Don't Forget the Lyrics! | |
---|---|
Format | Game Show |
Created by | Jeff Apploff |
Directed by | Ron de Moraes |
Presented by | Wayne Brady (Fox) Mark McGrath (Syndicated) |
Narrated by | Mark Thompson (Fox) |
Theme music composer | The Doobie Brothers (Fox) |
Opening theme | "China Grove" by Rickey Minor (Fox) |
Composer(s) | David Vanacore |
Country of origin | United States |
No. of seasons | Fox: 2 Syndicated: 1 |
No. of episodes | Fox: 57 Syndicated: 100+ |
Production | |
Executive producer(s) | Jeff Apploff Chris Coelen Greg Goldman Brad Lachman Tony Yates |
Production company(s) | RDF USA Apploff Entertainment |
Distributor | 20th Television |
Broadcast | |
Original channel | Fox (2007-2009) Syndicated (2010-2011) |
Picture format | 480i SD 720p HD |
Original run | July 11, 2007 | – May 27, 2011
External links | |
Website |
Don't Forget the Lyrics! is a game show that originally aired on Fox from July 11, 2007 to June 19, 2009, hosted by Wayne Brady and produced by RDF USA, part of RDF Media. The launch of this show prompted NBC to move up the launch of their similar game show The Singing Bee.[1] The show's contestants compete to win $1,000,000 by correctly recalling song lyrics from a variety of genres.[2]
After a year off the air, on January 25, 2010, 20th Television announced the debut of a new syndicated version with Sugar Ray lead singer Mark McGrath as host in September 2010. Taping of the show's third overall season, and first as a syndicated show, began on June 15, 2010. The show premiered in daytime syndication and in primetime on VH1 on Monday, September 20, 2010. It premiered in primetime on MyNetworkTV on October 5, 2010. On March 24, 2011, the show was canceled along with 5th Grader due to low ratings.[3]
In this show, a single contestant is prompted to complete song lyrics for increasing amounts of money. After each correct answer, the contestant can continue playing, risking what has already been earned, or quit the game and take home all the money he or she has already earned. If the contestant continues playing and correctly completes nine song lyrics, he or she will be given a lyric from a number 1 hit to complete. If the contestant completes the final lyric correctly, he or she wins the grand prize, which was $1,000,000 on the Brady version, and is set to be $50,000 on the McGrath version.
The primary difference between Don't Forget the Lyrics and other music-based game shows is that artistic talent (such as the ability to sing or dance in an aesthetically pleasing way) is irrelevant to the contestants' chances of winning. In the words of one of their commercials prior to the first airing, "You don't have to sing it well; you just have to sing it right."
The producers of the show are RDF USA, Apploff Entertainment, and Brad Lachman Productions.[4]
The structure of the show is similar to another FOX game show Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?, Lyrics's cousin game show. Contestants are given nine categories (such as "pop", "The Rolling Stones", or "divas"). Contestants pick one of the categories. They are then given a choice of three different songs. The contestant then chooses one of the songs and are told how many missing words they will have to provide. The band starts to play the song and the lyrics are displayed on large monitors in front of the contestant, who sings karaoke style. At some point, the lyrics are shown as blank spaces and the music stops. The contestant then fills in those blank spaces. They can then decide to "lock in" the lyrics (which is the same effect as saying "Final Answer" on Millionaire), choose one of the "backups", which are answer-assistance options that are similar to lifelines, or choose to walk away with the money they have won so far.
Correct song lines | Prize | Walk away Value | Missed Answer Lyrics Value | Amount at risk |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | $2,500 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
2 | $5,000 | $2,500 | $0 | $2,500 |
3 | $10,000 | $5,000 | $0 | $5,000 |
4 | $25,000 | $10,000 | $0 | $10,000 |
5 | $50,000 | $25,000 | $25,000 | $0 |
6 | $100,000 (if the contestant wins $500,000 but loses on the $1 million song) | $50,000 | $25,000 | $25,000 |
7 | $200,000 | $100,000 | $25,000 | $75,000 |
8 | $350,000 | $200,000 | $25,000 | $175,000 |
9 | $500,000 | $350,000 | $25,000 | $325,000 |
10 | $1,000,000 (Top prize) | $500,000 | $100,000 | $400,000 |
The format is based on the syndicated changes to fellow Twentieth Television game show Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?. One contestant plays the entire show, with one song each from four different categories. They are then given a choice of three different songs. Each time a contestant answers a song correctly, he/she earns money; if he/she misses a song, except for the Encore Song, those winnings remain intact. There is also only one "backup"; the three lines, which may only be used once.
