''Let's Ask America'' is an American interactive
game show
A game show is a genre of broadcast viewing entertainment (radio, television, internet, stage or other) where contestants compete for a reward. These programs can either be participatory or Let's Play, demonstrative and are typically directed b ...
which debuted on September 17, 2012. The show features contestants who play from their homes via
webcam
A webcam is a video camera which is designed to record or stream to a computer or computer network. They are primarily used in videotelephony, livestreaming and social media, and security. Webcams can be built-in computer hardware or peripheral d ...
s, answering trivia questions relating to current events. On November 4, 2013, it was announced that Scripps planned to launch ''Let's Ask America'' nationwide through a distribution deal with
MGM Television
MGM Television Worldwide Group and Digital (alternatively Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Television Group and Digital, commonly known as MGM Television and then-known as MGM/UA Television; common metonym: Lion) is an American television production/dis ...
. Contestants participate by
Skype
Skype () is a proprietary telecommunications application operated by Skype Technologies, a division of Microsoft, best known for VoIP-based videotelephony, videoconferencing and voice calls. It also has instant messaging, file transfer, deb ...
from the comfort of their own home, an inexpensive technology negating the need for travel expenses. In
sweeps
Nielsen Media Research (NMR) is an American firm that measures media audiences, including television, radio, theatre, films (via the AMC Theatres MAP program), and newspapers. Headquartered in New York City, it is best known for the Nielsen rat ...
months, the show features celebrity editions featuring local news talent from the stations carrying the series such as meteorologists and anchors playing the game from their station's studios for local charities.
The program was hosted from its premiere through the summer of 2014 by
Kevin Pereira
Kevin Elder Pereira (born December 28, 1982) is an American television personality and host.
Early life
While he was 14, Pereira hosted ''Pointless Audio'' under the pseudonym Captain Immy.Stephen A. Johnson (April 15, 2006)AOTS hosts Kevin Pere ...
. In July 2014,
Bill Bellamy
William Bellamy (born April 7, 1965) is an American actor and stand-up comedian. Bellamy first gained national notoriety on HBO's Russell Simmons' ''Def Comedy Jam'', where he is credited for creating or coining the phrase "booty call", descri ...
confirmed he had begun taping episodes as the host for the program's third season, set to begin that fall.
Produced by paraMedia and
Telepictures
Telepictures (also known as Telepictures Productions; formerly known as Telepictures Distribution and Telepictures Corporation) is an American television show and filmmaking company, currently operating as a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Television S ...
, the program was created for the
E. W. Scripps Company
The E. W. Scripps Company is an American broadcasting company founded in 1878 as a chain of daily newspapers by Edward Willis "E. W." Scripps and his sister, Ellen Browning Scripps. It was also formerly a media conglomerate. The company is he ...
, and initially premiered on seven of its television stations alongside another Scripps-created program, the
news magazine
A news magazine is a typed, printed, and published magazine, radio or television program, usually published weekly, consisting of articles about current events. News magazines generally discuss stories, in greater depth than do newspapers or new ...
program ''The List''. The premiere of the two programs are part of a strategy being undertaken by Scripps to replace existing
syndicated programming
Broadcast syndication is the practice of leasing the right to broadcasting television shows and radio programs to multiple television stations and radio stations, without going through a broadcast network. It is common in the United States where ...
in the valuable
pre-primetime hour with new "home-grown" programs. These new programs would allow Scripps complete control over advertising inventories during the hour for better profitability, unlike ''
Wheel of Fortune The Wheel of Fortune or ''Rota Fortunae'' has been a concept and metaphor since ancient times referring to the capricious nature of Fate. Wheel of Fortune may also refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Art
* ''The Wheel of Fortune'' (Burne-Jo ...
'' and ''
Jeopardy!
''Jeopardy!'' is an American game show created by Merv Griffin. The show is a quiz competition that reverses the traditional question-and-answer format of many quiz shows. Rather than being given questions, contestants are instead given genera ...
'', which Scripps staff felt were too expensive and underperforming in comparison. ''Wheel'' and ''Jeopardy!'' were replaced by ''The List'' and ''Let's Ask America'' on the Scripps stations that carried them.
Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution
Warner Bros. Television Studios (operating under the name Warner Bros. Television; formerly known as Warner Bros. Television Division) is an American television production and distribution studio of the Warner Bros. Television Group division of ...
began to syndicate ''Let's Ask America'' to other markets at beginning of the 2013 season.
The program is executive produced by Jeff Apploff, Jack Martin and Todd Stevens and is co-produced by Ben Betts and Casey Green.
''Let's Ask America'' was canceled on March 24, 2015, due to low ratings, with the show's final episode airing three days later; reruns continued to air until the end of the season.
Gameplay
In the first round, there are four contestants, each of whom attempt to answer the four multiple-choice questions. In this round, questions have two possible answers. The host first reads the two answers and then follows with the question. All four contestants then have approximately 30 seconds to write down their answers onto the card included in their game kits. Once all contestants have verbally acknowledged that they have written down their answers, the host asks them each to reveal their answers in a sequence determined by the producers. The host then reveals the correct answer, and each contestant that answered the question correctly is awarded the prize money assigned for that question. Contestants who answered incorrectly receive no prize money. After the correct answer to the first question has been revealed, all four contestants are given the next question. The process is then repeated with three additional questions. The first question is worth $100, with subsequent questions increasing by that amount, up to $400 for the fourth question. The lowest scoring contestant at the end of the round is eliminated and leaves with nothing (or $1,000 for charity).
