500 Questions - General Discussion

[Guest]

This topic replaces the old forum for this show which has been vaulted here:

http://forums.previously.tv/forum/1777-500-questions-v/

Edited December 20, 2018 by David T. Cole

[BubblingKettle]

I'm not enjoying this show. It's a mixture of awkward and anxiety-ridden.  Too bad, because prime-time game shows can be a nice treat...but this one's not.

[pandora spocks]

I think I'll watch tomorrow night and see if it improves, or least have new contestants.  As many misses as one guy had, I don't know how he's stayed in the game.  It's not as much a game of intelligence as it's pure luck

[spaceytraci1208]

The challenger's answer to the cheese question pissed me off. That was definitely one of the easier challenge questions, and it seemed like he blew it on purpose

[Valny]

I missed the last few minutes after the guy got two X's. Did he get the random question wrong?

I would not fare well on this show. Even playing along at home my brain froze on some

of those questions, so image how hard/stressful it would be actually doing it there.

[Ketzel]

Seemed like an awful lot of talking and repetitively explaining the unnecessarily confusing rules, and not much interesting trivia. I was bored. That's it for me.

[Saylii]

I liked the questions part. I even could follow most of the rules, although I think it could have benefited from a 30-second to minute rundown.

I thought the host talked way too much and could have gone through the questions much faster. I could have done with a lot less recaps, but a lot of that could have been teaching the public the rules.

At around a 42 minute program, with 20 questions answered in 10 seconds (let's say 30 seconds to ask and answer) and the battle stuff taking roughly a minute each, you're looking at less then 20 minutes of actual trivia. And that's being generous. It was probably closer to 15 minutes of trivia.

On the original Who Wants to be a Millionaire, I really only remember Regis bs'ing while the contestant mulled over the answers. The actual questions moved relatively quickly. They could routinely get through 15 questions, with all the lifelines and fastest finger. It also took longer to read the questions and multiple choices answers.

I got a feeling on the cheese question that Dr. Ogi answered his favorite, pretentious cheese without really thinking about the question.

Edited May 21, 2015 by Saylii

[teebax]

I didn't like it but will continue to watch because I love trivia shows, but it can't hold a candle to Jeopardy or The Chase, in my opinion.

[ottoDbusdriver]

Seemed like an awful lot of talking and repetitively explaining the unnecessarily confusing rules, and not much interesting trivia. I was bored. That's it for me.

 

It's basically the Calvinball version of Jeopardy. And only genius contestants get to play.  Sure, whatever.

 

It took the first contestant a 1/2 hour (complete with commercials) to complete 3% of the 500 questions (getting only 70% of the questions correct in the process) -- at that pace, it would take 16 and a half hours of show to get through 500 questions.  Since the show is only on for 7 hours total over 7 nights, how could any one person win it all ?  That's right, they can't.  So why call it '500 Questions' ?

 

How was this ever greenlit ?

Edited May 21, 2015 by ottoDbusdriver

[Bastet]

Seemed like an awful lot of talking and repetitively explaining the unnecessarily confusing rules, and not much interesting trivia. I was bored. That's it for me.

 

I'm a one and done viewer as well.  I enjoyed challenging myself via the questions, but there was far too much extraneous chatter for me to put up with.  I'll stick to Jeopardy! 

 

Also, were it not for stringent quiz show rules, I'd be convinced this was scripted.

 

Plus, I believe - although I wasn't devoting my full attention by this point - one of the clues included an inappropriate apostrophe.  If I saw correctly during my quick glance ... Don't tout yourself as a test of geniuses and then screw up something so basic.  (I think it was in the '80s movies category, even though the category title was properly punctuated.)

[Rowsdower]

Plus, I believe - although I wasn't devoting my full attention by this point - one of the clues included an inappropriate apostrophe.  If I saw correctly during my quick glance ... Don't tout yourself as a test of geniuses and then screw up something so basic.  (I think it was in the '80s movies category, even though the category title was properly punctuated.)

 

Indeed, the category's name was punctuated correctly ('80S FILMS), but one of the on-screen questions contained the phrase "films from the 1980's."  It bothered me too.

[Pallida]

I'm 10 minutes in and already annoyed. I was expecting a rapid pace like The Chase.

[Actionmage]

I don't really care why the guy who almost eliminated himself five times chose to handle a subject or question the way he did. 

 

The host I'm okay with, though depending on another night or so of him, I could change my mind.

