Let's Ask America

Let's Ask America
Format	Quiz show
Starring	Kevin Pereira
Country of origin	United States
Original language(s)	English
Production
Running time	30 minutes
Production company(s)	paraMedia Telepictures
Distributor	Warner Bros. Television
Broadcast
Original channel	Syndication
Original run	17 September 2012 (2012-09-17) – present
External links
Website

Let's Ask America is an American quiz show hosted by former Attack of the Show! co-host Kevin Pereira. Debuting September 17, 2012, the program features contestants who play from their homes via webcams, answering trivia questions relating to current events. A second season debuted September 9, 2013. On November 4, 2013, it was announced that Scripps is launching Let's Ask America nationwide through a distribution deal with MGM Television.^[1]

Produced by paraMedia and Telepictures, the program was created for the E. W. Scripps Company, and initially premiered on seven of its television stations alongside another Scripps-created program, the news magazine program The List. The premiere of the two programs are part of a strategy being undertaken by Scripps to replace existing syndicated programming in the valuable pre-primetime hour with new "home-grown" programs. These new programs would allow Scripps complete control over advertising inventories during the hour for better profitability, unlike Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy!, which Scripps staff felt were too expensive and underperforming in comparison. Wheel and Jeopardy! were replaced by The List and Let's Ask America on the Scripps stations that carried them. Warner Bros. Television Distribution began to syndicate Let's Ask America to other markets at beginning of the 2013 season.^[2]

The contestants participate by Skype from the comfort of their own home, an inexpensive technology negating the need for travel expenses. One participated from his bathroom, another from her beer room, and one from a closet. In sweeps months, the show features 'celebrity' editions featuring local news talent from the stations carrying the series such as meteorologists and anchors playing the game from their station's studios for local charities.

The program is executive produced by Jeff Apploff, Jack Martin and Todd Stevens and is co-produced by Ben Betts and Casey Green.

Main Game

Round 1

In Round 1, there are four contestants, and each of them will attempt to answer the three multiple-choice questions. In this round, questions will have two possible answers. The host will first read the two answers and then follow with the question to be answered. Then, all four contestants will have approximately 30 seconds to write down their answers on to the card stock included in their game kits. Once all contestants have verbally acknowledged that they have written down their answers, the host will ask them each to reveal their answers in a sequence determined by the producers. Then the host will reveal the correct answer. Each contestant that answered the question correctly will be awarded the prize money assigned for that question. Contestants who answered incorrectly will receive no prize money. After the correct answer to the first question has been revealed, all four contestants will receive the next question. The host will reveal the correct answer to the next questions, and any money earned will be assigned to the proper contestants. The contestant with the lowest amount of money at the end of the round (or the loser of the tiebreaker challenge, if applicable) will be eliminated and will not receive any prize money earned before elimination. The three contestants with the highest amount of money at the end of the round will advance to Round 2.

Round 1 Scoring

Round 2

Round 2 is the same, with three possible answers. Again, the player with the lowest amount of money is eliminated empty-handed.

Round 2 Scoring

Round 3

Round 3 is the same, but now there are four possible answers to choose from. The higher-scoring player wins the game.

Round 3 Scoring

Tie-breaker (Dash for Ca$h)

If there's a tie at the end of each round (for second, third or fourth in the first two rounds; for first in the last) the tied players will play a special game called "Dash for Ca$h". The tied players will do a scavenger hunt race. The host will tell the players the item and the criteria they must meet. For Season 1, the players must do a certain activity with the item. For Season 2, the item in question must be the correct answer to a survey question. When the host says "GO", they start the race. The last-place player will be eliminated and the highest scoring player(s) advances.

Bonus Round

Season 1

Before the break the player will write his/her wager, then will face another 4-option question. He/she has to answer it in 30 seconds. Giving the correct answer will add the money equal to his/her wager, but an incorrect answer loses the wager. However, if a player wagers all of their money and answers correctly, his/her wager pays 5:1; if he/she is wrong while wagers everything, he/she is still guaranteed $1,000, unless he/she has less than that heading into the final round (in which case they get a consolation prize).

Season 2

Season 2's bonus round format is same as Season 1, but if the player goes all in and misses, he/she loses all the money he/she had won in the main game.

Philippines Version

A Philippines version of Let's Ask America under the name Let's Ask Pilipinas hosted by Aga Muhlach currently airs on TV5 as part of their Everyday All the Way weekday primetime block since its initial debut on October 14, 2013.

References

External links

• Official Site
  • List of stations & air times