The Chase (2021) - General Discussion

[Enigma X]

I like trivia shows but really do not care for the snarkiness and it felt off for both Ken and James. It was way more off for James. Full disclosure, the only Jeopardy player that bugs me more than James is Buzzy. Anyway, I like Brad and fear his snarkiness when he is the chaser will make me like him a bit less.

[saber5055]

4 hours ago, MrAtoz said:

The trash talk didn't seem to come naturally to him, and felt scripted (as it may well be). 

Didn't he ask Sarah at the end if she came up with that comment on her own, and she said no. I thought that was pretty funny on James' part. But maybe that repartee was scripted too. Either way, I love this show.

[Swenson]

So it appears these "geniuses" don't do so well in the cash builder ... yet they get lucky guessing on multiple choice and are praised for defeating the chaser?  I'm sure glad James was able to mow them down quickly.

A better show was 500 questions.....let's have that show back.

[Maverick]

 Ken didn't do well with his "persona".  James was basically trying to mimic The Beast from the GSN version and it was clear he was trying too hard.   He's my least favorite of the three to begin with.  

 Since they're all famous for being themselves, I think they're afraid people won't separate person vs. character and are afraid to get to cutting in their remarks. 

 

 

[Bliss]

I think Sarah is doing a great job hosting - she's authentic, even when she's scripted! 

As for Ken, James and Brad - they're smart, quick, and trying so hard to be snarky... I'm finding the Chase very entertaining. A definite plus during these trying times.

[mjc570]

I'm really disappointed, maybe because I'm used to the GSN version, which moves along a lot faster and seems to have harder questions and better contestants.  Last night's episode (1/14/21) was especially bad.  I don't blame the host for her voice, but I find it really nasal and a bit unpleasant.  She also seems so scripted and repetitive.  The questions are mostly complete softballs (because I think ABC wants to hype up the chance for big payday).  I know people get nervous and blurt out wrong answers (the woman last night, who gave "carnation" as the flower otherwise known as a mum), but isn't there any type of contestant testing?

  I'm not at all interested in the contestants as people, because I know they're not coming back.  I especially am tired of the host (sorry, can't remember her name) asking them why they picked a particular multiple choice answer, when it almost always is that it's a guess (in contrast to when the chaser gives an explanation because I always learn something new).  They should just eliminate this section completely.  Since I'm throwing around unsolicited advice, I also think they should let the Chasers just be themselves.  It took me a long time to warm up to James on Jeopardy (I liked his style of play, him not so much) but eventually I did.  I also liked the 3 guys rapport during the GOAT.

Sorry for ABC and its advertisers, because I want the show to be successful, but I'm at the point where I just FF to the final section.  

[Eolivet]

I sort of agree with the poster who said there's kind of a meanness to this show, in that you're rooting for people to lose money, but it didn't bother me this week, because that first contestant was so obnoxious with his "I used my gut" and his hogging all the questions on the final round and getting half of them wrong. I was annoyed the much smarter monkey-loving woman was saddled with him.

It occurred to me last week that Ken might have been throwing the last part of the competition, because he didn't seem altogether comfortable with looking people in the eye and taking money from those who could really use it. James I believed he wanted to beat those contestants, and I was especially happy when the guy lost.

It wasn't clear if the contestants competing for the amount of money they won for the pot or an even split? Because if it's the latter, that's not fair at all. The guy won 50 grand less than the woman, and he would've taken some of her money? If you're playing for the money you banked, that's fine.

This is a fun midseason replacement (and eons better than The Hustle afterwards), but the idea of wealthy trivia geniuses looking people in the eye and taking their money doesn't quite sit right with me. So, I hope the contestants are obnoxious, to make it easier to root against them. Otherwise, this show is kind of mean.

 

 

[853fisher]

I liked the first episode and loved this second one.  I hope the show is doing well in the ratings.

