You are the Weakest Link.......... goodbye.

Mundane Pointless Stuff I Must Share (MPSIMS)
#1

Be prepared to hear this phrase alot.
After the UK exported WWTBAM, the next game show to go your way in the US is a gameshow called “The Weakest Link”. It will begin to be shown on NBC in April. Whats more, it will be hosted by Anne Robinson, who presents the UK version.

Guys and Gals, if your tired of your gameshow hosts pandering to the dimrods that appear on their show, fret no longer. Anne Robinson is a bitch, and prepare to love her for it. for more information on the show, and some sounds of Anne Robinson demeaning the idiots who appear on her show go to
http://www.twlonline.co.uk

Let me start by saying just how much I love this show… and I know you are going to love it too…
remember who introduced this incredible programme to you when you are laughing your head off at this programme…

#2

News of the spread of the latest British disease to even more distant shores came a month ago:

http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=55955

It might go down pretty well in the States. Don’t know about you Twisty but with that attitude and all the black designer kit I could almost…………nah, that’s just too much. Seems a long way from ‘Watchdog’.
Of topic, I know some merkins enjoyed the 1900’s House. If you haven’t yet seen its successor, the 1940’s House, it’s a comin’

#3

Okay, most of the website was under construction or just couldn’t be loaded easily. Can you 'splain a bit for us on the other side of the puddle?

Is it a tag-team quiz show? “Jeopardy”? “Beat the Clock”? ([sub]ohmygodIamold![/sub])

The voice clips are hysterical, though. I could picture Judge Judy as the American emcee.

#4

Well, I think I must volunteer to be the weakest link, as I was just about to post pretty much what London Calling just posted. Well, I can live with that, I suppose.

#5

screech-owl It’s basically a quiz show, the supposed twist being that the host is quite unpleasant, but it’s more fully described in the thread to which London_Calling to which gave a link.

#6

L_C,

Ane Robinson… in that way? She’d be bloody disparaging throughout…
“That was a pathetic round”

“You managed to bank nothing there!”

and when its all over,

“You are the weakest link, goodbye”
Screetch…

The show has 10 contestants to begin with. They answer questions in rotation to accumulate money as a group.

At the end of each round, the contestants vote off who they believe to be “the weakest link”.

In the early rounds, they vote of the weakest link, towards the final rounds, they each attempt to vote a person who could be a threat to them in the final round, if they get there.

The genius of the show is the vox pops they do with each contestant that has been voted off the show. They either take it in good nature and smile o they bitch about the other contestants.

All the way through Anne Robinson treats the contestants like idiots. It can be annoying, but it makes for great television.

#7

We’ve had the pleasure of seeing this one in Australia… and surprisingly, it’s pretty darn cool.

Hmmmmmmm, how do I explain the concept? I guess it’s sorta a cross between Survivor and Who Wants to be a Quiz Show Weenie - sorry, Millionaire. Bitchy chick asks questions, money goes up exponentially (WWTBAM style), people are eliminated (Survivor style).

The coolest part is definitely the catchphrase mentioned in the OP. That “goodbye” is soooo cold. Can’t remember the name of the woman who hosts it here, but I swear every time I hear that voice I’m taken back to every single bitchy librarian I ever had in primary school who scared the bejeebers outta me. And when they’re trying to decide who to get rid of, her constant badgering “… but YOU got more questions wrong than he did… but YOU forgot to bank the money…” is truly harsh.

Dark"irrational fear of middle-aged bitchy librarians"Judicator

#8

I always thought that Anne Robinson needed a riding crop and a German accent to complete the effect: “You arrrr ze veakest link…unt ein dumkopf as vell. Goodbye! <smack>”

#9

Damn simulposts. Of course, TwistofFate posted while I was composing my thoughts and expressed things far more eloquently than I could’ve…

Cool nick BTW, Twisty. :slight_smile: I -so- would’ve had that if you hadn’t taken it… grrrr.

#10

Yeah, you’re right Twisty and jr8. She’d want the full 45 minute show or it would be “ze piano vire”

Screech-Owl – I posted the way the show works in the thread I linked to (above)

#11

Okay, I’ll take the bait. Presuming this program is real, is this about a family seeing what life was like for Grannie and Gramps, with blackouts, rationing, an unexploded bomb in the basement, and an American flyer impregnating the oldest daughter?

#12

Yes, Dropzone, pretty much, tho’ I think they stopped short of actual bombs and pregnancies. I can’t be certain of that though!

#13

Many thanks for the info and the links (London_Calling, you posted that while I was composing; I did not get a chance to read it til I got into work).
Sounds fascinating. But I still like Ben Stein.

#14

Yep, dropzone, as Celyn says the 1940’s show is real and finished here about 3 weeks ago.

The family were located in suburban London (West Wickham), quite close to the old RAF airfield at Biggin Hill. They grew crops, slept in the Anderson shelter they built in the garden and suffered the same regularity of air raid sirens as was common in 1940.

I didn’t see too much of the 1900’s series and only the last couple of the 1940’s successor but I did think it pretty good in some area’s.

For example, I had no idea that the collective sleep deprivation went on for so long (because of the bombing). It was also very good on the contribution women made not only directly to the war effort but also in keeping the home front reasonably in order in times of incredible hardship. I can quite see how a wife at home could easily spend 16 hours a day maintaining the home, cooking (what she could) while also working outside the house in some capacity. It was exhausting before trying to sleep in holes in the garden while bombs were dropping all around.

It also addressed the war from the point of view of the children and young single women as well as the problems of rationing everything from food to clothes to personal hygiene products. I found it to be a valuable insight.

BTW, when the parcels started arriving from well-wishers in the US they were very, very welcome.

#15

Yep. A family had to live as if they where in the 40’s. A area of a shop was set aside for them and their ration books, they did jobs that they would have done during wartime. They even had speakers set up in the house so the have their own personal airraid siren which goes off several times a night ( in the time period relating to the Blitz ) and of they run to the Anderson Shelter that they built in the garden.

Good programme.

#16

Ah, yes. I seem to remember that when I returned from vacation last October, I said we needed to import this show (The Weakest Link). Nice to know that someone listens to me. Thanks for the news Twist.

#17

I’m glad you will get to see Anne Robinson presenting it. I doubt there is anyone else that could carry it off. British Cold Hearted Bitches seem to differ from their Yank counterparts.
I mean, could you see Cathy Lee Gifford presenting the US version?

#18

You are so right. Who have we got for evil bitches? Roseanne? Courtney Love? Forget it.

BTW, thanks for the link to the sound page. One of those will be going on my computer later tonight.

#19

When I saw The Weakest Link on the Beeb, I figured it was only a matter of time before it appeared on US TV. We steal all the good shows. (Anyone seen Bob the Builder, American version, yet? They do it with American accents. What, didn’t they think American kids could understand a British accent? Dumbing down–be very afraid.)

Anyway, about a host–I agree they wouldn’t be able to find an American equivalent to Anne Robinson. (Roseanne, maybe? She could certainly do “mean,” but I wouldn’t want to see her in black leather.) I guess an alternative might be to find someone really, really annoying. I’m sure Gilbert Godfrey is sick of Hollywood Squares…maybe they could get one of those guys off Jackass…

#20

Yes, but they redubbed Teletubbies, for crying out loud. Like “eh-oh!” really changes that much. :rolleyes:

Gilbert Gottfried? Oh sweet Jesus, no…