Eddie McGuire is back hosting the latest Channel 9 game show offering, 1 Vs 100. The new game show goes something like this, someone is picked as the one. Once selected, they have to answer a series of questions and so do the mob of 100 opponents.

The contestant is also given three chances or from the millionaire days, three life lines. Each of the changes or life lines can only be used once each, just like Who Wants To Be A Millionaire. The twist on the chances or life lines this time is that they all involve the mob in some way:

Ask the mob

Two of the mob are singled out who have a correct and incorrect answer. Each mob member can tell the contestant why they chose that option and the contestant can also discuss their choice. Since there are only two of the mob selected, this in effect acts like the 50/50 from the days of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire.

Poll the mob

Polling the mob will tell the contestant how many of the mob voted for each of the three options

Trust the mob

The contestant rests their game show fate into the hands of the mob. Whatever option the mob has the most votes for, is the option that is selected on behalf of the contestant and they don’t have a choice but to see the decision followed through.

After successfully answering a question, the answers from the mob are revealed as well; at which point everyone with an incorrect answer are eliminated from the following round. After the results of the dwindling one hundred opponents are revealed, the contestant then gets a choice to complete the game and leave with the money he or she has accumulated or play on.

The decision making process of the contestant was the most painful point in the entire show, where the mob are just yelling at the contestant trying to convince he or she to play one more round. Of course, they are all waving their hands and gesturing, yes, come on, just one more round. This went on and on for far too long in my opinion and it has no real bearing on the game; its as if it was there to simply amp up the noise level and the crowd a little for the sake of it.

Overall, it was a pretty reasonable game show I suppose. 1 Vs 100 bears striking resemblance to Who Wants To Be A Millionaire on many fronts, however the one which it doesn’t complete on from what I noticed was the difficulty of the questions. It seemed as though they were considerably easier than what you’d expect on millionaire – then again, it is a different show, which should draw different contestants; so that is probably ok.

On a side note, does anyone else think it is inappropriate for Eddie McGuire to be hosting a game show when he is the Chief Execute Office of one of Australia’s largest television networks? I was quite shocked in February 2006 when he was appointed as the CEO of Channel Nine and to see him still hosting a game show; it just seems wrong.