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{{About|the 2007 American game show based on ]|the unrelated game show from 1967|Temptation (1967 American game show)}}
{{Refimprove|date=January 2008}} {{More citations needed|date=January 2008}}
{{Infobox Television {{Infobox television
⚫ | show_name = Temptation
| image = <!--Image with inadequate rationale removed: ]--> | image =
| caption = ''Temptation'' logo (2007-2008). | caption =
| genre = ] | genre = ]
| presenter = ] | runtime = 20 minutes
| narrated = ] | presenter = Rossi Morreale
| announcer = ]
| country = {{USA}}
⚫ | executive_producer = Ginger Simpson
| num_seasons = 1
⚫ | company = ]<br>]
⚫ | num_episodes = 170
| location = ], ]
⚫ | executive_producer = Ginger Simpson
⚫ | country = United States
⚫ | producer = ]/]
| location = ], ] | language = English
| runtime = ~20 minutes | network = ]
| network = ] | first_aired = {{start date|2007|9|10}}
| first_aired = ], ] | last_aired = {{end date|2008|5|23}}
| last_aired = ], ] | num_seasons = 1
⚫ | num_episodes = 170
| preceded_by = '']'' (1969-1974, 1983-1989)
| related = '']'' (1969–1974, 1983–1989)
| followed_by =
| related = '']'' (1967-1968)
}} }}
'''''Temptation: The New Sale of the Century''''' was a television ] loosely based on both the original Australian and American '']'' plus the current Australian remake, also called '']'', the show began airing in ] starting ], ], with the last first-run episode airing on ], ]. Reruns continued until ], ]. '''''Temptation: The New Sale of the Century''''' is an American syndicated television ] loosely based on both the original Australian and American '']'' versions, and modeled after the ], also titled ''Temptation''. The show began airing in ] on September 10, 2007, with the last first-run episode airing on May 23, 2008. Reruns continued until September 5, 2008.


The series was hosted by Rossi Morreale with former ] host ] as announcer. ''Temptation'' was produced by ] (logoed as FremantleMedia) and ] but was syndicated by ].
⚫ In July 2008, ''Temptation'' was canceled due to extremely low ratings - it had the lowest ratings of any game show of the 2007-2008 television season. It was replaced by '']'' on most stations.


⚫ As with other syndicated half-hour programs, ''Temptation'' aired two episodes in some markets, with the second episode with a later production date. In July 2008, ''Temptation'' was canceled due to low ratings (it was the lowest among game shows during the 2007–2008 season) and replaced by '']'' on most stations.
''Temptation'' was hosted by ], produced by ], and syndicated by ]. Former ] host ] served as the announcer.

⚫ Owned-and-operated stations of ] were among the stations carrying the show, as was the former ], which is currently known as Peachtree TV. MyNetworkTV carried two previews of the show featuring several '']'' alumni on ], ] in primetime.

⚫ Before the show premiered, the writers went on strike because FremantleMedia refused to recognize the ] as the writers' chosen labor representative.<ref name="wgastrike"></ref>

Some markets including ] in the New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut area, and ] in the Houston area were airing two episodes per day. The second episode aired was from later in the season. This was determined by the noticeably shorter intro, and Watts referenced "Temptation dollars" in the "Shopper's Paradise" round. She referenced the price of the prizes as dollars in earlier episodes.


==Front Game== ==Front Game==
The game was played in two rounds, each broken down into several parts. Three contestants, one a returning champion, started the game with 20 points (referred to in-game as "Temptation dollars"). The host explained the rules: The game was played in two rounds, each containing several parts. Three contestants, one a returning champion, each started the game with 20 "Temptation dollars".

