While sitting down to watch NBC’s latest game show, Take It All, I wondered where they would screw it up. It happens eventually, sometimes taking years (Deal or No Deal), or just minutes (Minute to Win It). Look, NBC hasn’t exactly been successful with game shows. 1 vs. 100 is by far the best thing to come from them in over a decade and it was cancelled after being treated poorly. So as I watched the entire game of Take It All play out, I was surprised by how entertaining it was…then the final segment took place and I was mortified.
Howie Mandel on NBC…shocker.
I’ll go through the show chronologically to bring back the happy memories. Howie Mandel, who seems to be NBC’s “go-to” personality, hosts Take It All. While not typically a fan of comedians turning into game show hosts, Mandel was superb on Deal and here he is no different.
The game plays like a typical Christmas gathering where you have a “white elephant” gift exchange. There are five players in a game and they are told the value range of all the prizes. Player one is introduced and chooses from one of the five mystery boxes on a screen. They are given a description of the prize and are even given small props so everyone knows what they are…a nice touch to represent the gifts which can be from $3,000 to $60,000 or more.
Player two is introduced and has a choice between taking Player one’s prize or taking one of the remaining mystery prizes on the wall. If they take Player one’s prize, then Player one must choose another prize.
Player three is introduced and play continues until all five players have had a chance to play. The player with the lowest valued prize at the end of the round is eliminated. So right here we see a little bit of “The Price Is Right” and “Let’s Make a Deal” involved in the game. There is a more strategy for the players when you allow each of them to lock their prize and prevent it from being taken. This can only occur ONE time by each player in the entire game, and they play three rounds.
The second and third rounds play out the same, with higher valued prizes each time. After round three, we are down to only two players and we reach the end game called the Prize Fight. After a very intriguing three rounds of simple game play, I had high hopes for Take It All. Unfortunately, the Prize Fight had me questioning humanity.
Similar to “Friend or Foe”, the final round features a prisoner’s dilemma. Each contestant must secretly choose to keep what they have or take everything that both players have accumulated. To add to the greed, each player selects a secret envelope with money ranging from $25,000 to $250,000. If they both keep, they both win what they have. If one takes everything and the other keeps, the player who takes it all does just that. If they both choose take it all, they both get nothing.
The terrible end game where at least one person will likely lose.
I hate this format because it typically brings out the worst in people. It is extremely rare to come out of this with two winners, the only way I ever feel good about the ending. If both leave with nothing, it sucks. If someone leaves with everything, they look like a complete jerk.
NBC, you have a good show on your hands. The end game MUST change however. I’ve read so many posts on various sites that can’t stand it. I’m with them. What a terrible way for this to conclude. To allow two people to stand there and lie to gain the other’s trust only to rip everything from them at the last second is terrible. When has allowing another person to control your fate ever been a positive thing?
I want to like this show. It’s fun and enjoyable but the end game has got to go. I’ll watch again, but overnight ratings were simply mediocre. I expect them to drop throughout the week as it will be on every night.
UPDATE 12/12/12: Overnight ratings were surprisingly UP 5% for night number two. Two things…The show is either getting so much word of mouth about the first 50 minutes being solid, or people are actually into the prisoner’s dilemma end game. I’m shocked and would be interested in seeing the rest of the week’s ratings. NBC might be ordering more if this trend continues.
UPDATE 12/13/12: There is it. Take It All dropped nearly 50% in night number three. I am no longer watching this show. The final ten minutes just pisses me off too much.
My wife and I enjoyed it up until the final round.the young men lied and he
Became the winner and the crowd all cheered.are you kidding me you could not come up with a better format then that.Both of us said the same,we are not interested in watching again.I still can not believe you would thing people
Would want to watch a dishonest player win.
This is what is wrong with our society, another show that rewards lying and cheating. It’s demoralizing. We need to do something as a society to stop these type of shows, content like this one that overlooks values, and basically laugh at people that still are trusty of others is not good for anyone, this brings out the worst in people…so upsetting! We can start by not watching this show and expressing our thoughts so that networks realize that we DO NOT want content like this!
I watched it tonight and felt it was a pan all the way thru. Some of the prizes were kinda dumb. Auto racing school, 100,000 ski trip, piano I would not want any of those things. If I were to play in the game I would most likely choose Take it all out of fear, not greed. Of the 5 episodes that aired only one both chose keep mine. I think in the future if the game were to stay you might see a lot of the players think like I do. P.s. I only watched tonight’s episode. I watched the ending only of the first 4 on NBCs website. Anyway, It was not entertaing moreso disturbing. Kinda like watching fear factor or something.
But if you’re not greedy, what’s to fear? The only reason to select “Take It All” is greed. Period. You don’t want your opponent to have anything.
I had to find review to see if others felt so sad by the end. Why bother having the first rounds when only one or none win in the end. What is the strategy for the other rounds? Oh Howie – cut your losses!
I still say the first three rounds are actually decent and fun television. I’ll do this at various Christmas events over the next couple weeks and enjoy the heck out of it. While there was one game this week that featured both finalists winning, it is a rare event. I didn’t see it as I stopped watching the show. However, to have the entire fate of your game in the hands of another person leave little to be desired, especially from a viewer’s perspective.
I am surprised and ashamed that Howie would be part of a show like this. I thought he had more class. Guess it’s about him being greedy…must be a good paycheck.
If I ran on this show I would TELL my opponent what I would choose: TAKE IT ALL so we end up with nothing as the chances of agreeing on together with MAKE IT MINE are slim to nun. After all why even think of letting the other win when you can either win it all or lose it all. Luckily I am not so desperate for money to be in a “hungry” state as some of the contestants who partake in the show.
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I could not agree more! It did not take long to find a pool of reviewers who also felt this way. I like Howie (remember St. Elsewhere?) and I enjoy Deal – in fact my son and I play the arcade version together at our local bowling alley. But the Prize Fight leaves me with a bad taste in my mouth and no faith in humanity – when that faith is tested on a daily basis anyway.
I’m sure this is prohibited by contestant contract – and NBC probably wouldn’t show this taping. But here’s how my Prize Fight speech would go:
“We each have a chance to win everything and change our lives in a HUGE way. But it comes with a risk (leaving with nothing is an HUGE missed opportunity) and the expense of another person’s once-in-a-lifetime joy. Let’s keep what we have and go home with one of the best experiences of our lives. So many people never have our chance – I came here prepared to go home after the first round.
To prove my sincerity and get rid of the cash as too much of a temptation to lie, I promise that if you go with me, we will split the money total 50-50 and keep our prizes. If you won’t agree, I’ll do what I think I have to do to win. If you agree – then trick me into losing everything – I will never let you forget it. I’m a good person who knows what’s fair – are you?”
(translation: trick me and I will burn your house down