Move Over Ms Robinson Your Time Is Well And Truly Up (The Weakest Link)

Member Name: ickleannie

Product:	The Weakest Link
Date:	09/06/09 (72 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Some of the contestants annoy Anne

Disadvantages: Read On

I have to say when this programme first aired I found it compulsive afternoon viewing. It really was entertaining particularly due to the acid tongue of the hostess Anne Robinson. I have to say a few years on and I am somewhat surprised that this programme is still regularly on our television screens. Go away Ms. Robinson I think your number is well and truly up!!!!!

For those of you who are not familiar with this programme. It is a quiz show where nine contestants fight it out to try and answer as many questions as possible to ensure that they are prevented from being voted off by their fellow contestants as being the weakest link. For the viewer watching the proceedings there is a cash instrument on the left hand side of the screen varying from zero to a target of £1000 in most regular games (however these amounts vary occasionally when for example they are playing for charity or there is a celebrity version of the show i.e. for comic relief). The object of the game ultimately is for the contestants to get a chain of ten consecutive correct answers to achieve this £1000 target. When they do this that particular round is stopped. I have to add that this does not happen very often!!! The contestants have the option of requesting that monies won be banked before they answer their particular question hence rendering the chain broken (although money gets saved into their prize pot) and they then have to start the chain from the bottom again. This is against the clock and ten seconds are removed after each round.

At the end of each round an announcer lets the viewers know who the weakest link was statistically and who the strongest link was based on the number of wrong answers given. It is then up to the other contestants to have noticed this while playing the game and they have to write the name of the person who they think is the weakest link on boards which they hold up hence voting them off the game due to having gained the most votes. Ms Robinson then picks on a few of the unfortunates slagging off their hair styles or accents whatever takes her unpleasant fancy really and to be honest it makes for cringe-worthy television. Her pet hate apparently is the welsh and how the BBC let her get away with some of her comments is simply quite appalling. Once the weakest link is voted off they then have to take a walk of shame past her and she turns her nose or back on them. Very silly if you ask me. The contestant says a spiel about how they thought they did in the game and then we go on to the next round until the final two contestants remain. They get to answer questions against the clock in the same format however the money they make here is tripled. In the final they go head to head and the one who gets the most questions right gets to walk away with all the loot.

This show has become well-known worldwide. I believe that it went down a storm in America due to the supposed quick wit and acid tongue of Anne. She can even boast about having a role as an evil robot in an episode of Dr. Who. I must admit that initially I found this hilarious I used to love watching Ms. Robinson on Watchdog and a few other programmes in her early journalistic days where her natural flair for interviewing hard-nosed city types used to put the fear of god into not only them but myself in addition. Certainly a force to be reckoned with. I have to say I was disappointed to discover that the one-liners she comes out with in the programme have been taken from the studio audience prior to the show so maybe she isn't as quick witted as I had initially thought.

I personally think that this particular programme has had its day as it has been done to death now. I know these channels are a bit strapped for cash when it comes to making new programmes however surely they can come up with something a little better than this. Move over Anne your time is well and truly up.

Summary: A Bit Old Hat NOW