Power of 10 (American game show)

For other uses, see the American game show.

Power of 10
File:Powerof10 733x150.jpg Power of 10 title card
Created by	Michael Davies
Directed by	Mark Gentile
Starring	Drew Carey
Composer	Lewis Flinn
Country of origin	United States
Original language	English
No. of seasons	1
No. of episodes	16 (as of April 7, 2008) (18 ordered total)
Production
Executive producer	Michael Davies Vincent Rubino
Running time	60 minutes
Original release
Network	CBS
Release	August 7, 2007 – present

Power of 10 is a CBS game show hosted by Drew Carey. The show premiered on August 7, 2007 and aired twice weekly during the late summer and early fall. Each game featured contestants predicting how a cross-section of Americans responded to questions covering a wide variety of topics in polls conducted by CBS. The top prize is $10,000,000 (annuitized).

The series is produced by Embassy Row Productions in association with Sony Pictures Television and is taped at Kaufman Astoria Studios in New York City.

On September 10, 2007, CBS ordered six additional episodes of the show slated for mid-season to extend the first season to 18 episodes. The summer finale aired on Sunday, September 23, 2007, due to Kid Nation airing the following Wednesday.

The show returned on January 2, airing on Wednesday nights.. However, on January 24, 2008, it was reported that CBS pulled the show from the schedule after four episodes, with a possible return in the summer.

After having greater success with Carey's other prime time game show, The Price Is Right $1,000,000 Spectacular, CBS has decided not to renew Power of 10 for the foreseeable future, although no official cancellation was issued.

Rules

In the first round, played similar to an early-1980s game show, Play the Percentages, two contestants try to predict the results of poll questions, based on surveys similar to the ones used on Family Feud and Card Sharks (e.g. What percentage of Americans said they are afraid of circus clowns?) in a best-of-five elimination round. After the question is read, each contestant has 10 seconds to lock in an answer. If they do not lock in an answer the computer will lock in the percentage they are currently on. The player who comes closer to the actual percentage earns a point. The first player to earn three points wins the round and goes to the money round to play for $10,000,000.

In the money round, the contestant is given similar questions, and must place a range, that is similar to The Price is Right's Range Game, on the scale from 0% to 100% that includes the correct answer (for example, if the answer is 45%, then the contestant's range must include 45%). The size of the range decreases as the money values increase:

• $1,000 question: 40-point range
• $10,000 question: 30-point range
• $100,000 question: 20-point range
• $1,000,000 question: 10-point range
• $10,000,000 question: Exact guess on the previous question (see below)

For the first three questions, the correct answer to the question is revealed once the contestant has locked in an answer by pulling down a lever. For the $1,000,000 question, the correct answer is revealed only if the contestant's range misses the question.

If the contestant correctly answers the $1,000,000 question, the contestant is then given the chance to win $10,000,000 by picking the exact percentage (rounded to the nearest 1%) out of that 10% range (11 choices in all).

Contestants who miss either the $1,000 or $10,000 question win nothing (therefore, losing on the $10K question does not change the $1,000 bank into $100). From the $100,000 question and then on, missing a question causes a contestant to lose "by the power of 10," meaning that their current winnings are divided by 10 (losing on the $100K question drops their $10,000 bank to $1,000; losing on the $1,000,000 question drops the $100K to $10K, and losing at the $10,000,000 level drops the $1M to $100K).

For each question, audience members make exact-percentage guesses (and not a range) in order to then show the contestant a full sample of the results, for help in answering. Contestants can also ask an in-studio relative or friend their opinion before locking in, and contestants can adjust their choice as much as they want to elicit reactions from the audience or their friend/relative. Contestants can stop the game at any time and take their money, so long as they do not lock in an answer.

The show is known for its humorous and sometimes controversial questions. At the beginning of the show's run, the $1,000 question was intended to be full of humor and be blatantly obvious in one direction or another in how the range should be placed. Since the first contestant got past the fourth question and others got to the million dollar question as well, the producers apparently have ended this tactic. Two people have now missed the first question as a result.

Drew Carey does not know the answers and will sometimes help contestants think through questions and offer his own opinions, unlike most game shows. He also makes jokes and pokes fun at the contestants' occupations and hobbies as well as himself during the questions.

Notable winnings

Jamie Sadler, a 19-year-old Upper Montclair, New Jersey pre-med student at the University of Florida, was the first contestant to earn the right to play for money on the game show, and won $1,000,000 (to be paid as a ten-year annuity). This made him the youngest person to ever win $1 million on a quiz show or game show (The second youngest was Joe Trela on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire). Sadler accomplished this distinction by giving a range of 23% to 33% for the question, "What percentage of women consider themselves feminists?" Though given the chance to win the $10,000,000 grand prize, he declined to lock in a guess for the exact percentage within that range. Instead, he quit the game, and kept his $1 million prize. Subsequently, with no risk involved, he informally guessed 24%. The correct answer was 29%.

