Grand Slam (TV Series)
Encyclopedia
Grand Slam is a television quiz show first created for Britain's Channel 4
in 2003. In its first and only series in the UK, the main host was Carol Vorderman
. She was joined in the studio by analyst James Richardson
. The off-camera "Questioner" was Nicholas Rowe
.
The contestants taking part, all of them previous quiz show winners, were: Dee Voce, Geoff Owen, Olav Bjortomt
, David Edwards, Mark Labbett
, Clive Spate
, Melanie Beaumont, Peter Lee, Gavin Fuller, David Stainer, Graham Nash
, Michael Penrice, Michelle Hogan, Laura Richardson, Said Khan and Duncan Bickley (who lost £218,000 on an episode of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? in 2000). Each contestant paid £1000 to enter, which made up part of the prize fund (hence the title, which has a double meaning referring both to the sporting concept of a "grand slam" and to the entrance fee). The winner was Clive Spate.
, with two contestants competing in each programme. In the first round of the tournament, each heat consisted of five rounds: General Knowledge, Numbers and Logic, Contemporary Knowledge, Words and Letters and then the final round. In subsequent rounds, a Keyword round was added, with questions having a given word (the keyword) as the common theme.
In each round, each player has a minute to answer his/her questions. The players take turns to answer a question; at any time, only the clock of the person whose turn it is counts down. The question must be answered correctly in order to pass the turn, otherwise the same contestant gets another question. The round ends when one player's clock reaches zero; the other player's remaining time is carried forward to the final round.
The final round uses questions from all of the categories. Initially, both contestants are given 30 seconds. The total time accumulated from the first 3 rounds is then added to this 30 seconds to determine the amount of time on each contestants' clock. Whoever has time left at the end of the final round wins the match.
Each contestant also has three switches to use over the course of the programme, i.e. opportunities to pass the turn (and the current question) to his/her opponent. Switches can be used consecutively to pass the question back and forth between opponents.
. The initial series, premiering August 4, 2007 on GSN
consists of a 16 player elimination tournament.
As with the British series, the US program is presented as a grand championship of game shows. All 16 contestants selected were noted winners other game shows. Unlike the British series, however, the contestants did not pay an entry fee; they were instead invited for a $100,000 (US) winner-take-all tournament sponsored by Sony, which produced the show. The studio host for GSN's production is Dennis Miller
. The analyst is Amanda Byram
. Pat Kiernan
is the Questioner. Ken Jennings
was the champion for 2007. Ogi Ogas
was the runner up.
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
in 2003. In its first and only series in the UK, the main host was Carol Vorderman
Carol Vorderman
Carol Jean Vorderman MBE is a British media personality, best known for co-hosting the popular game show Countdown for 26 years from 1982 to 2008. In September 2011 she became a co-anchor of the ITV1 panel show Loose Women....
. She was joined in the studio by analyst James Richardson
James Richardson (television presenter)
James "AC Jimbo" Richardson is a television presenter and journalist. He is best known as a former presenter of Channel 4's Football Italia programme and co-presenter of Setanta Sports' The Friday Football Show and Football Matters...
. The off-camera "Questioner" was Nicholas Rowe
Nicholas Rowe (actor)
Nicholas James Sebastian Rowe is a Scottish actor.-Biography:Rowe was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, the son of English parents Alison, a singer, and Andrew Rowe, a Member of Parliament and editor. He attended Eton and received a BA in Hispanic Studies from Bristol University...
.
The contestants taking part, all of them previous quiz show winners, were: Dee Voce, Geoff Owen, Olav Bjortomt
Olav Bjortomt
Stein Olav Bjortomt is an England international quiz player. He was the winner of the inaugural 2003 individual World Quizzing Championships, in the absence of Kevin Ashman when it was a fledgling event with then only 45 participants...
, David Edwards, Mark Labbett
Mark Labbett
Mark Labbett is a personality in the UK quiz scene. He attended Exeter College, Oxford University, graduating with a degree in Mathematics...
, Clive Spate
Clive Spate
Clive Spate is a British game show contestant. He was the winner of the eighth series of Countdown and has won many other TV quizzes, including the 2003 series Grand Slam, a contest between previous quiz show champions which also featured Olav Bjortomt, Mark Labbett, Graham Nash and David...
