Fact or Fiction Game Show

Fact or Fiction

How well do you know your celebrities?

CV# CV6428

WGA Intellectual Property Registry #1544047 

by: Marc Boyajian aka Marc Boyd

The contestant(s) are read news clips from real factual news or gossip magazines published at a certain date without revealing the source of the news until the question is answered.  

Version 1.           2 Main Contestants + 2 Partners

The contestant who is fastest on the buzzer is given the chance to answer whether the information is Fact or Fiction.  If the contestant gives the correct answer he/she accumulates a certain amount of dollars. If he/she is wrong he/she loses the same amount. At the end of a number of questions (to be decided according to the length of the game show whether it will be a 30 minute show or a 60 minute show) and if the contestants have not struck out, the money accumulated is disbursed to the winning team. 100% of the prize to the main contestant and an additional 50% of the prize to the partner picked from the audience.  In this version, some in the audience will tend to side with one of the teams and some, with the other team and vouch for the team they side with creating excitement and tension.

Version2.            1 Main Contestant + 1 partner

The contestant is given 30 seconds to have an answer Fact or Fiction, The contestant and his partner may consult with one another. The question may be repeated during this 30 second period. The audience may participate in yelling the answers which will create tension and a challenge for them, each member of the audience hoping his/her answer is right.

In both versions contestant’s game is over after 3 strikes (3 wrong answers). 

Main Contestant:            1 or 2 contestants are chosen prior to the show:  The winning contestant receives 100% of the prize money.

Partner Contestant:        in addition to the main contestant(s) one (or two) partner contestants are picked at the start of the show from the audience. The partner Contestant receives an amount equal to 50% of the main contestant’s winnings.  For Example: if the amount played for is $100,000 the main contestant receives $100,000 the partner contestant receives $50,000 for a total of $150,000.

How the contestants are picked:

Main Contestant:            An application form is completed by potential contestants with their personal information necessary for the game. In addition to the normal questionnaire the application contains a portion where the contestant is provided by a grading checklist of the contestant’s strengths and weaknesses in the area of his/her knowledge of celebrities. The contestant must show strength rated good or excellent in at least 3 out 5 types of celebrities to qualify.  Celebrities we are interested in are:

 Sample Celebrity Categories:

The game will be played on 4 out five categories, this will be decided from the top three major strengths the contestant has and the fourth category he chooses for his partner to be strong in. Example: in the above table the contestant’s strength are numbers 1 (Actors/actresses), 2 (singers), and 4 (Sports); his request for a partner would be either number 3 (Reality Series) or number 5 (Music Bands),one of the two categories he is weak in. Assuming Contestant chooses to request a partner strong in number

5 (Music Bands), the questions will be on numbers 1, 2, 4, and 5.

Partner Contestant picked from audience on the spot: 

The colors assigned above have a purpose. The purpose is each member of the audience signing in is provided with the choice to pick the color he/she feels he/she has most knowledge of one type of celebrity and is given a badge in the color matching the type of celebrity he/she feels strong in to  participate if his/her name is called upon. In addition to the badge given to the partner contestant from audience his/her name is printed in the same color of a ticket for the drawing to be picked from at the time of the show. The badge including the ticket has matching numbers to make certain there is no suspicion of foul play.

Once the show begins and the main contestant(s) are introduced along with their strengths it is time to pick the partners from the audience. The main contestant chooses which category he/she will need help in and asks the host to pick a partner from the audience.  Five potential names are drawn from the tickets collected from the audience in the color matching main contestant’s choice. These five compete for the partnership by answering the most correct answers in the fastest possible time out of three questions. The winner is assigned to be the partner of the main contestant and becomes entitled to 50% of the amount of the main contestant’s earnings. 

Once partners have been assigned the game begins.

Why would this game be a success?

1.                   almost everyone follows a number of celebrities,  some are even obsessed with them

2.                   It covers a wide range of celebrities (singers, actors, sports, reality shows, and Music Bands). it

 invites the curiosity of both men and women

3.                   there is as much, if not more, gossip info as there is real news

4.                   audience participation

5.                   The show is suitable for a large audience, nationwide and worldwide.

6.                   there is constant supply of news, whether real or gossip, on celebrities

7.                   people are curious about the lives of celebrities

8.                   Relatively inexpensive to produce, one host and one assistant plus the production team.

 Ironically although the show is about celebrities no major celebrity (actors, actresses, singers)

is needed for the show. If Producers so choose as to invite any celebrity to enhance the show it

will be even more successful.

Collateral Consequences:

Besides securing a big following for the game show, it will help other shows and magazines that cover celebrity news, shows such as: Entertainment Tonight, Extra, etc. and magazines like People, Glamour, National Enquirer, Star and more.

 Logline:

Contestant(s) along with the partner(s) are challenged with questions regarding celebrities whether the information provided to them is Fact or Fiction. Contestants are pre-screened and chosen, their partners are picked from the audience.  Most questions are paused to contestants by The Host of the Game Show. In some instances, questions are asked by guest celebrities, either present at the show or through teleconferencing. Audience curiosity and participation is a source for excitement about their most favorite subject, celebrities.

Protection:

Questions with answers that are FACT must be cleared (in Writing) by the celebrity’s handlers to avoid defamation issues.