Brainiacs indulge their evil sides in ‘Chase’
“The Chase” is (almost) on. h Like “Jeopardy!“where Ken Jennings, James Holzhauer and Brad Rutter dominated, earning their spots on the quiz show’s Hall of Fame, ABC’s new game show required the brainiacs to flex their intellect. But the series premiering Thursday (9 p.m. EST) also asked for a little bit of savagery.
Holzhauer, Rutter and Jennings, in 2013 on Game Show Network, airing who triumphed over his fellow “Jeopfor four seasons. Episodes from the first ardy!” legends in January’s GOAT two seasons, hosted by Brooke Burns, tournament, will take turns performare available on Netflix. ing the role of the Chaser, a role the For Jennings’ intimidating Chaser network describes as “a ruthless quiz persona, he borrowed a certain Springgenius determined to stop them from field Nuclear Power Plant owner’s sigwinning cash prizes.” First, individual nature finger steepling. contestants build a cash pile, answer“That’s straight up Mr. Burns,” says ing as many questions as they can in Jennings, raising his hands to make the one minute, with each correct answer motion. “He’s taught me everything I worth $25,000. Then he/she goes know about evil.” head-to-head against the Chaser, anFor Holzhauer, who appeared on the swering multiple choice questions American version of “The Chase” as a with hopes of securing the money for contestant in 2014, being the Chaser is the final round when team members an ideal role. unite. If team members can answer “I grew up kind of dreaming of being enough questions in two minutes to either the evil pro wrestling character elude the Chaser in the final round, the who denies the patriotic American his combined cash pot is divided equally title belt, or a ‘Jeopardy!’ champion,” he among the team. The show is hosted says. “This is kind of like the amalgamby Sara Haines, a personality on ABC’s ation of both of those things.”
“The View.” Rutter relies on his clothing accesso
A British version of “The Chase” ries, jokes Haines. premiered in 2009. An earlier American adaptation of the series premiered
“I grew up kind of dreaming of being either the evil pro wrestling character ... or a ‘Jeopardy!’ champion.” Ken Jennings
“He likes a bow tie that leans a little to the left so he has a little bit of relatability, because his answers are not relatable,” she says.
Rutter chimes in. “Also studies have shown that the perfectly adjusted bow tie actually does intimidate people,” he says.
“And he looks good,” Jennings offers. “Brad’s gonna beat you with wardrobe.”
Haines says out of the three, Holzhauer was “the only successful villain.”
“These guys, they have a very deliberate victory style and although they talk big, they do let people down lightly,” she says. “They do not revel.”
“James revels in all of it,” she says. “There are contestants that say, ‘I don’t want to go up against James ’cause I think he’s cold-blooded.’ And they aren’t wrong, sometimes.
“But the other two talk tough, but when it comes to beating you, they do it very gracefully.”
“I still remember being a game show contestant,” Jennings reasons. “I’m not going to be up there delivering withering Maggie Smith on ‘ Downton Abbey’ British-style put downs. Those guys are trying their best.”
Jennings believes the contestants are part of the show’s draw. “They get to gang up on us, which is cool,” he says. “If you’ve ever watched a game show and yelled out answers at the couch and thought, ‘I could be up there,’ this is your chance to see if regular folks can gang up and beat one of us.”