Weakest Link (US game show)
Encyclopedia
The Weakest Link is an American game show that aired on NBC
from April 16, 2001 to July 14, 2002. It is based on the British show of the same name
. Ten episodes were left unaired until appearing on PAX in 2002, with the remainder eventually airing on GSN
. An accompanying daily syndicated series premiered on January 7, 2002 and ran until May 20, 2003.
PAX also briefly ran reruns of both the NBC and syndicated series. GSN currently has the rights to both series, although neither currently appear on the network's schedule.
served as host for the NBC Weakest Link. George Gray, whose most notable hosting experience to that point had been on Extreme Gong
, hosted the syndicated version.
The show's voice-over
announcers were John Cramer (NBC) and Lisa Friedman (syndicated).
For the NBC series and the first season of the syndicated series, the final vote occurred prior to the penultimate round, with the two players competing in one more round together for double stakes (with the round lasting for 1:30 on the NBC series and 0:45 in the first syndicated season). The double-stakes round was eliminated from the syndicated series at the start of its second season, with the final elimination occurring prior to the final round.
Unlike most versions where the game started with the player whose name is first alphabetically, a random draw backstage, similar to most multiple-player game shows, was held among players to determine order, and the player who drew the first position starts the first round. Each round thereafter begins with the strongest link from the preceding round (or if that player had been voted off, the second strongest). For the head to head round, he or she also had the option of going first or passing play to the other finalist.
If both players were tied after all the questions were asked, a series of sudden death tie-breaker questions would be asked, with the first player to top their opponent winning the game.
Champions special. The lowest amount won on the daytime version was $1,000, while the highest was $53,000.
The highest amount won on a Celebrity Edition of the show was when LeVar Burton
won a "Star Trek
Stars" edition with a pot of $167,500.
The syndicated version did well enough in the ratings in its half-season to be renewed for a full second season, which began in September 2002. However, the series' ratings were strongly challenged by the new syndicated version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire
, which debuted at the same time Weakest Link began its second season. Many of the stations that chose to buy the new Millionaire were also carrying Link, which caused those stations to either drop the series or move it to an undesirable late-night time slot. Link 's ratings plummeted and the series was canceled following its second season, while Millionaire continues to air.
Celebrity episodes were seen frequently on the NBC version. On these episodes, all participants played for charity
(as is traditionally the case with all-celebrity shows), and losing celebrities still received $10,000 for their respective charities; for this reason, the portion of John Cramer's opening spiel that went "the rest will leave with nothing" had the last two of those words omitted, while Anne's farewell to the final round loser was changed from "you leave with nothing" was changed to "you will just go away". Possibly realizing that the overabundance of celebrity shows was a key factor in the primetime version's cancellation, the syndicated version did not feature such episodes.
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
from April 16, 2001 to July 14, 2002. It is based on the British show of the same name
The Weakest Link
The Weakest Link is a television game show which first appeared in the United Kingdom on BBC Two on 14 August 2000 and will end its run in 2012 when its host Anne Robinson ends her contract. The original British version of the show airs around the world on BBC Entertainment...
. Ten episodes were left unaired until appearing on PAX in 2002, with the remainder eventually airing 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"...
. An accompanying daily syndicated series premiered on January 7, 2002 and ran until May 20, 2003.
PAX also briefly ran reruns of both the NBC and syndicated series. GSN currently has the rights to both series, although neither currently appear on the network's schedule.
Hosts and announcers
Like the British version, Anne RobinsonAnne Robinson
Anne Josephine Robinson is an English journalist and television presenter, known for her assertive views and acerbic style of presenting. She was one of the presenters on the long-running British consumer affairs series, Watchdog, from 1993 to 2001 before returning in 2009...
served as host for the NBC Weakest Link. George Gray, whose most notable hosting experience to that point had been on Extreme Gong
The Gong Show
The Gong Show is an amateur talent contest franchised by Sony Pictures Television to many countries. It was broadcast on NBC's daytime schedule from June 14, 1976 through July 21, 1978, and in first-run syndication from 1976–1980 and 1988–1989. The show was produced by Chuck Barris, who also served...
, hosted the syndicated version.
The show's voice-over
Voice-over
Voice-over is a production technique where a voice which is not part of the narrative is used in a radio, television production, filmmaking, theatre, or other presentations...
announcers were John Cramer (NBC) and Lisa Friedman (syndicated).
Rules
For the entire American run, the game was conducted the same as the British version (except that in the first round there is 2:30 on the clock rather than three minutes, and that there are eight players and not nine), with a team of players trying to reach and bank a set target within a time limit by compiling a chain of correct answers that would be broken with an incorrect answer or if a player decided to bank the money that was already in the chain. On NBC, the team was composed of eight people looking to win up to $1,000,000. In the syndicated series, the team size was reduced to six players and the potential top prize to $75,000 in the first season and $100,000 in the second. One player would be eliminated after each round until two were remaining. On the syndicated version, each round thereafter was reduced by 15 seconds (with the first round lasting for 1:45); on the NBC version, the clock was reduced by 10 seconds (with the first round lasting for 2:30). As on the British version, contestants who are eliminated in the rounds leading up to the final round are told by the host: "You are the weakest link. Goodbye!," although Gray's snarling taunts clearly were intended for a "smart aleck" gimmick.For the NBC series and the first season of the syndicated series, the final vote occurred prior to the penultimate round, with the two players competing in one more round together for double stakes (with the round lasting for 1:30 on the NBC series and 0:45 in the first syndicated season). The double-stakes round was eliminated from the syndicated series at the start of its second season, with the final elimination occurring prior to the final round.
