Paranoia (TV series)

(For other uses of the term "Paranoia", click here)

Fox Family Game Show that ran three times a week from April 14 to May 7, 2000, and was unique due to its allowing one in-studio contestant (on a fancy blue-screen set) to compete against others live via satellite, on the phone, or on the internet.

With a mathematical possibility of up to $1,500,000 as the top prize, the studio contestant tried to defend their bank (which began at $10,000) by answering 10 multiple-choice questions (hey, that's a little familiar). Correct answers kept the bank intact, while incorrect answers deducted $1,000. Additionally following every question, the studio contestant had to "challenge" one of the three contestants that were live via satellite to see if they answered correctly; if the chosen player had answered correctly, that's another $1,000 down the drain, or else no money was deducted and the remote player got a strike (two strikes eliminated the player). There were also forms of lifelines which could swap out a remote player or entirely eliminate them...for a fee.

Additionally, select players on the internet and phone lines were chosen per question to play for $50 from the "interactive jackpot" of $5,000 (and some interactive players would also be chosen at the end of the show to play for an eMachines computer in the same way), leftovers from this pot would also be added to the studio player's bank at the end of the game (if they make it that far) for the bonus round, where the contestant picked a bonus question from one of ten categories. Nine questions multiplied the winnings by 10, while the remaining question multiplied it by 100.

Game Show Tropes in use:

 * Audience Participation: Multi-platform audience participation, too!
 * Bonus Round: One more question in one of 10 categories, 15 seconds to answer. Answering correctly multiplied banked winnings by 10, while one category multiplied it by 100 instead.
 * Home Participation Sweepstakes: The interactive parts were one giant play-at-home component, although some viewers may view eMachines computers of that era as an Undesirable Prize,
 * Lifelines: Either swap out a remote player for a different one on deck, or just kick them out entirely. Unlike most lifelines, these were not free — the swap cost $1,000, the kick $3,000. Later on, the victims were given these fees as consolation prizes, essentially making the lifelines into forced bribes.
 * Personnel:
 * Game Show Host: Peter Tomarken.
 * Who Wants to Be Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?: Mathematical possibility of a $1,500,000 top prize? Questions? Glitzy early-2000s CGI blue screen set? Lifelines? Yep, we got it all!


 * Hey, It's That Guy!: Peter Tomarken is best known for hosting Press Your Luck.
 * He was also an early presenter for Game Show Network. In fact, one time, throwing to break, he almost said Game Show Network before correcting himself.