Channel 4 Announces “Five Minutes to a Fortune” with Davina McCall

On Thursday Channel 4 announced the green light of its newest game show, the team-based quiz Five Minutes to a Fortune.  The series, hosted by Davina McCall, shows teams of two working together to form a perfect partnership and, hopefully, win up to £50,000.  These episodes will air across four weeks daily with special celebrity episodes on Saturday evenings for £100,000.  Episode episode sees contestants trying to answer questions against the clock to win money that will literally drain away from within the show’s iconic 15 foot hourglass.  Davina McCall also hosts Channel 4′s The Million Pound Drop. Davina McCall says, “5 Minutes to a Fortune is one of those shows that has you clenching your buttocks from start to finish – I cannot wait to get started!”

On Five Minutes to a Fortune, one team member will be elected to play one of the show’s five rounds while the other will be the “Timekeeper.”  The Timekeeper decides which of eight category his or her partner will play and how much time they’ll have to play the round.  The couples will have five minutes to play all five rounds.  The tricky part is determining how much of the five minutes will be necessary to win the round.  If things are getting too tough there are two “Time Controls” to use.  One is Time Freeze which stops the game for ten seconds.  The other is Emergency Stop which halts the challenge and replaces it with a new one.

Once all five games are completed the roles will reverse and the Timekeeper must play one final game to win whatever cash is left inside the hourglass.  The Timekeeper much name ten items in the chosen category in order to take home whatever they have left.  If they aren’t quick, though, they’ll watch all their winnings drain away.

Tom Beck, Commissioning Editor for Channel 4 Entertainment, says: “Five Minutes to a Fortune is a hugely exciting new format fronted by the best host in the business. It’s brilliantly simple to play, fiendishly difficult to win and simply gripping to watch. It’s tense and exciting, funny and unique.”

Victoria Ashbourne, Managing Director, Victory Television adds: “Unlike most game shows, the pressure really kicks in when the clock hits zero and the prize money literally drains away, coin by coin. With an exciting combination of both daytime and primetime shows to create, we can’t wait to bring this brand new series to life.”

Source : Channel 4