Channel Ten launched their latest game show offering named The ConTest last week. Like all new game shows, The ConTest was hyped as the single greatest thing since sliced bread; unfortunately for Channel 10 – their latest TV show just didn’t cut the mustard.
With a name like The ConTest, you’d be inclined to think that the game show has something to do with conning your opponent. Channel Ten advertised it as the game show where having street smarts was far more important than being smart and that you could win the top prize without answering a single question correctly. The ConTest delivered on the last bit, you could win it without answering a single question right – however it really didn’t deliver anywhere near enough ummpphh on the con part.
At the start of the show, all of the contestants get the opportunity to tell their opponents about themselves whilst the opponents get a chance to ask some questions of them. The idea is the the opponents get a chance to suss out their fellow competitors and get a feel for each others personalities and more importantly if they are bluffing or not.
During the show, Andrew G asks a series of questions to the contestants. Unlike a traditional game show though, the contestants do not know how each other are going; they are flying blind. At the end of a round, without knowing how many questions their opponents got right – they have to decide if they are going to continue on or fold. If they fold, they get to leave the game with the money they have accrued so far. If no one folds for the round though, the person with the lowest score is automatically eliminated from the game.
After the first round, I was immediately thinking that it wasn’t all that exciting or filled with suspense. When the contestants went up to the next podium to decide if they were going to fold or not, I was expecting the other contestants to challenge each other about their scores. Unfortunately, that really didn’t happen and just like that you’re thrown back into another series of rounds, just like the first – boring.
When I first saw the game show advertised, I immediately expected it was going to be a game show version of the card game Bullshit. In the card game, you have to throw down as many cards as you can, as fast as you can whilst bluffing your opponent into thinking you actually have/had the cards in your hand that you’ve just thrown down. If one of your opponents think you’re bluffing, they can call bullshit at which point they check what cards you threw down. If you get caught out, you have to take the cards back – if your opponent gets it wrong then they need to pick up your cards. Bullshit is a fun and fast paced card game because you get the opportunity to read your opponent and challenge them when you think they are lying through their teeth!
Unfortunately, The ConTest cannot live up to the lofty expectations set by the classic card game; instead its a bunch of people answering questions and it doesn’t matter if they are right or wrong. At the end of each round, someone goes home without a lot of fuss and after a few rounds someone wins some cash.
Sorry Channel Ten, it’s as boring as bat shit to watch.