I wasn't totally sold on Sara at first, but she really appealed to me this time.  The little exchange of "did you write that [joke about the Police] yourself?" and her grinning "no, no I did not" was very charming.  I agree with several comments above that she looks beautiful and should read a little faster.  (I think she is probably reading at exactly the speed the producers want, unfortunately.)

James, on the other hand, I thought should have spoken a little slower.  I found him difficult to understand a few times but otherwise I was glad to see him.  I'm not sure his affect was so different than when I've seen him elsewhere, but it was a little strange.  Oh well, it wasn't "off" enough to spoil things for me.  The lounge was certainly less interesting to me without him in it.

I thought the questions were varied and interesting.  Here is the Playbill article about most-revived musicals.  I enjoy show tunes but never would have put some of these on the list, including the top one.  I'd be curious to see it without the ten-day City Center runs included.  I knew musk oxen because I was raised near the zoo in DC where pandas, the last of which are due to be sent back soon, were star attractions for years.  Bad trade if you ask me!  I always confuse alveoli and areolae, which I fear may pose a problem to me one day.

The set is growing on me too.  The two streams or arrows in opposite directions are a nice unifying element, and look great in the final chase.  I did think that the canned audience noise at that point in the game was distracting and totally unnecessary.  Finally, I might give Sara a note or two to help with pronunciations.  "Pampa-le-moose" was especially bad, but I know not everyone can be Alex.

The commentary is interesting about whether the premise is "mean" or not.  I think, to borrow from WWE-style wrestling, the chasers are definitely presented as the "heels" or villains and the contestants as the "faces" or heroes.  Still, some of us like a villain!  I generally root for the contestants, although I like this bunch of chasers and don't mind when they succeed.  I'm sure Mark Labbett the person is lovely, but I really disliked Mark Labbett the TV character and rooted against him every time on the last US version, so that's a change for me.

An interesting difference between the US and UK shows is that these chasers are well-known personalities too many of us here, while I think the original UK batch was not as familiar outside of hardcore quiz circles, because they'd had more like one-off "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" appearances than weeks-long runs with associated publicity.  At any rate, I choose to think of the chasers on this version not as taking money away from contestants but as the element of many games that takes a little luck to beat, like the big wheel or whatever else.  They haven't earned it until they beat whatever the show's mechanism is, so money they don't win isn't being taken from them.

I think I will definitely be looking forward to this every week.

Edited January 16, 2021 by 853fisher
ETA - great discussion on whether the show is "mean" etc

[Suzysite]

Brad is far too nice to be a snarky Chaser, but I enjoy watching him more than the other two.   I also think he'd be really good as a Jeopardy host.

[ams1001]

I dunno, I'm not really feeling this game (doesn't help that Sara who just played did so badly). I wanted to see each of them take a turn as Chaser but I don't know if I'll be back after tonight.

anosmia = "ana-smee-a"? Um, no.

10 minutes ago, Suzysite said:

Brad is far too nice to be a snarky Chaser, but I enjoy watching him more than the other two.   I also think he'd be really good as a Jeopardy host.

I really hope he'll do a guest stint on Jeopardy.

[Driad]

Wes has been on Jeopardy, and is a host of "Stories from the Stage" on PBS. He did well; too bad he didn't win.

The long wait to find out if a contestant's answer is correct is annoying.  Picturing someone backstage doing frantic web searches.

[Good Queen Jane]

I haven't seen any other versions of this, although I have heard of the British version. Has there ever been a time when none of the contestants make it to the final round? 

[JTMacc99]

33 minutes ago, Good Queen Jane said:

I haven't seen any other versions of this, although I have heard of the British version. Has there ever been a time when none of the contestants make it to the final round? 

The American version, hosted by the charming Brooke Burns who had fun chemistry with the chaser Mark "The Beast" Labbett, is on Game Show Network weekdays at 3:00 (eastern time.)  My opinion of this version is tainted by that one. Brooke and The Beast always seemed to be having fun, with Brooke managing to balance rooting for the contestants and also showing solid respect for how good the chaser was. 

