The Boss

(Key moments: add)
(Series 2)
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== Synopsis ==
== Synopsis ==
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Workforce-based quiz show. A boss is chosen amongst five players (in the first series, most correct buzzer questions after two minutes gets to pick, while in the second series a boss is chosen at random) and answers five questions to determine the value of each question. Contestants faced two minutes of multiple-choice quickfire questions, then decide whether or not to challenge to become the boss. If they don't the boss picks two workforce members to visit the boss's office. The two people in the office face puzzles to determine who leaves the show; first to two correct answers (series 1) or three correct answers (series 2) survives. Repeat until two remain.
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Workforce-based quiz show. A boss is chosen amongst five players (in the first series, most correct buzzer questions after two minutes gets to pick, while in the second series a boss is chosen at random) and answers five questions to determine the value of each question (see [[#Trivia]]). Contestants faced two minutes of multiple-choice quickfire questions, then decide whether or not to challenge to become the boss. If they don't the boss picks two workforce members to visit the boss's office. The two people in the office face puzzles to determine who leaves the show; first to two correct answers (series 1) or three correct answers (series 2) survives. Repeat until two remain.
In Round 4, the two players provide halves of solutions to two-answer questions for fifths of the prize fund. They then decide whether to split the fund equally or challenge for the whole pot, in which case one more puzzle is asked.
In Round 4, the two players provide halves of solutions to two-answer questions for fifths of the prize fund. They then decide whether to split the fund equally or challenge for the whole pot, in which case one more puzzle is asked.
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== Key moments ==
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=== Series 2 ===
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Calman beginning a number of shows in the first series by saying "nice guys finish last". No they don't. People who are in the boss's office in the first round and whose opponent is better than them at puzzles finish last.
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Lots of changes were made for the second series. In the first series, the amounts on the boss's money ladder were £10 – £30 – £50 – £70 – £100 in round one, £10 – £30 – £50 – £100 – £200 in round two and £10 – £50 – £100 – £150 – £300 in round three and bosses would go down the money ladder if they got something wrong. In the second series, this was changed to £10 – £20 – £40 – £60 – £80 – £100 in round one, £10 – £50 – £100 – £150 – £200 – £250 in round two and £10 – £100 – £200 – £300 – £400 – £500 in round three. There was no longer a pause between contestants locking in whether or not they wanted to challenge and their podia swivelling to indicate their decision - but there were longer puzzle rounds, as they were now best-of-five rather than best-of-three. Maddeningly though, the first boss was picked at random, with the two-minute slot for buzzer questions given over to inane, time-wasting chat. Oh well, can't win 'em all.
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 +
Unfortunately, the format suffered from the critical flaw that there was almost never any advantage in making a challenge. A flaw which by the second series most contestants seemed to have caught on to, so that was the end of that. It was fun while it lasted.
 +
 
 +
== Key moments ==
-
Another of Calman's habits was preceding how much the team had won in a particular round by saying, for instance, "you were playing for £30 per question so if you'd have had a perfect round you would've added £390 into the prize pot". If it'd been a perfect round, they would've been playing for a multiple of £100 per question…
+
Calman beginning a number of shows in the first series by saying "nice guys finish last". No they don't. People who are in the boss's office in the first round and whose opponent was better than them at puzzles finish last. Another of Calman's habits was preceding how much the team had won in a particular round by saying, for instance, "you were playing for £30 per question so if you'd have had a perfect round you would've added £390 into the prize pot". If it'd been a perfect round, they wouldn't have been playing for £30 per question. Most jarringly of all was Calman's light mockery of contestants who just bided their time and never challenged (''light'' mockery, mind - this is Susan Calman we're talking about, she's never going to go the full [[Anne Robinson]] and we wouldn't want her to) despite never challenging being far and away the best strategy, meaning that she was effectively mocking contestants for ''playing the game well''. Come on Susan, we know you're better than that!
== Title music ==
== Title music ==

Revision as of 10:21, 13 September 2020

Contents

Host

Susan Calman

Broadcast

BBC Studios for BBC One, 24 April to 13 October 2017 (45 episodes in 2 series)

Synopsis

Workforce-based quiz show. A boss is chosen amongst five players (in the first series, most correct buzzer questions after two minutes gets to pick, while in the second series a boss is chosen at random) and answers five questions to determine the value of each question (see #Trivia). Contestants faced two minutes of multiple-choice quickfire questions, then decide whether or not to challenge to become the boss. If they don't the boss picks two workforce members to visit the boss's office. The two people in the office face puzzles to determine who leaves the show; first to two correct answers (series 1) or three correct answers (series 2) survives. Repeat until two remain.

In Round 4, the two players provide halves of solutions to two-answer questions for fifths of the prize fund. They then decide whether to split the fund equally or challenge for the whole pot, in which case one more puzzle is asked.

Series 2

Lots of changes were made for the second series. In the first series, the amounts on the boss's money ladder were £10 – £30 – £50 – £70 – £100 in round one, £10 – £30 – £50 – £100 – £200 in round two and £10 – £50 – £100 – £150 – £300 in round three and bosses would go down the money ladder if they got something wrong. In the second series, this was changed to £10 – £20 – £40 – £60 – £80 – £100 in round one, £10 – £50 – £100 – £150 – £200 – £250 in round two and £10 – £100 – £200 – £300 – £400 – £500 in round three. There was no longer a pause between contestants locking in whether or not they wanted to challenge and their podia swivelling to indicate their decision - but there were longer puzzle rounds, as they were now best-of-five rather than best-of-three. Maddeningly though, the first boss was picked at random, with the two-minute slot for buzzer questions given over to inane, time-wasting chat. Oh well, can't win 'em all.

Unfortunately, the format suffered from the critical flaw that there was almost never any advantage in making a challenge. A flaw which by the second series most contestants seemed to have caught on to, so that was the end of that. It was fun while it lasted.

Key moments

Calman beginning a number of shows in the first series by saying "nice guys finish last". No they don't. People who are in the boss's office in the first round and whose opponent was better than them at puzzles finish last. Another of Calman's habits was preceding how much the team had won in a particular round by saying, for instance, "you were playing for £30 per question so if you'd have had a perfect round you would've added £390 into the prize pot". If it'd been a perfect round, they wouldn't have been playing for £30 per question. Most jarringly of all was Calman's light mockery of contestants who just bided their time and never challenged (light mockery, mind - this is Susan Calman we're talking about, she's never going to go the full Anne Robinson and we wouldn't want her to) despite never challenging being far and away the best strategy, meaning that she was effectively mocking contestants for playing the game well. Come on Susan, we know you're better than that!

Title music

Marc Sylvan

Inventors

The credits say "developed by Kieron Collins, Gareth JM Edwards, Ross Haymes, Damon Pattison". Collins and Edwards are also credited as Executive Producers.

Web links

Official site

See also

Weaver's Week review

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