GAMESHOWS AND REALITY PROGRAMMES

Drama and Comedy programmes (while by far the most frequently to be adapted) are not the only programmes to make a crossover to the US. In recent times it hasn't been unheard of for Gameshows and Reality Programme formats to make the crossover - Something which has been happening for years in reverse (the American gameshow "Wheel of Fortune", for example, was adapted for the Australian market).

Unlike drama and comedy programmes, the gameshow format generally doesn't change a great deal when it is adapted for other countries. The hosts change (although even this is less of an occurence than it used to be) but otherwise the format of gameshows remains generally intact.

Following are some examples of these programmes, and comparisons between them.

The Weakest Link

This gameshow, featuring Anne Robinson as host, was well recieved when it first aired in 2000.

A general quiz show format crossed with a little bit of reailty TV, it featured a group of contestants who would answer quick-fire questions from Robinson. At the end of each round they were allowed to "vote off" one of the others, until finally there are only two remaining and they go into the final cash round.

An overiding reason for its success was Robinson herself, who had just the sort of biting persona needed to make it work. Her catch phrase when contestants were voted off - "You are the Weakest Link, Goodbye." - became well known and was even used once or twice in the British Parliament.

The Weakest Link USA

The sets and rules remained the same on the US adaptation, and Robinson herself even made the crossover in its initial Season as the host.

After the first season, she was replaced with George Gray, who is the current host of the US version.

It was also adapted to Australia, where host Cornelia Frances was doing a deliberate impersonation of both Robinson's look and act on the UK version.

Big Brother

Extraordinareily popular across the world, this programme featured a group of people who "volunteered" to spend a number of months together in a house while their every move is videotaped, as benefiting the title. People at home were given the chance to 'vote people out' until the winner left at the end gets the cash prize.

Originally created in Sweden, it was adapted to the UK and then onwards to American and Australian adaptations. Throughout all of them the basic formula remained the same.

Who wants to be a Millionaire?

This Channel Four gameshow featuring Chris Tarrant as the host exploded onto our screens in 1999, becoming incredibly popular with viewers.

Contestants are put directly opposite Tarrant as he asks questions that rise in order of the monsy you get for them. You're allowed to leave at any time, and take the money you've got, and there are two "safe spots" where you are able to keep the money after those points. The questions rise in strength as the money for them gets higher. There is, therefore, an element of gambling to the programme whereupon you can take a stab at the question and possibly get it wrong or get it right and make your way up the ladder to the £
1 Million.

The 'dramatic background music' adapts itself as per the conditions, with a heartbeat being added as the questions get harder and harder. This adds to the drama of the situation, giving the programme something more than most gameshows have.

A brief scandal last year (still being sorted out in court) seen a man and his family in the audience accused of using 'cough signals' to figure out the questions (ie cheat). The results of this inquiry are as yet undecided.

Who wants to be a Millionaire? (US)

Almost exactly the same programme, the sets and background music remained indentical to the British version. The host, however, was changed to Morning Chat Show host Regis Philburn.

There have been a greater number of contestants on this version who have won the $1 Million than on the UK original.

Whose line is it Anyway?

Whose Line is it Anyway, a borderline gameshow/improvisational entertainment programme, appeared on our screens courtesy of Channel Four television in 1988.

This ones odd, as it is in itself an adaptation of a BBC Radio Series (Whose Line is it Anyway) featuring host Clive Anderson moderating the antics of such perofrmers as Stephen Fry and John Sessions. When it was adapted to television, Anderson and Sessions remained but the format got a complete workover, making it more digestable to the televised medium.

The idea of the series is that in each half hour episode Anderson would introduce four 'contestants' of various fields, normally with at least one who appears on every programme while the others rotate and change. Anderson would introduce various 'games' and situations where the performers were given the basic idea or task and told to improvise something from it. Audience participation in the games was also important, as it allowed the performers to be thrown off guard by the suggestions.

As the years went on, many performers on the programme became famous in the UK because of it (such as Sessions, Paul Merton and Tony Slattery) and it eventually survived a full 10 years, finishing its British run in 1998. The regular ending of each programme featured Clive 'Picking a winner' of the contestants and their task was to read the end credits in a particular style, given by Anderson. This was a holdover from the Radio version, where obviously they needed somebody to read the credits at the end.

Many of the last few years featured almost entirely American performers (the one who appeared all the time was Ryan Stiles, and often rotated were Colin Mochrie and Greg Proops). This gave it quite a transatlantic flavour anyway, as in many cases Clive Anderson was the only British person in a particular show (excluding the audience).

The final season (1998) was taped in Hollywood and featured the basic lineup of the US version of the programme. Clive was still hosting, but regular musician Richard Vranch (who had provided the improvised music since 1988) had been replaced by his American counterpart Laura Hall. Indeed, Anderson later admitted that the last year was basically a hybrid programme to show American producers what the format is like and that it can be a succes in thew US.

Whose line is it Anyway? (US)

Starting its first season in 1999 (just one year after the UK version finished), in many cases the US version simply carries on where the UK one ended. The set is the same, the cast (Ryan Stles, Colin Mochery, Greg Proops) was the same. The only major difference to the intial format is that it features American comedian Drew Carey as the host instead of Clive Anderson.

There are some more particular changes to the format though. At the end of every programme, instead of reading the credits the winner gets to perform a sketch with Carey himself participating. Clive Anderson has commented that he might have liked to have done this himself from time to time. Further to this, in the first Season the credits weren't even read out at all and simply scrolled up the screen. In subsequent Seasons however the 'Reading the Credits' idea has returned.

Another minor change to the format is that the performers don't rotate as often as they did in the UK one. Stiles and Mochrie are on every show, as is Wayne Brady and Laura Hall (providing the music - In later Seasons she was joined by her band). This only leaves a single chair/spot, which was often filled by either Greg Proops or Brad Sherwood. Celebrity guest performers have included Robin Williams and Whoopi Goldberg.

The US series ended last year, and at present remains in limbo, with the possibility of a return in the future.