{{cquote|First, I'm going to start you off each with 20 "Temptation dollars". Now, we're going to play a series of games to help you win some more shopping cash. Periodically, I'm going to try to tempt whoever's in the lead into spending that cash on some incredible bargains. Now, do you resist that temptation and keep the lead, or do you give in and take the guaranteed prize? But it all comes down to one thing: Whoever has the most cash at the end of the show wins, and gets to go to "Shopper's Paradise" for the "Shopping Spree of a Lifetime".}}


===Round 1=== ===Round 1===
This round was broken down into three parts — a Speedround, an "Instant Bargain", and the "Fame Game": This round was broken down into three parts: a "Speed Round", an "Instant Bargain", and a "Fame Game":


*'''"Speedround"''' — Morreale asked a series of rapid-fire ] questions over 30 seconds; correct answers were worth $5 while incorrect responses lost $5. *'''Speed Round:''' Morreale asked a series of rapid-fire ] questions over 30 seconds (instead of 60 as in the '80s series); correct answers were worth $5 while incorrect responses lost $5.
⚫ *'''Instant Bargain:''' The leader after the initial speed round was offered a chance to spend some of his/her "Temptation dollars" to purchase a prize at a discount. Played just like the original ''Sale of the Century'' Instant Bargains, the host often offered extra incentives (e.g., reducing the price, offering extra cash, or offering additional tickets if the offer includes a trip) to entice the contestant. However, if two or all three contestants were tied, a ] was frequently conducted. The only stylistic difference was that instead of the host saying "Going once... going twice...", the player was placed on a five-second "Shop Clock".

⚫ *'''Fame Game:''' The host read clues pertaining to a famous person, place, thing, etc. from a first-person perspective. Unlike the 1980s version, letters filled in a puzzle one at a time on the monitor behind the host. The contestant who answered correctly won $15.
⚫ *'''Instant Bargain''' — The leader after the initial Speedround was offered a chance to spend some of his/her "Temptation dollars" to purchase a prize at a discount. Played just like the original ''Sale of the Century'' Instant Bargains, the host often offered extra incentives (e.g., reducing the price, offering cash, pulling out additional ''Cheap Tickets'' if the prize was a pair of them) to entice the contestant; however, if two or all three contestants were tied, a ] was frequently conducted. The only stylistic difference was that instead of the host saying "Going once... going twice..." the player was placed on a five-second "Shop Clock".

⚫ *'''Fame Game''' — The host read clues leading to a famous person, place, thing, etc. One major difference from the 1980s ''Sale of the Century'' round was that, on the monitor behind the host, letters filled in a puzzle one at a time. For a correct answer, the contestant won $15.


===Round 2=== ===Round 2===
After the first commercial break, the second round consisted of "Knock-Off", a second Instant Bargain, a second Speedround, "Instant Cash", and one final Speedround. After the first commercial break, the second round consisted of "Knock-Off", a second Instant Bargain, a second speed round, "Instant Cash", and one final speed round.


*'''Knock Off''' — Similar to the 1980s game show '']'', a category was announced and 12 possible answers were shown; nine answers were correct while three were wrong. Each contestant, in turn, selected one of the answers. A correct answer turned gold and was worth cash (four $2 answers, three $5 answers, a $10 answer, and a $15 answer; Some boards had two $3 answers replacing two worth $2). An incorrect answer was noted in red and eliminated that contestant for the remainder of that round. Play continued until the last correct answer was found or all three players had been eliminated. In general, the less obvious an answer was, the more it was worth. *'''Knock-Off:''' A category was announced and 12 possible answers were shown; nine answers were correct while three were wrong. Each contestant, in turn, selected one of the answers. A correct answer turned gold and was worth cash (four $2 answers, three $5 answers, a $10 answer, and a $15 answer; Some boards had two $3 answers replacing two worth $2). An incorrect answer turned red and eliminated that contestant for the remainder of that round. Play continued until the last correct answer was found or all three players had been eliminated. In general, the less obvious an answer was, the more it was worth.
⚫ *'''Instant Bargain:''' Played as before but for a slightly more expensive prize.
⚫ *'''Speed Round #2:''' Two answers were given before the start of the round, both usually with a similar theme (e.g., "Winger or Gunslinger" and contestants had to identify films as starring Debra Winger or Westerns, which were sometimes called Gunslingers). Once again, the speed round lasted for 30 seconds, and questions were worth $5 up or down.
⚫ *'''Instant Cash:''' Based on the ''Sale of the Century'' round of the same name. The leader at that point was offered a chance at a cash jackpot which began at $500 and rose by that amount until it was claimed or reached $5,000, at which point the pot was frozen until someone won it. To play, the contestant had to give up his/her entire lead over the second-place opponent. If two or more contestants were tied, a Dutch auction was conducted (it usually started at the difference between the tied players and third place). If a contestant opted to play, they were shown three wallets (one white, one brown, one red) and asked to choose one and open it. Inside two of the wallets was a slip that said "$100" on it, with the other having a slip with the amount of money in the Instant Cash jackpot inside. Regardless of whether or not the leader chose to play, Morreale revealed the location of the jackpot.
⚫ *'''Speed Round #3:''' After a second commercial break, a final 30-second round of questions was played, however each answer was worth +/- $10.