It's only a few episodes in, but I'm not feeling a lot of that chemistry and fun yet.  The best chemistry is between the two other guys who are watching in another room and commenting about what's going on.

I don't remember seeing any episodes that ended with everybody being eliminated in the previous American version. I wonder if they would just scrap it should that happen.

[catrice2]

14 hours ago, Driad said:

Wes has been on Jeopardy, and is a host of "Stories from the Stage" on PBS. He did well; too bad he didn't win.

The long wait to find out if a contestant's answer is correct is annoying.  Picturing someone backstage doing frantic web searches.

I thought that was him, but missed the beginning.  Did he address it? I wish they would give them some money, like they do on Beat Shazam 

[catrice2]

I enjoyed Brad more than I thought.  So far I like him and James best as the Chaser.  I think in my head, although I know the difference , I sometimes confused Brad with Buzzy. 

[Cherpumple]

 

I'm liking this show so far and will definitely keep watching it. The three chasers feel like old friends at this point, and I love to marvel at how much they know. Brad's my favorite, but I like them all. Not a big fan of how slowly the host reads the questions, but since she uses the same pace for everyone, at least it's fair. I also really like the Chaser lounge. Since these three guys know each fairly well it feels like good-natured ribbing, and not mean-spirited. It reminds me of Waldorf and Statler from the Muppets.

Speaking of mean, I don't think the premise of the show is inherently mean-spirited. The show clearly wants the audience to root for the contestants, which is why I think they make the Chasers act rude and arrogant. Brooke Burns was good at cheering on the contestants against the big scary beast, which also helped this narrative. It doesn't always work, especially with the more likeable Chasers that the audience comes to know and root for, but I do think the original concept is to get the audience to root for the contestants to win. However, I think the perception of "meanness" may be amplified by the fact that this is probably one of the few recent game shows where, more of than not, all of the contestants walk away with NOTHING. No parting gifts, no $1000 minimum, nothing. There are plenty of shows where the winner doesn't get the big jackpot at the end, but they at least get to keep the money they won in the earlier rounds. In contrast, it's kind of a downer to watch these people for an hour, and then at the last second see all of them walk away empty-handed. Even moreso because the Chasers win significantly more games than the contestants do.

On 1/16/2021 at 10:12 AM, Eolivet said:

It wasn't clear if the contestants competing for the amount of money they won for the pot or an even split? Because if it's the latter, that's not fair at all.

I've gone back and forth on this issue in the years that I've watched this show, and have concluded that it doesn't bother me to see them split the pot evenly at the end (which is what they do). I think this mainly because in the games when the contestants actually beat the Chaser (less than half the time), it usually comes down to the wire, with only one or two questions making the difference. And since the contestants get a one point head start for each player who makes it to the final chase, that in itself could make the difference between walking away with nothing and with the jackpot (e.g., a final chase with two players starts with a 2 point head start; three players get a 3 point head start). So, let's say I win $70,000 in my round and another contestant wins $10,000, and only the two of us make it to the final chase. If the Chaser loses by one question, then having that other person standing next to me and contributing their one point head start means I get $40,000, instead of nothing. Even if that person doesn't answer a single question in the final Chase (which is rare), it's still worth it to have them standing there. It's not ideal, of course, but considering how often this game comes down to one or two questions, I'd definitely be willing to split the pot evenly to better my chances of getting anything.

3 hours ago, Good Queen Jane said:

I haven't seen any other versions of this, although I have heard of the British version. Has there ever been a time when none of the contestants make it to the final round? 

I've seen this happen on the British version. They solved it by having one contestant come back out for the final chase. I don't remember exactly how that person was chosen, but my guess is that it was whoever accrued the most in the initial cashbuilder round. I don't remember how they determined what amount they would win, and I think they lost anyway.