If two or more contestants are tied for the lowest score, a tiebreaker determines which contestant is eliminated. The tied contestants play a special game called "Dash for Ca$h". The host gives the contestants a name of an item they must find within their home. The contestant who finds the required item last or fails to find the item is eliminated. Some rounds feature specific rules the contestants must follow while searching for the item, a certain activity that must be completed once the item is found, or starting in the second season, the host gives the contestants a question with two answers, and the contestants must find the correct item related to the answer first to move on.
The second round is conducted in the same manner, with each question having three possible answers. Question values begin at $500 and increase by that amount, up to $1,500 for the third question. Again, the contestant with the lowest amount of money is eliminated and leaves with nothing (or $1,000 for charity).
The third round features the two remaining contestants competing against each other in a two-question showdown. Each question features four possible answers. The first question is worth $2,000 and the second is worth $4,000. The higher-scoring contestant at the end of the third round is the winner and keeps the money earned, and the runner-up is eliminated and leaves with nothing (or $1,000 for charity).
Bonus round
During the commercial break, the winning-contestant writes down a wager for the final question. The question is then presented along with four possible answers, and the contestant must answer the question within 30 seconds. A correct response adds the wager to the contestant's final total, while an incorrect response deducts that amount. However, if the contestant wagers any money earned to that point and answers correctly, the wager is paid out at 5-to-1 odds (e.g., if a contestant wagered their maximum of $10,000 and is correct, the contestants maximum win up to $50,000 in the first two seasons or maximum of $7,000 to $35,000 in the third season). During its three-season run, David Luea from
Boston, MA
Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the capital city, state capital and List of municipalities in Massachusetts, most populous city of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financ ...
was the only contestant able to play a perfect game and take home the top prize of $50,000.
In the first season only, a contestant who wagered their entire winnings on the final question and failed to provide a correct answer was given a $1,000 consolation prize (or merchandise if the contestant's final score was less than $2,000 before the start of the bonus round). Starting in the second season, contestants who wager their entire score but are incorrect leave with nothing.
Reruns
Reruns of the show have aired on
GSN in the past.
Cincinnati version
A locally produced version of ''Let's Ask America'' for
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line wit ...
, titled ''Let's Ask Cincinnati'' and hosted by
Bob Goen
Robert Kuehl Goen (born December 1, 1954) is an American game show emcee and television personality, best known for his work on ''Entertainment Tonight'' between 1993 and 2004 and as the fourth and final host of the daytime ''Wheel of Fortune'' fr ...
, aired on Scripps's
WCPO-TV
WCPO-TV (channel 9) is a television station in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States, affiliated with ABC. It is the flagship television property of locally based E. W. Scripps Company, which has owned the station since its inception. WCPO-TV's ...
in 2014. The format was the same as the regular version, with Cincinnati celebrities and personalities playing for local charities.
Philippine version
A short-lived version of ''Let's Ask America'' titled ''
Let's Ask Pilipinas
''Let's Ask Pilipinas'' was a Philippine television game show created by Telepictures, based on the American television game show ''Let's Ask America''. It was aired from October 14, 2013 to November 21, 2014 on TV5. It was hosted by Aga Muhlach ...
'' airs in the
Philippines
The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no),
* bik, Republika kan Filipinas
* ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas
* cbk, República de Filipinas
* hil, Republ ...
on
TV5 and is hosted by
in Seasons 1 and 2 followed by
Ogie Alcasid
Herminio Jose Lualhati "Ogie" Alcasid Jr. (; born August 27, 1967) is a Filipino singer-songwriter, television presenter, comedian, parodist, and actor. He is currently the President of OPM (Organisasyon ng Pilipinong Mang-Aawit).
Early care ...
in Season 3. The program is part of the network's ''Everyday All the Way'' weekday primetime block, and originally aired on the network from October 14, 2013, until March 28, 2014. However, the series was revived on July 7, 2014, until its cancellation on November 21, 2014, after three seasons.
French version
A short-lived version of ''Let's Ask America'' titled ''
Jouons à la maison
'' airs in the
French on
France 3
France 3 () is a French free-to-air public television channel and part of the France Télévisions group, which also includes France 2, France 4, France 5 and France Info.
It is made up of a network of regional television services providing ...
and is hosted by
Alex Goude
Alexandre Goudeau (; born 13 August 1975), better known as Alex Goude ( "good", ), is a French television host, author and actor.
Career
He started as a footballer. He started as a journalist in video games including ''Le Journal de Mickey'', f ...
and has aired on the network originally on April 18, 2020.
Arabic version
An Arabic version of ''Let's Ask America'' titled '' اسأل السعوديةإ سأل_السعودية# Let's Ask Al Saudia Let's Ask Saudia إسأل السعودية'' airs in the
Arabic
Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic languages, Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C ...
on
Al Saudiya
Al Saudiya (previously known as Saudi TV Channel 1 and KSA 1), is a Saudi news and entertainment TV channel broadcasting in Arabic, owned by the Saudi Broadcasting Authority (SBA), which is state-run and is administered by the Ministry of Media ...
and is hosted by
عبد المجيد الرهيدي and is produced by In Media Plus has aired on the network originally on January 10, 2021.
References
External links
(Pereira) Official Site*
(GSN) Official Site''Let's Ask Cincinnati'' Site
{{EWS CORP
2010s American game shows
2012 American television series debuts
2015 American television series endings
English-language television shows
First-run syndicated television programs in the United States
Quiz shows
Television series by Warner Bros. Television Studios
Television series by Telepictures