Series / Million Dollar Mind Game

ABC Game Show that ran for six episodes beginning on October 23, 2011, although they were taped in Summer 2010. It's basically an import of the Russian game show What? Where? When?, and the idea is for a six-man team to answer Nintendo Hard questions using lateral thinking and teamwork.

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Game Show Tropes in use:

• All or Nothing: Four wrong answers sends the team home with absolutely nothing.
• Character Catchphrase:
  Vernon: "May I have your answer please?"
  Player: "We believe the answer is..."
• Lifelines: Three of 'em. You can switch the question out, change your team's answer, or discuss the answer for another 30 seconds after your original 60 runs out.
  • Also, the team gets a stack of four lives (they're not explicitly called lives, though).
• Personnel:
  • Game Show Host: Vernon Kay.
  • Studio Audience
• Who Wants to Be "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?": Yep. Lifelines, a money tree, a dark set, and lots of padding. Although that set does kinda look like an upscale European casino. Also, the 60-second shot clock helps to cut down on the padding at least a little.
  • Averted with the original Russian version. Justified because it debuted in 1975, there's no Lifelines, nor a money tree, and the game's played by a team of six "experts" (regular players). Cash prizes are awarded to viewers that submit questions that the panel misses, and the game is played for points (a point to the viewers when the experts miss one, first to 6 wins).

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This show provides examples of:

• But Thou Must!: Several ways.
  • After each correct answer, the team votes on whether to stay in the game, or cash out. The vote must be unanimous though - if even one player votes to stay in, the whole team has to play on.
  • If the team misses a question and still has lives remaining, they don't even get to vote.
  • One lifeline allows the team to change the answer given by the captain.
• Downer Ending: A team of video gamers took on the challenge starting in the second aired episode, carrying over into the third. They made it all the way up to $600,000 with one life left. Only one person subsequently voted to stay in, which of course meant that everyone else was forced to risk their shares to play for the Million. They got to see two $1,000,000 questions (they still had their switch), and... well, there's a reason this is listed here.
• Four Is Death: If a team gives four wrong answers, their game is over.
• Timed Mission: The team is allowed 60 seconds to confer before the team captain for that round must give the team's answer. One lifeline gives another 30 seconds.

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