Edited January 22, 2021 by Cherpumple

[iMonrey]

Good grief, aside from Wes this show needs a better calibre of contestants. Only one question in the cash builder? You shouldn't be anywhere near this show if you can't get at least three or four. I knew four questions in the first and third cash builder and three in the second. I'm embarrassed for a lot of these people. I think this show suffers from the same problem plaguing other similar shows right now. The producers are more invested in having diverse game players than competent ones. Otherwise you get three very similar eggheads I guess but I'd rather have that than a lot of these dummies.

Granted, some of the questions seem to stump the players simply because they are too young. I can't remember the specifics but there were questions about TV shows, products or commercials that I knew instantly and clearly they contestant had never heard of before. Still, the chasers aren't as old as me either and they knew the answers.

[Enigma X]

5 hours ago, catrice2 said:

I enjoyed Brad more than I thought.  So far I like him and James best as the Chaser.  I think in my head, although I know the difference , I sometimes confused Brad with Buzzy. 

I love Brad but dislike Buzzy.

[853fisher]

I agree that maybe something's gotta give in how they pick contestants.  I found everyone very likable in this episode, but they were clearly not up to the challenge as a team.  I would rather they gave away less money if that's what was required to get people with better trivia chops, although TPTP seem to feel big money in primetime is important.

On 1/21/2021 at 6:24 PM, Suzysite said:

Brad is far too nice to be a snarky Chaser, but I enjoy watching him more than the other two.

He struck me as least invested in the smack-talk of the three, and that was not a problem for me.  I think "I am a top Jeopardy! champion about to match wits with you" is enough to set the needed tone.  He might be the one I enjoyed watching most too.  When Sara said that he was known for his acerbic wit, I did wonder who she was talking about.

On 1/22/2021 at 6:10 AM, Good Queen Jane said:

Has there ever been a time when none of the contestants make it to the final round? 

I have seen everyone get caught before the Final Chase a few times.  I think that on the ongoing British show and the last American version, the contestants pick one to represent them.  If that one wins, they each get £1000 or $5000.  I wonder whether they might split a little more on this new show, since they generally play for higher amounts.

[junemeatcleaver]

Sara is such a slow reader it's almost painful.  I guess ABC was wanted a host that was already on their payroll, but god do I wish they looked for a better host.  I'm only on the first episode, so maybe she gets better.

[lynxfx]

4 hours ago, junemeatcleaver said:

Sara is such a slow reader it's almost painful.  I guess ABC was wanted a host that was already on their payroll, but god do I wish they looked for a better host.  I'm only on the first episode, so maybe she gets better.

She doesn't and I agree she is slow. She isn't consistent either. Sometimes faster for the chaser. 

[GenerationX]

I like all three of the chasers, and Sara is growing on me, too.  She still needs to go to the Brooke Burns School of Fast and Clear Reading, but she's otherwise a good host.  The contestants are a real letdown.

In the GSN version, even the weakest contestants managed three right in the cash builder, and I don't sense any difference in question difficulty with this version.  A "good" contestant in the GSN version got five or six right (James, I believe, got nine right in his round).  The average number of questions read in the sixty seconds may account for some of the difference, but I think it's more likely weaker contestants.

Until there's an uptick in contestant quality, I'll be rooting for the Chaser to win every time.

[opus]

Having never seen any other version, so far here I believe they’ve always played for what they earned, never the higher or lower offer. Is that how it usually goes?

[Cherpumple]

5 hours ago, opus said:

Having never seen any other version, so far here I believe they’ve always played for what they earned, never the higher or lower offer. Is that how it usually goes?

On average, I'd say that most people choose the middle amount, but it's not too unusual for people to go higher or lower. Anecdotally, I'd say that contestants who take the lower offer are more likely to be the last ones to play. If their teammates have already made it through to the final, and there's a good chunk of change in the jackpot, it's often the best strategy to take the low offer, since getting as many people through to the final is more important at that stage than taking the risk of trying to add a larger amount of money to the jackpot. This may seem like the easy way out after everyone else banked big money, but I've definitely seen players urge their teammates to take the lower offer, since larger teams tend to do better in the final chase (especially due to the one point headstart for each contestant who makes it to the final).