 

Neither of the contestants really impressed me.  Doc Roquefort really didn't impress me.   The question was about the most popular cheeses on menus, dude.  Are these two actually certified geniuses?   

[silversage]

It seems they could have had time for more questions answered if there was less talking.

 

Why did it have to be so dark in the studio?

[zxy556575]

I started fast-forwarding about 10 minutes in, pausing only when there was a question on the screen. And it still took forever. I rechecked to make sure it really was only 60 minutes because it sure seemed longer.

 

*Sound of me dropping the mic*

[Skittl1321]

I do not like how the contestant can answer all the things they can say in 5 seconds.  That isn't "do you know this" that is "do you know a number of things around this topic".  You could tell the contestant was visibly surprised a few times when he got it right- because he didn't know the answer at all, he was naming random shit.

 

I found the show less annoying than Millionaire but I didn't like it that much.  Still I like trivia, so I'm happy to see quiz shows, even if they aren't great.

[Dirtybubble]

 

This show was ok but a couple things bothered me.

 

• 3 strikes and you're out unless you can erase a strike....what?  That doesn't seem fair and I'm still a little unclear as to how to erase a strike.
• What makes these contestants a genius?  What about you're I.Q. score?  I'm not saying a neuroscientist and a lawyer aren't intelligent but genius, really?  If you want to make a big deal of these contestants being geniuses then post their I.Q. scores or just drop it all together. 
• I don't like how the contestants have to explain why they making the choices they make!  Ugh too much senseless yaking!  If you want the audience to get to know the contestants just have the host ask them about themselves similar to Jeopardy.

 

Host is ok and contestants seem likeable enough.  I will watch again simply because there is nothing else on.

[Skittl1321]

I think you erase strikes by getting the next one right.  So it is "3 in a row wrong and you are out", not really three strikes and you are out.

[Saylii]

I don't think they are certified geniuses with the proper IQ.

I think they just cast people that fit into the right pedigree - multiple degrees from Ivy League schools, fancy careers - and refer to them as geniuses because they are the "smartest" people they could find.

[CaliforniaLove]

I felt like I was watching the episode of Friends where Joey was auditioning to be a gameshow host & they were practicing the game with the ridiculous rules...""You spin the Wheel of Mayhem to go up the Ladder of Chance. You go past the Mud Hut, through the Rainbow Ring to get to the Golden Monkey, you yank his tail and boom - you're in Paradise Pond!".

[Nekko]

 

I think they just cast people that fit into the right pedigree - multiple degrees from Ivy League schools, fancy careers - and refer to them as geniuses because they are the "smartest" people they could find.

 

I can't speak for the show generally, but having met the lawyer, I'd say he's a legit "genius" in terms of IQ.  Not sure what the conversion would be, but as described in the show he did have a perfect score on the SAT, and I believe he got a perfect score on the LSAT, and he did very well at both schools (undergrad/law) he went.  This might not mean genius as compared to Einstein, but genius as generally understood in connection with IQ.

[bybrandy]

I didn't like the show, but it is a seven night event and I love all things game show so I'm in for the duration.   But seriously, it bugs.  The show can't be won in the seven days it is airing.  It isn't possible on night one for anybody to win.  So... um... the point?

[Dirtybubble]

The show can't be won in the seven days it is airing.  It isn't possible on night one for anybody to win.  So... um... the point?

 

I know that kinda bugs a bit--so does that mean someone that comes in on the finale night can win?  Also do you get to keep the money you've already won even if you are eliminated?  If so, wouldn't that make you a winner in a sense? 

[jhlipton]

Definitely need a finger on the Fast Forward.  :If you get three in a row wrong, you're..." "Done"  was repeated at least 3 times.  Fun questions (I made the same mistake of John Hughes' films as Dr Roquefort (love that nickname).

 

No where near as good as The Chase (which has a lot of yakking, but moves fast when it needs to).

ETA:

I know that kinda bugs a bit--so does that mean someone that comes in on the finale night can win?  Also do you get to keep the money you've already won even if you are eliminated?  If so, wouldn't that make you a winner in a sense?

You win your "pool" if you make through any group of 50 questions (5 questions each in 10 categories). You win the "grand prize" (I don't remember what that was) if you make it through all 10 rounds.

So someone, like lawyer guy seems to, can win a bunch of bucks by surviving a round, but no one can win the grand prize in the time allotted.

