The World Series of Pop Culture

infobox television
show_name = The World Series of Pop Culture


caption = "The World Series of Pop Culture" logo.
format = Game Show
runtime = 1 hour
(with commercials)
creator = Michael Davies
starring = Pat Kiernan
Lisa Guerrero (2006)
Erin Davidson (2007)
Katherine Gotsick (2007)
Amber Tillett (2007)
country = USA
network = VH1
first_aired = July 10, 2006
last_aired = July 19, 2007
num_episodes = 16
imdb_id = 0799905
tv_com_id = 61744

"The World Series of Pop Culture" was a VH1 game show tournament program sponsored by Alltel Wireless, based on Entertainment Weekly's Pop Culture Quiz. Sixteen teams, comprising three people each, compete in a tournament to determine which team, collectively, knows the most about elements of popular culture. Taping took place in New York City from April 29 - April 30, 2006 at the Ziegfeld Theater (a movie theater named in homage of the former Ziegfeld Theatre). A wide range of topics are covered such as movies, music, TV and other miscellaneous pop culture. The top prize is $250,000. The show began on July 10, 2006, and the finale for the initial tournament aired on Thursday, August 3, 2006. The hosts were Pat Kiernan and Lisa Guerrero.

The second season of the show premiered on July 9, 2007. The auditions for the second season were held in January and February, and the tapings took place on March 22 and 23 at the Grand Ballroom of the Manhattan Center. There were two online qualification tests this year which took place on February 14 and February 20. Kiernan returns as host, with season 1 competitors "Cheetara" (Erin Davidson, Katherine Gotsick, and Amber Tillett) replacing Guerrero as the backstage interviewer.

The show will not be returning in 2008 for a third season. [ [http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08165/889456-42.stm TV Q&A with Rob Owen ] ]

Gameplay

Each show begins with a declaration of the rules::"The game is played in a best-of-five-rounds format. After a category is announced, each team will send a representative to the microphone, who must play for the entire round. The player who answers the most questions correctly, out of a possible six total questions, in the round, will knock out his or her opponent. The first team to knock out all three members of the opposing team will be declared the winner and move on in the tournament."

During each round, the category will be revealed. Categories could be as broad as "Family TV" or as specific as "The Karate Kid." Once the category is revealed, the teams have to send a teammate to the microphone to play for that entire category. Unless only one player is left remaining, a player may not compete in two consecutive categories.

The chosen players each get one category per round, and each category contains six questions (three to each player). If a player cannot provide the right answer, his or her opponent gets the opportunity to steal. At the end of each category, the player who gets the fewest questions correct is eliminated from the game. Once a player attains enough points that the opponent cannot beat, the category ends at that point.

In the event of a tie, a tiebreaker question determines who remains in the competition and who gets knocked out. The tiebreaker question contains an even number of multiple answers. Both players give one answer in succession, starting with the player who answered first in the tied category, until one player gives an incorrect answer. When an incorrect answer is given, and if the score is still tied, the opposing player must give one more correct answer to win. If the opposing player already has more correct answers by virtue of going first, that player immediately wins the category.

If the tiebreaker ends unresolved, either with both players answering incorrectly or if all correct answers have been given, a new tiebreaker round begins, but the first player to answer is switched.

The first team to eliminate all three of their opponents wins and moves on to the next round.

In the first-season World Series of Pop Culture final, airing first on August 3, 2006 each category (namely "Tom Cruise Movies", "TV Teen Dramas", "1990s Lyrics", and "Fictional Locales") involved ten questions rather than the typical six. The second-season final featured six-question categories.

ee also

* The World Series of Pop Culture (season 1)
* The World Series of Pop Culture (season 2)

References

External links

* [http://www.vh1.com/shows/dyn/wsopc/series.jhtml Official season 1 site]
* [http://www.vh1.com/shows/dyn/2007_world_series_of_pop_culture/series.jhtml Official season 2 site]
* [http://www.worldofpop.com World of Pop]