Latest news with #TheFloor
The Age
09-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Age
Aussie TV networks hit the jackpot with one type of show
The Floor, for example, uses scale and visual spectacle to enhance its appeal: 100 contestants, plus a massive floor that lights up and can be enlivened by snazzy graphics. In singing its praises, Nine added that the show's success reaffirms 'the importance of our local content'. Well, yes, insofar as this version is made here and has an Australian host and contestants. But, as with many of our game shows, it's an adaptation of an imported format: it, Deal or No Deal and The Traitors are originally Dutch. An array of others – The 1% Club, Tipping Point, The Chase, Taskmaster, House of Games – are English. These productions have proliferated as commercial channels have basically abandoned investment in drama and comedy. Game shows aren't as much of a gamble, and they don't cost as much to make, especially ones that have been developed and road-tested elsewhere. Most require only a single set, so there's no need for expensive location shooting or months of writers' rooms brainstorming. And multiple episodes can be shot in a day. Seasons can be as short or long as the networks require and the enterprise can be jazzed up with celebrities, like Tipping Point's tennis special before Wimbledon, or Sandra Sully dropping in to try her luck with the golden briefcases on Deal. Loading In the current crop, there are some originals, such as Nine's The Hundred, developed by Screentime with host Andy Lee. In addition to Spicks and Specks, the bouncy music quiz hosted by Adam Hills and inspired by Britain's Never Mind the Buzzcocks, the ABC has had a hit with local creation Hard Quiz and recent success with Guy Montgomery's Guy Mont Spelling Bee which was imported from New Zealand. (Yes, Montgomery started the show in his homeland so we can't really claim it as our own). Both of these shows are built around refreshingly idiosyncratic presenters. On Hard Quiz, Gleeson plays the grumpy anti-host. He doesn't welcome contestants and chat to put them at ease. Instead, he pokes fun at them and their special subjects. But after 10 seasons played in a tone carefully calibrated never to cross the line between funny and nasty, its contestants front up knowing what they're in for and ready to give as good as they get. On Spelling Bee, Montgomery presents a nerdy persona slyly undercut by his witty scripts and lightning-fast ad-lib responses. Along with a clever concept and challenges that encourage viewer engagement – such as yelling the answers from the couch – an appealing host is a fundamental requirement for a successful game show. Others currently in the mix offer different qualities, but they're more conventional: Corser comes across like a smoothly amused ringmaster; Jefferies plays a brash ocker bloke; Emdur's an amiable everyman; Hills, a twinkly-eyed pal. In keeping with Deal's tone of barely contained hysteria, Grant Denyer is like an excitable, battery-powered bunny, while Woodbridge has a peppy geniality that recalls the spirit of the country's game-show master, Tony Barber. Given the value-for-money attributes of game shows, it's no surprise that SBS is poised to get back into the action with Big Backyard Quiz, an original format created by Screenwest and NITV which it tested with a special last year and has now green-lit for a series (premiering July 12). Hosted by Narelda Jacobs and Steven Oliver, the playful production is tailored to meet the broadcaster's brief, focusing on Australian history and aspects of it you might not have learned at school. Within this group, though, and reflective of the straitened times for free TV, the prizes ain't what they used to be: no one's going home a millionaire. The grand prize on 1% Club and Deal is $100,000; on The Floor, the season winner pocketed $200,000; on Tipping Point, it's $20,000, unless the player can manoeuvre that elusive double-jackpot counter to drop. On the public broadcasters, there's no money to be won – though Hard Quiz' s big brass mug is clearly a cherished trophy. But even though the monetary incentives have shrunk, the endurance of this type of TV clearly hasn't lost its appeal for TV networks or many viewers. And, especially as free-to-air fights for ongoing relevance, bragging rights have their value too.
