However, having a large number of participants is not enough to make a great show. In The 1% Club and The Floor there was a specific reason for having 100 contestants: to be among the top 1% of the smartest people and win all the 100 squares in the studio. Otherwise, it's just a gimmick or, at best, a visual spectacle.
This risk can perhaps be seen in Wisdom of the Crowd, created by Magnum Productions, which is part of BBC Studios Global Productions and is behind The 1% Club. The format, which has already been commissioned by BBC One in the UK but not yet aired, will arrive in Spain on Telecinco under the title Los 200: Uno Contra la Masa (‘The 200: One Against the Crowd’, with Carlos Sobera at the helm of the programme) and will be presented internationally during MipCom.
In each episode, four contestants will compete alone against 200 people in the studio (a new record!) , answering fun and surprising numerical questions. If the contestant wins, they take home a cash prize; if they lose, the money goes into a common pot that will be distributed among the 200 people in the studio at the end of the season.
The programme is reportedly based on Francis Galton's theory of group wisdom. In the early 20th century, Galton demonstrated that the average of a group's answers could be more accurate than those of individuals. This is a good starting point, but for now, it is nothing more than that. For it to also be a good game, it must not be too similar to the classic game show 1 vs 10 (Eén Tegen 100 - 2001) and have other strengths besides the number of participants.
Axel Fiacco
To read about a ‘nostalgia show’ and a format to go (literally) to the space , go to: Espresso
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