Yesterday (Thursday, 10 July at 10am)
M-Net unveiled the set of the new gameshow Power of 10 and gave the press a taste of how the multi-million format works.
Earlier this week they announced that Mark Pilgrim's hosting so he was in thick of the action running things,
I watched eagle-eyed and had a go at playing myself - I was an assistant/advisor to TV Plus's
Clayton Morar and almost had a heart attack from the pressure of trying get things right for someone else - we got whacked in the first round. We were crushed - 'spesh 'cos the crowd before us annoyingly managed to make it all the way through to the 10-mil mark!
The Game Explained in 101. Two contestants go head-to-head in a challenge to decide who's going to play for the cash. The first contestant to get three answers correct wins and gets to play the game.
2. They then answer a series of questions that take them to R10-million. The first question is for R1000 and the money increases
X10 for each question - so the process looks like this:
Question 1: wins you R1000
Question 2: wins you R10 000
Question 3: wins you R100 000
Question 4: wins you R1,million
Question 5: wins you 10 million
3. The questions are based on statistics gathered from South Africans across the country. A marketing research company called Markcorp's gathered all sorts of data from 2400 South Africans everywhere - including rural areas - and they've collated the answers into stats for the game.
4. To answer the questions contestants need to guestimate what they think people said in response to the research questions posed. An example of the type of question: "What percentage of South Africans think we're being conned by Eishkom?"
5. As the money increases, the answer becomes more difficult because contestants have to get closer to the exact correct percentage.
6. Based on the example, contestants need to answer like this:
Question 1: they need to give an answer that has a 40% give-or-take around the correct percentage e.g. they might answer that 60-100% of South Africans think we're being conned.
If the correct answer's 78% they'd win the R1000. If it's 35%, they wouldn't.
Question 2: they need to predict the answer within a 30% give-or-take eg: 30 - 60% think we're being conned.
Question 3: the prediction needs to fall into a 20% range e.g. 55-75% think we're conned.
Question 4: the prediction needs to fall into a 10% range e.g 60-70%.
Question 5: Has to be the
exact percentage. If the contestant gets Question 4 correct they're given the chance to try to predict the exact percent.
7. When a contestant gets Question 4 right, they can choose if they want to play for the R10-million or leave with a million.
8. If they play and get the answer spot-on, they win - if not, they lose the million and take home R10 000.
9. Each contestant brings along an assistant/friend who they can consult if they're having second thoughts about an answer.
10. As soon as a contestant gets an answer wrong, they're out of the game and a new head-to-head begins.
Hott!The new PVR 2 High Definition decoder's being launched on 24 July and the show's being filmed in HD to coincide with it.
The setThe pics aren't as bright as the set appears 'cos of the contrast of bright lights with the camera flash but give an idea of the vibe. The set's located in M-Net's Studio 6 - the same studio that housed BB SA's house:
The contestant hub in the centre stage with a scrolling powerscreen at the back.
Mark Power Of 10'ing
Trying to be as swanky pants as Mark at his hosting stationLights, camera, action - the studio roof from the floor.
The screen contestants see. The twirly knob rotates through percentages and the gambling lever on the left is to lock in the answer.
The remote control audiences use during the show. In between the questions the audience gives their take on what they think the answer is.
The thin blue lights underneath the blue squares are special LED lights. They had to be specially imported - forgot to ask how much they cost but obviously it's millions.
Cool pink/red lights sparkle round contestants
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Power of 10 premieres on Sunday, 3 August at 18h00.