5 hours ago, GenerationX said:

I don't sense any difference in question difficulty with this version.

I don't know if I'd say the questions are more difficult in this version, but a lot of them feel more unusual to me. I watch a lot of trivia gameshows (and did weekly pub quizzes before the pandemic), and it's crazy to see how often these shows use the same questions as each other. Seriously, there are several random bits of trivia that I only remember because I saw questions about them on multiple gameshows. On this version so far, several of the questions have covered similar topics as other shows, but ask for different enough answers to make me stop and think, rather than rattling out the same bit of trivia that the other shows ask. I can't think of an example right now, but if I do, I'll edit my post.

[saber5055]

I finally got to see the Brad-as-chaser episode rerun. I still love this show, and it's still my fav new show. I don't think the host is a slow reader. The only part that drags for me is revealing the answer of the three choices. But the time slot has to be filled with either that time killer or a bunch more commercials. Toss up as to which we would prefer. I guess I'll take the drug-out extra-slow answer reveals.

I liked Brad as chaser, but I like all three Jeopardy fellows as chasers. I also still like the lounge, and interesting that James said "cuttlefish" for that answer Brad missed. I'd be fine if all of the snark were taken out, I don't enjoy it and think it just brings a fun show down to gutter level. I watch tv to get away from that sort of thing so am glad my Jeopardy heroes aren't dwelling on that. I liked Brad complimenting the last man standing on this episode. I want to see more of that, not smart asses tearing other people down.

It's kind of interesting only GOAT Ken as chaser didn't catch the players in the end.

I also like when the chaser explains the answers so we learn a little bit, like about mapping the movement of those planets!

[853fisher]

17 hours ago, Cherpumple said:

On average, I'd say that most people choose the middle amount, but it's not too unusual for people to go higher or lower. Anecdotally, I'd say that contestants who take the lower offer are more likely to be the last ones to play. If their teammates have already made it through to the final, and there's a good chunk of change in the jackpot, it's often the best strategy to take the low offer, since getting as many people through to the final is more important at that stage than taking the risk of trying to add a larger amount of money to the jackpot. This may seem like the easy way out after everyone else banked big money, but I've definitely seen players urge their teammates to take the lower offer, since larger teams tend to do better in the final chase (especially due to the one point headstart for each contestant who makes it to the final).

This sums things up well, from what I've seen watching all the American episodes and a fair few of the British and Australian versions.  The chaser will occasionally make a negative offer for the safest slot, which is usually scoffed at and groaned about, but I saw it taken once!  I can't recall well but I think maybe she still didn't make it to the Final Chase, bless her heart.

[lynxfx]

On 1/24/2021 at 1:36 AM, Cherpumple said:

it's crazy to see how often these shows use the same questions as each other.

I've noticed this a lot lately too. Jane Austen gets used a lot and on the last The Wall was a question about the first YouTube video. I knew the answer from another show that recently asked it. 

[saber5055]

On 1/26/2021 at 4:41 PM, lynxfx said:

I've noticed this a lot lately too. Jane Austen gets used a lot and on the last The Wall was a question about the first YouTube video. I knew the answer from another show that recently asked it. 

And Millionaire just asked a Muttnik question used a few days before as Final Jeopardy. When Jimmy said they would find out what happened to Muttnik (aka Laika) and tell us after the break, I said no, please don't do that.

[alexa]

Finally some contestants that can answer a lot of questions.  So much better.

[Roxanna]

Sarah Haines on "The Chase 2021 Game Show" is way to slow with giving the answers she needs to be replaced!

[Swenson]

But they have no BALLS......I've not seen one person yet who has been willing to challenge for the higher offer....yet they talk smack.  And those multiple choice questions just aren't that hard......how do I know this? ......because I answered them too.....and I'm just your garden variety idiot with a high school diploma.   Plus I believe they kinda make it easier on the challengers in the final chase.  And she reads kind of slow.  They got lucky.  I'm hoping in future episodes.....the high end offers are much more seductive.

