One Question
Why this deceptively difficult UK quiz is compulsive viewing
What is a circle? What is a potato? Not exactly your usual quiz-show posers and the fact that they are the only two asked during the opening broadcast hour-long episode of One Question (Thursdays, 8.30pm on Sky Open from April 18) doesn’t exactly scream riveting viewing – especially for fans of shows like The Chase or Jeopardy!
But, thanks to the unique talents of host Claudia Winkleman (The Traitors, Britain’s Best Home Cook), her boundless enthusiasm and a fresh, fun format that adds an air of unpredictability – “We could be here all night, it could be over in seconds,” Winkleman muses – this becomes surprisingly addictive.
The set-up is simple. After a bit of trademark Winkleman banter (“Best thing to eat in the world, now let’s go out and have a margarita until 6am,” her initial reaction to the root vegetable quandary) on the intimate easy-chair-and-couch set, teams of two are given their conundrum, a potential prize pot of £100,000, and face a board of 20 answers.
These are revealed one by one, but after the first row of five, the duo are forced to eliminate two. As long as they don’t get rid of the correct answer or guess it, this continues until all 20 options have been displayed.
They then have the opportunity to spend £10,000 on a clue that should help them with whether a particular answer might be what they’re after.
When only six remain, another offer is tabled – for £25,000, the contestants can pick out three and Winkleman will dispose of two. Get down to three and she’ll take one away for half of whatever the remaining pot is.
“How did this even get on the telly?” Winkleman remarks to opening contestants Janae and Emma, as they try to match their question to statements such as “the 19th word in Twinkle Twinkle Little Star”, “the clothing symbol that states bleaching is allowed” and “the England cricket ground that traditionally hosts the last test of each season”.
And yes, there is a kind of connection between all three.
The stay-at-home mum and setdressing “unlikely cousins” eventually cotton on to what’s going on, as Winkleman cajoles, challenges and almost hints at trying to cheat (“I’ve not seen the question or answers beforehand, because I would definitely tell you what’s the right on”) to get them over the line.
She’s the same with opening night’s second pairing – best friends Paola and Marie – impressed by their knowledge and skill, as they quickly discard suggestions like “Popeye’s love interest”, “the foodstuff that is said to improve night vision” and “the food item Baby carries in Dirty Dancing”.
“You are playing hard and I respect that, but my knees are sweaty,” Winkleman
says, one of her many admissions. She claims to be both 49 now and 50 in 2009 at different times, wonders aloud about the pointlessness of brandy glasses (“why swirl?”) and can’t resist sharing that she knows that a certain song by DNCE is “actually code for something extremely filthy”.
As the tension rises, Winkleman also knows just how to break it to keep things light for those playing in the studio – and at home. “You were much more carefree half an hour ago,” she laughs.
Expect this to become Thursday night appointment viewing.
One Question screens at 8.30pm on Thursdays on Sky Open from April 18.