Friend or Foe?
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| Friend or Foe? | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Format | Game show |
| Starring | Kennedy (host) |
| Country of origin |  United States |
| No. of episodes | 105 |
| Production | |
| Running time | 30 minutes per episode |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | Game Show Network |
| Original run | June 3, 2002 – 2003 (can currently be seen as reruns) |
Friend or Foe? is an American game show based on knowledge and trust, which aired on Game Show Network. The catch was whether members of a two-person team would think that their partner would be able to fairly split their cash winnings.
The show premiered June 3, 2002, and lasted for two seasons totaling 105 episodes. It was hosted by Lisa Kennedy Montgomery, or perhaps better known as her stage name, Kennedy. The exception was for one episode in 2003, in which Mark L. Walberg hosted it, as GSN had the hosts switching shows. It is presumed that no more episodes will be produced. A spin-off was planned in 2005, but no one could be found to host it.
[edit] Rules
Six contestants, paired off into three teams of two after hearing some scandalous facts about each other, compete.
Three rounds are played, with each team spotted $200 at the start of the game. (Trust funds start at $0 rather than $200 in the second season. The eliminated team, if they had answered zero questions correctly and thus had no money, were given a $200 consolation prize to divide between themselves.) Kennedy asked a series of four multiple-choice questions; each team had to work together to arrive at an answer. Correct answers were worth $500. In season one, Kennedy read the question then the choices. In season two, She read the choices then the question.
At the end of each round, the lowest-scoring team is eliminated, but not before they head to the Trust Box, where they face a form of the prisoner's dilemma (a well-known problem in game theory). If teams are tied for score, the team who took the most time to answer the questions is eliminated. Each side of the Trust Box conceals a button to vote "Friend" or "Foe." Kennedy interviewed each contestant as to why his/her partner should vote "Friend," and thus divide the winnings evenly. Afterward, the contestants had 10 seconds to decide whether to press the button and vote "Foe" on their side of the box or not to touch the button and vote "Friend." After the 10 seconds elapse, the outcome was revealed with much dramatic energy.
The decisions the contestants make in the 'Trust Box' determine the team's winnings and how they were divided. Four outcomes are possible:
| Friend | Foe | |
|---|---|---|
| Friend | 50%, 50% | 0%, 100% |
| Foe | 100%, 0% | 0%, 0% |
Round 2 is played the same way, except that the questions were worth $1,000. At the end of round two, the team with the lowest score is eliminated but before taken to the Trust Box, where they must also choose friend or foe. The remaining team advances to the bonus round.
In the bonus round, the partners team to answer 10 questions (at $500 apiece) within 60 seconds. Every correct answer is worth $500 apiece. Every incorrect answer will give you a strike. Three strikes and the game is over, but if all 10 questions are correct, the entire pot is doubled, meaning a possible total of $22,400. The partners then pay one last visit to the Trust Box to determine how their winnings would be divided.
[edit] Reruns
In Spring 2008, Friend or Foe returned to GSN's schedule after it not being on the schedule for more than three years. Reruns are currently shown on GSN weekdays at 3:30 PM ET.