Edited May 21, 2015 by jhlipton

[Actionmage]

After Mr. Quest, the host, told the guy last night to remember to bank his money, I thought there was a way the contestants can walk away with something for their time, not unlike The Weakest Link. But the contestant never stated his intention to bank, so part of me was waiting for him to mess up and leave with no cash.

 

Then, after he agonizingly, finally   reached Question 25, Mr. Quest told everyone that the contestant would be able to take his current winnings home, no matter what. So, know your stuff and hang in until at least Question 25, or as Mr. Quest put it "5% of your questions."

 

I guess I can't get too frustrated with these initial contestants because it's a new-to-us game show; they are still learning the rules. Still, ITA with everyone that there is too much 'why are you picking/deciding X?' If the longer explanations are kept to things like what is the Triple Threat (stupid stirrup! The ear bones question was great in it's simplicity, imo) or other twists to a straight-forward question/answer, I think it'll be fine.

 

I enjoyed the Random category because it can potentially be a field-leveler.

 

I do not like how the strikes are "erased". You had to eff up two questions to get them, you should correctly answer two questions to lose 'em. I know, I know- time used up.  I think it would speed the game  half a snail's leap, and I doubt there is a fixed 500 questions only researched for the 7 nights. They aren't going to run out of material. Or at least, they shouldn't.

 

I just hope that ABC isn't hoping for a Who Wants To Be A Millionaire effect, what with the 7 Night Event launch.

 

I'm looking forward for tonight, though!

[ottoDbusdriver]

After Mr. Quest, the host, told the guy last night to remember to bank his money, I thought there was a way the contestants can walk away with something for their time, not unlike The Weakest Link. But the contestant never stated his intention to bank, so part of me was waiting for him to mess up and leave with no cash.

 

I think that the host was trying to convince the lawyer contestant to bank a category -- something that he was good at so that if he got two strikes he could wipe them away with an answer to an easy question he probably knew the answer to.  And it's also confusing that even if the contestant gets the answer right after multiple guesses, he only gets the money added to the pot if he gets it correct on the first answer.  Maybe, I guess.

[Charlie Baker]

Yeah. the rules are convoluted, and there's too much talking, which weighs very much against anyone going all the way and winning.  But it does require knowledge and the only element of luck is in what categories you get and what questions evade your knowledge.  Plus it was fun for me knowing some of the answers the guys didn't, i.e., Platte River.  I'm not out yet, but seven consecutive nights--two hours tonight? Dunno?

[Bastet]

I thought it was stupid to keep phrasing it in terms of erasing strikes, when that's not a good explanation of how they set things up.  The rule is simple -- if you miss any three questions in a row, you're out.  So if you've missed two in a row, you have to get the next one right in order to keep playing.  The audience is perfectly capable of understanding the stakes, so the big red Xs and blathering on about erasing strikes when the contestant had missed two in a row was just one of the many things about the show that bugged me. 

 

As to the talk about banking, yes, that was in reference not to his money (I think he has to get through 50 questions before he can keep anything) but to keeping a category in which he's confident/has been doing well left up on the board to go back to when he's in a must-answer situation, rather than running through those categories early and thus only having the more difficult ones to choose from when it gets down to the wire. 

 

Which may be his strategy in not touching that one category so far.

[goodbyeglittergirl]

I love trivia shows but this one didn't do it for me. I am disappointed - I expected to love it!

[ottoDbusdriver]

The random generator for when a question is a 'Top 10 Challenge' is a little off if 2 out 3 questions in a row are Top 10 challenges.  Just like 2 of the first 5 questions in the first episode were Battles.

 

During one of the questions in the writer's category, Dan rattled off around 10 writer's names before getting Dickens correct.

 

ETA:  In the new set of categories, 2 of 3 questions in one category was either a battle or a Top 10 -- out of 50 questions.  WTF ?

 

Now that Dan is gone, they reset the question counter to 0, so pretty much guaranteeing that no one is going to get to 500 questions during this run.  Might as well call the show 'One Million Questions' for all it matters.

 

How did Dan end up with $35,000 ? He got to $30,000 at the end of first group of 50 questions, and didn't get to keep the money from the 2nd group of 50 questions -- so where did the extra $5,000 come from ?  They really need to explain that.

 

ETA2: From the Wikipedia entry, this explains the extra $5000:

"Each question is worth $1,000, except for the triple threat which is worth $3,000. Also, every 25th question is a question worth $5,000, which the contestant can take home no matter what, but only for the first right answer. Contestants don’t win any money that they bank until they beat the first 50 questions."

 

Looks like Steve is not quite "genius-level" material.