⚫ The contestant with the highest score was the champion and advanced to Shopper's Paradise for the "Shopping Spree of a Lifetime". If two or more contestants were tied, a tiebreaker question was played. The contestant who had the right answer earned $10 and became the champion (or remained if s/he was the defending champion). If not, the opponent won $10 and became the champion (or remained)
⚫ *'''Instant Bargain''' — This was played as before, usually for a slightly more expensive prize.


⚫ The losers kept any cash and prizes won during the main game; unlike earlier incarnations of ''Sale of the Century'', no contestants received their score in cash. Any player who had not won anything up to the end of the game received unacknowledged parting gifts.
⚫ *'''"Speedround" #2''' — Two answers were given before the start of the round, both usually with a similar theme (e.g., "Winger or Gunslinger". where contestants had to identify the films as starring Debra Winger; or Westerns, which were sometimes called Gunslingers). Questions were based around the two possible answers. Once again, the speed round lasted for 30 seconds, and questions were worth $5 up or down.


⚫ ==Shopper's Paradise==
⚫ *'''"Instant Cash"''' — Based on the ''Sale of the Century'' round, the leader at that point was offered a chance at a cash jackpot which began at $500 and rose by that amount until it was claimed or reached $5,000; at that point it was frozen until claimed. To play, the contestant had to give up his/her entire lead over the second-place opponent; also as before, if two or more contestants were tied, a ] was conducted (it usually started at the difference between the tied players and third place). If he/she opted to play, the host showed the contestant three colored wallets (red, white, and brown), one of which had contained the jackpot and the other two $100. This was a carryover from the 1980s version of ''Sale of the Century'', except the players chose 1 of 3 boxes and the jackpot started at $1,000 and went up that much with no limit.
''Temptation'' used a similar shopping endgame to its predecessor series, but was slightly different.


After the champion entered Shopper's Paradise, he/she was shown each of the five prizes that could be purchased that week and how much it cost in "Temptation dollars" to buy. Each new prize increased in value as the champion went along, with the most expensive/valuable prize usually being a car. Unlike the Australian version of ''Temptation'', on which this series was based, and the 1980s ''Sale of the Century'', there was no opportunity to buy all on-stage prizes nor receive a cash jackpot for accumulating a high amount of money. Contestants were also not permitted to buy more than one prize in Shopper's Paradise, a rule that carried over from the 1980s ''Sale'' series.
⚫ *'''"Speedround" #3''' — After a second commercial break, a final 30-second round of questions was played but this time, each correct answers were worth $10; incorrect answers lost that amount.