Lyric Colors
Sometimes a few words turn green at a time rather than all of them at once, creating suspense; this is often done if one or more words will turn out to be wrong, and the incorrect word or words generally will show up in the final reveal. If the words are all correct, the contestant's score increases to a higher amount, accompanied in the 2007-09 version by music previously used for a correct answer on Show Me the Money (a shorter version of that music accompanies a reveal of part of the lyrics, and the 2010 version uses a variation of the correct answer sound from Duel). Lyrics that turn red are incorrect will result in different situations depending on version. In the 2007-2009 version, that signaled the game ending, but correct words are still colored green. A contestant who locked in incorrect lyrics before hitting the $25,000 mark would end up leaving the show with no money; going for $25,000 after winning $10,000 is the last point in the game at which a contestant can leave with nothing. After passing the $25,000 mark, the contestant is guaranteed that amount; incorrect lyrics between the $50,000 and the $500,000 songs will knock the contestant's winnings down to $25,000. In the 2010 version, the contestant continues playing, with no money won or lost. In the 2007-2009 version, after nine correct answers, contestants can choose to go for the "Million-Dollar Song". In the 2010 version, regardless of the level they have reached, contestants can choose to go for the final song. In celebrity games, the host is allowed to help the celebrity contestants out up until they reach the $25,000 level on the 2007-2009 version or the $5,000 level on the 2010 version. Final SongIdentical to 5th Grader's Million Dollar or 5th Grade Bonus Question, the contestant that makes it to this level must decide whether or not to either attempt the song or play it safe and take the money.
Contestants at the end of reaching the $500,000 level can risk the money for the Million Dollar Song. There is no other information on the song revealed to the player other than that the song is a #1 hit from one of the nine categories featured in their game. Also revealed is that if the player does go on, the $25,000 guarantee is immediately increased to $100,000 (this is not the case on Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? because some contestants have already attempted the million-dollar question and lost, whereas no contestant ever attempted the million-dollar song; prior to January 2008, the contestant would drop down to the $25,000 mark with an incorrect answer to the million-dollar song; during this time, no one attempted it). Any remaining backups (excluding the backup singer) are revoked (taken away or out of play) after locking in the $500,000 song, and the other information is only revealed if the player decides to go for it. After the contestant sings, they can change it if they want but they have the option to lock in something or walk away. If the lyrics to the million-dollar song are incorrect or the contestant opts to walk away by not locking in the lyric, the contestant leaves with $100,000. If correct, the contestant wins $1,000,000. No contestants won $1,000,000, but seven players reached the final level. Two decided to play for the million-dollar Song and failed, while the other five (including one team) decided not to play the million-dollar song and walk away with $500,000. A different sound is used for locked-in incorrect lyrics on the million-dollar song.
The final song is referred as the Encore Song. If a contestant has sung all four songs correctly, the Encore Song will be worth $50,000 in total winnings, with a guarantee of $1,000 in case of a miss. If a contestant incorrectly sang any of the first four songs, any winnings up to that point will be doubled if the Encore Song is sung correctly, or lost if at least one lyric is incorrect. During celebrity games, the house minimum in all cases is $5,000. Again, the song is hit from one of the four categories. Any contestant who wins no money on the show leaves with a customized MP3 player. BackupsSimilar to the "3 lifelines" concept from Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?, there were three answer-assistance options, or "backups", that the contestant can use for help if they get stumped:
