Temptation

Ah, Temptation

The show originally started as "The Great Temptation" in the 1970s, and was reborn in 1980 as "Sale of the Century". It then went on as a successful game show until 2001, when it became "Sale of the New Century" and died. The problem here was that the show tried to update itself but went to far (adding a fourth contestant, and then have contestants eliminated to just two was just one of the many changes).

In 2005, and after years of speculation to its return, the program was resurrected as "Temptation" (it's first season went under the name of "Temptation: The New Sale of the Century" to highlight its similarities to its predecessor"). The basic premise of the show puts three contestants against each other in a test of general knowledge. The contestants start with 20 "dollars" (there is no real cash involved with the scoring), who receive 5 "dollars" for a correct answer and lose 5 for a wrong answer. They go through three main rounds of questions, with timed rounds and "who am I" questions that give the winner a chance to pick off a nine-choice chance board for a prize or much needed "dollars" to advance in the game. At the end of the show the highest score is crowned champion, who then chooses to take the prize given that night or risk it to come back to compete for more prizes and eventually complete the game for a high-paying booty.

Congratulations must go to the new show's creators. They have successfully updated the program without going so far out of line like those did with the failed "Sale of the New Century". The differences with the latest reincarnation base themselves around the word "temptation". Instead of going to the "gift shop" to choose to purchase for a $1000+ prize for no more than 1% of it's worth, players are asked if they are "tempted". The addition of the "Temptation Vault", where competitors choose to open the vault for $15 ($5 in season 1) to randomly select anywhere between $1 and $1000 (of which they keep), is another welcome new temptation. Even after the night's champion is chosen they are offered another temptation: stay and defend your crown or take your prize and go. Choose to stay and the game continues: you now choose one of five sets of ten general knowledge questions to win a cash bank prize of $50,000 (on the first night you get a starting balance of $50,000). If you get to the final (eighth) night of competition you take home all of the prizes (including a brand new Volvo) and your cash bank is doubled - usually in excess of $750,000.

This new reincarnation of an old Australian favourite is fantastic. The new hosts, Ed Phillips and Livinia Nixon, are wonderful; perhaps stemming from a previous partnership on Melbourne radio. Temptation does things the old fashioned way, making contestants work hard to win prizes and cash through extensive working of their general knowledge; unlike the get-rich-quick programs such as "Who Wants to be a Millionaire", "1 vs. 100", "Deal or No Deal", or "The Rich List".

Watch it!