20 Q: Humans Vs. Machine!

HOLLYWOOD JUNKET host, Charity, attended a new game show pilot yesterday called “20 Q”. Here’s her review of the show:

Humans Vs. Machine, what do you think about that for a show? That’s right people!

There’s a new game show tv pilot that was just shot yesterday and I love the concept of the game.

It’s three contestants that get to compete with a computer screen! The cutest thing about the show is that the computer screen named “Debra-Q” or called “Q”, has the human qualities of a sexy woman robot voice with an attitude!

This show has charming and talented Joey Lawrence as the host and 74-time winning Jeopardy Champion, Ken Jennings as the so called “residential expert”. Jennings gets to pick out the categories of a person, place, or thing that the contestants have to guess. For example, Jennings may pick a celebrity category and give you clues of what celebrity it could be.

Ken Jennings is the “residential expert” on new TV pilot, “20 Q”.
The audience uses a little hand-held computer to enter-in their answers to whom they think the celebrity is. Whomever buzzes-in to submit their answer gets to run-in on stage and tell Jennings their answer. If that person is correct, than they get to be a contestant on the show and play against “Debra-Q”!

Jennings then tells the audience two more categories and then two more random contestants get on stage and play against “Debra-Q”! Each player that gets to play against “Q” get $1000 dollars!

In next round, Jennings recites a category and gives 6 clues on the screen and each contestant gets to ask one of 3 questions that are given. The contestants can ask up to 20 questions to figure out the answer. Whomever gets the right answer before “Q” or the Machine, that contestant goes-on to the next round and wins $20,000 dollars.

Each contestant has a computerized scribble pad that shows the audience the answers they think the person, place, or object could be! The contestants would then buzz-in with their final answer. Just because we see what they are guessing doesn’t mean that it’s the contestants final answer. The contestant that gets to go to the next round and plays for $500,000.

Another interesting thing that “Q” does to scare the contestants is that she tells the contestants how many words she is narrowing down her answer to. Obviously, the lower the number she shows on her screen, the more the contestant gets nervous and feels that they are under pressure.

So, in the last round that contestant picks out of 25 balls that are in 3 different colors that are labeled with covered numbers to reveal how many more times the contestant gets to raise their winnings with. For example, a contestant may pick a blue ball and if they have just won $20,000 and if they guess the correct answer for the category that Jennings gives the contestant then they get to uncover the hidden number on his ball to find out how many times they win on top of the $20,000! If they pick the number 6 ball, then the contestant would win $120,000.

The most money a contestant can win is $500,000. Good luck to anyone who dares to play against the MACHINE!

MASTER OF DANCE: Club Scene Dance-Off!

“Master of Dance” is a new dance show that’s not a reality show, but a dance game show. Hosted by Joey Lawrence, it premieres on TLC next month. This will be the network’s second game show.

The scene on set is a mock dance club. Audiences are made to stand throughout the whole time of filming. Contestants are introduced onto the stage as average folks from all walks of life who think they happen to be the best dancers in their circle of friends. The show is divided into four rounds.

Contestants are judged based on best dance technique and staying true to dance styles within the eras they are given which include: 1980’s (Michael Jackson), disco, M.C. Hammer, and 1960’s (Elvis’ Jail house Rock, and Chubby Checker’s The Twist).

A panel of celebrity judges are: choreographer, Tyce Diorio, former Solid Gold Dancer, and star of the Breakin’ movies from the 1980’s, Lucinda Dickey, and comedian, Loni Love.

In the final round, dancers are forced to do a finale dance-off against each other. The winner is picked by the judges.

Six consecutive shows were shot at KTLA studios, one of which is the finale where the grand prize of $50,000 is given to the “master of dance”.

One winner is chosen at the end of each episode to go on to compete for the $50,000. Most of the winners selected were blatantly denounced by the audience who loudly booed most of the winners. However, once the show goes to air, I’m sure viewers at home will hear cheers from the audience from footage shot separately by producers.

In several cases, clearly the better dancers from their groups were sent home which, again, lead to a lot of disgruntled audiences. Again, subjects of the show are average folks who think they are all the rage at night clubs and barbecues. “Dancers” tended to be women in their thirties. Any male dancers, who showed any spark of real talent, were quickly sent packing. Male dancers who were not very talented, stayed to compete. In one incident, celebrity judge, Lucinda Dickey, commented on one male dancer who happened to be the best dancer on the show period, that his “Michael Jackson” dance was not very good. Yet, to a female dancer who did okay, Dickey spoke very highly of her dance style.

I’m guessing that the shows demographic audience is women ages 32-55. Too bad there’s not a Standards and Practices for “fair judging” on a game show.