This marks the first time CBS has ever awarded a $1 million prize on a game show, excluding reality shows.

On the show, Carey claimed that neither he nor the show's producers believed anyone would reach the $10,000,000 question so early in the show's run. As a result, Carey claimed that they were unprepared for its actual occurrence, but that he would wing it.

Also, CBS's Big Brother 8 reality show contestants Daniele Donato and Amber Siyavus won the opportunity to appear on the show in a competition. Amber won in the opening round and made it to the $100,000 question, but was wrong and left with $1,000.

On the episode that aired on January 2, 2008, two contestants that made it to the money round and each won nothing in the same episode for the first time.

Nielsen Ratings

Episodes

As a summer series, Power of 10 was a fairly successful series, usually finishing in the top 20 shows for the weeks in which it aired, buoyed by the recent announcement of Carey's assumption as host of The Price Is Right. When the series returned in January 2008, CBS placed it against American Idol, which proved to be very detrimental to the show's ratings.

No.	Rating	Share	Rating/Share (18-49)	Viewers (millions)	Rank
					Timeslot	Night	Week
Season 1
1	6.1	11	2.7/9	9.25			4
2	5.2	10	2.0/7	7.83			17
3	5.2	10	2.0/7	7.73			16
4	5.8	10	2.2/7	8.68			8
5	6.3	11	2.8/9	9.72
6	5.4	10	2.1/7	8.40
7	5.5	9	2.3/7	8.19			16
8	5.2	9	2.0/7	7.83			24
9	4.8	8	1.8/5	7.11			24
10	5.3	9	2.0/7	7.84			18
11	5.2	9	1.9/6	7.76			32
12	5.0	8	1.7/4	7.47			36
13	4.4	7	1.7/4	6.71	4	10	48
14	4.0	6	1.8/5	6.12	3	9	62
15	3.4	5	1.1/3	4.92	4	10	67
16	2.8	3	0.9/2	3.88	4	11	TBA

International

Armenia

Shant TV have picked up the rights to the show and plan to air it soon.

Australia

Main article: Power of 10 (Australian game show)

The Nine Network in Australia acquired the domestic rights to the show and aired a local version on Monday nights from April 2008. The prize levels were $100, $1000, $10,000 and $100,000, while the top prize was only $1,000,000 Australian dollars (about US$881,000). This was the first version of the show to air outside the United States. The host was Today weatherman Steven Jacobs. Due to very heavy competition from Channel Seven, it was subsequently cancelled after two episodes, the second of which rated only just over 500,000 viewers nationally.

Brazil

In 2008, Rede Globo has picked up the rights to the show in Brazil and started airing on May 25th under the name of Jogo dos 10 instead of Potência de 10 that would have maintained the original paronomasia of the gameshow. Is aired as a segment of weekly show Domingão do Faustão, hosted by Fausto Silva. The prize levels are R$50, R$500, R$5,000 and R$50,000, while the top prize is R$500,000 (about US$ 302,000), the world's second lowest prize.

Bulgaria

NOVA Television have picked up the rights to the show and plan to air it soon.

Chile

In 2008, Chilevision has picked up the rights to the show in Chile and started airing on April 22nd under the name of "El Poder del 10" instead of "La Potencia del 10" that would have maintained the original paronomasia of the gameshow. Top prize in this version is CL$100,000,000 (about US$222.000), the world's lowest prize. Game show hosted by Julián Elfenbein.

Colombia

RCN TV is developing a local version of the show called 'El Poder del 10' (Power of 10) with a COP 1,000,000,000 (about US$ 520,000) grand prize. The Show was premiered on February, 4th, 2008 and is being aired 5 nights a week. This version is hosted by Colombian actor Diego Trujillo.

Croatia

Nova TV have picked up the rights to the show and plan to air it soon.

Denmark

TV 2 in Denmark are airing a Danish version called Gi' mig 5 (literally Give me five), on Tuesdays at 8pm CEST with a top prize of DKK 5,000,000 (about USD 1,000,000) (though initially it was reported to be DKK 50,000,000 (USD 10,000,000)). The show will be hosted by Hans Pilgaard, a former host of 'Who wants to be a millionaire'.

Finland

MTV3 have picked up the rights to the show and plan to air it soon.

France

TF1 in France began its version of Power of 10, Jouez pour 5 fois plus in February 2008, hosted by Jean-Pierre Foucault with a top prize of €1,000,000. The show uses a five-question money tree like the American original but the prizes are only multiplied by 5: €1,600, €8,000, €40,000, €200,000 and €1,000,000. Because of poor ratings, the show doesn't air anymore on the channel.