Sydney Morning Herald
09-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Sydney Morning Herald
Aussie TV networks hit the jackpot with one type of show
The Floor, for example, uses scale and visual spectacle to enhance its appeal: 100 contestants, plus a massive floor that lights up and can be enlivened by snazzy graphics. In singing its praises, Nine added that the show's success reaffirms 'the importance of our local content'. Well, yes, insofar as this version is made here and has an Australian host and contestants. But, as with many of our game shows, it's an adaptation of an imported format: it, Deal or No Deal and The Traitors are originally Dutch. An array of others – The 1% Club, Tipping Point, The Chase, Taskmaster, House of Games – are English. These productions have proliferated as commercial channels have basically abandoned investment in drama and comedy. Game shows aren't as much of a gamble, and they don't cost as much to make, especially ones that have been developed and road-tested elsewhere. Most require only a single set, so there's no need for expensive location shooting or months of writers' rooms brainstorming. And multiple episodes can be shot in a day. Seasons can be as short or long as the networks require and the enterprise can be jazzed up with celebrities, like Tipping Point's tennis special before Wimbledon, or Sandra Sully dropping in to try her luck with the golden briefcases on Deal. Loading In the current crop, there are some originals, such as Nine's The Hundred, developed by Screentime with host Andy Lee. In addition to Spicks and Specks, the bouncy music quiz hosted by Adam Hills and inspired by Britain's Never Mind the Buzzcocks, the ABC has had a hit with local creation Hard Quiz and recent success with Guy Montgomery's Guy Mont Spelling Bee which was imported from New Zealand. (Yes, Montgomery started the show in his homeland so we can't really claim it as our own). Both of these shows are built around refreshingly idiosyncratic presenters. On Hard Quiz, Gleeson plays the grumpy anti-host. He doesn't welcome contestants and chat to put them at ease. Instead, he pokes fun at them and their special subjects. But after 10 seasons played in a tone carefully calibrated never to cross the line between funny and nasty, its contestants front up knowing what they're in for and ready to give as good as they get. On Spelling Bee, Montgomery presents a nerdy persona slyly undercut by his witty scripts and lightning-fast ad-lib responses. Along with a clever concept and challenges that encourage viewer engagement – such as yelling the answers from the couch – an appealing host is a fundamental requirement for a successful game show. Others currently in the mix offer different qualities, but they're more conventional: Corser comes across like a smoothly amused ringmaster; Jefferies plays a brash ocker bloke; Emdur's an amiable everyman; Hills, a twinkly-eyed pal. In keeping with Deal's tone of barely contained hysteria, Grant Denyer is like an excitable, battery-powered bunny, while Woodbridge has a peppy geniality that recalls the spirit of the country's game-show master, Tony Barber. Given the value-for-money attributes of game shows, it's no surprise that SBS is poised to get back into the action with Big Backyard Quiz, an original format created by Screenwest and NITV which it tested with a special last year and has now green-lit for a series (premiering July 12). Hosted by Narelda Jacobs and Steven Oliver, the playful production is tailored to meet the broadcaster's brief, focusing on Australian history and aspects of it you might not have learned at school. Within this group, though, and reflective of the straitened times for free TV, the prizes ain't what they used to be: no one's going home a millionaire. The grand prize on 1% Club and Deal is $100,000; on The Floor, the season winner pocketed $200,000; on Tipping Point, it's $20,000, unless the player can manoeuvre that elusive double-jackpot counter to drop. On the public broadcasters, there's no money to be won – though Hard Quiz' s big brass mug is clearly a cherished trophy. But even though the monetary incentives have shrunk, the endurance of this type of TV clearly hasn't lost its appeal for TV networks or many viewers. And, especially as free-to-air fights for ongoing relevance, bragging rights have their value too.
Sky News AU
08-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Sky News AU
'Karl's got guns!': Social media goes wild for Karl Stefanovic's muscular arms as Today star, 50, shares stunning workout video after weight loss
Karl Stefanovic has showed off his impressively ripped physique in a hilarious new video at the gym following a major body transformation. The Today host, 50, has been open about his weight loss journey after once tipping the scales at 105kg back in 2020. Stefanovic later told The Kyle and Jackie O Show that unflattering paparazzi photos taken at his heaviest prompted some stern advice from his billionaire pal James Packer. "James Packer sends me a note that says: 'mate, you need to get your a**e to the gym'," Stefanovic said. On Friday, Stefanovic shared a comedic video to Instagram which showed him working out with friend Peter Oreb while his personal trainer Mark Glanville danced in the background. The veteran Channel 9 star and father of four performed a series of gruelling push-up exercises in the clip as his biceps noticeably rippled beneath a tight orange tank top. 'There's something not quite right about my trainer,' Stefanovic captioned the video, which featured the song 'I Wanna Dance With Somebody' by Whitney Houston. Fans of the Today host flooded the comment section to praise his new rock hard physique. 'Brah when did Karlos get muscles,' one fan wrote. 'Karl got guns,' another supporter said. 'You got a licence for those firearms?!' 'Whatever he's doing it's working,' another fan agreed. Meanwhile, Stefanovic's sister-in-law Jade Yarbrough raised her concerns that Stefanovic was working out in the gym shoe-less. 'More concerned about you not wearing shoes in the gym again,' she wrote. The video was quickly picked up by Today producers, who used the video of their star presenter's workout for a segment about 'Dad Bods'. Stefanovic's body transformation comes months after reports the Today star is currently vying to replace Rodger Corser as the host of top-rating gameshow The Floor. The quiz show, which sees contestants challenge each other in head-to-head trivia duels, has proven ratings gold for Nine in the 7.30pm time slot ever since it premiered in April.
