Gimmicks and Catchphrases in Game Shows

Main Gimmicks

The Weakest Link:
"You are the weakest link"

A Questions of Sport:
"What happens next?"

Eggheads:
"The question is. can they be beaten?"

Are you smarter than the ten year old:
"I am/not smarter than a 10 year old"

Mastermind:
"I've started so ill finish"

Countdown:
"Lets start the clock"

Have I got news for you:
"In the news this week"

Mock the Week
"The first subject is"

What is the purpose of a catchphrase?
A catchphrase is an easy way of remembering something, especially on a Game show where the show is usually noticed for its famous and catchy Gimmick or phrase. If a gameshow has a catchphrase or a gimmick that viewers or the audience remember then this is how the game show will be recognised and stand out.

What effect does it have on the viewer?
The viewer will know the catchphrase and will feel involved even if they aren't. A catchphrase lets the viewer understand the game and recognise the game show from the catch phrase. Also if he catchphrase is popular people who don't watch the game show will be intrigued to watch it because it is catchy and popular.

Children and Adult Game shows Exam Questions

 

Exam Questions

 

How does the game appeal to young people?

'Get Your Own Back' is a game show targeted to younger children which they find funny and entertaining because it is comedic and the hosts try to make it entertaining to young children so they don't get bored. The game in the show is to get even with someone that has been annoying them, this makes it entertaining to younger people because they are hassled by their parents a lot and they would like to see them get humiliated for it. The Game show uses bright coloured lighting to make the show seem more exciting and so its not dull that the viewers would change the channel. The game show has younger contestants so that the audience, who are also young children will relate to it. The game show is active and the contestants actually do activities and compete against their parents or anyone they wanted to get their own back on. Also young people tend to get bored easily so the game show will appeal to them because on CBBC where it is showing there are no adverts so they will continue watching because it is entertaining and not boring.

What are the Prizes?

The contestants with the highest points get to humiliate and get their own back on the person they chose by dunking them in a tank of gunge. The parents then get asked a series of questions and if they answer a question wrong they get lofted higher making the dunk bigger and worse for them. The losing team also gets a small prize which is a jacket and a trophy. The prize would make the viewers and audience want to watch the show to see who wins because they want to see who gets dunked, this is entertaining because it is funny.

Similarities and Differences between children's and adult game shows
An example of an adult game show would be Total Wipeout which is also an active game show where the contestants do a range of activities and complete courses like Children's game shows (Get Your Own Back) however where most of children game shows are activities adult game shows tend to be a mix of genres because children have less patience to just watch someone answer some questions. Young audiences tend to find active shows more entertaining and fun, however adult game shows also have activities because they have funny activities that are hard to complete. As everyone loves a bit of comedy both children and adult game shows are similar as they both tend to have comedy whether its a quiz game show or a practical one they always have comedy. Comedy in a show makes it more entertaining for any ages although, the jokes would need to be suitable for the age groups because younger people may not understand adult jokes and adult may find children's comedy because it may be immature for them. Adult and Children game shows are similar but for children it is made more simple for the younger children to understand. Adult Game shows may be complex and involve quizzes that younger children will not find entertaining. On the other hand both game shows have colours and bright lighting at some stages because bright lighting just makes it appealing no matter the age.

Game Shows Homework

How are Game Show prizes funded?

They can have an insurance policy to protect them from huge losses. For example, the insurance company says, we've studied the odds of your game, and we'll sell you a policy for $200,000 up front, that pays out full prize money any time someone wins $100,000 or more during this season of the show. Obviously this is all about actuarial tables and a smart insurance company who has studied the gameplay and sorted out the odds of how many players will win big, but the point is that the show doesn't have to worry about it. They can let the insurance company work it out, and the show then has a nice fixed-cost expense they can reliably drop into their production budget and not think about it anymore. And of course, though you didn't ask about product prizes (a BRAND NEW CAR!), I'm sure you know that the show sponsors typically donate those in exchange for exposure. That's why whenever it's a new car (or vacation package, or furniture set, or whatever), they spend a while talking about the features of the prize and then say "donated by...." That's TV advertising for the sponsor, in exchange for the prize.

What type of people do producers want to have on their game show?

To make their Game Show a success producers would want to look at the characteristics of the people and see if they are fit for the job. The contestants would need to be confident to be able to make the show fun and entertaining. People who have skill could help the producer because they will be useful whether its a quiz or activity. If the contestants are skilled in different subjects or activities the producer would consider them depending on what game show they are auditioning for but this would be what a producer is looking for, in the right game show. The contestants should be independent and shouldn't rely on being told what to do by the producer. Its like applying for a job in some ways where you have to make a good impression and show that you are suited for this.

Questions:

1. Have you had any experience in this topic?
2. Why did you chose this show?
3. What makes you better than others?
4. Do you have any special skills?
5. (quiz show) Do you have quick reaction time?

Countdown and The History of it's success

Countdown

Countdown is a British Game show which involves solving word and number puzzles. It was produced by ITV studios and is broadcasted on Channel 4. It is presented by Nick Hewer and assisted by Rachel Riley. The original release date for countdown was 1982 and it is still carrying on until now so from that time until now a lot has changed.

The TV show appeals to the audience in different ways this is why it has carried on for over 30 years, with over 6000 episodes. Countdown appeals to the audience because they can always join in even if the show presenters aren’t asking them to. Every time a puzzle is available for the contestants to solve the audience or viewers at home can’t stop them from solving the puzzles with them.

In 1982 when the show was released the show was still being introduced to the audience. The show allowed the audience to join in and caused tension every time the timer went started.

The contestants on countdown were always a few steps ahead of the audience because it seemed like they knew the answer to the puzzles before anyone else did. This shows us that the show makes sure to involve the right contestants who know what they are doing, but that doesn’t mean the audience can try to solve the puzzle too. In 1982 the show made the viewers feel involved and because that is when it started they were also curious of how the show will succeed and what is going to happen in other episodes.

In 2001 countdown had a 3000th edition of countdown. This was one of many celebrations as countdown has been around for many years and episodes. In the noughties countdown was very welcoming and thankful to the viewers, audience and the contestants because of the many celebrations they were having as the show continued successfully. The show was a mix of different thing that is why it appealed to the audience, in the show the host and his glamorous assistant would make the most of the time by making jokes from time to time and then getting into business by carrying on with the show. In the show they make it look as if it is very easy and the viewers at home are struggling but it is addictive to them in a way because even though it is hard to solve the puzzles they still want to see what else comes up.

TV Hosts, Why they are successful

TV Hosts

Vernon Kay, Richard Hammond, Phillip Schofield and Ben Shepard are all television hosts of some kind and have all become very successful in their careers. All of them are English presenters. They have all worked with famous celebrities. All of these hosts except Phillip Schofield have been given other promotions rather than hosting a TV show Vernon Kay has his own radio channel and Richard Hammond and Ben Shephard have been given shows to present that are watched and a promotion to all the regulars. The odd one out is Vernon Kay because he seems to be the only one who has made careers for himself outside of television, which is modelling and his own radio channel. These hosts all seem to be doing well in their careers working with people and TV shows that the audience and viewers know and recognise. The hosts are still keeping it up because they are lovable and make the audience and viewers want to watch the TV shows that they are hosting.