I'm a dipper when it comes to gameshows. As in I dip in and out.
I used to watch Who Wants To Be A Millionaire and Deal or No Deal religiously, but over the last couple of years I've lingered away, only watching Deal while at work - it's Channel 4, so is on when it's on!
But this week, Vernon Kay bought a new show to our screens, called 1000 Heartbeats.
It's on at 4pm, which is a shame, as most of us are still at work and I think t's got the gumption to be an 8pm-er - but if you can dip in on it, or grab it on ITV Player, then you must do.
The show is simple. Each contestant battles against the clock to win a cash prize. And that clock is their very own heartbeat. Starting the game with 1000 heartbeats, as they play each round their heart rate is measured in real time: every single beat of their heart makes one of their 1000 heartbeats disappear. So if they panic, they will use up more beats!
The aim of the game is to answer questions and build up as much cash as their 1000 heartbeats will allow - the first round begins with a cash prize of £250 and the maximum to win is £25,000 - but when a player runs out of heartbeats, their game is over.
At any stage of the game, the player can elect to 'Cashout' with what money they have banked so far, but in order to win it, they must complete the Cashout game. Dum, dum, dummmm!
The games in each round are greatly variable. So far, some of the games we've seen are:
Contrast - The player is given 2 answer options (for example, Wayne Rooney and David Beckham), and is then given a statement (e.g. 'Who played the famous number 7 shirt for Manchester United'). The statement will match up with only 1 of the 2 answer options (in the example, the correct answer would be David Beckham). The player must correctly identify 7 statements to complete the round.
Unscramble - The player is given 5 anagrams and a theme that links them together. If the player gets stuck, they can request a clue at a cost of 25 heartbeats.
Assemble - The player will be shown a picture of a celebrity's face. The picture will then be split up into 8 pieces and 5 pieces will be blanked out. To complete the round, the player must place the correct pieces from a selection of 12 into the picture as highlighted by a pulsing blue square and complete the image.
Identify - The player is shown 8 answers, of which only 4 are correct and must identify which 4 are the right ones. The player must give 4 answers and the lights at the bottom of the screen will show how many they have correct, but not which answers are the correct ones. To complete the round, the player must select the 4 correct answers.
Pinpoint - The player is shown an arrangement of coloured balls with numbers inside. The player will then be given a maths question to answer (my nightmare!)
For example 'Multiply the highest ball by the lowest ball' or 'Add the orange balls together'. To complete the round, the player must clear 3 grids, each with 5 questions for a total of 15 questions to answer.
Decipher - The player is shown 5 statements followed by a question. The player must identify which of the 5 statements is correct for 2 questions to complete the round.
It's fun to play along at home, too, and Vernon brings his usual charm and warmth, while the talented Heartbeats Strings quartet bring dramatic, classical backing music as each player enters to face their fate!
It's my new gameshow addiction - give 1000 Heartbeats a watch - weekdays at 4pm on ITV!
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