Germany

On December 13, 2007, VOX announced to produce Power of 10 for German Television in early 2008 with a top prize of €1,000,000. As such, the prizes will go €100-€1,000-€10,000-€100,000-€1,000,000. The show premiered on April 21st, 2008 and it is hosted by comedian Dirk Bach. On April 30th, after airing 5 times in the first week, VOX announced the show will not return.

Greece

H Δύναμης Tής 10 (In Greek: I Dynamis Tis Deka) The show was picked up in Greece in October 2007 on the Star Channel. The show runs for half an hour 5 nights a week. The prizes go €10-€100-€1,000-€10,000-€100,000-€1,000,000, then the top prize is €10,000,000.

India

Sony Entertainment Television has acquired the rights to the show and premiered it on 6th June 2008. The show is hosted by popular Bollywood actor Salman Khan and is titled 10 Ka Dum. (Dus Ka Dum). The top prize is 10 Crore (Rs100,000,000). On the July 4th episode, actor Amir Khan appeared on a celebrity edition for the show and was playing for a charity. The 1 Crore question was: What percentage of Indian men think they are more intelligent than women? Khan dialed in a range between 51% and 61%. The correct answer was in the range, thus he won 1 Crore. Khan didn't gamble for 10 Crore, but dialed in a guess of 57%. The exact percentage to the question was indeed 57%, so he would've won the jackpot of 10 Crore had he played on.

Israel

The Israeli version of "Power of 10" (In Hebrew: תוצאות האמת, Totz'ot ha'Emet) premiered in January 2008, produced by Reshet. The top prize is ₪10,000,000 (around US$2,500,000). The contestant playing in the pilot episode won the second-largest prize of ₪1,000,000, mirroring the million-dollar win on the first edition of the American show; and despite being a pilot, Reshet honoured her prize.

Middle East & North Africa

The MBC channel are developing an Arabian version of the show. The top prize is 10.000.000 Saudi Riyal (USD 2.600.000). The presenter of the show will be well known George Kurdahi the presenter of "Who Will Win A Million" show. Its produced by MBC Lebanon and it will be filmed in MBC Cairo (Egypt) Studios. The show will start in Ramadan (september) 2008.

Mexico

"El Poder del 10" was premiered at 9PM (10 et) at Channel 13 (Azteca Trece) on May 11th, 2008

Poland

Polsat in Poland has picked up the rights to the format and aired the first episode on March, 29th 2008. The Polish title is "Strzał w 10". It is hosted by Cezary Pazura. The main prize is 1,000,000 PLN (about US$ 400,000). In the 6th episode, contestant Kinga Paprocka answered correctly at the second-to-last question (What percentage of Polish women said it is better to be smart but ugly than pretty but stupid?) by selecting the range between 55% and 65%, thus winning 100,000 PLN. Then in the final question she locked in the exact percentage of 62%, but eventually she lost 90,000 PLN, because the correct answer was 58%.

Russia

The Russian version of "Power of 10" (In Russian: Магия 10-ти, Magic of 10) premiered on January, 7th on Channel One and is hosted by Russian pop-singer Vera Brezhneva. The top prize is 10,000,000 Russian Rubles (Around $400,000). On March, 10th, Ildar Zhindarev answered correct to a 1,000,000 rubles question, and he risked to play for a 10,000,000. He guessed 9% in interval of 7-17%. And correct answer was 10%.

South Africa

M-Net have picked up the rights to the show and plan to air it starting in August 2008. The show will have a top prize of 10 million rand.

Spain

Spanish TV are developing a local version of the show called 'Energía de 10' (Power of 10) with a €10,000,000 grand prize.

Sweden

The show was picked up for Swedish television by Kanal 5. The show premiered in spring 2008, hosted by comedian Mikael Tornving.

UK

Rumours claimed that the country's main commercial broadcaster ITV would buy the concept with a £5,000,000 top prize (just over $10,000,000) to replace Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?; however, the rumour was quashed when it was announced Millionaire would return in 2008 and another new quiz, Duel, was commissioned in late 2007 to air early the following year. Had Power of 10 been commissioned, the prize ladder was anticipated as follows: £500, £5,000, £50,000, £500,000 and £5,000,000.

Ukraine

1+1 have picked up the rights to the show and plan to air it soon.

Venezuela

Venevisión has planned to soonly air the show called "El poder de Ganar" (The power to Win) instead of The power of 10 and its going to be hosted by Leonardo Villalobos

Awards

Power of 10 won the Best Game Show prize at the 2008 Rose d'Or ceremony.

External links

• Official Site
• Press release announcing summer pick-up of Power of 10
• Power of 10 recaps
• Power of 10 full episodes