Keep the cash and ditch the killers (Golden Balls (TV Series))

Member Name: yackers1

Product:	Golden Balls (TV Series)
Date:	19/02/09 (384 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: interesting to see how nasty and two faced the british public can be

Disadvantages: Interesting to see how nasty and two faced the British public can be

Golden Balls is a game show hosted by Jasper Carrot that is shown every weekday on ITV1 at 5.00 pm. As with all game shows the aim of the game is to win a cash prize.

****Format****

I am sure that most of you are aware of how Golden Balls works but for those that don't here is the format of the game.

The show starts off with four contestants and each has 4 golden balls placed in front of them. The balls may contain cash amounts, anything up to £75,000 or a dreaded 'killer' sign. The front 2 balls are on show and the back 2 balls remain closed with only the contestant holding them knowing what they contain.

The contestants take it in turns to say what their back balls contain and the amount may or may not be true. It is up to the other contestants to decide if the truth or a lie is being told.

After a group discussion the contestants have to vote off the player they think has the weakest set of balls. This may be the balls with the least amounts of cash, or the killer balls. The player that leaves the game has to bin their balls and these are taken out of the rest of the game.

The second round involves three contestants. More golden balls are added to the game and include cash balls and another killer ball. This time each contestant has five golden balls each. Once again, the front 2 golden balls are on show for all to see with the back 3 balls remaining closed.

As in the first round there is a group discussion and the contestants vote of the player they think has the weakest balls. The contestant voted off bins their balls and they are taken out of the game.

The two remaining players take their 10 balls through to the final round. Once again additional balls, including both cash and killers, are added to the pot.

In the final round the contestants act as a team. A ball is picked and this is 'to win'. This ball is placed on a stand and that cash, or killer is available to win at the end of the game. A ball is then picked 'to bin'. This ball is eliminated regardless of whether it is a cash or killer. This process is then carried on until all the balls, other than one, have been selected.

A killer ball reduces the amount of cash by the value of ten. For example, if you had an £8,000 ball available and you then picked a killer to win the cash amount would decrease to £800. Killer balls can do quite a lot of damage to the cash prize, therefore the aim of the game is to eliminate the killers in the first rounds and then bin them in the final.

At the end of the final round the two contestants are given 2 further golden balls. 1 is a 'split' ball and 1 is a 'steal' ball. The two contestants then discuss what they are going to do. Obviously they both state that they are going to split the winnings but they need to decide what they are actually going to do.

If they both split then they share the cash prize. If one steals and the other splits then the one that stole gets the full cash prize. If they both steal then neither of them get anything.

****Opinion****

I have not been watching this game show for long and, at the moment, I think that it is brilliant. However, I thought this about Who Wants To Be A Millionaire and The Weakest Link when they were first aired. I found these two programmes soon lost their appeal and I fear that Golden Balls will as well in the future. However, until that day I will continue to watch, and enjoy, it.

Jasper Carrot is an OK host and I have no real strong opinion either way about his technique and style. I would not say that he is a fantastic host that really jumps in and 'owns' the show, neither would I say that he is an awful host that adds nothing. He's just mediocre. One thing I don't like is the way he tries to build an air of suspense and tension just before the commercial break, but I guess that is his job and all hosts, regardless of who they are, would do this.

I think the concept of the game is great and it provides great entertainment. This programme focuses on the behaviour of human beings and how quickly individuals make alliances, whether through genuine trust or just for their own selfish reasons, i.e. to get through to the next round, or enemies.

There is always a diverse range of contestants that come from all backgrounds and social groups. From students to single mothers to successful business people to OAPs, everyone is represented. The interaction between these individuals is always good to watch.

This programme really shows how two faced, un-trustworthy, greedy and awful the human race are. Obviously there are exceptions to every rule and there are some genuine players that do not lie during the game, reach the final and then actually split the money and go home with some winnings. That said, the majority of contestants lie get through to the final and then decide whether to split the winnings or steal.

I often ask myself what I would do in that situation. Can you really get to trust someone in such a short space of time that you would split? Do you want to go home with your integrity intact and play the 'honest' game throughout and possibly take home some cash?

A lot of people will form an alliance with who they consider to be the weaker person, i.e. the person that they think they can manipulate in to actually splitting the cash so they can go and steal the full amount. What does this behaviour say about an individual? To me it suggests that they not only lie and cheat but they also manipulate and take advantage to get what they want. Manipulation is an action I can't condone and I have no time whatsoever for these people.

What I find concerning is that most of the episodes involve two contestants doing the above. To me this suggests that most of the population of the UK are greedy liars that will do anything to ensure they go home with everything. I, for one am glad that both of these nasty individuals will go home with nothing.

Another thing I find concerning is the amount of people that openly state they would have stolen if they reached the final round as they are booted off in earlier rounds. I guess they are not lying and confirm that they are greedy, but you have to remember they are leaving the show. Would they have been that honest if they reached the final round and sat opposite their 'team mate' during the pledging part? I think not. These individuals are just as bad as though that lie throughout the game.

I don't like it when one person steals and the other splits, especially after both of them are on TV pledging that they are going to split the cash. The person that steals always comes up with the same excuse "I thought the other person was going to steal from me so I thought I would stop them. I was intending to split though". What a load of rubbish. These people were always going to steal, regardless. You have already lied on TV so why make it worse and lie even more. These people should grow a pair and state "I was always going to steal. That's the whole point of the game and I won".

There are times when the contestants get to the final and they do split and it is nice that they go home with something. It really does restore my faith in humans knowing there are some nice and trustworthy people out there.

Summary: A game show whereby the contestants show how nasty they can actually be