Once the entire gallery of prizes was revealed to the champion, he/she attempted to build up his/her bankroll by playing a round of "Super Knock-Off". Like the version played in the front game, twelve answers were shown. This time, only six were right and the round was played for higher stakes. Four of the answers were worth $25 each, one was worth $50, and one worth $100 for a total of $250 added to the bankroll for finding all six answers. The champion could stop choosing answers whenever he/she desired, as choosing one of the wrong answers wiped out the bank and ended the round.
⚫ The contestant with the highest score was the champion and advanced to the "Shopper's Paradise" round, for the "Shopping Spree of a Lifetime". If two or more contestants were tied, then, instead of a ], a tiebreaker question was announced. The contestant who had the right answer earned $10 and became the champion. If not, the opponent won $10 and became the champion.


After Super Knock-Off was completed, any money from the correct answers was added to the champion's already-accumulated bankroll and he/she was given a choice to buy a prize or return on the next show and try to add more money to the bank. If the total bank was not enough to buy the lowest level prize in Shopper's Paradise, a Croton diamond watch was offered as a consolation prize.
⚫ The losers kept any cash and prizes won during the main game; unlike the earlier incarnations of ''Sale of the Century'', no contestants received their score in cash. Any player who had not won any prizes up to the end of the game received unacknowledged parting gifts.


Champions played until they either decided to buy a prize, were defeated, banked enough to buy the highest level prize, or won a fifth match. If that happened and a champion had not banked enough money for the highest level prize, he/she was forced to buy any prize that he/she could afford and retire undefeated.
⚫ ==Shopper's Paradise==
The end game was played in two parts:
*'''Super Knock Off''' — This was nearly identical to the main game round, except six answers were correct and six answers were wrong. Correct choices netted the contestant anywhere from $25 to $100 in "Temptation dollars". Four answers were worth $25, one was worth $50, and one was worth $100 (for a cumulative maximum of $250). The contestant stopped at any time, as a wrong answer ended the game and forfeited any cash accumulated during that round.


==Tournaments==
*'''Shopper's Paradise''' — Almost the same in concept as the original "shopping" format from the 1970s ''Sale of the Century'', the contestant was shown five prizes, each in ascending value, at greatly reduced prices; the most expensive prize was usually a car, but sometimes an expensive trip was offered instead. After all five prizes were announced, the contestant was given time (one last commercial break, which included promotional consideration credits) to ponder whether he/she wanted to buy a prize (as long as there was enough money available), or bank it and return on the next show to try to buy one of the more expensive items. In the event that a contestant did not have enough "Temptation dollars" to buy the least expensive prize, they were offered the chance to either buy a Croton diamond watch with their winnings or return to the next show. If the five-day contestant does not have enough money to buy the top prize, then he/she goes shopping and has to think on what to buy during one last commercial break. The prizes alter each week.
⚫ From November 19–21, 2007, and again from November 26–28, ''Temptation'' aired two 3-day tournaments where three former contestants returned and played for the entire tournament. The contestants were different for each of the two tournaments. Rules remained similar for each tournament, except that contestants started each game with $30. The winner of each game played Super Knock Off. The winner of day 1 and 2 played Super Knock Off, but did not go to "Shopper's Paradise". In day 3, a special 10% off coupon to be used in Shopper's Paradise was presented for the contestant in the lead for the second Instant Bargain if the contestant accepted the bargain. Only the winner of day 3 went to "Shopper's Paradise".


⚫ ==Shop-at-home offers==
Unlike the 1980s version of ''Sale of the Century'', for reasons unexplained, there was no opportunity to buy all the on-stage prizes nor receive a cash jackpot for accumulating a high amount of "Temptation dollars"; as such, buying all the prizes (or even more than one prize, should the contestant have enough to buy the first two, for example) was impossible.
⚫ Before commercial breaks, offers for products at discounted prices were advertised under a ] format. These items were purchased online at the show's official site. The offers were originally separate items, but later became generic "60% off retail" plug offers.


