M-Net has announced the launch of a new big-buck game show called The Power Of 10.
Set to premiere in August 2008, the show's based on the US game show of the same name and offers contestants the biggest prize in South African TV history - a whopping R10 Million rand.
The format of the show centres around people's perceptions about the world and contestants need to predict popular opinion as accurately as possible.
A market research company will poll thousands of people around SA with a host of questions on a variety of topics. The contestants will then have to accurately predict what percentage of South Africans answered the question in a specific way.
The tone of the questions will include the results of quirky surveys like: What percentage of South Africans have used load shedding as an excuse for arriving late at work? What percentage of South African men prefer wearing boxer shorts to jocks? Or, what percentage of South Africans would prefer having a female president?
The format of the gameIn the first round of the show two contestants go head-to-head in a best-of-five elimination to see who gets to play for the cash. The questions get read, contestants get 10 seconds to make their prediction and lock in their answer and the person who gets to three points first wins the round - which takes them onto the money round.
Once playing for money, the style of the questions remains the same but the contestant can predict a range in their answer to get closer to the correct percentage.
For instance, if they want to predict that 60% of people have used load shedding as a excuse to get off work they can either lock in 60% exactly or they can guess a range ie. 50 - 60%. The wider the range, the less cash they play for.
To win the R10 mil they have to accurately predict the exact percentage.
To make the game a little easier, the show includes several game show innovations to assist contestants. When nerves start setting in, they get the opportunity of checking whether their opinion matches those of the studio audience and a family member or friend at their side before they lock in their answer.
M-Net’s Head of Original Productions, Carl Fischer, says game shows have proved to be a sure-fire hit with M-Net viewers, “The 10 Million Rand prize money will certainly be a huge draw card for contestants and viewers alike, but the questions will also have people thinking - and talking! For the first time we’ll know what South Africans really think about a variety of topics,” he says. “The show has the power to thrill and enthral.”
According to Power of 10’s Executive Producer Duncan Irvine of Rapid Blue, the charm of the show lies in the fact that contestants will have to put themselves in the shoes of South Africans from all walks of life and then do some quick calculations. “Because the answers are based on national polls, nobody - not the contestant or viewer at home - knows the outcome until it’s revealed by the presenter and that will lead to some dramatic television and the most prize money ever in game show history!”
Other countries the show's been produced in include Australia, Columbia, Denmark, France, Germany, Israel, Russia and Sweden. The US version's hosted by comedian Drew Carrey - as yet no host has been announced for SA.
How to enterThe call for contestants open's today (Thursday, 15 May 2008) at 10h00. There are three ways to enter - these are them:
1. Call 086 2277 277 to get your entry form faxed to you. (Calls cost R1.44 per minute)
2. Go to the
M-Net website, where you can fill out the entry form on the website’s social network.
3. Press the OK button on your DStv remote control. Go to the Entertainment section where you’ll find the Power of 10 application. After answering 10 questions which will help M-Net gauge the habits of the typical M-Net viewer, you’ll be given an SMS code. You can then SMS the code to 33690 to enter the show. (SMS costs R1.50)
Entries close on Sunday 8 June at 23h59.