[alexa]

11 hours ago, Swenson said:

But they have no BALLS......I've not seen one person yet who has been willing to challenge for the higher offer....yet they talk smack.  And those multiple choice questions just aren't that hard......how do I know this? ......because I answered them too.....and I'm just your garden variety idiot with a high school diploma.   Plus I believe they kinda make it easier on the challengers in the final chase.  And she reads kind of slow.  They got lucky.  I'm hoping in future episodes.....the high end offers are much more seductive.

Honestly I don't blame them for just wanting to have a better chance to make it to the end, where the actual money is made (or not).  I think the questions seem easy until the chaser is only one step behind you, and then it is completely different.  

She is reading a bit slow, which caused James to lose some of his time--otherwise he would have probably beat the contestants.  

[iMonrey]

Now that's more like it. Some decent players for a change. 

Quote

Plus I believe they kinda make it easier on the challengers in the final chase.  And she reads kind of slow.  They got lucky. 

In the GSN version, Brooke asked the contestants in the final chase if they wanted Questions A or Questions B. They aren't doing that here. Not to delve into conspiracy, but it raises the possibility that a set of questions has been pre-written to favor the Chaser. That's why it was a good idea to present two sets and let the contestant choose which they wanted. The Chaser wasn't guaranteed a pre-designated set of questions that way.

I agree the new host is reading the questions way too slow. I also agree that the Chaser probably would have won if Brooke had been reading the questions. Although I guess it all evens out if she's reading them that slowly to the contestants too.

Anyway, this was a big improvement over the first few installments.

[estellasmum]

11 hours ago, Swenson said:

Plus I believe they kinda make it easier on the challengers in the final chase.  And she reads kind of slow. 

My 15 year old watched this with us last night. (She loves Ken and James, can't stand "Mark" (for some reason she won't call him Brad, just Mark.)) She liked that it "was way easier than Jeopardy", and could answer a fair amount of questions from the final round for the challengers, and almost none for James. She also pointed out that the challenger's questions seemed shorter than the ones that were given to James, so yeah, we think so in this family, too. She didn't like the format of the show, and several times used her best Joey Tribbiani game show announcer voice to say "Let's play Bamboozled."

[853fisher]

I also thought that was much more like it.  I don't sense a marked difference in the questions the two groups are given for the Final Chase, but I tend to be oblivious to those kinds of things when they happen.  Asking them to choose one of two sets would be an easy tweak if they're not really slanted.

Daniel, unlike most other contestants, was wiling to cut Sara off in the timed rounds when he had an answer, and it really only burned him once or twice.  I think that made a difference and was pretty savvy.

I know James' wagers on Jeopardy often had clever little meanings, like $214 for his daughter's birthday 2/14 or $601 if the category was NH after their 601 area code (not actual examples).  I wondered whether there were particular meanings to the numbers he chose, or whether he just likes to mix things up a little bit by avoiding round amounts.

On a shallow note, Sara is gorgeous in so many different hairstyles.  On a production note, was I imagining it if I thought the contestants looked a little odd pointing constantly toward the camera rather than the chaser in the bring-it-down-the-board round?  I assume they were looking at the questions on a monitor, but the blocking just looked strange to me, more extreme than usual.  Minor quibble.

I bet Ketty wishes she had seen "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom," the film adaptation of the play that came out in December, but I think these were probably taped before then.  It is on Netflix now but I saw it in a theatre then (masked, socially distanced, etc) and thought it was wonderful. I knew from the trailer I wanted to see it, whatever it was.  I thought it was going to be a biopic, while it is actually a fictional but revealing story in which she is a character.  I'd highly recommend it.

Edited January 29, 2021 by 853fisher

[saber5055]

It was nice to see two good players in this episode instead of randos pulled off the street, which seemed to be the case in previous episodes. Interesting that Michael(?) was a multi-day Jeopardy champ, and the younger guy was just as smart.

