You Bet Your Ass
Encyclopedia
You Bet Your Ass was a Canadian
game show
that aired on The Comedy Network
. It followed a Blackjack
and casino motif, with contestants answering questions on popular culture
to earn points. The contestant with the most points at the end of the show was the winner. Hosted by Canadian comedian Stewart Francis
and his co-host, Sitara Hewitt
, the show premiered in 2005. As of June 25, 2007, the Comedy Network dropped You Bet Your Ass from its weekday lineup, replacing it with reruns of This Hour Has 22 Minutes
. Reruns of You Bet Your Ass have since began airing in the weekday morning block as of April 28, 2008 (replacing History Bites
).
The series was created by Michael Geddes and Christopher Geddes of Lone Eagle Entertainment in Toronto
, Ontario
, Canada
, and are also producers of two other game shows called Game On
and Inside the Box
.
In season 1, the winner could choose to take $500 or "double down" and attempt to answer one question correctly for $1,000, a wrong answer meant he or she got nothing.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
game show
Game show
A game show is a type of radio or television program in which members of the public, television personalities or celebrities, sometimes as part of a team, play a game which involves answering questions or solving puzzles usually for money and/or prizes...
that aired on The Comedy Network
The Comedy Network
The Comedy Network a Canadian English language Category A specialty channel owned by Bell Media specializing in comedy programming.The channel operates two time shifted feeds, East and West ....
. It followed a Blackjack
Blackjack
Blackjack, also known as Twenty-one or Vingt-et-un , is the most widely played casino banking game in the world...
and casino motif, with contestants answering questions on popular culture
Popular culture
Popular culture is the totality of ideas, perspectives, attitudes, memes, images and other phenomena that are deemed preferred per an informal consensus within the mainstream of a given culture, especially Western culture of the early to mid 20th century and the emerging global mainstream of the...
to earn points. The contestant with the most points at the end of the show was the winner. Hosted by Canadian comedian Stewart Francis
Stewart Francis
Stewart Francis is a Canadian stand-up comedian, actor and writer. In addition to his work in Canada and the USA, he frequently tours in the UK and appears on British television...
and his co-host, Sitara Hewitt
Sitara Hewitt
Sitara Hewitt is a Canadian film and television actress.-Background:Sitara Hewitt, who is the daughter of two professors from Wilfrid Laurier University, was raised primarily in Elora, Ontario...
, the show premiered in 2005. As of June 25, 2007, the Comedy Network dropped You Bet Your Ass from its weekday lineup, replacing it with reruns of This Hour Has 22 Minutes
This Hour Has 22 Minutes
This Hour Has 22 Minutes is a weekly Canadian television comedy that airs on CBC Television. Launched in 1993 during Canada's 35th general election, the show focuses on Canadian politics, combining news parody, sketch comedy and satirical editorials...
. Reruns of You Bet Your Ass have since began airing in the weekday morning block as of April 28, 2008 (replacing History Bites
History Bites
History Bites was a television series on the History Television network that ran from 1998-2003. Created by Rick Green, History Bites explored what would be on television if the medium had been around for the last 5,000 years of human history. Typically, a significant historical event was chosen...
).
The series was created by Michael Geddes and Christopher Geddes of Lone Eagle Entertainment in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, and are also producers of two other game shows called Game On
Game On (Canadian game show)
Game On is a Canadian sports trivia television game show that was a variation on Jeopardy!. It originally ran from 1998 to 2000 on Global and has been rerun on Game TV from 2007-2010. The show was hosted by Tim Steeves in season 1 and David Merry in Season 2, with Jennifer Hill as the female...
and Inside the Box
Inside the Box
Inside the Box is a Canadian game show which debuted in 2006 on the cable network TVtropolis, and was syndicated in the United States by Program Partners in the 2008 television season...
.
Piece of Ass
In the first round, "Piece of Ass", the three contestants are shown a category and turn by Stewart says the show's tagline Hit me, and must answer a question for 100 points. The contestant in the left podium begins the round. After seeing their category, contestants have the option of "doubling down", and instead receiving two questions in the category, for 200 points. However, if the contestant gets a question wrong, not only do they lose points corresponding to how much it was worth (100 normally, 200 for a double-down), but the other players have a chance to steal the question. Players are given 1000 points to begin the game. Also, one player may get a wild card instead of a category, and they must choose an opponent from whom to take 500 points if they can answer a single question.Dirty Dozen
Round two was the "Dirty Dozen", and is much like the typical "Lightning round" on many game shows. 12 questions were asked (4 per contestant), with a spotlight randomly falling on a contestant who must then answer directly. The correct answer to each question serves to segue to the next question. Questions are worth 500 points apiece (100 in season 1), and no points are lost on incorrect responses. In season 1, the contestant who answers was determined before Stuart read the question, however, in season 2, Stewart would read the question and then the contestant would be chosen.Up Your Ass
Round three was "Up Your Ass". It takes the same form as round one, only with 200 or 400 points at stake, and 1000 points are again given to all players.Ass on the Line
The final round was Ass On The Line. It presented the players with four categories. The player with the lowest score gets first choice and could wager any amount up to their total on each of three successive questions in the chosen category, with a minimum bet of 500 points (100 in season 1) (Players cannot bet uneven amounts, for example 2550 it would only be 2500 or 2600) (the round is over for that player if they fall below the minimum). The player who began the round in second place chooses from the three remaining categories and the same structure applies, followed by the same routine for the player that was leading to begin the round.Winning and Bonus Round
Whoever had the most points at the completion of the final round won $500 and then got to see one final category, and may choose to answer one question for a further $1,000, or to answer two questions for a further $2,000. Regardless of the choice, it is an all-or-nothing bonus: if, for example, the player opted to answer two questions, but answers the first one correctly and misses the second, they only win the $500 for winning the game.In season 1, the winner could choose to take $500 or "double down" and attempt to answer one question correctly for $1,000, a wrong answer meant he or she got nothing.
Running gags
- Sitara wears a different shirt every episode, each one featuring a different motto or creed, such as "Brunettes have more fun" and "My ass is always on the line."
- When a round ends, the sound of a donkey is heard. Occasionally, Stewart would say, " That's my wife, gotta go".
Notable contestants
- Colin Sheppard, who was expelled from Canada's Worst Driver 2Canada's Worst Driver 2Canada's Worst Driver 2 is the second season of Canada's Worst Driver, a Discovery Channel Canada television series which seeks to improve the driving skills of eight selected contestants, who are also trying to avoid being named the show's eponymous and dubious title...
, was a contestant in the second season of You Bet Your Ass. - Boomer Phillips, Andrew Johnston & Trevor Boris, recurring jurors on the hit Canadian show Video On TrialVideo On TrialVideo on Trial is a Canadian comedy television program that airs on Canadian television network MuchMusic. The show consists of a panel of musicians, comedians, and entertainment columnists critiquing five different music videos in a courtroom-esque manner. The panel acts as the jurors, poking fun...
, were contestants in the third season of You Bet Your Ass.