Michael McIntyre's The Wheel
Michael McIntyre's The Wheel is a British television game show hosted by Michael McIntyre, broadcast on Saturday evenings on BBC One, with the exception of the 2020 Christmas special which was broadcast on a Friday evening. The show has been recommissioned for a second series which is due to air in 2021.[1]
Michael McIntyre's The Wheel | |
---|---|
Genre | Game show |
Presented by | Michael McIntyre |
Country of origin | United Kingdom |
Original language | English |
No. of series | 1 |
No. of episodes | 9 |
Production | |
Producers | Dan Baldwin Tom Blakeson Lisa Kirk |
Running time | 60 minutes |
Production company | Hungry Bear Media |
Release | |
Original network | BBC One |
Original release | 28 November 2020 – present |
External links | |
Website |
Gameplay
Main Game
Seven celebrities, each designated as an expert in a different subject, sit in chairs mounted on the outer edge of a large wheel on the main stage. They face in toward the centre, below which is a secondary stage where three contestants sit in chairs on a smaller wheel. This wheel is spun to choose a contestant at random, who is lifted up in their chair to the main stage.
In each round, the contestant chooses a subject, the seat of whose expert lights up gold, and also an expert to "shut down" -- the one they believe is least likely to know about it, whose seat lights up red. The wheel is then spun to choose an expert at random; if it does not stop on the "shut-down" one, the host asks a question with four multiple-choice answers. The contestant may discuss it with the expert before answering; a correct response adds £10,000 to the bank if the subject expert was spun, or £3,000 otherwise. If the contestant misses a question or spins an expert who has been shut down, their turn ends and they are lowered back onto the smaller wheel, which is spun to choose a new contestant. Since the selection is random and all three contestants are always eligible to be chosen, it is possible for the same contestant to return to the game immediately after being dismissed. Each subject remains in play until a contestant correctly answers a question in it.
The other six experts also answer the question, using keypads to lock in their answers. If an expert misses a question in their own subject, whether or not they were spun for it, they are automatically shut down for the next round in addition to the expert chosen by the contestant. If all seven experts answer correctly, a bonus of £5,000 is added to the bank. When only one subject remains, the seats of all other experts who are not currently shut down and who have not been spun during the game turn silver, setting the question value at £6,000 if the wheel stops on any of them.
After all seven subjects have been used, the current contestant moves on to the final and has the first chance to win the bank.[2]
Final
The experts are ranked by how many questions they have answered correctly during the game. The contestant may choose the best, fourth-best, or worst performer to assist them; these choices have the respective effects of cutting the bank in half, leaving it intact, or doubling it.
The wheel is spun to choose one of four new subjects at random, after which the host asks a question. The contestant may discuss it with the chosen expert for 30 seconds before locking in a response. A correct answer awards the money at stake to the contestant and ends the game. If the contestant misses, they are returned to the smaller wheel and a new contestant is chosen. The expert for the missed question and the prize associated with them are both removed from play, and the subject for that question is replaced with a new one on the wheel. If the contestants miss questions with all three experts, all of them leave with nothing.
The maximum potential winnings total is £210,000, achievable by correctly answering a question in all seven subjects with the help of the respective experts, having all the other experts answer these questions correctly, and giving a correct answer in the final with the worst performer.
Transmissions
Series | Episodes | Originally aired | Ave. UK viewers (millions) | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
First aired | Last aired | |||||
1 | 9 | 28 November 2020 | 23 January 2021 | TBA | ||
2 | 16[1] | 2021[1] | TBA | TBA |
International adaptation
NBC announced a US version in February 2021 with a ten-episode run has been ordered.[3]
References
- "Michael McIntyre's The Wheel spins back to BBC One for a second series - BBC Media Centre". BBC Online. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
- https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/2ZMbp3lmXqgdtj5rYNHMKxS/about-the-show
- White, Peter (8 February 2021). "NBC Orders U.S. Remake Of BBC Game Show 'The Wheel'". Deadline Hollywood.