==Broadcast history==
A contestant continued as champion until he/she purchased one of the prizes from "Shopper's Paradise", had enough money to purchase the top prize, or was defeated. Unlike previous versions of the show, there was a five-day limit on ''Temptation'': if the contestant was a five-time champion, they '''had''' to buy a prize from "Shopper's Paradise" after Super Knock Off, as they were retired afterwards.
''Temptation'' was based on the Australian series of the same name, itself a revival of ''Sale of the Century''. The two pilots were filmed on the Australian set with the show's eventual mini-games in place; unlike the series, the pilots used the Australian sound effects and theme (the former based on the 1980s ''Sale'' sounds).


Unlike the 2005 Australian revival, this new American iteration only allowed female contestants for the majority of the run as they were attempting to target the female demographic in tandem with the shopping elements of the show and specifically the retail merchandise offered from the ''Temptation'' website. Toward the middle of the second and final season, a small selection of male contestants were finally allowed to compete on Temptation; however, this was occasional and the contestant ratio was always two female contestants to one male contestant in such instances. The American version of ''Temptation'' was also notable for not making use of a studio audience, opting instead for a ] in its place.
==Temptation Tournament==
⚫ From November 19-21, 2007, and again from November 26-28, ''Temptation'' aired two 3-day tournaments where three former contestants returned and played for the entire tournament. The contestants were different for each of the two tournaments. Rules remained pretty much the same for each tournament, except that contestants started each game with 30 "Temptation dollars". The winner of each game played Super Knock Off. The winner of day 1 and 2 played Super Knock Off, but did not go to "Shopper's Paradise". In day 3, a special 10% off coupon was presented for the contestant in the lead for the second Instant Bargain if the contestant accepted the bargain. Only the winner of day 3 went to "Shopper's Paradise". One contestant bought $10,000 and the other bought a 10-day trip to Thailand.


⚫ Owned-and-operated stations of ] were among the stations carrying the show, as was the former ] (currently known as Peachtree TV). ] aired two ] episodes featuring '']'' alumni ], ], and ] on September 5, 2007 in prime time. These episodes were aired again on March 13 and 14, 2008.
⚫ ==Shop-at-home Temptation offers==
⚫ Before commercial breaks, offers for products at discounted prices were advertised. These items were purchased online at the show's official site. The offers were separate items, but later became generic "60% off retail" plug offers.


⚫ Before the series premiered, writers went on strike because FremantleMedia refused to recognize the ] as the writers' chosen labor representative.<ref name="wgastrike"></ref>
==Differences In The First Episodes==
In the very first episodes of ''Temptation'' (aired March 3-7, 2008), the games worked a little differently. They were: "Speedround" #1, the first "Instant Bargain", the Fame Game, then "Speedround" #2.


] aired reruns of ''Temptation'' as part of their Friday Night block from February 9 to April 20, 2018, and brought them back as a weeknight entry that fall.
⚫ After the first commercial break there was "Knock-Off", then the second "Instant Bargain", then a second Fame Game worth $25, then "Instant Cash", and then the final "Speedround".


===First taped week===
⚫ Also, the price tags at "Shopper's Paradise" were white instead of orange, and the host actually showed the winning contestant around "Shopper's Paradise" while the announcer described the prizes.
The first ''taped'' week of the series did not air until March 3–7, 2008 and featured a slightly different game structure. The show began with Speed Round #1 followed by Instant Bargain #1, the Fame Game, and Speed Round #2.


⚫ After the first commercial break, Knock-Off was played followed by Instant Bargain #2, a second Fame Game worth $25, Instant Cash, and Speed Round #3.
==Grand Champions==
There were five contestants that went all the way to the top grand prize on the show (a car in all cases), and four won it. Three contestants who won the grand prize were male and only one was female. The only other female contestant went all the way but failed to win the car.


