1 vs. 100 (US game show)

Infobox Television
show_name = 1 vs. 100


caption =
format = Game show
camera =
runtime = 60 min.
creator =
executive_producer = Scott St. John
starring =Bob Saget
narrated = Joe Cipriano
country =USA
rating = TV-PG
network =NBC
picture_format = 480i (SDTV)
first_aired = October 13, 2006
last_aired = February 22, 2008
num_seasons = 2
num_episodes = 28
website = http://www.nbc.com/1vs100/
imdb_id = 0843318
tv_com_id =

The American version of "1 vs. 100" is broadcast by NBC. As in other formats, a single player (the 1) goes up against 100 other contestants (the "Mob"). The 1 gains money for every Mob member eliminated, but loses all winnings with an incorrect answer at any point. The host is actor-comedian Bob Saget, and the top prize is $1,000,000 US. The show premiered on NBC October 13, 2006 at 9:00 PM. [cite web| url = http://www.zap2it.com/tv/news/zap-nbc1vs100premiere,0,5382105.story?coll=zap-tv-headlines| title = NBC Gets Its (Other) Game On| accessdate = 2006-10-15| date = September 27 2006| work = Zap2It] On October 20, 2006, it was reported that NBC ordered 10 additional episodes of "1 vs. 100", citing the show's encouraging ratings performance. [cite web|url=http://www.realitytvmagazine.com/blog/2006/10/1_vs_100_reward.html|title=1 Vs 100 Rewarded With Additional Episodes|work=Realitytvmagazine.com|accessdate=2006-11-03] The show returned with these new episodes on December 1, 2006. At the television critics' winter meetings in Pasadena, California in January 2007, the network announced that 12 more episodes would be added.

"1 vs. 100" airs on Fridays at 8:00 PM Eastern. As of March 16, 2007, the show went on a temporary break in order to accommodate "Identity", another NBC game show. The show returned to NBC with repeats of the series on May 25, 2007. In May, NBC announced that "1 vs. 100" would return for its second season in Fall 2007 with an eight episode run in the same time slot. "The Singing Bee" was originally scheduled to air after the initial run of "1 vs. 100", but its premiere was moved up to July to compete with FOX's new game show "Don't Forget the Lyrics!". [cite web|url=http://www.zap2it.com/tv/news/zap-nbcsingingbeepremiere,0,4096927.story|title=Karaoke Wars: NBC Rushes 'Singing Bee'|publisher=Zap2it.com|date=2007-06-21|accessdate=2007-07-04] In July, NBC announced some fall scheduling updates that included "The Singing Bee" being moved to Tuesdays and "Deal or No Deal" being moved from Monday to Friday at 8PM, replacing "1 vs. 100". [cite web|url=http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6460608.html?display=Breaking+News&referral=SUPP&q=1+vs%2E+100|title=Ben Silverman Comes Out Swinging|author=Ben Grossman|publisher=Broadcasting & Cable|date=2007-07-16|accessdate=2007-08-30] cite web|url=http://www.nbcumv.com/release_detail.nbc/entertainment-20070716000000-nbcshowcasesfallp.html|title=NBC Showcases Fall Primetime Entertainment Series Beginning Week of September 24|publisher=NBC Universal|date=2007-07-16|accessdate=2007-07-17]

"1 vs. 100" returned for its second season on Friday January 4th, 2008. [ [http://www.thefutoncritic.com/news.aspx?id=20071130nbc01 Breaking News - NBC ANNOUNCES EXCITING LINE-UP OF REALITY SERIES PREMIERES IN JANUARY AS NEW 'AMERICAN GLADIATORS' DEBUTS ALONG WITH BRAND NEW SEASON OF 'THE BIGGEST LOSER' AND RETURN OF POPULAR GAME SHOW '1 VS 100' | TheFutonCritic.com ] ] , with a new set and money ladder system of obtaining prize money. Also, a video screen is now displayed in the center of the mob area, where each question is displayed, as well as occasional pre-taped questions asked by celebrities. Several personalities, including Ross Mathews and Oscar the Grouch (of "Sesame Street" fame) are fixtures in the mob.

