Downfall (TV series)
Game Show hosted by wrestler Chris Jericho on ABC, whose main draw is that the contestant tries to save a series of prizes from going over the edge of a rather tall building on a Conveyor Belt O' Doom by fulfilling a contract of questions in a specific category.
While the prizes are a nice bonus, the box of money at the end of the line must survive in order to advance to the next level, and the belt speeds up every time a question is passed. The contestant also gets two uses of a "Panic Button", which stops the round, resets the belt, forfeits the prizes on the belt, and allows them to pick a new category, but also forces them to put a personal possession or a supporter on the belt, the latter allowing the two to confer on answers. Survival through all seven rounds awards $1,000,000.
Not to be confused with the World War II film of the same name.
- All or Nothing: While there are safety nets for cash, the banked prizes from previous rounds are lost if the contestant loses the game.
- Deadly Game: This show could have been one (or at least play itself off as one), if only they didn't blatantly avert it and rub this fact it in the viewers' faces. The show tries to portray itself as being safe, not destroying real prizes, etc. Unfortunately, this takes away from the experience. A lot.
- Of course, the aversion could have been averted itself had Jericho not told the contestant this information. A disclaimer before the show would have been sufficient.
- Lifelines: The Panic Button; stop the round, reset the belt, forfeit prizes remaining on it, put a supporter or personal sacrifice on the belt, and pick a new category. Each can only be done once. If a supporter was put on the belt, the two may confer over answers.
- Personnel:
- Game Show Host: Chris Jericho.
- Lovely Assistant: Jamie and Allee, who hooked up the safety harness and put up personal items on the belt.
- Undesirable prizes: ...can easily be sacrificed for more time by letting them drop. Of course, the fancier and more expensive prizes are closer to the front of the line, so if you want to win them you pretty much have no choice but to play the game quick...and play it well.
- Who Wants to Be Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?: Money ladder...check. $1,000,000 top prize...check. Lifelines...check. Crazy aerial camera shots...check. Caffeinated women from the Deal or No Deal contestant pool...check. (Naturally) Dark set with lots of LED mood lighting...check.
- Though, Millionaire was not produced ON A ROOFTOP!, so at least they did something original.
- And There Was Much Rejoicing: The kind of reaction a lot of the prize destruction gets, it's almost like the audience isn't there for the actual game at all!
- One contestant secretly stole a Santa Claus clock his wife received as a gift to use as his personal sacrifice. He actually hated the thing and thought it was creepy!
- Catch Phrase: "START/STOP THE BELT!", "You're going down!"
- Mascot: Clarance, the Crash Test Dummy.
- Mean Character, Nice Actor: The show provides a good example of how the real-life Chris Jericho is a really nice guy who has a sense of humor and actual intelligence beyond what is normally shown on the WWE.
- No Animals Were Harmed: The prizes on the belt were represented by stand-ins, and the show took liberties — a Ford Focus stood in for a Ford Escape, and non-tangible prizes had an object representing them (like, a giant disco ball to represent dance lessons)
- Timed Mission: Essentially, although here there is no definitive timer, except for the conveyor belt, it too can be manipulated by variables in-game (such as how many passes you take)