The Weakest Link (UK)
| The Weakest Link | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Genre | Quiz show |
| Created by | Fintan Coyle Cathy Dunning |
| Presented by | Anne Robinson |
| Narrated by | Jon Briggs |
| Theme music composer | Paul Farrer |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of series | 13 |
| No. of episodes | 1,694 |
| Production | |
| Location(s) | Magic Eye Studios (daytime, 2000–01) BBC Television Centre (2000–01) Pinewood Studios (2001–09) BBC Pacific Quay (2009–12) Elstree Studios (2017) |
| Running time | 45 minutes per episode (approx.) (daytime) 50–60 minutes (primetime, 2003–12) |
| Release | |
| Original network |
BBC Two (Daytime: 14 August 2000 – 8 February 2008 and 5 September 2011 – 30 March 2012) (Special: 17 November 2017) BBC One (Primetime: 31 October 2000 – 31 March 2012) (Daytime: 11 February 2008 – 16 June 2011) |
| Picture format |
576i (SDTV) 4:3 (2000–01), 16:9 (2001–2010) 1080i (HDTV) (2010–12, 2017) |
| Original release |
Original series: 14 August 2000 – 31 March 2012 Revived series: 17 November 2017 (Special) |
| Chronology | |
| Related shows | Weakest Link (U.S. game show) |
| External links | |
| Website | www |
The Weakest Link is a British television quiz show, mainly broadcast on BBC Two as well as BBC One. It was devised by Fintan Coyle and Cathy Dunning, and developed for television by the BBC Entertainment Department. The first original episode was broadcast on 14 August 2000. The show is presented by Anne Robinson and narrated by Jon Briggs. It ran in different variations, originally as a daytime series but also at primetime and with celebrity contestants playing for charity with a modified set and format. The format has since been produced around the world, most notably in the United States where Robinson was the original presenter.
In April 2011, Anne Robinson announced that she would end her role as the quiz show's presenter by the time her contract would expire as she had served longer than she originally intended to. The original run ended on 31 March 2012 with a 1,693rd episode. The quiz show itself continues to run internationally on the BBC Entertainment channel.
On 19 July 2017, it was reported that The Weakest Link would return in mid-November 2017 for one celebrity Children In Need edition, marking the 1,694th edition. This 40-minute edition for BBC Two's Children in Need aired on 17 November 2017 on BBC Two at 10pm. It is reported that the show itself will return for one new primetime celebrity series in 2018, but airing only in a Saturday evening slot.
The original format features nine contestants, who (in no particular order) take turns answering general knowledge questions. The objective of every round is to create a chain of nine correct answers in a row and earn an increasing amount of money within a time limit. One wrong answer breaks the chain and loses any money earned within that particular chain. However, before their question is asked, a contestant can choose to bank the current amount of money earned in any chain to make it safe, after which the chain starts afresh. A contestant's decision not to bank, in anticipation being able to correctly answer the upcoming question allows the money to grow, as each successive correct answer earns proportionally more money.
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Wikipedia