On January 4, 2008, "1 vs. 100" recorded its first ever millionaire -- 21-year-old Jason Luna from San Diego, California. He won by beating 100 women.

Despite its good ratings on Friday nights, NBC's early presentation of its next season schedule on April 2, 2008, did not include the show. [ [http://community.tvguide.com/blog-entry/TVGuide-Editors-Blog/Ausiello-Report/Nbc-Schedule-Scoop/800036704 NBC Fall Schedule Scoop! - Ausiello Report | TVGuide.com ] ] However, network executive Ben Silverman said that it might still return. [ [http://www.ohio.com/entertainment/17252944.html?page=all&c=y Ohio.com - NBC announces fall lineup ] ]

Gameplay

The game always opens with Saget saying "This game is simple. Either you will win . . . or they will win." Contestants are given a question with three possible answers. After answering a question correctly, any player in the 100-person mob who failed to answer the question correctly is eliminated from play. The player's winnings increase for every ten members of the mob they eliminate ("see table, right"). If after any correct answer the entire 100-person mob has been eliminated, the contestant wins the grand prize of $1,000,000.

Once a player reaches a set prize limit (the exact amount is not known for certain, but no later than $50,000; in fact, this may happen even once the player has $1,000, but edited out for time), they are asked whether they want the Money (quit) or the Mob (continue playing at risk of losing the money). After every subsequent question, a player may either quit or continue, if he/she answers correctly. Saget gives the contestant two choices, "The money or the mob?" Whenever a contestant decides to take on the mob, Saget then announces, "It's 1 vs. ...", followed by the number of mob members left after the last question (e.g. if there are 79 mob members left, Saget will say, "It's 1 vs. 79!"), and play continues as before. The player is not given any information about the next question unless 10 or fewer Mob members remain, or no helps are available. At this point, the player is given a Sneak Peek, where they can see the next question, but not the answers, before deciding whether or not to continue.

Contestants have three forms of assistance, or "helps," available to use at any point during the game:

*Poll the Mob: Contestants pick one of the three answers. The number of mob players who chose that answer is revealed. Originally contestants could ask one of those players why he/she chose that answer, although the player was allowed to lie; in the most recent shows this has not been offered.

*Ask the Mob: One mob member who answered correctly and one who answered incorrectly are chosen at random. Each explains his/her decision to the contestant. Mob members must tell the truth as to which answer they chose, but do not have to tell the truth as to why they chose that answer. This automatically eliminates one wrong answer, thus leaving contestants with a 50-50 chance of picking the right answer. If all mob members answer incorrectly, the solo player will be permitted to talk to one mob member and then will be informed that their answer is incorrect. If all mob members answer correctly, the solo player isn’t told that and is given the option to lock the answer in. This can also occur if all the mob members answer incorrectly, but choose the same incorrect answer.

*Trust the Mob: Contestants commit to choosing the answer chosen by the largest number of mob members. If there is a tie for two answers, the solo player has a choice to one of those two answers.

Contestants may use multiple helps on a single question, but may only use each help once during the game. It is possible (as shown in episodes 2 and 6) that a mob member may be picked for both the Poll the Mob and Ask the Mob, even on the same question. The solo player must make their decision on their answer within 10 minutes (after this time, the host will prompt for an answer, after which the solo player must answer within one minute). Mob members have only fifteen seconds (longer than most versions, which is usually six, as in the Australian version, where the time is unedited) to submit their choice, even though it's edited down when it's aired. [cite web|url=http://www.nbc.com/Casting/Applications/1v100_rules.pdf|title=1 vs 100 Official Rules|publisher=NBC|accessdate=2007-02-18]

When a contestant answers incorrectly, he/she leaves with nothing; unlike other versions of the show, any Mob members who correctly answered that question split the contestant's earnings. (Mob members who answer incorrectly are eliminated, and win nothing.) The remaining Mob members can continue playing as long as they answer correctly, giving themselves more than one opportunity to win money. If everyone gets a question wrong, no one wins any money. No prize money is given away that game and all new people are brought in. [cite web|url=http://www.nbc.com/Casting/Applications/1v100_rules.pdf|title=1 vs 100 Official Rules|publisher=NBC|accessdate=2007-02-18]

As of January 4, 2008, the prize structure is now determined by the number of mob members that are eliminated. Therefore, every 10 mob members eliminated increases the amount for the solo player. If all of their helps have been used up, they are entitled to get a "sneak peek" at the next question, before deciding to either walk with their winnings, or take on the mob. The multiple choices would not be revealed until the solo player makes their final decision.

