Whittle (UK game show)
Encyclopedia
Whittle was a UK game show
for Channel 5 and it was hosted by comedian Tim Vine
.
The show aired throughout the channel's first two broadcasting years, from 31st March 1997 to 21st June 1998. It was shown at 6pm as part of a quiz block with 100%.
During the first half of the show, the contestants answer question which appear on a giant screen along with four possible answers, exactly one of which is correct. The players then have ten seconds to press a button on their keypads according to which answer they think is correct. Players failing to give the correct answer within ten seconds are eliminated from the game. The host would often find and ridicule anyone who chose the obviously incorrect answers. This was repeated up to six times in the first half, which must end with exactly ten players remaining; this was achieved by making the last question a timed question, in which not only are players failing to give the correct answer eliminated, players failing to give the correct answer and be one of the ten fastest correct answers are also eliminated.
In the second half, only the ten surviving players from the first half are involved. Play continues as before, with surviving players requiring correct answers to continue in the game; however, correct answers now earned the player £10. Incorrect answers lead to elimination from the game and purely for comic effect, the eliminated contestants were punished by being made to wear a "Whittle mask" - in bright yellow with a large purple upper-case W on it. There are up to four questions in the second half, the last one of which may be timed, aiming to find a single winner, who earns a guaranteed £250.
The end game consisted of the winner trying to place four items in the correct sequence to turn £250 into £500. However, if they fail, all the audience members who got the correct sequence and typed it into their keypads within 15 seconds get the second £250 shared between them. Typically 5-50 people among the audience will get it right and earn somewhere between £50-£5 each.
The format was first used in the UK on the ITV
gameshow Everybody's Equal
, which was hosted by Chris Tarrant
. The main difference was that the prize money was higher on the Tarrant version. While Everybody's Equal
was far from "serious" in its presentation, Whittle compensated for its lower prize fund by significantly raising the level of comedy in the show.
Much like the various hosts of Blankety Blank
, Vine would often sarcastically refer to the "extravagant" prizes, encouraging audiences to shout ever-changing catchphrases such as "It's a river of money!" and "Wow, I'll need a financial adviser!". In this spirit, audience members would often react with mock-delight at winning ludicrously small sums in the end game ("What will you spend the money on?" "TWO bottles of milk! Hooray!"). Vine would also regularly make deliberately ludicrous claims about the show, such as "This is Whittle, the highest rating game show in the world!" or "There are billions of people at home rooting for you!".
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...
for Channel 5 and it was hosted by comedian Tim Vine
Tim Vine
Timothy "Tim" Mark Vine is an English actor, writer and comedian. He has released a number of DVDs of his stand-up comedy, as well as starring in the successful series Not Going Out with Lee Mack on the BBC...
.
The show aired throughout the channel's first two broadcasting years, from 31st March 1997 to 21st June 1998. It was shown at 6pm as part of a quiz block with 100%.
Format
The show was played by an audience of 100 people who would through the show be 'whittled' down to a single winner.During the first half of the show, the contestants answer question which appear on a giant screen along with four possible answers, exactly one of which is correct. The players then have ten seconds to press a button on their keypads according to which answer they think is correct. Players failing to give the correct answer within ten seconds are eliminated from the game. The host would often find and ridicule anyone who chose the obviously incorrect answers. This was repeated up to six times in the first half, which must end with exactly ten players remaining; this was achieved by making the last question a timed question, in which not only are players failing to give the correct answer eliminated, players failing to give the correct answer and be one of the ten fastest correct answers are also eliminated.
In the second half, only the ten surviving players from the first half are involved. Play continues as before, with surviving players requiring correct answers to continue in the game; however, correct answers now earned the player £10. Incorrect answers lead to elimination from the game and purely for comic effect, the eliminated contestants were punished by being made to wear a "Whittle mask" - in bright yellow with a large purple upper-case W on it. There are up to four questions in the second half, the last one of which may be timed, aiming to find a single winner, who earns a guaranteed £250.
The end game consisted of the winner trying to place four items in the correct sequence to turn £250 into £500. However, if they fail, all the audience members who got the correct sequence and typed it into their keypads within 15 seconds get the second £250 shared between them. Typically 5-50 people among the audience will get it right and earn somewhere between £50-£5 each.
The format was first used in the UK on the ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
gameshow Everybody's Equal
Everybody's Equal
Everybody's Equal was a game show hosted by Chris Tarrant, made by Celador and Thames Television for ITV, from 7 June 1989 to 22 July 1991. Versions also existed in many European countries, plus Canada...
, which was hosted by Chris Tarrant
Chris Tarrant
Christopher John "Chris" Tarrant, OBE is an English radio and television broadcaster, now best known for hosting the first version of the television game show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? in the United Kingdom and later Ireland, as the two national versions of the show merged in 2002.Chris...
. The main difference was that the prize money was higher on the Tarrant version. While Everybody's Equal
Everybody's Equal
Everybody's Equal was a game show hosted by Chris Tarrant, made by Celador and Thames Television for ITV, from 7 June 1989 to 22 July 1991. Versions also existed in many European countries, plus Canada...
was far from "serious" in its presentation, Whittle compensated for its lower prize fund by significantly raising the level of comedy in the show.
Much like the various hosts of Blankety Blank
Blankety Blank
Blankety Blank is a British comedy game show based on the 1977–1978 Australian game show Blankety Blanks ....
, Vine would often sarcastically refer to the "extravagant" prizes, encouraging audiences to shout ever-changing catchphrases such as "It's a river of money!" and "Wow, I'll need a financial adviser!". In this spirit, audience members would often react with mock-delight at winning ludicrously small sums in the end game ("What will you spend the money on?" "TWO bottles of milk! Hooray!"). Vine would also regularly make deliberately ludicrous claims about the show, such as "This is Whittle, the highest rating game show in the world!" or "There are billions of people at home rooting for you!".
Transmissions
| Series | Start date | End date | Episodes |
|---|---|---|---|
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
External links
..- Whittle at BFI.