Inside the Box
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Inside The Box is a game show which debuted in 2006 on the Canadian cable network TVtropolis, hosted by actor/comedian Sam Kalilieh.
[edit] Gameplay
The game has a similar format to 20 Questions, with a few minor twists. Three rounds in total are played. Three contestants compete for a chance at $10,000. In the first two rounds, each contestant gets a turn inside a television-shaped booth called "The Box" which contains 2 monitors, while the other two players are seated at separate desks with single monitors facing and to the left and right of "The Box". The contestant "Inside the Box" is given a basic category to indicate what kind of an answer is being sought (for example, "Reality Series", "Male Actor", "Female Character", etc.), a list of questions on a touch-sensitive screen, and reads questions selected from the list to one of his two opponents. The opponents outside The Box are shown only a photograph and the name of the character/actor/show which is the correct answer on their monitor screens.
The contestant in the booth has two minutes to determine the correct answer by alternately asking his opponents the "Yes or No" questions he or she is shown. If an opponent answers the question incorrectly, they are given a time penalty of 5 seconds. Each Yes-response question is displayed on screen for the viewers to see and on the second screen in The Box, regardless of whether the player outside the box answered correctly or not. After each group of 5 "Yes" responses, the clock is stopped and a more detailed clue is given. The player in the box is given a free guess, but if they can't correctly answer, the clock resumes and they must continue asking questions. Each time a new clue is given, new questions are made available to the player in The Box. The contestant continues to ask questions until either time runs out, or they are able to give a correct answer. The player in The Box may ask at any time for the clock to be stopped so they can attempt a guess, but an incorrect guess under these conditions results in a 5-second penalty. After each player's turn in The Box, the scores are totaled and time penalties assessed, and then the remaining contestants are given their turn in The Box.
The scoring is based on time. If a player correctly identifies the player with 35 seconds to spare, those 35 seconds are added to their score. Any time penalties are deducted and negative scores are possible. Each player gets two turns in The Box, and the player with the best cumulative time after the first two rounds gets a chance to play the final round.
In the final round, the champion is given two minutes. Instead of asking their opponents the "Yes or No" questions, they ask them of host Sam Kalilieh. They are given a starting clue and every 5 "Yes" responses earn another clue, however the clock does not stop in the final round. They are given three chances to give the answer. The amount of money in the pot is reduced by $500 approximately every six seconds until time runs out. If the player gives the correct answer before time expires they win whatever money is remaining. If they give 3 incorrect answers or time runs out, they take home the minimum consolation prize of $500.
Answers are usually derived from American pop culture.
Lone Eagle Entertainment in Toronto are the producers of the show, as well as another popular game show that airs on the Comedy Network, called You Bet Your Ass. "Inside the Box" is directed by Sidney M. Cohen.
An estimated 1.3 million Canadian viewers watch the program each week, as per the country's version of Nielsen Ratings.