Programming history

When the show was in development, one of its working titles was "Eliminator". Some of the rules that were tested would have made the game more complicated (e.g., there were ways for eliminated ‘mob’ members to be returned to the game). Elimination ladders were similar to the original Dutch version, winnings were determined based on the cumulative number of Mob members eliminated, and of the three "dodges," one "dodge" was a second chance (which would be used in the French version of the game). Among those who auditioned to be host were Alan Thicke, Billy Bush, Bronson Pinchot, and Jim Lampley.

Even after the show debuted, there was considerable reworking of the rules and format. For instance, the value of eliminated mob members was different during the show's initial run of five episodes:

In this money ladder, the contestant must answer the first three questions correctly, before deciding whether to take the money or play on. Then, for the $2,000 tier, the contestant must answer two more before deciding. All other tiers were as before, with the contestant offered to stay or go after each question.

Notable records include the $343,000 won by Barry Lander on January 12, 2007, which was the most ever won by the solo contestant until Jason Luna became the show's first millionaire . The most money ever lost to the mob was $263,000 by Raul Torres (February 16, 2007). The most money ever won by an individual mob member was $62,600 by Dennis Cisterna III, and a waitress named Chloe, over three shows while facing four contestants (February 23, 2007). The most questions answered by a mob member was 49 by Ned Andrews (December 15, 2006 through January 19, 2007). [cite web| url = http://www.registerbee.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=DRB/MGArticle/DRB_BasicArticle&cid=1149192736199&c=MGArticle| title = Getting in the game| accessdate = 2007-08-17| last = Elzey| first = Susan| date = January 18 2007] The highest number of mob members defeated was 95 by poker player Annie Duke (February 9, 2007, the "Last Man Standing" episode). The total number of solo contestants currently stands at 33 (17 winners, 16 losers).

eason Two

The show's second season premiered on January 4, 2008, and two games were played. One put 100 men against a woman, the other was the reverse. On that show, Jason Luna, a 21-year old from San Diego faced the 100-women mob, and won the one million dollars. There were fifteen women left in the mob.

The question was:
*"According to Hallmark, what is the biggest card-giving holiday of the year?"
*A: "Christmas"
*B: "Mother's Day"
*C: "Valentine's Day"Luna correctly answered Christmas over Mother's Day and Valentine's Day.

Criticism

Early criticism of the first episode asserted that the questions tend to be far less difficult than the average game show. An early question on the show was based on a theme of word play, "What Hawaiian appetizer is often found on Asian cuisine menus?" came with the potential answers: a) pu-pu platter b) ka-ka combo c) du-du delight. Eight of the 100 got it wrong, proving Bob Saget's point: "You never know what they will or won’t know." [cite web| url = http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/13/arts/television/13game.html?ex=1188619200&en=68d81036c89d41a7&ei=5070| title = In Battle for Bucks, Personality Beats Intellect| accessdate = 2006-10-15| last = Stanley| first = Alessandra| date = October 13, 2006| work =The New York Times] The questions have been difficult enough to eliminate several notable members of the mob, including "Jeopardy!" champions Ken Jennings and Brad Rutter, and three million-dollar winners from "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" (see below). Even into the second season the questions were very easy. One example, even asked later in the game, was "Which country's national anthem includes the name of the country in its title?" The answers were a) The United States (The Star-Spangled Banner) b) Canada (O Canada) c) The United Kingdom (God Save the Queen).

