The Blame Game (MTV)
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The Blame Game, a 30 minute game show first airing in 1998 on American channel MTV, pitted two ex's against each other in a fictional courtroom setting to decide who was to blame for their break-up. Representing each "ex" was a "counselor" who presented one of the ex's sides of the "case." Jason Winer generally served as the bachelor's counselor, while Kara Jane McNamara was the bachelorette's representation. Christopher Reed was the judge during the proceedings. The show was marked by the appearance of "surprise witnesses" who would corroborate or refute accusations (usually relating to cheating or not cheating) made by the ex's and/or counselors.
The show included a first round titled "Tick, Tock, Testimony" where each ex was given 90 seconds to tell his or her side of the story. Whenever a point was made, the counsellor for the ex currently testifying would press a large button which would stop the clock and allow the other ex to testify. Each side alternated until both were out of time.
The next round was "You Did It, Now Admit It!" where each ex had to give three secrets (usually, incriminating). If the secret was admitted truthfully, the ex was given a point.
The third round was the same as the first except that each ex was questioned by the opposing counselor.
The fourth and final round sent each contestant into the Karaoke Chamber where he or she would individually sing a pre-determined song that each felt summed up the relationship.
At the end of each round, the studio audience (the "jury of your peers") would vote for whom it felt was at fault for the break-up. The "winner" at the end of the show (the ex voted to be not at fault) received a prize vacation and a Polaroid camera with which to take a picture of the "losing" ex to be added to the "Do Not Date This Blame Game Loser" section of the Blame Game's website, while the contestant voted to be at fault was given a chance to beg for the ex's forgiveness so that his or her picture would not be added to the website. On October 1999 the policy changed, and the loser's picture was posted in a section of the magazine Entertainment Weekly; in March 2000, the picture posting moved back to the Blame Game website.
The show ran for 130+ episodes (2 seasons).
Richard "Humpty" Vission was the in-house DJ for the show.
The set's lighting was done by Team Imagination, Inc., and the designer was Michael R. Veerkamp who was assisted by Brian A. Rick.
