There are so many game shows floating around right now that it’s hard to keep track of which one is which. So without having any clear picture of what It’s Worth What? was all about, I decided to check out the latest episode of NBC’s latest game show (is it even the network’s most recent?). Why? Cedric the Entertainer. The way I figured it, Steve Harvey’s little buddy, who entertained us in fun movies like Barbershop and Madagascar, wouldn’t steer me wrong.
Not the soundest of logic, as it turned out.
It’s not that it’s bad (which it is); it’s more that It’s Worth What? is SO mindless, and is almost a desperate ploy to give people money. Now I know what you’re thinking: “What game show isn’t?” But seriously, if you haven’t seen this one, it might just take the cake.
The Catchphrases There’s the obvious one: right before Cedric reveals a monetary amount, he and the audience scream, “It’s Worth What?” But before he locks in a contestant’s answer he asks them if they’re sure. Then he asks “Are you sure sure?” Really? Is that because “final answer” and other like gems are already taken? And then, as he prepares to say the line that leads him to reveal the dollar amount, he informs us that we’re about to discover if the contestant will “Bank it or bust it,” i.e. if that round’s cash prize will go into their winnings or be lost. Seriously, just brilliant scripting.
The Challenges I suppose that “It’s Worth What?” is kind of limiting as far as what the show could be about. But unlike on The Price Is Right, where at times contestants are asked to put a price to an object, most challenges here involve evaluating the lowest-to-highest monetary value of three objects. Of course there are variations, but they’re variations on a single theme. Why not at least bring out one item and ask contestants to value it within a certain dollar range?
The Final Round The contestants are assigned four objects. The House is assigned four objects. The contestants must match the objects into four pairs so that each pair contains one of their objects and one house object, choosing one of theirs that they deem to be valued higher than it’s corresponding house object. Make sense? If not I apologize, because it is a simple game. The silliest part is that, due to the nature of the game, multiple answers are correct … it’s only one (or two) pairs that will HAVE to be made in a particular way … and you can pull out after each result is read. Lock in your bank (the final round basically just multiplies your winnings) and you can quit after one round (as last week’s $55,000 winners did). The horror!
The Tastelessness One round involved matching real items sold at auction with the celebrities who used them and increased their value. Step one was a parade of fake celebrities onto the stage — Justin Timberlake, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, and, rather ghoulishly, John Lennon. The items to be matched? A half eaten piece of French Toast, a jar of air (what?), and a used toilet. FYI, I listed the items and celebrities respectively. What in the world is that?
And one more bone to pick: the results that flash on the screen are too tiny to see! Half the time I had no idea what the result was until they put it on the “big board,” which still wasn’t very readable. What’s the point of that?
It just goes to show you … game shows are, more often than not, bad, but they’re not all created equal!
Clacked by Aryeh S.
on Sep 05, 2011 @ 17:00 EST5EDT
You’re absolutely correct. This show is just painful. And I’m “sure sure.”