Further criticism revolved around the composition of the Mob. While there have been a number of teachers, valedictorians and other professionals, much of the Mob resembles a typical studio audience with surfers, waitresses and models. [cite web| url = http://www.entertainment-news.org/breaking/57347/new-nbc-quiz-show-1-vs-100-unremarkable.html| title = New NBC quiz show "1 vs. 100" unremarkable| accessdate = 2006-10-15| last = Richmond| first = Ray| date = October 13, 2006| publisher = Reuters] But this is understandable since most questions revolve around popular culture and not scholarly topics, although scholarly topics are often used now (civics, geography, and medicine have been among the types of questions more prevalent in recent episodes).

Other criticism involved the drawn-out nature of the show. Format changes were instituted to speed up gameplay. At first, the show would reveal mob members who missed a question one-by-one; then all mob members who missed the question were shown at once. It has since switched back to the original method, with occasional dramatic pauses between money tiers. Also, answers to questions are generally revealed more quickly, and there is less chitchat between Saget and mob members between questions. Contestants are now required to answer three questions before they can exit the game, which eliminates pauses while they make their decision to either walk away with the money they have earned or continue playing.

Theme episodes

Christmas episode

A special Christmas episode aired on December 25, 2006 which featured Christmas related questions and a Mob with members representing "The 12 Days of Christmas", including:

* Twelve members of the University of Southern California Marching Band drumline (drummers drumming)
* Eleven plumbers (pipers piping)
* Ten male ballet dancers (lords a-leaping)
* Nine female go-go dancers (ladies dancing)
* Eight farmer's wives (maids a-milking)
* Seven members of the Cal State Northridge water polo team (swans a-swimming)
* Six pregnant mothers-to-be (geese a-laying)
* Five boxers (golden rings)
* Four bird callers (calling birds)
* Three French chefs (French hens)
* Two dove hunters (turtle doves)
* Danny Bonaduce (a Partridge in a pear tree)

Santa Claus took a chair, and the remaining 20 contestants consisted of five "Santa's elves" and returning contestants, like Annie Duke (who missed on a question early in this episode and was eliminated after four shows, having answered 37 questions correctly).

The "You vs. 100" at home game would have been worth $25,000 to the lucky winners in the Eastern US, plus the Mountain and Pacific time zones, but because the Philadelphia Eagles-Dallas Cowboys football game ran late and the Christmas episode of "Deal or No Deal" also ran past its scheduled time in both the Eastern and Central time zones, the contest was not held at all. "1 vs. 100" was joined in progress in the Eastern and Central zones following "Deal or No Deal", while the entire show aired in the Western U.S. The $25,000 giveaway was rescheduled for January 19, 2007, during a regular episode.

1 vs. 100 kids

The first game on the February 2, 2007 episode consisted of one hundred children. Five members left standing received $18,800 each.

Last Man Standing

Former top mob members, including Brad Rutter, Ken Jennings, Nancy Christy, Kevin Olmstead, and Annie Duke among others were in the mob for a "last man standing" game where the winner got a guaranteed $250,000. The rules were a little different, in that there were no helps, no money for each question, and one person, in this case, Annie Duke, was randomly selected to be the "one". Thus, this game was actually 1 vs. 99. Also, she did not have the opportunity to walk away from the game (this rule is also used on many foreign versions of the show).

Duke and Jennings were two of the final five aiming for the prize. The question was "Who has been married the most times? - King Henry VIII, Larry King, or 'The King of Pop', Michael Jackson." Duke, Jennings, and two of the other remaining contestants incorrectly guessed King Henry VIII. Ultimately, the winner was entertainment lawyer and former actor Larry Zerner, as he was the only one who answered Larry King.

The Most Hated Mob in America

The February 16, 2007 episode featured a mob made up of the nation's supposedly most hated people, including 23 meter maids, 22 IRS agents, 20 telemarketers and 16 DMV employees. Casey Smith left 29 people in the mob, opting to take his $142,000 winnings.

Battle of the Sexes

On January 4, 2008, the first night of the current prize structure, one woman played against a mob of 100 men and vice versa. The woman, Katherine Kazorla lost $50,000 to the mob, while the man, Jason Luna, became the show's first millionaire.