Daily Mail
08-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
The mind-boggling reason most US game shows are filmed in IRELAND against all odds - and it's bad news for Hollywood
Game shows are the stalwarts of teatime telly - regularly pulling in millions of viewers. For many, the early evenings would not pass in quite the same way without older favourites like Pointless or The Chase - or newer shows such as The 1% Club. As some of the stars of the small screen schedule, they are all homegrown - Hertfordshire and Greater Manchester are among the not so far-flung climes where these big hitter quizzes are filmed. No such luck for our stateside counterparts - American game show hosts like Oscar winner Jamie Foxx and Brat Pack's Rob Lowe have a little further to go. Around 5,000 miles, to put a finer point on it. That is because many top US quiz shows are not filmed in Tinseltown but in Ireland - and it has much bigger consequences for Hollywood than just travel time. From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new Showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. Brat Pack's Rob Lowe (pictured), the host of The Floor - which sees contestants duel to win squares on a chessboard-style floor grid in pursuit of cash - told all about why the show is filmed in Ireland The charming coastal town of Bray, around 12 miles south of Dublin, has much to recommend it, with a beautiful beach, great transport links and scenic hillwalking routes. But Rob, the host of The Floor - which sees contestants duel to win squares on a chessboard-style floor grid in pursuit of cash - has a more cynical, less tourism office-sounding take on the filming location of his show. Quite simply, he said, on a recent episode of his podcast Literally!, it is cheaper: 'There are no tax credits.' It is, of course, not the only place in Ireland to host the great and the good of Beverley Hills in recent years - bringing international attention and scrutiny with them. In 2020, Matt Damon came to the south Dublin coastal village of Dalkey to film Ridley Scott's 2021 historical drama The Last Duel. With filming suspended as the pandemic raged, Matt, his wife and three children temporarily made the country their home. In what proved to be one of the country's feel-good lockdown moments, the Hollywood actor, 54, was even pictured with a bag from Irish supermarket chain SuperValu - carrying around swimming costumes and towels for a family beach trip. Game Of Thrones, meanwhile, was famously filmed across Northern Ireland, with entire tour companies developing to show keen visitors its shoot locations. Irish talent has also made a major splash in international TV and film in recent years. Most notably, Cillian Murphy (pictured) won the Oscar for Best Actor for Oppenheimer And series two of Tim Burton's Addams Family spin-off Wednesday, starring Jenna Ortega, saw big celebs like Catherine Zeta-Jones, Steve Buscemi and even Lady Gaga descend on Co Wicklow for filming. Irish talent has also made a major splash in international TV and film in recent years. Most notably, Cillian Murphy won the Oscar for Best Actor for Oppenheimer - while the world fawns over Irish exports Paul Mescal and Barry Keoghan, who account for half of Sam Mendes' upcoming four Beatles biopics. But where the influence of the Emerald Isle has gone unnoticed is in the somewhat more niche realm of American game shows - only briefly mentioned in the credits of stateside favourites like Don't Forget The Lyrics, Name That Tune and Beat Shazam. Its attractions are manifold, with big tax breaks and talented production teams - and it was only in 2021 that Uncle Sam began to capitalise on them. When making The Big Deal - a talent show with cash prize peril - network Fox realised it would be cheaper to pilot the format abroad. With a single pilot episode shot in America costing more than six whole episodes filmed in Ireland, it was a no-brainer. Admittedly, a major aspect of this, Irish producer Shane Byrne told The Telegraph, is British and Irish crews are not as unionised as their Hollywood counterparts - slashing staffing costs. Presenter Vogue Williams and judges including Boy George and JLS's Aston Merrygold were flown in to join Irish panellists including X Factor Dubliners Jedward for filming at Dublin's 3Arena. And lo and behold, the pilot aired in Ireland got execs what they wanted - they used it to pitch the American version Fame Or Fortune in 2022, Deadline Hollywood reported. The success opened a can of worms for American broadcaster Fox, who soon moved filming of other big titles to Ireland - namely Don't Forget The Lyrics, Name That Tune and Gordon Ramsay's Next Level Chef. But while the books balance that little bit more across the pond, relocation means greater attention has to be paid to giving Irish-filmed shows that distinctive all-American look, Shane explained. The producer, who boasts a portfolio including Big Brother, The X Factor, Britain's Got Talent and Strictly Come Dancing, said this involves ensuring a glossy, high-budget feel - and a distinctively American tone - is reproduced. And the intake for the audience is, in some senses, a far less broad church than in the UK, where game shows often offer tickets out to members of the public. For American shows, by contrast, which have a penchant for an audience close-up, spectators on Irish sound stages are chosen via casting call and paid like film extras - with a diverse demographic assortment of people carefully curated. No negative Nancies allowed either, Shane said - when it comes to American studio audiences, they all have to really look like they are enjoying themselves. He also explained while some of the big American hosting talents find themselves 'perplexed' to end up in Ireland for filming, they