Edited May 22, 2015 by ottoDbusdriver

[Ffiferoo]

I agree with everyone who is bored by all the talking, but I love the questions!  The guy who is on now is a little more entertaining than the first contestant, also.  He seems to be having more fun.

[pandora spocks]

Yay! Dan is gone! Weren't there any female geniuses who made the cut to compete?

[ottoDbusdriver]

Richard Quest needs to stop doing the antsy dance during the Top 10  or Triple Challenges -- it looks like he has to go to the bathroom.

 

ETA:  If they use up all the possible answers during a Battle, nothing happens.  WTF ?

 

They really should indicate BEFORE the group of 50 questions what the total number of Battle, Top 10, and Triple Challenges are in the round.  Because as of now, it's about 1 in 4 -- and that seems a little high.

 

Three wrongs in a row and You. Are. Gone.  -- just doesn't roll off the tongue like "Set it. And Forget It."

Edited May 22, 2015 by ottoDbusdriver

[ottoDbusdriver]

I've got it -- 500 Questions is Fizzbin but with trivia questions written on the cards.  So I guess when a contestant gets to the 500th question, they are named the 'kronk'. </snark>

 

ETA:  It doesn't help build suspense if during the egress to commercial that they showed Steve at 56/500 facing a new opponent, when he was only at question 47 or 48.

Edited May 22, 2015 by ottoDbusdriver

[opus]

Oh no, an Acclaimed TV Shows category. I tend not to watch those. [Exhibit one- I'm watching this].

[Snow Apple]

Although I don't mind the first guy, I like this second guy better. The first night was confusing but I'm warming up to this game. I got a few of the questions the contestants didn't get and screamed the answers at the TV. That's always fun.

 

Is it just me or does the current challenger (the professional gambler) look like David Burtka (Neal Patrick Harris' husband)?

 

I was also wondering why there haven't been a woman yet.

Edited May 22, 2015 by Snow Apple

[Actionmage]

Yeah, Not! Craig Robinson and the current guy were/ are more fun than Dan, in that they seem to be enjoying themselves despite the pressure.

 

I also enjoyed the questions again. I like that the amount of cash isn't tied to how hard the question is  ( or is supposed to be) and there are no levels except the increments of 25.

 

I was disappointed that we didn't get more Historic Animal questions.  Not being into Alexander the Great, I was amazed at how fast that question was answered!

 

Maybe if this is a seasonal thing or a Summer/Winter holidays it might work better?  I can see it as a five-shows-a-week, though. It takes a little bit to get a decent bank and if you had someone go all Ken Jennings on it, the show would get all sorts of viewers.

 

I'm in for another night, but yeah, two hours seems a bit long, even for this show, even if the extra hour may have played a role in getting folks feeling a bit looser.

[90PercentGravity]

So, are there any women on this show?

[jhlipton]

ETA:  If they use up all the possible answers during a Battle, nothing happens.  WTF ?

 

Actually, it seems fair that if both get all the answers right, it's a draw -- the contestant gets a "win" but doesn't get any money.

[ottoDbusdriver]

Actually, it seems fair that if both get all the answers right, it's a draw -- the contestant gets a "win" but doesn't get any money.

 

But, it seems like such a waste of time if that happens (and time is not something this show has a luxury of) -- and the question writers really need to work harder if a Battle question only has six or seven answers, so each contestant only has to make about three answers. Because that basically makes it the same as the Triple Challenge, only with a lower reward value.

Edited May 22, 2015 by ottoDbusdriver

[Skittl1321]

 

The random generator for when a question is a 'Top 10 Challenge' is a little off if 2 out 3 questions in a row are Top 10 challenges.  Just like 2 of the first 5 questions in the first episode were Battles.

I disagree- that tells me it IS random. 

 

If it were broken, this would never happen.   But if each question independently is determined by the computer to be a Top 10 challenge, then they could be in a row like that. It isn't highly likely, but it is possible.  Just because you've tossed a coin ten heads in a row doesn't mean the next one isn't still 50/50 to be heads (though most people would lean heavily to tails thinking it is "due").

 

If it were fixed intervals, they it would be impossible.

 

 

(I know lots of knitters who use random number generators to pick color patterns. Most can't handle it- because too often it puts the same things next to each other.  People want order, but in a relatively unpredictable pattern, not true randomness.)

[Snow Apple]

Can someone tell me how money is earned? Does the first answer have to be correct? Because sometimes they keep guessing until they stumble on the correct answer but there's no money.