Notable mob members

The game consists of 100 Mob members, ranging from teachers, brain surgeons, and Mensa members to "Deal or No Deal" models and game show champions. Here are some of the notable Mob members, many of whom play for charities:

* Ken Jennings, "Jeopardy!" champion. (lectern #13 in episode 1; previewed the show on his weblog [cite web| url = http://ken-jennings.com/blog/?m=200608| title = L.A. confidential| accessdate = 2006-10-15| last = Jennings| first = Ken| authorlink = Ken Jennings| date = August 13, 2006| work = Ken Jennings, Confessions of a Trivial Mind] ; eliminated in episode 2; won $714.29)
* Meghan Markle, Katie Cleary, and Marisa Petroro, "Deal or No Deal" models. (lecterns #7, #8 and #9 in episode 1)
* John Carpenter, "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" first $1,000,000 winner (lectern #16; appeared and eliminated in episode 3.)
* Nancy Christy, "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" $1,000,000 winner (lectern #17; appeared and eliminated in episode 3.)
* Dr. Kevin Olmstead, "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" $2,180,000 winner (lectern #18; appeared and eliminated in episode 3.)
* Kevin Federline, rap artist and singer Britney Spears's then-husband (lectern #13; appeared and eliminated in episode 6)
* Annie Duke, poker player (appearing in episode airing December 1 in lectern #22; moved to lectern #13 on December 15) Was eliminated on the December 25 episode. Annie went through 37 correct questions before she was eliminated on the December 25 show on the third question. During her four weeks, she didn't win any money. In the episode on February 9, 2007, she returned and competed in the "Last Man Standing" special, along with Ken Jennings, Brad Rutter, and others.
* Brad Rutter, "Jeopardy!" contestant and all-time American game show winnings record holder (appeared in December 1 episode at lectern #33). He was eliminated on the December 15, 2006 episode.
* David Eckstein, of the St Louis Cardinals, 2006 World Series MVP (appeared in the second game of the December 1 episode at lectern #13; eliminated on the December 8 show).
* Four members of the main cast of the "Las Vegas" drama on NBC: Josh Duhamel, Nikki Cox, James Lesure and Molly Sims (appeared in the first game of the December 1 episode to promote a 2-hour "Las Vegas" special that followed the show; playing for charity, they were all eliminated without winning any money).
*Bob Eubanks and Wink Martindale, December 8 show (appearing at lecterns #13 and #14, respectively; they were eliminated on consecutive questions.)
*PJ Golden, (lectern #87 episode 5). Owner of Stereotype Records and former rock semi-demi-star. Returned for upcoming episode.
*Danny Bonaduce, who was in the 1970s TV show "The Partridge Family", appearing on the special Christmas episode airing on December 25th as "A Partridge in a Pear Tree". Was eliminated on the show's third question.
*Adam West, the original star of the "Batman" TV series, appeared on January 5, and was eliminated January 12.
*Jackie Beat, famous New York drag queen, appeared on January 5, eliminated on January 12.
*Male model Fabio, appearing on January 12, eliminated on January 19.
*Matthew Lesko and Anthony Sullivan, infomercial pitchmen, appearing on January 12, both were eliminated on January 19 episode.
*Television judges Joe Brown, Cristina Pérez, Alex Ferrer, Lynn Toler, and Mablean Ephriam, appearing on January 19, all of them were eliminated without winning any money.
*Former child actors Todd Bridges ("Diff'rent Strokes") and Willie Aames ("Charles in Charge" and "Eight Is Enough"), both appearing on the January 19 episode. Bridges was eliminated on his first question; Aames was eliminated on the January 26 episode. (Bridges was introduced at the start of the January 26 episode, but was already eliminated the prior week.)
*Five members of the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, who appeared on the January 19 episode. Two of them were eliminated on the January 19 episode; the rest were eliminated on January 26 episode.
*Olympic Gold Medalists Shannon Miller, Bart Conner, and Nadia Comaneci, all appearing on the January 26 episode; Miller and Comaneci were eliminated on that episode; Conner moves on to the next episode in game number two, after the first game which featured one hundred kids in the mob.
*Three cast members each of NBC's soaps "Days of our Lives" and "Passions", appearing on the January 26 episode. All of them were eliminated without winning any money.
* Actor/comedian D.L. Hughley, who appeared in the February 2 episode during the second game, and was eliminated on his first question.
*Fabled sex therapist Dr. Ruth Westheimer, medium Allison DuBois, on whom the lead character in the NBC drama series "Medium" is based, celebrity blogger Perez Hilton, and members of Three 6 Mafia, appeared and eliminated on February 23rd episode. Three 6 Mafia's DJ Paul and Dr. Ruth were notable in that they were eliminated twice, as that mob so quickly beat the first contestant, producers decided to let them stay for the second game. Appearing in the third game was Rabbi Shmuley Boteach, host of the TLC show "Shalom in the Home".
*Oscar The Grouch from "Sesame Street" (voiced and puppeteered by Carroll Spinney), appearing on the January 11, 2008 episode as a representative of "Seasme Street" and the Muppets. He was eliminated on an initial question about Dr. Jeckyl and Mr. Hyde, though later he claimed that he knew the answer (noting Mr. Hyde as his "hero") but pressed the wrong button, and was the only person eliminated. Later, in a question regarding social security, he claimed that he has always been 43 years of age. In another episode, Saget accidentally refers to Oscar as "Grover," and then as "Cookie Monster" just to incite some laughs from the audience. Oscar later gets back at Saget by calling him "Howie" (after Howie Mandel, the host of another popular NBC game show, "Deal or No Deal"). He most recently got the question "Alphabetically, which number comes first?" incorrect, with the correct answer being 24. This leads to a humorous conversation in which Bob asks if it isn't what he and his fellow Muppets do on "Sesame Street", to which he replied that only know the number of letters "in" the alphabet. Safe to say, he doesn't act grouchy either in any of his appearances on the program, as he comments that three other mob members like him. The audience even clapped for him when he was eliminated. He is now a regular and one of the most popular nonhuman members of the mob, sitting in seat #21.
*The Dahm Triplets, also mob regulars
*Ross "The Intern" Matthews, a mob regular
*Sister Rose, see mention of previous two
*Jake, a chimpanzee. He only answered one question correctly in his game.
*Cassandra Whitehead, a former contestant of America's Next Top Model, Cycle 5.

