Tea-time quizzes....

[merciasounds]

...such as Perfection on BBC 2, or The Chaser on ITV, where DO they get the contestants from? They are so THICK! I suppose as the prize money varies, they don't give much away - and it's just air-time filler 'till the news, but the majority of the contestants have very little general knowledge it's cringe-worthy! - I suppose what I'm getting at really is, if you know you're thick, why prove it on TV!!

[missnemesis]

Perhaps that's what the producers are looking for mercia - thickos that we at home can shout at thinking we could do so much better. I personally have gone off all sorts of TV 'quizzes'. In the last few years the remit seems to have changed completely. They spend too much time chatting, take too long to say whether the answer was right or wrong and the contestants well, sometimes you have to wonder why they thought it was a good idea for them to apply.

[NazNomad]

"... if you know you're thick, why prove it on TV!!"

I'm sure they THINK they're not. :-))

[merciasounds]

I've just got into a bad habit I suppose, I put the TV on in the kitchen whilst I'm preparing dinner. I used to listen to talking books, or music, but got so many interruptions that I switched to the TV instead, I can look up from time to time and say, oh you thick prat, how could you get THAT wrong?!!

[alexanderd]

mercia I only watch perfection so cant comment on the other one but as with all quizzes its only easy if you know the answer. I am reasonably intelligent but sometimes the questions on perfection can be quite hard, especially in the final

[scotman]

I think quizzes have gone very down-market nowadays. 'Connect' is the only decent one now and it is not for long runs.

[merciasounds]

Scotman, I LOVE Only Connect! Ms Coren is very strict. I like the 'wall' round best with the 16 words to be grouped into 4 lots of 4 - and I love the way they went from Greek letters to the Hieroglphs to choose the rounds!

[sandyRoe]

A lot of these shows seem designed not to give much money away. For example, on the Weakest link they always start by saying someone could win £10000. For that to happen every contestant would need to get every question right.
Jasper Carrot's Golden Balls was a particularly unattractive show where contestants were encouraged to rob their opponent by lying to them.

[scotman]

MerciaS

Ms Coren could be strict with me any time she wants.

[mazie]

I made a similar comment last week mercia when someone on The Chase didn't get one answer correct. I suspect it's easy to answer questions from the comfort of your own home. In front of lights and cameras and with quick fire questions I suppose it becomes more difficult.

[trt]

mercias,

They weren't thick last night, the 2 people won £20.000 each.

its easy sitting at home as mazie said in front of the TV answering Qs, a bit different when you have cameras etc.

I won £500,000 one Saturday night answering Qs on Who Wants to be a Millionaire, with a glass of wine in my hand sat in my armchair! : -)

[mike11111]

I remember Double Your Money, with Hughie Green. The top prize was £1000 (this was in the 50s) and I only remember one person who achieved it. Once you got past £64 you went on the Treasure Trail, in which you went into a soundproof booth to answer multipart questions. If successful you were invited back the following week to decide whether you wanted to take the money or try to double. There was one lady of modest means who had a fantastic knowledge of opera, and whose ambition was to go to the Met in New York. She got to £500, a phenomenal feat. When asked back the following week she realised that she had won enough to to be able to go to New York and decided to take the money rather than risk her lifetime's dream. She was then asked if she would like to hear the £1000 question which she had turned down an she got all six answers right!