Each backup may only be used once, and while the backup singer will still be available for the Million Dollar Song (if it has not been already used) the other two backups will be revoked. Contestants may be required to use up their backups on the $500,000 song if they have not done so already, because there is a warning that, if a backup is not used on the $500,000 song when the backup(s) is/are available, the remaining unused backup option(s) will be automatically used (except for the backup singer) after the lyrics are locked in. The 2010 version only uses the "3 Lines" option, and after several episodes this became the GEICO Backup in a limited number of episodes. RatingsIn its debut, Don't Forget the Lyrics! averaged 3.4 million viewers in adults 18-49.[5] Since the show's debut, FOX had reordered two additional runs of 13 episodes each during the 2007-2008 television season.[6][7] Over the show's 54 episodes, a total of $10,735,000 has been given away, with $2.3 million being won by celebrity contestants for their charities. Notable contestants
Guest appearances
Winners and LosersPenultimate song correct
Final song incorrect
Top prize winners
International versions
International Versions (Details)
AustraliaThe Australian version was rumoured to be airing on Network Ten in late 2008, with a jackpot of $500,000, after strong ratings to the US version over the summer non-ratings period. However, there has never been any confirmation and no production has begun. This may be due to lower ratings for episodes of the US version airing during the ratings period. AustriaThe Austrian version premiered on March 6, 2008 and aired on ATV entitled Sing & Win. It is hosted by Rainhard Fendrich. The jackpot for this version is €50,000. So far, only one person managed to win the jackpot: the female singer Alexandra Poetzelsberger. CroatiaThe Croatian version premiered on March 17, 2008 and aired on Nova TV entitled Ne zaboravi stihove!. It is hosted by Igor Mešin. The jackpot for this version is 500.000kn. Danish versionThe Danish version premiered 22 Mar 2008 (Easter Saturday) and aired on TV 2 Denmark entitled Så det synger (So it sings). It is hosted by Michael Carøe. The jackpot for this version is DKK 500.000. FranceThe French version premiered in December 2007 and aired on France 2, entitled N'oubliez pas les paroles!. It is hosted by Nagui. The jackpot for this version is €100,000. One couple managed to win the jackpot by recovering 13 missing words on "Allumez le Feu" by Johnny Hallyday. However, the couple did not get any money because it was a special episode dedicated to Sidaction. This episode was aired on 25 March 2010. HungaryThe Hungarian version premiered on March 14, 2008 and aired on TV2 entitled Popdaráló. It is hosted by Kovács Áron. The jackpot for this version is 3,000.000 HUF. IndiaThe Indian version premiered on November 9, 2007 and aired on STAR One entitled Bol Baby Bol. It is hosted by Adnan Sami The jackpot for this version is Rs. 2,500,000. They have had one winner of the grand prize so far. IsraelThe Israeli version for "Don't forget the lyrics" is called Sing it. The host of the show Is Asi Azar. The show is broadcast on Channel 2 television. ItalyThe Italian version aired for a pilot on December 2007 on Italia 1 entitled Canta e Vinci, then it had a season split between Spring and Summer. It is hosted by Amadeus & Checco Zalone. The jackpot for this version is €500,000. MalaysiaThe Malaysian version premiered on May 25, 2008 and aired on Astro Ria entitled Jangan Lupa Lirik!. It is hosted by Aznil Nawawi The jackpot for this version is RM1,000,000.[11] MexicoThe Mexican version was aired on TV Azteca and it is called Si te la Sabes, Cántala. New Zealand VersionThe New Zealand Version The Singing Bee, [1] Television New Zealand Norwegian versionThe Norwegian version is hosted by Tshawe Baqwa and Yosef Wolde-Mariam from the Norwegian hip hop/rap band Madcon. It is aired on TV 2 (Norway). PolandThe Polish version premiered on March 9, 2008 and aired on TVP2 entitled Tak to leciało! (It was sung like that!). It is hosted by Maciej Miecznikowski. The jackpot for this version is zloty 150,000. SingaporeEnglish VersionThe Singapore version, hosted by Singapore Idol host Gurmit Singh, premiered on 27 November 2008 on MediaCorp Channel 5. It airs every Thursday night at 8pm. Contestants will sing their way to the top prize of S$500,000. Prize Progression Ladder: $1,000, $2,000, $5,000, $10,000 (guaranteed sum), $15,000, $25,000, $50,000, $100,000, $200,000, $500,000. Special Episodes