The following appeared on the episode that aired on March 16, 2007 (it was originally advertised that they would appear on a special Sunday episode in January that was pre-empted by "Deal or No Deal"):
*Kelly Perdew, the second winner in "The Apprentice".
*Sean Yazbeck, the fifth winner in "The Apprentice".
*Omarosa Manigault-Stallworth, the notable candidate from the first installment of "The Apprentice".
*Members of the nostalgia rock group Sha Na Na who performed some of the music in the film "Grease".
*Jeff Conaway from the film "Grease" (as well as "Taxi")

Home Viewer Games

Like fellow NBC/Endemol game "Deal or No Deal", "1 vs. 100" has an interactive game. The first game, called "You vs. 100", gives out a question with three possible answers. Those who answer the question correctly are eligible for a $10,000 prize in each time zone, with Eastern and Central counting as one zone. The area affected for this game (Alaska, Hawaiiokina, Guam, US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico) are the same in the "Deal" Lucky Case Game, as well as areas that pre-empt (and/or tape delay) the program. In most episodes, only the first mob is used, except the February 16 episode where The Most Hated Mob in America was used.

The Christmas 2006 episode was to have featured a $25,000 prize for each time zone, but was postponed until January 19 due to the overrun from the NFL game that night (see Christmas episode, above).

When the show returned in May 2007, the interactive game was changed to its second format, "Mob Money". This game was played the same as Deal or No Deal's Lucky Case game, except with five mob members to choose from and a prize of $5,000. As of January 2008, "Mob Money" consists of a question put to the mob, with three choices as to how many people answered incorrectly. The prize has also doubled back to $10,000.

In Canada, E!'s airings do not feature the interactive segments, as Canadian viewers aren't eligible to participate. Additionally, when repeats air on CNBC, these segments are not rebroadcast.

References

External links

* [http://www.nbc.com/1vs100/ Official website]