Tipit

Revision as of 19:21, 6 March 2012

Synopsis

TV adaptation of a traditional pub bluffing game, derived from the Victorian parlour game Up Jenkins!, in which two teams of three face each other across a table and guess in which of the six hands opposite them an item is hidden.

Presentable Productions are used to making poker programmes (see Late Night Poker). They also make programmes which two teams of three have their minds tied in knots (look no further than Only Connect). In 2006, they tried to make a programme which combined the two and though it only lasted 17 episodes, it gave Up Jenkins! (although the Welsh call it ‘Tipit’) its time on TV screens, and actually it worked rather well. It also featured the idea of unusual tactical features, that idea Presentable would later work into no-limit holdem in the Poker World Cup. We just like saying Up Jenkins!.

The studio set resembled a cave, with three Breton monks with very large hoods hailed as "masters of Tipit" (although they appeared in the show, viewers never actually saw them play). They were looking for a new threesome to take over their ‘crown’ and initiate a tournament to find that team. Buried in the heart of the cave was three mysterious objects. And it is these Tipits that would help decide the winning team.

The three Tipits used during the series were Tipit Du, made from black oxidised silver, Tipit Arian featured polished silver, and Tipit Aur was silver coated with 22 carat gold.

Each game starts with introductions for each team and an interview with Alex Jones high above the cave floor, before the game takes place on a table in the cave, each team sitting on each long side of the table, with Morgan Jones on one short side acting as referee, making notes on tactical options used, plus the score, in his notebook.

On the first game of the show (there was two games in each show), one of the Tipits would come through a hole in the table between the teams (we’ll call them team A and team B). Team A win the toss and pick up the tipit, tapping it three times on the table before they have 15 seconds to hide it in one of the six fists available between the three players. They must show the six closed fists on circles on the table. It is up to team B to find the Tipit. Each fist is numbered 1-6, and team B would call a number ‘away’ if they thought that fist did not have the Tipit, but they could at any time (until two fists were still in play) decide where the Tipit was. Any mistake meant team A scored a point and kept the Tipit for the next play. A correct find by team B meant B got the point and they would hide the Tipit for the next play.

In the opening round, each team had three ‘tactical options’ which could be used once each during a game.

Takeaway Two was used with at least four fists in play, and forced the hiding team to show two fists that were not hiding the Tipit and remove them from the play. The body language cues could help the finding team to find the Tipit.

When Double was used (at any time during a play), a guess of where the Tipit was had to be made, but a correct call scored two points and control of the Tipit. An incorrect call meant a single point to the hiding team.

Turnover could be played by a team which had not held the Tipit for consecutive plays after a series of incorrect calls.

In the quarter-final onwards, a fourth option Shakey Shakey was available.

All games were a race to five points. If the game got to 4-4, then a "Fiery Fists" round was used (in effect as a tie-break.) The team holding the Tipit got to hide it, but only the team captain was in play, and with two fists only, the guesser had a 50-50 choice.

The final was played over two complete games, with a ‘Fiery Fists’ round needed only if the two games were shared.

The show has been heavily criticised in Wales for being too over the top and lavish for what it is but somehow, S4C thought the idea was so good that they originally commissioned it for two series. Once the two-series run was up (and Peter Serafinowicz took the opportunity to ridicule the very thought of a game show like this), they decided upon commissioning more interesting programmes.

Champions

Series 2: Tipiwch Hyn, who defeated Clwb Pêl-droed y Bont by winning both games.

Theme music

Dawson Sabatini

Trivia

Welsh jewellery designer Mari Thomas was given the commission by Presentable to make the three tipits used in the series, as well as wearable jewellery for the presenters.

A very similar game is also popular in Iraq. This couldn't be the world's first game show format to travel from Iraq to Wales, could it? Could it?

Recorded at Pafiliwn Bont, Pontrhydfendigaid, Ceredigion

Web links

S4C's Tipit site

Honestly, we're not kidding about Up Jenkins!

Mhebiss, also transliterated as Mahabis, the Iraqi version of Tipit.

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