understand the economics of it keeps them in a job. The model is so sound, in fact, that Shane is now going it alone, leaving BiggerStage - the Dublin-based production company that often works with Fox - to co-found his own business offering US networks the same collaborative model. He said: 'There are lots of other networks interested... They're all paying attention to what Fox has been doing and curious about what they're doing in Ireland.' But of course, the whole endeavour is at the heart of a broader tug of tariff war between President Donald Trump and the rest of the world over film and TV production. Early last month, the American premier claimed Hollywood was dying a 'very fast death' with other nations offering 'all kinds of incentives to draw our filmmakers away' - mostly cost-cutting ones. He soon threatened a 100 per cent tariff on movies made abroad, adding in a post to his social media platform Truth Social: 'WE WANT MOVIES MADE IN AMERICA, AGAIN!' Commerce secretary Howard Lutnick responded on X: 'We're on it.' Trump's online riff on MAGA (WWMMIAA?) saw an improvement to an existing Irish government initiative to encourage native filmmaking quickly momentarily shelved. It is understood that as it would have made Ireland even more attractive as a filming destination, flying in the face of Trump, the timing was seen to be all wrong, sending the wrong message to the US administration. The announcement was instead delayed to the end of last month, offering an eight per cent increase in the so-called Section 481 tax incentive, for feature films of a certain budget using Irish talent. So, it seems both putting your money where your movie is - and also, simply where your movie is - remains an active issue, with the US determined to tug on the threads and pull them all back to the mothership. While back in Blighty, The Chase charges on, the fate of its American quiz show counterparts - along with their hundreds of staff - seems more to hang in the balance.
Daily Mail
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
The Floor winner Patrick details the gross finale act he regrets doing... as he reveals how he plans to spend the $200,000 cash prize
Popular new Channel Nine game show The Floor crowned its first winner this week, with contestant Patrick Neasey walking away with a $200,000 cash prize. However, despite the windfall, Patrick has revealed he was left feeling embarrassed by his post-win victory celebration. After defeating MasterChef star Amina Elshafei in a final best-of-three round, Patrick was led back onto the floor by host Rodger Corser. In his excitement, Patrick then knelt down and kissed the floor that contestants had been standing on - an act, he told Nine, that would haunt him forever. 'When I walked back down to the The Floor with Rodger, I kneel down and kiss The Floor,' Patrick explained. From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. 'I'm very embarrassed about that now, but whatever, I will just have to wear that as part of the prize,' he said. Patrick added that his embarrassment was only fleeting, saying that after thinking about his win with more 'clarity' was happy to have made his family back home proud. 'And also, the people who were still there in the room chanting my name – it was a great feeling and probably something I'll never experience again,' he said. 'So yeah, it was just shock and happiness and pride.' It all came down to the wire for Patrick, who faced off against Amina in a best-of-three round. Patrick won the first - History Makers - while Amina took out the Veggies category. It was then down to World Leaders, with Patrick emerging victorious. Speaking about the inaugural winner, host Rodger Corser said Patrick's intellect was 'undeniable'. 'Though Patrick flew under the radar for many nights, he took his opportunities when it counted,' Rodger said. In his excitement, Patrick then knelt down and kissed the floor - an act, he told Nine , that would haunt him forever. 'His knowledge and intellect were undeniable, but his strategic game was even stronger; no one was cooler under pressure…so much so that I had to check for a pulse at one stage. A very well-deserved winner!' Patrick added that winning the first season of the popular Nine game show felt 'incredible.' However, he added that while chuffed with the cash prize, it wasn't the biggest reward. 'I put a lot of study into categories like Girl Groups, History Makers, and World Leaders, so to see that pay off is incredibly satisfying,' he said. 'But honestly, the biggest reward isn't the money — it's the friendships I made, the memories from the show, and knowing my family and friends are proud of what I achieved.' As for his cash prize, Patrick said that he plans to invest his $200,000 windfall as well as take on a road trip along the Alaska Highway. The show has proved a ratings hit for Nine, with the show attracting a whopping 2.2million viewers for its April 28 premiere - breaking the national total reach record. The Floor continued that success throughout the season, regularly attracting more than a million viewers. The show is a Dutch format featuring 81 players standing on 81 individual squares. Each contestant uses their general knowledge to try to acquire all the squares, with the player who succeeds in doing so over the course of the season wins the game. The US version of The Floor began on FOX in 2024 and is hosted by actor Rob Lowe. It was recently reported that another major Nine star could be eyeing off Rodger Corser's hosting job. Insiders at Nine have revealed that Today host Karl Stefanovic is keen to take on the gig. Sources at Nine revealed to News Corp last month that Karl had shown interest in hosting after appearing on a promo of the prime time hit ahead of the show's April 28 premiere.
