Dirty Rotten Cheater

Dirty Rotten Cheater
Format	Game show
Presented by	Bil Dwyer
Country of origin	United States
No. of episodes	13
Production
Location(s)	Studio 41, CBS Television City
Running time	60 minutes
Production company(s)	Jonathan Goodson Productions
Broadcast
Original channel	PAX
Original run	02011-01-06 January 6 – April 14, 2003 (2003-04-14)

Dirty Rotten Cheater is a game show that aired on PAX from January 6 to April 14, 2003, hosted by Bil Dwyer and produced by Jonathan Goodson. Thirteen episodes were produced.

The show featured elements similar to the BBC's The Enemy Within as well as Family Feud and the international series Weakest Link. The show's original pilot, titled Cheaters, was produced on the NBC Studios set of the U.S. version of The Weakest Link, in Burbank.

Gameplay

At the start of each show, six contestants walk up to their podiums, open their monitor doors, and find out if they are the "Dirty Rotten Cheater". After each contestant's name is read, he or she faces the camera and other contestants and claims to not be the Cheater.

The game begins with a survey question, similar to those on Family Feud. In the first four rounds, each player gives one answer; if the answer is on a list of the top ten responses given, the player receives an amount of money. Answers that appear lower on the list are worth more than those higher on the list. If the answer is not on the list, no money is given. The Cheater can see the entire top ten list of answers and may choose to either give a high-dollar answer to build their own bank, or a lesser answer in hopes of throwing off suspicion.

Position	Value
10	$2,500
9	$2,250
8	$2,000
7	$1,750
6	$1,500
5	$1,250
4	$1,000
3	$750
2	$500
1	$250

Rounds 1-3

At the end of each of the first three rounds, bonuses are awarded to the players who scored the most money in the round. The first place bonus is $10,000, second place is $7,500, and third place is $5,000. If there is a tie, the appropriate bonuses are combined and split between the tying players (i.e., if two players tie for first place, each receive $8,750).

The players are then given an opportunity to accuse one another of being the Cheater. After a few contestants have opined, they all secretly vote for whom they think is the Cheater using cards with the players' names on them. The players reveal their votes, starting at the left and moving right. The first contestant who receives three votes for that round is eliminated, losing all of his/her winnings, and must then truthfully state whether or not he/she is the Cheater.

Depending on the outcome of the vote, one of three possible scenarios occurs:

• If the eliminated contestant is the Cheater, he/she is eliminated from the game with no further participation, the remaining contestants keep all the money in their banks, and one of the remaining players is designated as the new Cheater in the same manner as in the beginning of the show.
• If the eliminated contestant is not the Cheater, all the money that the contestants had earned up to that point is halved and the eliminated contestant is later given a chance to win money at the end of the show.
• If no contestant receives three votes, all of the money the contestants earned up to that point is halved, and the Cheater is allowed to secretly eliminate an honest player. This is done by means of a button hidden inside the Cheater's podium (each podium has a button, but only the Cheater's button works). Everyone must reach inside their podium to keep the Cheater's identity a secret. One at a time, the host reads each contestant's name; when the name of the contestant is read that the Cheater wishes to eliminate, the Cheater presses his or her button. A red light flashes in the middle of the stage floor, and the selected contestant is eliminated; however, that contestant is likewise given an opportunity to win money at the end of the show.

Round 4

In the fourth round, after the players have a chance to accuse the other players, the studio audience votes for whom they think is the Cheater. If a contestant receives at least 50 percent of the vote, he or she is eliminated. However, the remaining players do not lose any of their money. If no majority is met, the Cheater secretly eliminates an honest player as before.

Round 5

In Round 5, two questions are asked. For each question, the contestants alternate turns, giving three answers each. After both questions have been asked (and a total of 12 answers have been given), each player gets 15 seconds to convince the studio audience that he or she is not the Cheater. After each player has been given time to state his or her case, all eliminated honest players vote for whom they think is the Cheater. After they vote, the audience votes for whom they think is the Cheater.

The host reveals the identity of person who ultimately ended up as the Cheater, and the honest players who voted for that contestant as the Cheater win $500 each. Both remaining contestants are brought to center stage, each with a vault containing the amount of money in his or her bank. The Cheater walks forward to his or her vault, opens it, and reaches inside. If the majority of the audience correctly voted that player as the Cheater, his or her money immediately falls through a trap door in the container, and the honest player wins the money in his or her vault. If the majority of the audience voted for the honest contestant, the trap door is not activated and the Cheater wins his or her money, with the honest player receiving nothing.

Foreign versions

In 2004, the show began airing six nights a week on Canale 5 in Italy.

In Japan, the program was broadcasting as The Cheater (ザ・チーター) on TBS between October 2005 and August 2006. It was broadcast as a special program in May 2005, then as a late-night program between October 2005 and March 2006.

A short-lived version of the program also aired on France 2 (July 2006) as "Qui est le bluffeur?" ("Who is the bluffer?") with Belgian host Jean-Michel Zecca.

The UK version was hosted by Brian Conley. Originally this was to transmit in spring 2007^[1], but eventually began on BBC One at 2.35pm on Monday 15 October. It was screened every weekday for three weeks, but was then replaced in the schedule by Diagnosis: Murder - the final five shows switched channels and were shown from Monday 12 November at 2.00pm on BBC Two. The UK version was taped at the Maidstone Studios in Kent, but edited at BBC Television Centre.

There are some format differences between the US and UK versions, the most obvious being that the UK version has one less contestant.

In addition to being produced in France, Italy, Japan, and the UK, the show was also produced in Hungary, India (as "Bluff Master"), Spain, & Vietnam.

References

1. ^ BBC NEWS | Entertainment | Donny Osmond to host TV game show