'DARE YOU ENTER.......THE CUBE!!!!????' (The Cube)

Member Name: pmcds

Product:	The Cube
Date:	06/09/09 (380 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Cleverly done in many ways

Disadvantages: Almost too simple and a bit cheesy

The Cube is a relatively new gameshow hosted by Phillip Schofield, whereby contestants have to complete a number of games within a cube to progress through different levels of cash to see if they walk away with a sum of money, or nothing at all!

The concept is quite clever in that it is pretty simple - basic games are created, with a cube placed around them, and given a bit of atmosphere, and a charismatic host, and the nation is gripped. Phil introduces a contestant, and then shows them a brief example of the first game. This is demonstrated by a pre-recorded video of someone successfully completing the basic and very short (a few seconds long) game, wearing what appears to be something akin to a fencing suit. The contestant then must go for the first game. They have nine lives, which means they can fail 8 times but must be successful on the 9th time if they are going to win the money.

After each game, they are shown the next, and asked whether they want to risk the money they have already won for a greater amount. It starts off with £1000, but the top prize is £250,000. The most I have seen someone win is £50,000, but I have only seen it a handful of times all the way through.

The games themselves seem to be chosen at random, and do not really repeat themselves in order from contestant to contestant. It could be something like being blindfolded and walking from one spot to another without stepping outside the lines; throwing a cube into a 'basketball net' on the other side of the cube (about 15 feet wide); carrying a box without a ball falling out of it from one side to the other. So, in essence, the games aren't that complicated, you just need concentration, patience, and at times, accuracy. It is not a test of how clever you are, or how many facts you know: it really is a series of 'games' that you must overcome.

The show currently airs mid afternoon on ITV1. It has had a mixed reception, with some people riveted, and others laughing at its simplicity and relatively cheesy outlook. I quite like it, although I'm pretty sure that I would get bored pretty quickly, and it's not like I can't wait for it to come on each day. A decent new gameshow, but I can't see it lasting too long. Happy to be proved wrong, but we'll see.

Summary: One of the latest gameshows from the ITV crew