I just came across this from Variety.
And Mr. Eisner wonders why no one in Hollywood treats ABC like a real network anymore.
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ABC heart-pounder
By Melissa Grego
HOLLYWOOD (Variety) - ABC has committed to 13 episodes of a new quiz show requiring contestants to control their heart rate while they answer general knowledge questions for money.
The series, tentatively titled ``The Chair,'' is targeted to bow in primetime sometime in 2002. Eight contestants will compete in a qualifying round to win the chance of sitting in the special seat rigged up to a heart monitor. Up to five players can make it to the chair per episode.
Once in the chair, players earn money each time they answer questions correctly. But if their heart rate exceeds a certain limit -- decided before the show during a three-hour resting period -- they start to lose their winnings. They must wait until their heart rate returns to normal before they can answer another question.
Players -- who'll be screened for drug use and other factors -- leave the chair once their money runs out or they get a question wrong. Surprises will add to the self-control challenge. ABC has yet to decide how much money a contestant can win.
``It's a new kind of drama,'' said executive producer Julie Christie. ``It's a quiz show where you have to control your mind and your body, and that's what makes it unique.''
ABC senior VP of alternative series Andrea Wong said the network ``loved the idea immediately'' after hearing about the concept shortly after Christie began selling the show internationally at last October's Mip TV convention.
``It was immediately compelling to watch somebody control their body under intense stress and watch their face while they're doing it,'' Wong said. ``It's really fresh. There hasn't been anything like this on TV.''
ABC will start its host search immediately. It has yet to be decided whether the show will be a half-hour or hour. Christie has done pilots for both lengths.
The first versions of ``The Chair'' likely will be rolled out early next year in New Zealand, Australia, Germany and the United States, Christie said.
Reuters/Variety REUTERS
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