Pay-TV broadcaster M-Net will be producing a version of Australia’s longest-running game show, to be called Temptation South Africa. The show will premiere on M-Net from 25 September 2006, daily from 18:30 to 19:00, to coincide with the station’s 20th Birthday month in October
Head of M-Net Original Productions, Carl Fischer, points out that since the end of Who wants to be a Millionaire in 2000, M-Net has been without a game show. “After having scoured local and international markets for formats and accessed what would work for our audience, we chose Temptation. We feel the show has that ‘wow factor’ and it is also a great vehicle to highlight the ‘big brains’ in South Africa.”
Fischer says that since Temptation South Africa will coincide with M-Net’s 20th birthday month, the intention is to go BIG with the show. He confirms that there will be prizes of huge value to be won and that the further a contestant progresses, the bigger and better the prizes will be.
Sale of the Century – as Temptation was originally named when it debuted in 1969 – has broken many ratings records throughout its history and has been produced in seven countries around the world. To date, the Australian version has delivered 4 605 episodes and more than 13 700 contestants have won over $AUS65m in cash and prizes on the show.
In terms of the current Australian format, which the local version will follow closely, each player is given a small amount of money with which to start the game. Players are asked a series of questions, but have to hit the buzzer first to answer them. A correct answer increases the player’s score; an incorrect answer decreases it.
At the end of the game, the player with the highest score is given the opportunity to ‘go shopping’ for some big prizes. Contestants will also be faced with the ultimate prize of a large sum of money.
Adding to the Temptation, a different prize of increasing value is offered to the player every night. The contestant must decide whether to leave the show with the prize on offer, or be tempted to risk all for a bigger prize the following night.
A new and exciting feature of Temptation is that once the contestant has agreed to play on the following night, they are also given an opportunity to build an additional cash prize to risk. The largest jackpot ever won on the Australian version of the show was $508 000!
The 26-part Temptation South Africa series will be filmed on location in Johannesburg, where the show’s set is housed.
According to series producer Gavin Wratten, Temptation South Africa will have all the elements that make game shows loved around the world. “We’ll have great prizes, some tough questions, a few easy answers and no doubt, memorable characters. Game shows are universally popular because the chance to win is one that everyone embraces! I’m looking forward to series for its sheer excitement factor.”
Would-be contestants can enter by calling 086 22 777 22 and answering a series of multiple-choice questions. In a few weeks they will be able to enter by pressing ‘OK’ on any DStv channel, and playing Temptation Extra by answering questions with their remote control. At the end of the series of questions, they’ll be supplied with a code, which they can SMS to M-Net – this will count as their entry. The best contestants will be contacted by our production company for further auditions, and if successful will be able to play for the millions on offer.
Participants can take the quiz via telephone and on the Interactive TV application as many times as they like and if they do well, they will be called by the show’s producer for extra qualifying rounds and could be selected to play on TV.
A sister series, Temptation Nigeria, will also be produced for broadcast across the continent. For more details, check out www.mnet.co.za.
M-Net is currently involved in producing a SA version of Survivor in Panama.
