Brainteaser
Contents |
Host
Craig Stevens, Alex Lovell or Rachel Pierman (rotation)
Later series: Alex Lovell or Jonathan Gould
Broadcast
Endemol for C5, 2002 to present
Synopsis
Cheap 'n' cheerful live daytime show that's become a surprise hit. Various word games are featured, none particularly original (indeed some are parlour games going back to... oh, I dunno, let's say the Victorian age) but eminently playalongable and good fun.
The games are:
Scramble: A word is split up into two- or three-letter segments which are mixed up and the first person unravel them gets five points. For example, if you were presented with AS NTE AI ER BR then the answer would be "Brainteaser".
Crossfire: Not really a word game at all, rather a general knowledge round with answers inserted into a grid, Crosswits style.
Trio, Tri-i-i-o!: Three letters come up on screen and the contestants get ten points for being the first to come up with a word that uses the letters in the right order, so if you were given MTH you could have MYTH, MOTHER or even SMITH. Very similar to a round in Masterteam and the main game from Catchword. And, indeed, a mainstay of "games to play on car journeys" books since number plates were invented. Something of a classic game, you might say.
Clued Up: The players are given a series of clues to a person, TV programme, sport or just about anything else, really. As you would expect, first to buzz in with the correct answer gets the points.
Wordstorm: Contestants are given the first and last letters of a word, and its length. Points to the first to come up with a valid answer and again, anything that fits will do, thanks to some nifty computer-assisted adjudication.
Pyramid: The endgame starts with the contestant given a three-letter word, for example YES, then they have to identify a four-letter word which is made up of the same letters plus one new one which is put in position for them, e.g. ? A ? ? - which would be EASY. See? Repeat to create a five-letter word, and so on. Get five right in 45 seconds and they win the top prize of £3000.
The structure within the one-hour show is two heats, each with two contestants, then the winners go head-to-head in the final, and the overall winner plays the Pyramid game.
There is also a phone-in competition, and you can't miss it because they plug it between every round. Obviously premium-rate phone lines are not among our favourite things, and being cajoled to phone in is quite annoying, but we can at least say that the presenters' ability to talk nineteen-to-the-dozen through these bits is still reasonably entertaining. Though of course we'd rather they just got on with the game. They have to plug the competition though, since it's the money made from the phone lines that pays for the show. And at least you've got a better chance of getting on than you have with Millionaire.
Key moments
In October 2004, a contestant called Gillian collapsed at her console at the beginning of the first crossword round. All you heard was an almighty clatter. Fortunately the camera was on John at the time. For Round 3, they hastily recruited contestant Gail to substitute for Gillian. Gail was the next contestant in the second pair - so when she had done her bit as instant substitute she then took her place at the console again as the real Gail!
Inventor
Based on a phone-in format repeated in many other countries.
Web links
Pictures
Picture 1 - Host Alex Lovell.