Unlike most versions where the game started with the player whose name is first alphabetically, a random draw backstage, similar to most multiple-player game shows, was held among players to determine order, and the player who drew the first position starts the first round. Each round thereafter begins with the strongest link from the preceding round (or if that player had been voted off, the second strongest). For the head to head round, he or she also had the option of going first or passing play to the other finalist.
Money chains
The bank's target value was the maximum amount of money that a team could accumulate in any one round, and if a team reached the target and banked it while already having money in the bank, the bank would be augmented to the target value instead of having the target value added to the bank.| Question Number | NBC | Syndication | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Season 1 | Season 2 | ||
| 8 | $125,000 | ||
| 7 | $75,000 | ||
| 6 | $50,000 | $12,500 | $25,000 |
| 5 | $25,000 | $5,000 | |
| 4 | $10,000 | $2,500 | |
| 3 | $5,000 | $1,000 | |
| 2 | $2,500 | $500 | |
| 1 | $1,000 | $250 | |
Final round
The final round was a head-to-head showdown between the two remaining contestants for the entire prize money bank. The strongest link from the final round (or, in the second syndicated season, the second-strongest if that player had been voted off) was given the option of playing first or passing control to their teammate. The contestants were then asked a series of alternating questions, with a best of five (NBC) or three (syndication) format. Whoever answered the most questions correctly won all the money while the other, like the rest of the contestants voted off, would leave with nothing.If both players were tied after all the questions were asked, a series of sudden death tie-breaker questions would be asked, with the first player to top their opponent winning the game.
Records
The highest amount won on the prime time version was $189,500, won on the Tournament of Losers special (this is also the highest amount of money ever won on The Weakest Link worldwide). The lowest won was $22,500, on the Fear FactorFear Factor
Fear Factor is an American stunt/dare reality game show. The original Dutch version was called Now or Neverland. When Endemol USA and NBC adapted it to the American market in 2001, they changed the name to Fear Factor. The show pits contestants against each other in a variety of stunts for a...
Champions special. The lowest amount won on the daytime version was $1,000, while the highest was $53,000.
The highest amount won on a Celebrity Edition of the show was when LeVar Burton
LeVar Burton
Levardis Robert Martyn Burton, Jr. , professionally known as LeVar Burton, is an American actor, director, producer and author who first came to prominence portraying Kunta Kinte in the 1977 award-winning ABC television miniseries Roots, based on the novel by Alex Haley...
won a "Star Trek
Star Trek
Star Trek is an American science fiction entertainment franchise created by Gene Roddenberry. The core of Star Trek is its six television series: The Original Series, The Animated Series, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and Enterprise...
Stars" edition with a pot of $167,500.
Ratings
The NBC version of The Weakest Link started off well in the ratings, but quickly began to slip. The producers then decided that having celebrities play the game would boost ratings and so they planned many episodes with celebrities as contestants, along with "theme" episodes in which the contestants were playing for charity. These changes caused even lower ratings and accelerated the show's cancellation.The syndicated version did well enough in the ratings in its half-season to be renewed for a full second season, which began in September 2002. However, the series' ratings were strongly challenged by the new syndicated version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire
Who Wants to Be a Millionaire (US game show)
Who Wants to Be a Millionaire is an American television quiz show which offers a maximum prize of $1,000,000 for correctly answering 14 consecutive multiple-choice questions of random difficulty. Until 2010, the format required contestants to correctly answer 15 consecutive questions of increasing...
, which debuted at the same time Weakest Link began its second season. Many of the stations that chose to buy the new Millionaire were also carrying Link, which caused those stations to either drop the series or move it to an undesirable late-night time slot. Link 's ratings plummeted and the series was canceled following its second season, while Millionaire continues to air.
Specials
Various special episodes aired on both the NBC and syndicated versions. Occasionally the contestants on these episodes all had something in common, such as an episode featuring celebrities, members of the same family, contestants with the same occupation or a Christmas episode in which all the contestants wore holiday-themed costumes. Other episodes invited back previously-losing contestants, either those who had lost in the final round or those who were eliminated in the first round of voting on their original episode.Celebrity episodes were seen frequently on the NBC version. On these episodes, all participants played for charity
Charitable organization
A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization . It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization (NPO). It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A...
(as is traditionally the case with all-celebrity shows), and losing celebrities still received $10,000 for their respective charities; for this reason, the portion of John Cramer's opening spiel that went "the rest will leave with nothing" had the last two of those words omitted, while Anne's farewell to the final round loser was changed from "you leave with nothing" was changed to "you will just go away". Possibly realizing that the overabundance of celebrity shows was a key factor in the primetime version's cancellation, the syndicated version did not feature such episodes.