That's the Question

Infobox Television
show_name = That's the Question


caption =
format = Game Show
picture_format =
runtime = 30 min. (inc. adverts)
creator =
starring = flagicon|USA: Bob Goen flagicon|UK: Sarah Cawood
channel = flagicon|USA: GSN flagicon|UK: Challenge
first_aired = flagicon|USA: 2006 - 2007
last_aired = flagicon|UK: 2007
num_series = flagicon|USA: 2 flagicon|UK: 1
num_episodes =
country = NLD
producer = 2waytraffic
related =
imdb_id =

"That's the Question" is an American quiz game show on GSN, hosted by Bob Goen, which premiered in 2006. It was based on a show of the same name originating in the Netherlands, developed by 2waytraffic. The first season was shot in the Netherlands, with Canadians and Americans who live there as contestants (as was the case when GSN started the 2002 revival of Lingo). A second season, filmed in Los Angeles, began September 11. The show has also been seen in France, where Khany hosted a version on TV5 that ran for a few years. Currently, a version of this programme, hosted by Sarah Cawood, is shown in the United Kingdom on Challenge.

Round One

To start the round, a toss-up question is asked. The question consists of a puzzle with blanks (the question) and an answer. Letters in the question are revealed one at a time, and the first contestant to buzz in with the right question (and answer in Season 2) earns control of the first round.

Another main question puzzle appears, again with the answer given. Each player takes turns answering mini-questions. The answers to these mini-questions are found in anagrams (referred to on the show as "scrambles") containing all of the letters to the answer, along with an extra letter. Whether answered correctly or not, that extra letter is placed into its location in the main question. Contestants earn one point for every time the extra letter appears in the main question (provided they answered the mini-question correctly). Guessing the main question with the answer provided earns a bonus five points. A total of three different puzzles are played in this round.

All answers to the mini-questions must be read in the form that they would unscramble to. The main question and answer must also be read precisely as written. Different forms of a word/noun or adding additional syllables are considered incorrect.

Round Two

This round is played the same as the first round, except that points are doubled and the answer is not provided to the main question. (The extra letters can also appear in the answer, but no points are given for letters placed there.) Additionally, contestants remain in control of the round until they give an incorrect answer or run out of time. If time runs out in the middle of filling in the letters, a speed-up takes place. Like before, letters in the question will be filled in one at a time, and the first contestant to buzz-in and fill in the right question and answer gets 10 points. If the player buzzes in with the wrong question or runs out of time, the correct question is revealed, and the other player can then score the 10 points by simply providing the correct answer. Normally, if nobody fills in the question to the answer, Bob will give the question and the answer, and that will be the final question in the round. At the end of the round, the player with the highest score wins the game. Should the game end in a tie, one last toss-up is played, with the first person to buzz in getting a chance to answer, and if right, wins the game, but if wrong, the opponent automatically wins.

Bonus Round

In the bonus round, the winning contestant is given one main question, and asked mini-questions as before. Incorrect answers and/or passes will not automatically place the letter in the puzzle; the contestant will keep receiving questions for that letter until he/she answers correctly. The round is timed, with the contestant's winning score in the main game turning into the allotted time at the rate of one second per point. When time is up, the contestant is immediately given ten more seconds to answer the final main question, or if the contestant has placed all of the letters into the question before the time runs out, they may use the extra time to answer the last main question. If successful, the contestant wins the top prize. Note that a contestant could win after running out of time as long as he or she begins giving the question and answer "before" the timer reaches zero, and continues without hesitation until finishing.

In the American version, winners get $5,000 for a bonus-round win, $500 for a loss. In the UK version, winners get £500 for an endgame win, and a chance at £1,000 in a "Superfinal." The most amount of time anyone ever played with in the bonus round on the US version was 139 seconds (2:19), not counting the extra 10 seconds needed to give both the question and answer.

Errors

Viewers noticed several glaring problems with the episodes - specifically, grammatical errors ("Who's" instead of "Whose", for example; one question read, "What star is a related to Lincoln's mother?" (sic) [http://gskingdom.blogspot.com/2007/10/10122007-results-deal-and-wof-try-to.html] ), factual errors (a question stated that hydrogen was the most abundant element in the Earth's atmosphere, and another question stated that Yahoo! is a web browser, instead of a search engine), and spelling errors (one question asked, "What is the main ingredient in "tarter" sauce?") in questions and answers. Some on these errors have cost contestants points. On one episode, a contestant was ruled incorrect for the quote from Passenger 57, "Always Bet On Black", which the contestant said. However, the show's answer was the more politically correct "Always Bet On The Black."

The first series carried Dutch game officials, as the show was filmed in the Netherlands.

Changes to US Series 2

As the show is filmed in the United States for Series 2, there are significant changes in the set and structure.

* Bob Goen opened the show by saying: "I'm Bob Goen. Will we give away $5,000? "That's the Question"." Recently he simply introduces the show "...and this is "That's the Question"."

* Bob stands stage right. The contestants stand slightly behind and stage left of Bob's podium.

* The puzzle board is located on the video screen below the two contestants, with the player's score on corresponding ends of the table.

* The sound effects have been altered. A woman's voice used to whisper "Question" every time a contestant buzzed in during the speed round, as well as during the main game before Bob asked a mini-question. Also, the woman's voice would say "That's the Question" when a puzzle was solved, and "Time's Up" was heard when a speed-up occurred in round two, as well as in the bonus round when a contestant failed to solve the question and answer. These voice-overs have all been replaced with sound effects.

Refernces

External links

* [http://www.gsn.com/specific_page_elements.php?link_id=S96 Official GSN site]