Of course, while in this Chamber, contestants would be subjected to Cold-Blooded Torture involving extreme heat or extreme cold (though unaired episodes supposedly had electricity, water, and insect-themed Chambers; it's also needless to say that those with Claustrophobia need not apply). Up to seven rounds were played (of 60 seconds each), with correct answers worth $1,000 each. The conditions in the Chamber would intensify upon the start of each round, and if the player answered two questions in a row wrong, their "stress quotient" was at a certain level for 20 seconds, or they (or the show's staff) end the game themselves, the game would end and their bank would be reduced to half. The winnings were tripled if the player could survive all seven rounds and answer at least 25 correctly (the Chamber used in the playing also would've been retired).
When we say this show was short-lived, it was. Three episodes aired of the six recorded. The show's failure in the ratings was likely due to the fact it was competing with ABC's The Chair (2002), which had a similar concept but was considerably less dangerous.
Not to be confused with the John Grisham novel of the same name of or its film adaptation.
This show provides examples of:
- Carried by the Host: Inverted, as host Rick Schwartz didn't even ask the questions during the first two episodes.
- Cold-Blooded Torture: The Game Show. The wind mentioned below only magnifies this.
- Deadly Game: This was probably the closest thing to a legitimately and potentially deadly game in real life. The kicker? The cold Chamber's winds at Level 4+ could cause extreme frostbite.
- One contestant, Scott Brown, passed through all 7 levels of the cold Chamber and won $20,000, more than any other contestant on the show. After his game however, he was hospitalized for hypothermia, and sued FOX and the producers of the show. The lawsuit was settled out of court, and Brown received an additional $100,000 for compensation.
