Inside the Box

Host

Sam Kalilieh

Broadcast

TVtropolis 2006-2007

Packager

TVtropolis

Syndicated Distributor

Program Partners

Inside the Box was a Canadian-English game show where three contestants competed against each other to win up to $10,000 by trying to guess television shows, characters or actors by asking other contestants yes or no questions related to the subject.

Gameplay

Main Game

The game has a similar format to 20 Questions with a few minor twist. Three rounds in total are played. Three contestants competed for the chance to win $10,000. In the first two rounds, each contestant gets a turn inside a television-shaped booth called "the box" which contains 2 monitors, while the other two players are seated at separate desks with single monitors facing and to the left and right of "The Box". The contestants "Inside the Box" is given a basic category to indicate what kind of answer is being sought (for example, "Series", "Reality Series", "Male Actor", "Female Character", etc.), a list of questions on a touch-sensitive screen and reads questions selected from the list to one of his/her two opponents. The opponents outside the box are shown only a photograph and the name of the character/actor/show which is the correct answer on their monitor screens.

The contestant in the booth has two minutes to determine the correct answer by alternately asking his/her opponents the "Yes or No" questions (s)he is shown. If an opponent answer the question incorrectly, he/she is given a time penalty of five seconds. Each "Yes" response question is displayed on screen for the viewers to see and on the screen in "The Box", regardless of whether the player outside the box answered correctly or not. After each group of five "Yes" responses, the clock is stopped and a more detailed clue is given. The player in the box is given a free guess, but if they cannot give the correct answer. The player in the box may ask at any time for the clock to be stopped so they can attempt a guess, but an incorrect guess under these conditions results in a 5-second penalty. After each player's turn in "The Box", the scores are totaled and time penalties assessed; then the remaining contestants are given their turn in "The Box".

The scoring is based on time. Each time a player "Inside the Box" correctly identifies the subject, that player scored/banked the time leftover. Any time penalties are deducted and negative scores are possible. Each player gets two turns in "The Box" and the player with the best cumulative time after two rounds gets a chance to play the final round.

Final Round

In the Final Round, the champion is given two minutes. Instead of asking his/her opponents the "Yes or No" questions, (s)he asks them of host Seth Kalilieh. The champion is given a starting clue and every five "Yes" responses earn another clue, however, the clock does not stop in the final round. The winning player is given three chances to give the answer. The amount of money in the pot is reduced by $500 approximately every six seconds until time runs out. If the player gives the correct answer before time expires (s)he wins whatever money is remaining. However, if (s)he gives three incorrect answers or if time runs out, (s)he takes home the consolation prize of $500. Answers are usually derived from American pop culture.

No contestant has ever won $10,000 as it is virtually impossible.

Syndication

In the United States, Program Partners, a division of Sony Pictures Television, syndicated Inside the Box to local stations for the first half of the 2009-10 season, as an optional replacement or companion program to Merv Griffin's Crosswords, which was then on hiatus (although very few American stations actually took the series). However, it was eventually decided not to go forward with additional first-run episodes of Crosswords, and both shows as a whole were officially cancelled in February 2009.

The show ran for two seasons, ending in 2007. But it went in reruns shortly after. Prior to this, reruns of the series started airing on Comedy Gold on September 3, 2013 and also aired on Action TV in the United States from 2008.

Inventors

Michael and Christopher Geddes

Links

Official Site (1)
Official Site (2)

YouTube Videos

Full Episode
Another Full Episode
Another Full Episode: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3
TV Authorities Edition: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3
Matt Inside the Box
A Playing of the Bonus Round