[Guest]

I too got tired of the banter and started fast-forwarding until I saw a question on screen.  

 

I get the impression they gave these guys a study packet.  Maybe it didn't have the questions in it but it may have had lists:  19th c British authors, US landmarks, etc.  It was a little odd when they didn't know an answer they could at least usually come up with several guesses.  Like how day 1 guy knew the Nebraska landmark, he threw it out as the potential answer to another question, but then couldn't name the river it's on.  I think I've heard Jeopardy gives them study material, too?  

[mindymessina]

So, are there any women on this show?

The commercials have shown a former female Jeopardy contestant who I *think* was on the Tournament of Champions.

[Dirtybubble]

So, are there any women on this show?

 

I remember seeing the previews and there is at least one woman that will be on the show (yay!)  It will be nice to see some women kick butt.  I like most of these men so far but they're just kinda ho-hum to me.  I really liked the African-American male that was there last night.  I was hoping it wasn't wasn't just gonna be white dudes.

 

Can someone tell me how money is earned? Does the first answer have to be correct? Because sometimes they keep guessing until they stumble on the correct answer but there's no money.

I don't know how much money they could win but yeah they only money they get is when they answer the first question correctly.  If they get the answer correct after multiple tries then they don't get a strike.

 

 

[bybrandy]

You get 1000 dollars for every question answered correctly on the first answer.  You can continue guessing for the full ten seconds and if you get it right in the ten seconds you don't earn a wrong.  However, only the first answer wins you money.

 

 

Every 25 questions there is a potential for 5000 dollars that you take home no matter what.  That does not go into the bank that runs on the screen because you don't lose it if you don't make it to the 50th question.   

 

I also thought there might be a study packet because the guy who missed the idol question said he had studied those.

[Skittl1321]

 

I get the impression they gave these guys a study packet.  Maybe it didn't have the questions in it but it may have had lists:  19th c British authors, US landmarks, etc.  It was a little odd when they didn't know an answer they could at least usually come up with several guesses.  Like how day 1 guy knew the Nebraska landmark, he threw it out as the potential answer to another question, but then couldn't name the river it's on.  I think I've heard Jeopardy gives them study material, too?  

 

I don't know if that specific example is odd...  I know Chimney Rock because I played Oregon Trail. It was one of the landmarks in the game. I had no idea what the river was.

 

It wouldn't surprise me if they did get category lists or something though.  Doesn't Jeopardy tend to pick categories the contestants have knowledge of?  A trivia show would be boring if no one knew any of the answers.

[Madding crowd]

I felt like I was watching the episode of Friends where Joey was auditioning to be a gameshow host & they were practicing the game with the ridiculous rules...""You spin the Wheel of Mayhem to go up the Ladder of Chance. You go past the Mud Hut, through the Rainbow Ring to get to the Golden Monkey, you yank his tail and boom - you're in Paradise Pond!".[/quote

That's the first thing I thought-I kept waiting for them to pull out the wicked wango card.

[jhlipton]

But, it seems like such a waste of time if that happens (and time is not something this show has a luxury of) -- and the question writers really need to work harder if a Battle question only has six or seven answers, so each contestant only has to make about three answers. Because that basically makes it the same as the Triple Challenge, only with a lower reward value.

I think allowing multiple answers is a bigger time waster.  Having an odd number of questions would avoid a tie, but the contestant would always go last.  This allows the opponent a chance to affect the game, so that's a plus.

[saber5055]

Three wrongs in a row and You. Are. Gone.  -- just doesn't roll off the tongue like "Set it. And Forget It."

 

 

This cracked me up. Although "You.Are.Gone" is said more times per minute than "Set it and forget it" ever is per infomercial. It's also  much more irritating.

 

The commercials have shown a former female Jeopardy contestant who I *think* was on the Tournament of Champions.

 

 

According to a tweet from a Jeopardy! multi-winner, he cannot be on this show because of his Jeopardy! appearance, so I question this woman was on ToC. Unless there is some statute of limitations on time spent off teevee.

 

I'm hoping the 30-year-old pro gambler makes it on. He looks like he could be some fun.

 

As always, some questions benefit people who live/grew up in certain areas of the country, like Platte River (which I've crossed countless times) and Frankfort, Kentucky, where I've been even more times. Of course, if one has studied the Louisiana Purchase and Dan'l Boone, it doesn't matter where one lives. So there's that!

Edited May 22, 2015 by saber5055