The Wall

At the time I wrote this, there were 6 other reviews and I read them all. My favorite was by "atlasmb". I must admit, the concept for this game is intriguing -- you get money in your "game bank", you answer crappy trivia questions to hope to get more in your bank, but if you miss the answer, you have an equal chance of losing money in your bank. Then at the end of the round you have to perform an act where you can only lose money. Each time the odds of gaining or losing money are 50/50. So it's basically a demented PLINKO ripoff. The Price is Right might have a lawsuit (snicker).

Now here's the part that bugs me -- there are several phases of the game where drama is intentionally built. I'm not talking extemporaneous drama (like people just saying what's on their minds), NO, I mean scripted drama, like on your basic crappy reality show. It's all too-well rehearsed, and no amount of editing can hide that. I gave this show a 5/10 because I don't even know if this show is "real". And we'll never know...everyone involved has (no doubt) signed legal documents that if they come forward they get their pants sued off.

So welcome to the new world of reality game shows, where actors replace contestants, and life just gets more disappointing. Nice try producers, just make more Hell's Kitchens...at least Gordon makes me laugh.

Fantastic show, but they could cut out a lot of the talking and building suspense stuff. Great concept for a show!

I enjoy watching this show--in fast forward with brief pauses to watch the trivia answers and then for the question and then to watch the ball(s) fall. I can watch an entire episode in about 15 minutes. There is their phrase that the contestants can win over $12 million, but I have yet to see anyone even get more than $2 million before losing some/most/all of it. There is soooooo much talking and so little actual game. I really don't like listening to someone's long, drawn-out thought process as to which answer to choose or which of 7 numbered places to put the ball in. This show would be better if there were more game, less talking, and actual real chances at contestants winning more than $1-2 million.

I actually like the game and the fact that they seem to gear it towards contestants who are the unsung heroes of the world. I'm not a huge fan of the immense amounts of drama that are added. It's almost more like a reality show at points. When the game ends and the two contestants have to stand there with tears in their eyes and profess their love for each other for 5 minutes before saying what needs to be said, I cringe a little. That whole portion of the show could be rewritten and be more concise so that it still gives has the same "wow" factor with less pain for the at home audience.

Holy moly, this is painful. Kind of reminds me of that weird game show hosted by Ryan Seacrest a couple of years ago where people were kept underground in NYC...and then they were brought up to compete, then taken back down...they actually lived in this bunker... Oh, Lord, that was weird.

This compares. When somebody watches a good trivia show, they truly do not care about the contestant...except to feel superior to them when they get stuff wrong. This is a show that involves a couple, and then they separate the couple, and the couple professes their undying love for each other, and every question involves one or both telling a very boring, long story about why they are answering this way....interspersed is "I love you!" "I love you, too!" and speeches about their kids, and their hardships...

and this is AN HOUR. With one set of contestants. And then there are green and red balls, and then a rip-off of Plinko, and then some weird twist at the end when one half of the pair has to either accept a contract or tear it up..

I am not making any of this up. I wish I was.