I was rooting for James to catch them, but was okay with the two winning the $ in the end. It was an entertaining hour that I enjoyed. Even comments from the Chaser's Lounge were more fun this time.

[Good Queen Jane]

Is it bad that I am rooting for the Chasers rather than the contestants? I just really like the three Jeopardy champs. I  thought it was interesting that Ken and Brad were leaning forward in their seats when shown during the Final Chase. They were really invested in James' performance. I assume the Chasers get paid the same whether they win or lose. It might be fun if they get to split what the contestants lose or if they got a bonus if they win.

[mjc570]

1 minute ago, Good Queen Jane said:

Is it bad that I am rooting for the Chasers rather than the contestants? I

Why would that be bad? I certainly do, I've known and liked all of them for years.  These contestants, even the few good ones, are one and done.  

I have to admit that I much prefer the GSN version. Brooke is a great host, and Mark is awesome.  This version is too manipulative (for me!), and I'm sorry to be so shallow, but Sara's voice is just so grating.  I generally just FF to the final chase.  

[Bliss]

Seems James' questions have to be really (really) difficult/obscure to stump him. 

Good game! Better TV when contestants go home with something IMO. I also enjoy watching the chasers mow down the humbled ones.

Great chasees - they got lucky with guesses - and I always enjoy James. 

As for Sara - I think she's great (smile, decorum, personality) and I believe the speed of reading is critical to show success... if she goes too fast, that could be a disaster.

Where I think they could improve is:

1. More succinct questions. Come on, writers! You can do it.

2. Display ALL the questions on monitors, not just the multiple choice chase ones. I know from experience that I can read faster than I can listen to an oral question. E.g., watching Jeopardy!, I get the answer more quickly when I see the actual wording of the clue.

I've also wondered if they can put the chaser in a soundproof room while asking the contestant(s) the final chase questions - so the chaser gets the same questions. (I swear, James' were tougher overall). It would change the pushback feature... but it would be cool to see the comparison of how well they answer the same questions.

Overall, a fun show!

[Madding crowd]

I had the same thought about putting the chaser in a soundproof room but the audience might get bored hearing the same questions again. I do agree they need shorter questions especially in the cash builder round. I don’t mind the chasers teasing the contestants either. James is my favorite, I like his dry sense of humor.

[catrice2]

I made my sister watch this and we are all game show junkies.  I think the contestant's questions were really easy in the final chase. Even I knew all but 3.   On the other hand, James had some really tough and obscure questions....and STILL almost won.... I love watching him. 

[Bliss]

9 hours ago, saber5055 said:

It was nice to see two good players in this episode instead of randos pulled off the street, which seemed to be the case in previous episodes. Interesting that Michael(?) was a multi-day Jeopardy champ, and the younger guy was just as smart.

I was rooting for James to catch them, but was okay with the two winning the $ in the end. It was an entertaining hour that I enjoyed. Even comments from the Chaser's Lounge were more fun this time.

Agree!

I thought the younger guy was the strongest match for James - he was super quick! Smart! Personable.

[30 Helens]

I am loving this show and surprised to see that so many of you are having a fairly negative reaction. This is my first exposure to the show, having never even heard of the previous versions, so there’s that.

I agree that the questions could be more challenging, but for a primetime network show, I think they’re fine. Most primetime game shows are WAY dumbed down for the masses, which is why I avoid most of them, but the inclusion of 3 of my Jeopardy faves drew me in. (Especially Brad. Love him! Be a Jeopardy host, Brad!)  The latest episode had the smartest contestants to date (well, at least two of them) and I wish both guys had risked the higher bank amount. I think they could have done it. The younger guy should go on Jeopardy. He would do really well, I think.

I don’t watch morning talk shows so knew nothing about Sara beforehand, but I like her. I find her charming and just witty enough to be personable without detracting from the real stars, the Chasers.  In short, a good host. There are times when I think she could read a little faster (like when time is running out), but too fast all the time would just make the show feel stressful. I like the semi-laid back pace. 

