The idea of a game show for summer programming isn't anything new. While many networks have found alternatives that include shorter runs of TV series, the idea of filling in dead air with a low budget competition seems like a cost effective way of getting viewers. Every network nowadays has their game show, or has attempted to find one that will stand out. However, ABC is likely to be the lead network this summer as they begin the first of many summer game shows with returning favorite 500 Questions, which claims to be the most difficult game show in history. Of course, that is to discredit those shows that mix brains with brawn (Dog Eat Dog), or brains with brutal conditions (The Chamber), or whatever Fear Factor is supposed to be. Still, for those who like their games to have useless trivia, there was no better use of the past week than this show, whose only unfortunate side effect is that it was only five episodes long - thus being even more impossible to complete.
The simple comparison point is that this is Jeopardy! on speed. 500 Questions doesn't necessarily move faster, but the structure itself puts more pressure on the average question. The contestant is constantly aware of their five seconds as they answer a board of 10 categories with three questions each. With occasional battle rounds that feature another contestant trying to replace them, this is meant to last until someone reaches the impossible: 500 questions. With your garden variety of topics, the show at times has the casual vibe of the Regis Philbin era of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, often with the host (Dan Harris) talking them through the decisions. The one advantage is that where Jeopardy! has 30 minutes and a timer to work with, 500 Questions aired over its five nights between one and two hours, often setting up cliffhangers for commercial breaks and episode-to-episode with the best of Philbin's patient drawls.
The other similarity to ABC's premiere quiz show is that a handful of contestants during this time were in fact pooled from Jeopardy!'s rich history, most coming from various Tournament of Champions - including crowd favorite Ken Jennings, whose time on the show was so short that it didn't even last a 50th of the 500 questions. From there, many others would appear including Colby Burnett. Whereas Jeopardy! is reduced to 30 minutes and allows for very little comical chitchat, 500 Questions almost encourages it. Many of the contestants fell on the more eccentric side, often joking to ease tension and riffing with anyone at their disposal. Even then, both shows rely heavily on the appeal of the trivia, which is your garden variety that ranged from pop culture to science to politics and (but not often) math. Battle rounds against an opposition often involved listing off information in these categories.
The idea of 500 Questions is novel, and the limitless possibilities can often be fun for those who like to play along at home. While the structure of Jeopardy! makes it easily more accessible and entertaining, there's something to watching two hours of Harris asking humorous nerds questions. He doesn't quite have the charisma of the best hosts - choosing to often make fun of his intellectual inferiority. However, he does the thankless job well enough and helps the game move at a brisk pace. Considering that there are few shows on TV as engaging in trivia as 500 Questions, it helps it to stand out as one of the better options for game shows in 2016. The only issue comes in its brevity, both in its incapability to be fully addicting as well as the impossibility for the game to be played properly.
For instance, the fifth and final episode of this series featured the same contestant playing for the entire two hours, minus commercials and small chitchat. In this time, he answered a little over 150 questions. While it is plausible that someone could win over five games (again, ranging in time), the chances are slim. It's not because of the difficulty of the game, which itself is deceptive and relies on a flexible strategy of losing missed questions. It's because of the limitations of time and the fact that if someone doesn't complete it by season's end, they won't get a chance to redeem themselves the following year - regardless on if the show actually returns. There's certain small technicalities that make 500 Questions frustration, especially in a short run like this. However, it seems like a futile competition by the end solely because there's no possibility of reaching the end game. It's like Ninja Warrior, except they cannot at least try to end on a high note.
On the plus side, 500 Questions does look to be among the funner shows that ABC will be airing this summer. In an attempt to cash in on the success of cheap game shows, they will be rebooting To Tell the Truth, Celebrity Family Feud, and Match Game with Alec Baldwin. They could be fun, but the intellectual challenge is destined to be absent from them. It makes sense however that 500 Questions is a shorter run, if just because of the ongoing basketball season and the shorter programming that doesn't require as much effort. Even if 500 Questions is basically Jeopardy! on speed (and a tad inferior in overall charm), it was still an entertaining start to the summer programming, and hopefully it will get a chance to reach its full potential next summer, or at least work into a more successful format.
Overall Rating: 3.5 out of 5
For instance, the fifth and final episode of this series featured the same contestant playing for the entire two hours, minus commercials and small chitchat. In this time, he answered a little over 150 questions. While it is plausible that someone could win over five games (again, ranging in time), the chances are slim. It's not because of the difficulty of the game, which itself is deceptive and relies on a flexible strategy of losing missed questions. It's because of the limitations of time and the fact that if someone doesn't complete it by season's end, they won't get a chance to redeem themselves the following year - regardless on if the show actually returns. There's certain small technicalities that make 500 Questions frustration, especially in a short run like this. However, it seems like a futile competition by the end solely because there's no possibility of reaching the end game. It's like Ninja Warrior, except they cannot at least try to end on a high note.
On the plus side, 500 Questions does look to be among the funner shows that ABC will be airing this summer. In an attempt to cash in on the success of cheap game shows, they will be rebooting To Tell the Truth, Celebrity Family Feud, and Match Game with Alec Baldwin. They could be fun, but the intellectual challenge is destined to be absent from them. It makes sense however that 500 Questions is a shorter run, if just because of the ongoing basketball season and the shorter programming that doesn't require as much effort. Even if 500 Questions is basically Jeopardy! on speed (and a tad inferior in overall charm), it was still an entertaining start to the summer programming, and hopefully it will get a chance to reach its full potential next summer, or at least work into a more successful format.
Overall Rating: 3.5 out of 5
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