Alphabetical (game show)
| Alphabetical | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Game show |
| Presented by | Jeff Stelling |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of series | 1[1] |
| No. of episodes | 10[1] |
| Production | |
| Running time | 60 minutes (inc. adverts) |
| Production company(s) | ITV Studios |
| Distributor | ITV Studios |
| Release | |
| Original network | ITV |
| Picture format | 16:9 |
| Original release | 15 August 2016 – present |
Alphabetical is a game show that has aired on ITV since 15 August 2016 and is hosted by Jeff Stelling. It is one of two summer replacements for The Chase, the other being Cash Trapped.[2]
Format
Three challengers and a champion take part on each episode. Contestants start with 100 seconds, and must say 'Alphabetical' instead of 'pass'. The contestants have to answer questions correctly. They receive time for right answers. The lowest scoring challenger after round three and round four is eliminated. The champion automatically takes part in the final regardless of their score. The two finalists face each other to determine the winner.[3]
First letter
Starting with the champion and then the challengers, contestants are in turn given sixty seconds of questions in which all the answers begin with the same first letter. The first letter is randomly selected and is different for each contestant. Correct answers add one second to the contestant's clock.[3]
End letter
Round two is the same as round one except that all the answers end in the same letter.[3]
Starting letters
In round three each contestant is given a category and a set of initials. They receive up to three clues to the answer. If the contestant answers correctly after the first clue they receive five seconds of time, three seconds after two clues and one second after three clues.[3]
A second category is played after which the challenger with the least amount of time is eliminated. If there is a tie, a First letters question is played on the buzzer for no seconds.[4]
Thirteen letters
In round four, thirteen letters of the alphabet are selected at random. A question is asked on each letter. The questions are asked in alphabetical order. The three contestants have to answer on the buzzer. They score two seconds for a correct answer but are frozen out from answering the next question in case of an incorrect response. At the end of the round the challenger with the least amount of time is eliminated.[3]
Final round
In the final round, each contestant tries to make their way around the alphabet from A to Z and win the jackpot. The contestants use their time amassed throughout the episode. Each letter has a question. The answer starts with that letter (except for X where the letter can be anywhere in the answer). The champion starts and answers questions until they say Alphabetical or respond incorrectly. If they say Alphabetical the time stops and the question can be returned to if the contestant reaches A again. A wrong answer cannot be returned to and forfeits the jackpot. The challenger then starts their alphabet. If one player runs out of time then their opponent is forced to answer their questions until they either win or they run out of time (saying Alphabetical no longer stops the clock).[3]
If one player answers all twenty-six questions correctly they win the game and the jackpot which starts at £5,000. If neither player does this, the winner is the one with the higher score. Wrong answers are ignored. The champion wins in case of a tie. The winner earns £250 and returns on the next show. The winners score is multiplied by one hundred and that total is added to the jackpot.[3]