#POWER OF 10 GAMESHOW SERIES#
#POWER OF 10 GAMESHOW TV#

The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.“Early access gives the ability for a continual feedback loop between the players and myself. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at for further information. Keith Romer, NPR News.Ĭopyright © 2016 NPR. On his new show, no huge prize jumps and the top prize, just $150,000. RUBINO: 'Power Of 10' was a great idea at its core, but there were some flaws to it that ultimately those financial flaws can really shut something down. 'Power Of 10,' though, it only lasted for one season. In the end, the contestant Jamie chose not to risk the million dollars he had already won.

They build in extra levels between $100,000 and a million dollars, essentially exit ramps for contestants. ROMER: Other big-money game shows like 'Who Wants To Be A Millionaire' protect themselves against these risks. RUBINO: If he goes for it and gets it, I'm going to be walking home because I'll be out of a job. His very first contestant was on the cusp of winning $10 million Vin could not afford. As he watched from the side of the stage, Vin realized he had gotten that balance wrong. But like casinos and insurance companies, it is still hugely important for them to control their actual risk. ROMER: To build up the drama for viewers at home, game shows need to look risky. There was really no way to control winning. RUBINO: You could potentially give away a lot of money. Vin, he had to face some very basic truths about his new show. But even worse for the show, he could still try for $10 million. UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN: You won a million bucks. And 40 minutes into the very first episode. ROMER: The prize values on the show went up very quickly, by the power of 10 in fact. He had so much promise, and you could see it in his eyes. RUBINO: Good looking kid, his parents are both in the audience, sitting on opposite sides. The very first contestant on the very first episode of 'Power Of 10' was a teenager - 19-year-old Jamie Sadler. ROMER: As far as David remembers, 4 percent of Americans said they had been decapitated. And the question was - we were going to ask people, have you ever been decapitated? They were sure we had made a mistake, and we had not. He remembers one in particular.ĭAVID WILK: And it was the only question that we ever wrote where we ever got a response from them saying is this actually what you want us to be polling? And we said yes. David Levinson Wilk, the show's first writer, cooked up the questions and then sent them along to a polling firm.

#POWER OF 10 GAMESHOW SERIES#

All contestants had to do was guess how Americans responded to a series of pretty unusual poll questions. The game was designed to feel like anyone could win. His prize budget for the first run of episodes was barely more than $3 million. Of course Vin didn't actually want to give away $10 million. ROMER: That was the top prize on the 'Power Of 10,' a game show Vin produced back in 2007. RUBINO: You could walk away winning $10 million. ROMER: One way to manufacture some big drama - big prizes.

#POWER OF 10 GAMESHOW TV#

VIN RUBINO: Tension, comedy, drama, simplicity and play along so you can see yourself in it, screaming, shout at the TV kind of stuff. KEITH ROMER, BYLINE: Vin Rubino is the executive producer on ABC's '$100,000 Pyramid.' He's worked in the game show industry a long time, and he knows what makes a good show. And Keith Romer from our Planet Money podcast has this look at one that may have miscalculated. People in the business of giving away money say a casino or an insurance company have to follow a simple rule - take in more money than you give away.

Power of 10 gameshow