Weakest Link (Hong Kong)
Encyclopedia
一筆OUT消 was the Hong Kong edition of the UK show The Weakest Link
, presented by Hong Kong actress Carol Cheng
in the Cantonese language.
一筆OUT消 was licensed and started quickly by TVB to air on TVB Jade
, after rival ATV
took the lion's share of ratings with the Cantonese language version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
. The top prize was HK$
3,000,000. It premiered on August 21, 2001.
As per the licensing agreement, hostess Carol Cheng initially had to act just like Anne Robinson
, complete with the same "cold" style of voice and facial expressions. Since Chinese culture typically does not value this kind of attitude toward people, TVB received many complaints about the show. Bowing to public pressure, the broadcaster changed the style of the show, softening Carol Cheng's "character," after five episodes of being "mean." As a result, the show became more acceptable to the viewers and the ratings went up, and eventually beat Millionaire (albeit occasionally) in ratings. Since TVB ordered only 108 daily weekday shows, the series finale aired sometime in January 2002. (Millionaire continues to air to this day.)
The game play was identical to that of the U.S. nighttime show, with the first round lasting 2:30 and each succeeding round lasting 10 seconds less than the preceding round, until Round 7, which lasts for 90 seconds for double the stakes or a possible $750,000. The final round is a 5-question shootout in which the player who answers more correctly wins all the money, with a Sudden Death playing in the event of a tie. Unlike the British version, the first round started with the person whose first character in their Chinese name
used the least amount of strokes.
The money chain is as follows:
The Weakest Link
The Weakest Link is a television game show which first appeared in the United Kingdom on BBC Two on 14 August 2000 and will end its run in 2012 when its host Anne Robinson ends her contract. The original British version of the show airs around the world on BBC Entertainment...
, presented by Hong Kong actress Carol Cheng
Carol Cheng
Carol Cheng , commonly referred to as Do Do, is an actress and host from Hong Kong.-Biography:Cheng began her career in the 1970s working on a number of Television Broadcasts Limited series. She also hosted the Hong Kong version of the game show The Weakest Link from 2001-2002...
in the Cantonese language.
一筆OUT消 was licensed and started quickly by TVB to air on TVB Jade
TVB Jade
TVB Jade is a flagship TV channel in Hong Kong, established by Television Broadcasts Limited, and is one of the free-to-air Cantonese language television channels in Hong Kong, the other being its arch-rival ATV Home...
, after rival ATV
Asia Television Limited
Asia Television Limited is one of the two free-to-air television broadcasters in Hong Kong, the other being rival Television Broadcasts Limited . It launched in 1957 under the name Rediffusion Television as the first television station in Hong Kong...
took the lion's share of ratings with the Cantonese language version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? is a television game show which offers large cash prizes for correctly answering a series of multiple-choice questions of increasing difficulty. The format is owned and licensed by Sony Pictures Television International. The maximum cash prize is one million pounds...
. The top prize was HK$
Hong Kong dollar
The Hong Kong dollar is the currency of the jurisdiction. It is the eighth most traded currency in the world. In English, it is normally abbreviated with the dollar sign $, or alternatively HK$ to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies...
3,000,000. It premiered on August 21, 2001.
As per the licensing agreement, hostess Carol Cheng initially had to act just like Anne Robinson
Anne Robinson
Anne Josephine Robinson is an English journalist and television presenter, known for her assertive views and acerbic style of presenting. She was one of the presenters on the long-running British consumer affairs series, Watchdog, from 1993 to 2001 before returning in 2009...
, complete with the same "cold" style of voice and facial expressions. Since Chinese culture typically does not value this kind of attitude toward people, TVB received many complaints about the show. Bowing to public pressure, the broadcaster changed the style of the show, softening Carol Cheng's "character," after five episodes of being "mean." As a result, the show became more acceptable to the viewers and the ratings went up, and eventually beat Millionaire (albeit occasionally) in ratings. Since TVB ordered only 108 daily weekday shows, the series finale aired sometime in January 2002. (Millionaire continues to air to this day.)
The game play was identical to that of the U.S. nighttime show, with the first round lasting 2:30 and each succeeding round lasting 10 seconds less than the preceding round, until Round 7, which lasts for 90 seconds for double the stakes or a possible $750,000. The final round is a 5-question shootout in which the player who answers more correctly wins all the money, with a Sudden Death playing in the event of a tie. Unlike the British version, the first round started with the person whose first character in their Chinese name
Chinese name
Personal names in Chinese culture follow a number of conventions different from those of personal names in Western cultures. Most noticeably, a Chinese name is written with the family name first and the given name next, therefore "John-Paul Smith" as a Chinese name would be "Smith John-Paul"...
used the least amount of strokes.
The money chain is as follows:
- $375,000
- $225,000
- $150,000
- $75,000
- $30,000
- $15,000
- $7,000
- $3,000