears, Kevin Federline, was a mob member in episode 6. Federline was eliminated on the third question. (The show was taped before divorce proceedings began.)

For the 2008 season, several notable figures have become permanent contestants in the mob, such as Sister Rose, the Dahm triplets, and Carroll Spinney's Oscar the Grouch from Sesame Street (Oscar the Grouch premiered in the second episode of the 2008 season; he was eliminated in both games in that episode).

A chimp named Jake was a mob member on the February 1st episode. He got the first question correct and was incorrect on the second question.

[edit] Change in set design

The 2008 season brought a noticeable change to the set of 1 vs. 100: the wall of mob members has a gaping hole containing a screen on which the question is shown, while the old digital board used for questions now simply sports the show's logo.

[edit] American ratings

The debut of 1 vs. 100 performed well for NBC, delivering the network's highest rating in the Friday night 9 p.m. time slot since December 2002 (excluding coverage of the Olympics) in adults 18-49 and the highest overall viewer total in the time period since March 2004. The show won its time slot with 12.6 million viewers (adults 18-49), and was the night's number one show in 18-49, total viewers and other key ratings categories.[8]

[edit] TV airings

1 vs. 100 was originally intended to air after Deal or No Deal. It also had a seven-week run in 2007 when it was aired back-to-back with the short-lived game show Identity. Both of these pairs of game shows would have aired on Friday nights from 8-10 P. M. ET (7-9 P. M. CT).

On cable, NBC's brother business news channel CNBC re-airs the last week's episodes of 1 vs. 100 every Wednesday night at 10 p.m. and Thursday morning at 12 am EST. This will follow CNBC's success on re-running Deal or No Deal every week. The Wednesday evening re-airing also takes place on Global in Canada.

[edit] Vietnamese format

This version in Vietnam is named “Arena 100” (Đấu trường 100), and was listed in the Vietnam Record Book as the biggest show with the highest number of players, 100.

The competition features 100 players answering general knowledge, social and lifestyle based questions.

This game show is different from other game shows on Vietnamese TV, in that players can’t stop the game if they want (note in the French, US, and Australian versions, the players may stop the game after a correct question, since they are not affiliated with lotteries like the Dutch and UK versions are). To be the winner, they have to outsmart all of the other 99 contestants and answer every question. This version is similar to America's version of 1 vs 100's Last Man Standing version.

The rules of the game are simple; computers randomly select a player to answer questions. The points up for grabs total 100, with the winner being the player with the highest score. Whenever the front running player answers incorrectly, he/she is replaced by another player, who is selected from among secondary players who got the answer right. The game continues in this manner until it ends. However, if the front running player beats between 80 and 99 players before he/she is replaced, then there is a cash bonus of VND2mil (2,000,000 Vietnamese dong).

The host is Lai Van Sam, host of the Vietnamese versions of The Price is Right, Wheel of Fortune, and Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. As with most game shows hosted by Lai, it airs on VTV3.

[edit] Other international formats

1 vs. 100 has also aired in Sweden (on TV4), Morocco (on 2M TV), Belgium (on VTM), Argentina (on Telefe), Greece (on Star Channel), and the Czech Republic (called 1 proti 100 on TV Nova, format presumed to be the same as the Dutch version) which were all mentioned in the promo for the US version. Asia Television Limited (specifically ATV Home) also has a version in Hong Kong with lyricist Wyman Wong as host, and their version plays similar to the Dutch format (base value for questions being HK$200,000, each mob member knocked out is worth HK$2,000, with the value rising by that amount for every 20 opponents knocked out, and a player may take home a prize if he/she loses and does NOT use any "escape"). In 2007, a Quebec version on Francophone network TVA was announced, but the idea was scrapped in favour of creating a Quebec version of Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader. TVNZ, a New Zealand television broadcaster, is currently broadcasting the Australian version of the show. In 2007 it was announced that Televisa is planning its own Mexican version, to air in 2008. In 2008 Croatia television broadcaster HRT also begun with broadcasting.

[edit] List of people who beat the mob

On January 4, 2008, NBC aired a special, 1 vs. 100: Battle of the Sexes. Jason Luna eliminated the last 15 women in the mob with one question (What is the most popular card-giving holiday according to Hallmark? - the answer was Christmas, and incorrect answers were Mother's Day and Valentine's Day) and won $1,000,000.

Also, as seen in the article:

  • One person in Belarus won BR50,000,000 (or US$25,000)
  • Two people in Bulgaria won 100,000 BGN (or US$76,000).
  • Three people in Croatia (Sandra Filipčić,Davor Šišović and Siniša Belina) won 247,090/260,859/317,435 HRK (or US$50,000/US$53,000/US$68,947).
  • Eleven people in France won 200,000 (or US$295,000).
  • Eleven people in Hong Kong beat all the mobs. The first one was Louis Hung(孔令慈) at the Who Wants to Be a Millionaire winners special, the biggest winner was Steven Ng(伍耀泉) who won HK$603,933 (or US$77,000).
  • Three people in Italy (Giorgio Cascini, Marco Cito, and a third, unknown contestant) won €200,000.
  • One person in Korea (reporter Jeong Young-Jin) won 50,000,000 won (or US$53,000).
  • Two people in the Philippines won P2,000,000 (or US$49,000). First is comedian Reynold "Pooh" Garcia on a 1 vs 100 Kids special and Jay Contreras, from the band Kamikazee, on a 1 vs. 100 Gays special.
  • Five people in the United Kingdom won a £50,000 (or US$99,000) bonus after beating the mob and answering one final question correctly. Another person beat the mob, but rather than answer the bonus question, he took home over £16,000.

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ Game Eddie takes on fans. News.com.au. Retrieved on 2007-01-27.
  2. ^ Michael Gadd (2007-01-30). McGuire makes Nine the one. News.com.au. Retrieved on 2007-01-31.
  3. ^ Seven wins on TV ratings, The Australian, February 6, 2007. Retrieved on February 7, 2007.
  4. ^ Tusindvis af deltagere søges: Vind millioner i "1 mod 100". Retrieved on 2007-01-23.
  5. ^ Zap2It, NBC Gets Its (Other) Game On, September 27, 2006.
  6. ^ Ken Jennings' Blog, L.A. confidential, August 13, 2006.
  7. ^ FlashGames², Preview of 1 vs. 100.
  8. ^ NBC Universal Media Village, 1 vs. 100 debuts with NBC's highest slot result since December 2002 in 18-49, October 14, 2006.

[edit] External links