, Melanie Beaumont, Peter Lee, Gavin Fuller, David Stainer, Graham Nash
Graham Nash (Countdown)
Graham Nash is Countdown's 43rd Champion and the 11th Champion of Champions. His current record stands at 15 wins out of 15; one of only two unbeaten champions in the show's history...
, Michael Penrice, Michelle Hogan, Laura Richardson, Said Khan and Duncan Bickley (who lost £218,000 on an episode of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? in 2000). Each contestant paid £1000 to enter, which made up part of the prize fund (hence the title, which has a double meaning referring both to the sporting concept of a "grand slam" and to the entrance fee). The winner was Clive Spate.
Format
The structure of the series is a single-elimination tournamentSingle-elimination tournament
A single-elimination tournament, also called a knockout, cup or sudden death tournament, is a type of elimination tournament where the loser of each match or bracket is immediately eliminated from winning the championship or first prize in the event...
, with two contestants competing in each programme. In the first round of the tournament, each heat consisted of five rounds: General Knowledge, Numbers and Logic, Contemporary Knowledge, Words and Letters and then the final round. In subsequent rounds, a Keyword round was added, with questions having a given word (the keyword) as the common theme.
In each round, each player has a minute to answer his/her questions. The players take turns to answer a question; at any time, only the clock of the person whose turn it is counts down. The question must be answered correctly in order to pass the turn, otherwise the same contestant gets another question. The round ends when one player's clock reaches zero; the other player's remaining time is carried forward to the final round.
The final round uses questions from all of the categories. Initially, both contestants are given 30 seconds. The total time accumulated from the first 3 rounds is then added to this 30 seconds to determine the amount of time on each contestants' clock. Whoever has time left at the end of the final round wins the match.
Each contestant also has three switches to use over the course of the programme, i.e. opportunities to pass the turn (and the current question) to his/her opponent. Switches can be used consecutively to pass the question back and forth between opponents.
US TV series
Grand Slam was produced in the US in 2007 by Michael Davies (television producer)Michael Davies (television producer)
Michael Davies is a British producer of television game shows in the United States. As president and CEO of Embassy Row, a New York-based television production company that is a unit of Sony Pictures Television, he was the executive producer of the U.S. version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire...
. The initial series, premiering August 4, 2007 on GSN
Game Show Network
The Game Show Network is an American cable television and direct broadcast satellite channel dedicated to game shows and casino game shows. The channel was launched on December 1, 1994. Its current slogan is "The World Needs More Winners"...
consists of a 16 player elimination tournament.
As with the British series, the US program is presented as a grand championship of game shows. All 16 contestants selected were noted winners other game shows. Unlike the British series, however, the contestants did not pay an entry fee; they were instead invited for a $100,000 (US) winner-take-all tournament sponsored by Sony, which produced the show. The studio host for GSN's production is Dennis Miller
Dennis Miller
Dennis Miller is an American stand-up comedian, political commentator, actor, sports commentator, and television and radio personality. He is known for his critical assessments laced with pop culture references...
. The analyst is Amanda Byram
Amanda Byram
Amanda Byram is an Irish television presenter, originally from Castleknock in Dublin, Ireland.-Early life:Formerly a model, Byram started her career on television in 1999 presenting the TV3 morning show Ireland AM with Mark Cagney, during which time she met her then boyfriend comedian Patrick...
. Pat Kiernan
Pat Kiernan
Patrick Kiernan is a New York City news anchor, appearing as the morning anchor of NY1 since 1997. Kiernan has become widely known in New York City for his "In the Papers" feature, in which he summarizes the colorful content in New York City's daily newspapers, replete with his deadpan humor...
is the Questioner. Ken Jennings
Ken Jennings
Kenneth Wayne "Ken" Jennings III is an American game show contestant and author. Jennings is noted for holding the record for the longest winning streak on the U.S. syndicated game show Jeopardy! and as being the all-time leading money winner on American game shows...
was the champion for 2007. Ogi Ogas
Ogi Ogas
Dr. Ogi Jonathan Ogas is a cognitive neuroscientist, science book author, and game show contestant.- Life and works :...
was the runner up.