Why ‘The Chase’ Will Never Match ‘Jeopardy!’
Review
American game shows usually have simple premises. They’re set up so that you can turn on your television, and even if you’ve never seen the show before, you can instantly grasp what’s happening and sit down and watch. Such is the case with Jeopardy!, the iconic trivia show that new series The Chase is tying itself to. If only The Chase wasn’t so unnecessarily complicated and gimmicky.
The Chase makes no secret that it’s riding Jeopardy!‘s coattails. The second American attempt at adapting the popular UK series employs the three stars of the Jeopardy! The Greatest of All Time tournament: Ken Jennings, James Holzhauer, and Brad Rutter. It also aired the night before late Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek‘s final episode. Because of this, viewers will find it hard to keep from comparing to the fan-favorite Jeopardy!.
At the end of the day the goal is the same for both shows, which is to answer trivia questions correctly. After a lightning round of questions, each of the three contestants faces off against a Chaser, where with every right answer they move closer to winning their money. But if they get enough questions wrong, the Chaser, who is also answering questions, might be able to catch them. The contestants who don’t get caught then team up for another lightning round, but if the Chaser answers more questions right than they do, they lose their money.
(Credit: ABC/Ron Batzdorff)
This is complex enough, but The Chase then also adds many unnecessary and distracting elements. For instance, when not competing, the other two Chasers sit in a room making snarky comments; in the second phase, the Chaser might offer money incentives for the contestant to move closer to or further away from the pot (think of the role of the Banker in Deal or No Deal); during the final lightning round, if the Chaser gets a question wrong, the clock gets stopped so that the contestants have a chance to answer it and gain further ground away from the Chaser.
If you’re feeling a little lost, you’re probably not alone. A chance to face off with some of the most well known trivia buffs is a good premise for a game show, it just needs to cut the fat.
The Chase, Thursdays, 9/8c, ABC
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C
I just can't get into this new version. In the previous version the questions were more intellectual, the pace was faster and the dynamic beetween Brooke and the Beast was fantastic!! This show is nothing without the Beast (we love to hate you Beastie!!!) and the questions seem a bit dumbed down to me. They took a really great show and totally runied it!!
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O
I do love Sarah but not for this game. Brooke Burns was excellent and so was the “Beast”. Sarah is too slow with the questions and the chasers are boring. No humor at all. Not trying to make a comparison but you should have brought Brooke Burns and Mark Labbett back for the show to be a success. This is my favorite show on GSN! Watch it everyday and love it!
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P
I honestly have no idea what you are talking about. It's so easy to follow that my 76-year old mother with dementia understood it completely. It also had several successful seasons on Game Show Network a few years back, and has been running for 11 years in Britain.
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W
I have to agree the format seems unnecessarily complicated. It's not bad, but it's also no Jeopardy!
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G
Perhaps you need to see some episodes of the UK show and compare how the US show causes fat to accumulate. You see, the UK show has four contestants, not three, per show. That alone keeps the game at a good pace with no time for fat. In both US versions, there have been three contestants, so the pace suffers. Usually when a UK show comes to the US, American producers alter with with style over substance being the key. So it is here.
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G
Loved the original show with Brook Burns. Sarah reads way too slow, the contestants don't stand a chance.
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G
It's amazing that the three hosts are diminishing themselves for a greedy entity called money.
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R
Sarah is terrible! If this show is going to succeed, they need Brooke
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G
I think the show is ok. I think the questions are too easy especially since a lot are multiple choice. Its obviously made for the younger generations who are not really educated, but are well versed in pop culture and the entertainment field. Sarah Haines is not a very good choice of host. The Chasers should ditch the trash talk. They're not comedians, so it's not funny& seems weird coming from very intelligent men. I'll watch for a few more weeks, then probably get bored.
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