The first episode featured Singapore Idol contestants Hady Mirza, Jonathan Leong and Taufik Batisah for a Pop Stars Edition of the show. They earned a total of S$25,000 for charity. During the Comic Mayham episode in the Singapore version on March 5, what's different from the original is that Adrian Pang hosted the episode, and the show ended with the three contestants running away due to the time, and ended with the lyrics not locked in, remaining the same. The Contestants for the Sitcom Special were Phua Chu Kang (Gurmit Singh) from Phua Chu Kang, Barberella (Michelle Chong) from The Noose (TV series) and Sgt. Dollah (Suhaimi Yusoff) from Police & Thief. The next part continued on March 12, where other contestants will take the former ones' places. They won S$50,000. Another Special episode featured local babes in the form of Fiona Xie, Jade Seah and Andrea Fonseka. On the $50,000 to $100,000 mark, Andrea was confident of her answer to the song of The Boy is Mine with 12 missing words, so all 3 agreed to lock in the lyrics. However, one word was wrong, and the money dropped down to $10,000 which was given to charity. On the finale on April 9, 2009, MPs Maliki Osman and Baey Yam Kheng participated in the game show. The duo raised $25000 for charity. Both episodes are being done for charity. Chinese versionThe Mandarin version of Don't Forget the Lyrics (Chinese: 我要唱下去) premiered on 25 August 2009 at 8pm every Tuesday. It is hosted by Taiwanese Zeng Guo Cheng (Chinese: 曾國城). Contestants will be competing for S$500,000. As at the last episode, there were 10 normal episodes and 4 celebrity episodes. Prize Progression Ladder: $1,000, $2,000, $5,000, $10,000 (guaranteed sum), $15,000, $25,000, $50,000, $100,000, $200,000, $500,000. The highest amount won was $200,000 by a female contestant Wu Huixin (Chinese: 吴惠欣) over two episodes aired on Oct 7 and Oct 14 2009. She chose not to attempt the $500,000 song. She became the highest money winner on a Singapore gameshow in almost eight years since a male contestant won $250,000 on a Dec 27 2001 episode of Who Wants to be a Millionaire.[12] The Mandarin version is the only version that sees a few contestants reaching the "safe haven". Adding on, host Zeng did not mention how many missing words are there in each round, opposing to other versions of the show. Celebrity Episodes
The first episode was a celebrity special consisting of 3 local comedians, Mark Lee, Michelle Tay and Henry Thia. They managed to win $10,000. The second celebrity special on the fifth episode saw local singers Joi Chua, Kelvin Tan and Chew Sin Huey winning $10,000. The third celebrity special on the tenth episode saw local artistes Jeff Wang, Kym Ng and Quan Yifeng winning $25,000. The fourth celebrity episode on the last episode, the fourteenth episode saw 3 Y.E.S.93.3FM DJs Dennis Chew, Xie Jia Fa and Siau Jia Hui winning $50,000. The highest celebrity payout of the four episodes. Chinese version (All stars edition)A brand new season of Don't Forget the Lyrics begun its taping between May 7 to May 12, subsequent episodes were taped on 1st and 2 June. 14 confirmed episodes have been announced. Marking the 3rd installment in the Singapore version. The host of this special edition is comedian, actor and host; Mark Lee. The show will begin its debut on June 1, Every Tuesday, 8pm on Channel 8. The jackpot for this special season is SGD 50,000, and all proceedings and winnings will go to charity. Prize Progression Ladder: $100, $200, $500, $1,000 (guaranteed sum), $1,500, $2,500, $5,000, $10,000, $20,000, $50,000. In Total, the celebrities have raised SGD$51,000 for the charities. Episodes
Two episodes saw celebrities reaching the final song level, but all 2 teams failed to attempt it successfully, hence dropping them back to $1,000. The 2 teams are Taiwanese Singers: Ehlo Huang, Tony Sun and Yang Guang, following by Project Superstars: Lydia Tan, Carrie Yeo and Kelvin Soon. Slovakian versionThe Slovakian version premiered on February 22, 2008 and aired on TV JOJ entitled LYRICS - Vyspievaj si milión!. It is hosted by Andrej Bičan. The jackpot for this version is now 100,000 euros because Slovakia is joining the Eurozone, which results in the 1,000,000 koruna prize being dropped. Spanish versionThe Spanish version premiered on September 2008 with the name "No te olvides de la canción" (Don't forget the song).[13] It is aired at La Sexta and hosted by Operación Triunfo academy's former director Àngel Llàcer. The jackpot prize is €100,000. TaiwanThe Taiwan version is called "百萬大歌星" (Million Singer), hosted by Harlem Yu. This program is aired in Taiwan Television Enterprise, Ltd. (TTV), TVBS Asia and Mediacorp Channel U. But it is not the authorized program from the origin. The top prize is NTD300,000. ThailandThe Thai version was first aired on 11 March 2007. It is currently hosted by ??? and airing on ??? from ??? to ???PM. United KingdomMain article: Don't Forget the Lyrics! (UK game show)
The UK version premiered on May 11, 2008 and aired on Sky One entitled Don't Forget the Lyrics!. It is hosted by Shane Richie. The jackpot for this version is £250,000. United StatesThere has been two U.S. versions entitled Don't Forget the Lyrics!.
Missing Lyrics in IndonesiaThere is also an Indonesian version "Missing Lyrics" airing on the Trans TV. The top prize for this version is 100.000.000 Rupiah (about $10,000). See alsoReferences
External links |