I also like the Greek chorus in the lounge and only wish there was more of it. LOL at the poster who found it reminiscent of the old man Muppets in the sky box, as that was my first thought as well. I am likewise amused by all the people who had flashbacks to Joey’s game show on Friends. At my house, throughput the first episode we were shouting “Pick a wicked wango card!” and “Hop on one foot!” You’ll notice this show does have a Ladder of Chance, so we’re all not that far off.

I know nothing about the ratings for this show, but I hope they’re good. I want this to stick around. 

[Cherpumple]

13 hours ago, iMonrey said:

In the GSN version, Brooke asked the contestants in the final chase if they wanted Questions A or Questions B. They aren't doing that here.

They might still do that, but cut it out of the broadcast. Similarly, in the early episodes of the GSN version you hear the announcer say the name of the contestant that buzzes in to answer each question during the final chase, but then they started editing it out so you only hear the answer.

I was surprised at how many questions James admitted guessing the answer. He has great reasoning skills, but I thought he would know more of the answers outright. I like him and think he's pretty funny in the chaser's lounge, but find him awkward with his banter on stage. He's not playful like some other chasers, nor does he have the "dad joke" style trash talk of Mark Labette, so I don't know what his niche should be.

Sara is an attractive woman, but her styling was awful this time. The slicked back hair looked greasy, and the outfit seemed terribly dated and mismatched. Not her best look.

[iMonrey]

Quote

I am loving this show and surprised to see that so many of you are having a fairly negative reaction. This is my first exposure to the show, having never even heard of the previous versions, so there’s that.

You definitely benefit from not seeing any prior versions of this. And my criticisms are really nitpicks more than anything else. I still like the game. I preferred Brooke Burns to the current host and think she did a better job reading the questions fast. I'm OK with the chasers but I think the "Chaser Lounge" is stupid. Maybe it's more interesting to big Jeopardy fans. I also think they could use more discretion in choosing better contestants but that was true of the GSN version too. This last crop was quite impressive. Well, 2 out of 3 were anyway. 🙂

[alexa]

The questions are too long and slow in the final chase.  Ken would have had it if it wasn’t so slow.

Edited February 12, 2021 by alexa

[saber5055]

1 hour ago, alexa said:

The questions are too long and slow in the final chase.  Ken would have had it if it wasn’t so slow.

Agree. I was loving this show until tonight's episode. I thought the questions were way easier than earlier episodes, and during the chase the questions were so freaking LONG, I forgot the beginning by the time the host got to the end. Those chase questions need to be edited so they are more succinct and all the same amount of words.

I just didn't enjoy this episode at all, and was bummed the players won the money. Mostly I was depressed that my favorite new show pretty much let me down tonight.

[Bliss]

Standing with my initial feeling... the writers need to shorten the questions!

Sara's smile is infectious, the players were good, and Ken too... however, that ending was painful.

Don't care who wins. Just looking for a fair competition and entertainment. Shorter questions will do the trick!

[853fisher]

I liked the team but was surprised they won in the end.  There didn't seem to be much of a sense of urgency in that Final Chase.  Brad was exactly right, they've got to be prepared to interrupt, and I thought they should've agreed to pass quicker too if an answer as was not forthcoming.  I wonder if they're able to briefly discuss strategy, or whether they're not supposed to do that?

I knew the answer immediately, but I was a little surprised by “the gas once used to light up Broadway signs.”  I've been to the theatre district four or five times and would've sworn there was neon there.  But I looked up a few theatres and many seem to now have individual light bulbs in their vertical signs where I would've sworn there was neon.  Others have LED neon lookalikes.  Interesting!  It's clearly been too long since I was there last.  Many independent movie theatres near me do still have neon, thank goodness.

[Swenson]

I'm still waiting.  I thought at least one of them could at least have to courtesy to ramp up the challenge seeing that all three pretty much had to miss in order for Ken to gain on them.......wuss wuss......wuss wuss wuss.