Cresus
Encyclopedia
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
version of the Argentine
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
quiz show
Quiz Show
Quiz Show is a 1994 American historical drama film produced and directed by Robert Redford. Adapted by Paul Attanasio from Richard Goodwin's memoir Remembering America, the film is based upon the Twenty One quiz show scandal of the 1950s...
El Legado that debuted on commercial station TF1
TF1
TF1 is a national French TV channel, controlled by TF1 Group, whose major share-holder is Bouygues. TF1's average market share of 24% makes it the most popular domestic network...
on July 4th, 2005, presented by Vincent Lagaf'
Lagaf'
Lagaf is a famous French humorist, TV presenter, singer and actor.-Biography:...
. Following a strong summer ratings run, the show was recommissioned, and began its second run in January 2006. Its third and final run ended at the beginning of September 2006.
The show's name was derived from a French proverb, to be 'riche comme Crésus'. Croesus
Croesus
Croesus was the king of Lydia from 560 to 547 BC until his defeat by the Persians. The fall of Croesus made a profound impact on the Hellenes, providing a fixed point in their calendar. "By the fifth century at least," J.A.S...
was a notoriously wealthy king of Lydia
Lydia
Lydia was an Iron Age kingdom of western Asia Minor located generally east of ancient Ionia in the modern Turkish provinces of Manisa and inland İzmir. Its population spoke an Anatolian language known as Lydian....
from 561/560 to 547 BC, and participates in the show as a resurrected, computer-generated skeleton that interjects insults and additional knowledge alongside Lagaf'
Lagaf'
Lagaf is a famous French humorist, TV presenter, singer and actor.-Biography:...
.
Format of the show
Each player is given €Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
50,000 before Round 1, "L'une ou l'autre" (One or The Other) in series 1 & 3 - renamed "La Réponse Masquée" (Hidden Answer) in series 2 - where each player is given a question along with an answer; the player must decide whether the correct answer is the one they've been provided or the second answer yet to be revealed. An incorrect answer means the player loses a life; a second incorrect answer means they face the 'Duel', where they must nominate a player to answer a multiple choice question, the difficulty of which varies according to the contestant's choice of a random A-B-C element. If they get it right, they stay in the game and their opponent is eliminated, along with seizing whatever sum of money was in the opponent's pot, and vice versa should the contestant get it wrong.
Round 2 comprises "La Patate Chaude" (Hot Potato) - "Le Cadeau Empoisonné" (Tainted Gift) in series 2 - "Ça passe ou ça casse" (Make or Break) in series 3 - each contestant receives three answers to a question without seeing the question itself; having seen the answers, they decide if they want to play that question; if not, they designate another player to answer it; should that player get it right, the player that passed loses a life; an incorrect answer at any point loses a life, also; two lost lives lead to a 'Duel' once again. In series 3, the format is inversed: the question is given to the player, who has to guess the correct answer.
Round 3 comprises "La Décharge Électrique" (Electric Shock) in series 1 & 3 - "La Mort Subite" (Sudden Death) in series 2 - the three remaining contestants are provided with 10 answers to a question. One of them is wrong; contestants take it in turns to keep giving answers until someone opts for the one incorrect option, leading to an instant 'Duel'.
"La Demi-Finale" sees the two remaining contestants given 70 seconds each, and are asked quick fire multiple choice questions on an alternating basis (i.e. once contestant A has given their correct answer, contestant B will be asked their question); their respective clocks stop as soon as they've given a correct answer, and keep running until they have given a correct answer to a question; the first person to run out of time loses. The winner does not accumulate the prize money of the loser in the semifinal, however, meaning the maximum prize money is €200,000.
"La Finale" consists of five multiple choice questions, all with five responses: the first three questions offer a second attempt at the answer if the contestant opts for an incorrect option; the first answer must be taken on the final two questions. All the answers are revealed one after the other at the end of the show - four correct answers wins the contestant €2,000 and the chance to play again the following day. A full five correct answers wins the jackpot.
Trivia
- TF1TF1TF1 is a national French TV channel, controlled by TF1 Group, whose major share-holder is Bouygues. TF1's average market share of 24% makes it the most popular domestic network...
's working title for Crésus was L'héritage, spawned by the ItalianItalian languageItalian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
version of the show 'L'eredità' (which translates as 'The Inheritance'), on which the FrenchFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
production is heavily based.
- The show's title was shortened at the last minute from Riche comme Crésus to simply Crésus - the former how the show was referred to in some TV listings publications throughout its run.
- Lagaf'Lagaf'Lagaf is a famous French humorist, TV presenter, singer and actor.-Biography:...
pitched four formats of his own to TF1TF1TF1 is a national French TV channel, controlled by TF1 Group, whose major share-holder is Bouygues. TF1's average market share of 24% makes it the most popular domestic network...
before agreeing to host Crésus - one of which was a reworked version of the UKUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
game showGame showA game show is a type of radio or television program in which members of the public, television personalities or celebrities, sometimes as part of a team, play a game which involves answering questions or solving puzzles usually for money and/or prizes...
Play Your Cards RightPlay Your Cards RightPlay Your Cards Right is a British television game show based on the American show known as Card Sharks. The gameplay was basically the same as in the American version.-Broadcast History:...
.
- Since September 2009, the snow is renewed under the name Les 12 coups de midi (The Stroke of Midday), aired daily at 12:00 AM on TF1 and hosted by Jean-Luc ReichmannJean-Luc ReichmannJean-Luc Stéphane Reichmann is a French radio and television host. He started a career on radio in 1989, then became TV presenter in 1995 and tried a career as actor since 2008. He is now particularly known for his daily show Attention à la marche, broadcast at 12:00 am on TF1...
, with almost inchanged rules. The Cresus' skeletton is reimplaced by a fairy named Eulalie. A sole addition is the final Étoile Mystérieuse (Mysterious Star), in which a small fragment of an hidden picture is revealed every day. The contestant has to guess which star is on the picture. Additionally, the final contestant of a show comes to play again on the next show.