Studio 7
Encyclopedia
Studio 7 is an American game show
that aired on The WB
during the summer of 2004.
Studio 7 was hosted by NY1
anchor Pat Kiernan
. Each episode featured seven contestants, mostly college
-age, who lived together in New York City
for the four days prior to the taping. During this time, they were given some of the material on which the show would quiz them. The show was promoted as a hybrid of game shows and reality television
such as The Real World
.
The WB originally ordered two seasons of Studio 7, with the second season to air immediately after the first. However, the network cancelled plans for a second season during the initial run, due to low ratings.
In rounds 1, 2 and 3, each contestant is called (in a predetermined random order) to a central microphone, where they are asked a question. At the start of the game, each player is given a ring to wear around their neck. If a contestant wished to receive help, he or she would sacrifice the ring into "The Pool of the 7" [a circular pool of water with a white "7" marked in the middle, located on the floor in front of the contestants' pods] and asked for assistance from any other contestant left in the game. This is where the time the contestants spent together before the game comes into play. A player whose help is requested is not required to give a truthful answer, or any answer at all. For this reason, alliances were often formed to selectively help in-members, and throw off out-members.
Upon giving a correct answer, a contestant would return to his or her pod until the questioning returned to that player. If the answer given is incorrect, the contestant is sent to a bench called "the block." When two players are "on the block", the remaining contestants vote on which of the two players will be removed from the game. The player is eliminated as soon as they have received a majority of the possible votes, at which time the other contestant returns to the game and advances to the next round as normal. If there's a tie, a sudden-death duel given. The contender may ask with for help using the given ring.
In round 4, when all questions relate to a specific category (such as "The Cheeses of Wisconsin
"), the first contestant to give an incorrect answer is automatically removed from the game.
In round 5, the remaining three contestants must memorize and recite a list of material (such as the dates, competing teams, and final scores for every Super Bowl
game). Two contestants are isolated backstage while the third stands above The Pool of the 7, and attempts to recite the list as completely as they can. He or she continues until an error is made, at which point the next contestant re-enters the studio to recite what they can of the same list. The player who is stopped after reciting the fewest items in the list is eliminated from the game; if two players tied for the fewest items recited, the slower player is eliminated.
In round 6, the higher-scoring player from the previous round chooses whether to go first or second. In turn, each player is asked questions about news events from the past week in rapid-fire format. Each player receives the same questions in the same order. The player who goes first establishes a time for the other player to beat (the round is timed to 1/100 of a second); the clock then runs back down to zero for the other player. The player who completes the round in the fastest time wins the game.
In the series' first seven episodes, the winners received $77,000 while the other players received nothing. In the eighth episode, the seven previous winners returned to play for $777,000 more, resulting in a total of $854,000 for the winner.
Game show
A 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...
that aired on The WB
The WB Television Network
The WB Television Network is a former television network in the United States that was launched on January 11, 1995 as a joint venture between Warner Bros. and Tribune Broadcasting. On January 24, 2006, CBS Corporation and Warner Bros...
during the summer of 2004.
Studio 7 was hosted by NY1
NY1
NY1, New York One, is a 24-hour cable-news television channel focusing on the five boroughs of New York City. In addition to news and weather forecasts, the channel also features human-interest segments such as the "New Yorker of the Week" and the "Scholar Athlete of the Week", and specialty...
anchor Pat Kiernan
Pat Kiernan
Patrick Kiernan is a New York City news anchor, appearing as the morning anchor of NY1 since 1997. Kiernan has become widely known in New York City for his "In the Papers" feature, in which he summarizes the colorful content in New York City's daily newspapers, replete with his deadpan humor...
. Each episode featured seven contestants, mostly college
College
A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...
-age, who lived together in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
for the four days prior to the taping. During this time, they were given some of the material on which the show would quiz them. The show was promoted as a hybrid of game shows and reality television
Reality television
Reality television is a genre of television programming that presents purportedly unscripted dramatic or humorous situations, documents actual events, and usually features ordinary people instead of professional actors, sometimes in a contest or other situation where a prize is awarded...
such as The Real World
The Real World
The Real World is a reality television program on MTV originally produced by Mary-Ellis Bunim and Jonathan Murray. First broadcast in 1992, the show, which was inspired by the 1973 PBS documentary series An American Family, is the longest-running program in MTV history and one of the...
.
The WB originally ordered two seasons of Studio 7, with the second season to air immediately after the first. However, the network cancelled plans for a second season during the initial run, due to low ratings.
Gameplay
Each game is divided into six rounds, with a different focus for each round:- Trivia questions about events in the 21st century
- Trivia questions about events in the current year (2004)
- Trivia questions about events in the 30 days before taping
- Trivia questions about a specialized subject, for which the contestants had been given study materials ahead of time
- Reciting items in order from an extensive list
- Trivia questions about events in the seven days before taping
In rounds 1, 2 and 3, each contestant is called (in a predetermined random order) to a central microphone, where they are asked a question. At the start of the game, each player is given a ring to wear around their neck. If a contestant wished to receive help, he or she would sacrifice the ring into "The Pool of the 7" [a circular pool of water with a white "7" marked in the middle, located on the floor in front of the contestants' pods] and asked for assistance from any other contestant left in the game. This is where the time the contestants spent together before the game comes into play. A player whose help is requested is not required to give a truthful answer, or any answer at all. For this reason, alliances were often formed to selectively help in-members, and throw off out-members.
Upon giving a correct answer, a contestant would return to his or her pod until the questioning returned to that player. If the answer given is incorrect, the contestant is sent to a bench called "the block." When two players are "on the block", the remaining contestants vote on which of the two players will be removed from the game. The player is eliminated as soon as they have received a majority of the possible votes, at which time the other contestant returns to the game and advances to the next round as normal. If there's a tie, a sudden-death duel given. The contender may ask with for help using the given ring.
In round 4, when all questions relate to a specific category (such as "The Cheeses of Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
"), the first contestant to give an incorrect answer is automatically removed from the game.
In round 5, the remaining three contestants must memorize and recite a list of material (such as the dates, competing teams, and final scores for every Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
game). Two contestants are isolated backstage while the third stands above The Pool of the 7, and attempts to recite the list as completely as they can. He or she continues until an error is made, at which point the next contestant re-enters the studio to recite what they can of the same list. The player who is stopped after reciting the fewest items in the list is eliminated from the game; if two players tied for the fewest items recited, the slower player is eliminated.
In round 6, the higher-scoring player from the previous round chooses whether to go first or second. In turn, each player is asked questions about news events from the past week in rapid-fire format. Each player receives the same questions in the same order. The player who goes first establishes a time for the other player to beat (the round is timed to 1/100 of a second); the clock then runs back down to zero for the other player. The player who completes the round in the fastest time wins the game.
In the series' first seven episodes, the winners received $77,000 while the other players received nothing. In the eighth episode, the seven previous winners returned to play for $777,000 more, resulting in a total of $854,000 for the winner.