Monopoly
Synopsis
Quiz show based on the board game. The set involved a giant monopoly board with the property squares replaced by either British cities or World cities, depending on the series (there were two series.) Three players stood on one side, with buzzers and scoreboards, while the host was on a second side, with the two giant dice and an area to roll those dice.
The main game was in two parts: in part one, players answered questions correctly to try to take "monopoly" of each of the eight coloured property groups – a player logging three correct answers usually succeeded. Correct answers added money to the players’ banks. Once this was established, part two was the "race around Britain/the World". The dice came into play, with the host rolling the dice and a single marker, using lights on the outer and inner edges of each property spot on the board, moved around the board. If it landed on a coloured property, the player controlling that property group got first go at the question. A correct answer added money to that players’ bank, an incorrect answer led to money being lost, and the other two players being offered the question for a bonus.
At the end of the game, the player with the best score went on to an end game for a real-money jackpot of £5,000. The player had to throw the dice up to five times, the ultimate aim being to total 40 or more pips to complete one circuit of the board. However there were lose squares, where the normal property was replaced by the ‘Go to Jail’ policeman and the square flashed red. These occurred mainly after 25 pips, and square 30 (‘Go to Jail’ on any Monopoly board) always had this. If the player threw enough pips to land on a lose square, it was game over, but the player could stop and take any winnings (at £100 per pip) up to that point.
Inventor
Based on an American format originally devised in 1987 by Merv Griffin, then made into a series that ran in mid-1990 for a blazing 12 shows on ABC. The show in turn was based on the board game of the same name invented by Charles Darrow, which was itself based on "The Landlord's Game" devised in 1903 by Lizzie Magie.