⚫ In addition, the price tags at Shopper's Paradise were white instead of orange, and Morreale showed the winning contestant around while Watts described the prizes.
==Ratings==
⚫ With the exception of the preview episode, which rated 0.8,<ref>Downey, Kevin. . Media Life. ], ].</ref> ''Temptation'' wasn't rated above 0.5 in the ]<sup>(TVgameshows.net)</sup>, making it the lowest rated game show on broadcast television that year. The next lowest rated game show, '']'', maintained a 0.8-1.0 share.


===Cancellation===
Although the final first-run episode of ''Temptation'' aired on June 13, 2008, the show's official cancellation was not announced until July 29, 2008.
⚫ With the exception of the preview episodes, which rated 0.8,<ref>Downey, Kevin. {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090527150947/http://www.medialifemagazine.com/artman2/publish/Television_44/Syndicated_TV_s_new_star_Family_Guy.asp |date=2009-05-27 }}, Media Life. October 4, 2007</ref> ''Temptation'' never rose above 0.5 in the ], making it the least-watched game show on broadcast television that year; the next lowest-rated game, '']'', maintained a 0.8–1.0 share.


Although the final first-run episode of ''Temptation'' aired on May 23, 2008, the show's official cancellation was not announced until July 29. The final episode was later broadcast as the last repeat on September 5, making it one of only a handful of programs to do so. The series was replaced with '']'' on most stations that carried it; however, the program experienced similar low ratings as its predecessor and was canceled in April 2009.
==See also==
*] ''(a program not related to this series)''


==References== ==References==
<references /> <references/>
*'''' *
*


==External links== ==External links==
* {{imdb title|id=1068587|title=Temptation}} * {{IMDb title|id=1068587|title=Temptation}}


] ]
] ]
] ]
] ]
] ]
]
] ]
]

Latest revision as of 03:17, 14 November 2024

This article is about the 2007 American game show based on Sale of the Century. For the unrelated game show from 1967, see Temptation (1967 American game show).
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2007 American TV series or program
Temptation
GenreGame show
Presented byRossi Morreale
AnnouncerRolonda Watts
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes170
Production
Executive producerGinger Simpson
Production locationsLos Angeles, California
Running time20 minutes
Production companiesFremantleMedia North America
20th Television
Original release
NetworkSyndicated
ReleaseSeptember 10, 2007 (2007-09-10) –
May 23, 2008 (2008-05-23)
Related
Sale of the Century (1969–1974, 1983–1989)

Temptation: The New Sale of the Century is an American syndicated television game show loosely based on both the original Australian and American Sale of the Century versions, and modeled after the 2005 Australian version, also titled Temptation. The show began airing in syndication on September 10, 2007, with the last first-run episode airing on May 23, 2008. Reruns continued until September 5, 2008.

The series was hosted by Rossi Morreale with former talk show host Rolonda Watts as announcer. Temptation was produced by FremantleMedia North America (logoed as FremantleMedia) and 20th Century Fox Television but was syndicated by 20th Television.

As with other syndicated half-hour programs, Temptation aired two episodes in some markets, with the second episode with a later production date. In July 2008, Temptation was canceled due to low ratings (it was the lowest among game shows during the 2007–2008 season) and replaced by Trivial Pursuit: America Plays on most stations.

Front Game

The game was played in two rounds, each containing several parts. Three contestants, one a returning champion, each started the game with 20 "Temptation dollars".

Round 1

This round was broken down into three parts: a "Speed Round", an "Instant Bargain", and a "Fame Game":

  • Speed Round: Morreale asked a series of rapid-fire pop culture questions over 30 seconds (instead of 60 as in the '80s series); correct answers were worth $5 while incorrect responses lost $5.
  • Instant Bargain: The leader after the initial speed round was offered a chance to spend some of his/her "Temptation dollars" to purchase a prize at a discount. Played just like the original Sale of the Century Instant Bargains, the host often offered extra incentives (e.g., reducing the price, offering extra cash, or offering additional tickets if the offer includes a trip) to entice the contestant. However, if two or all three contestants were tied, a Dutch auction was frequently conducted. The only stylistic difference was that instead of the host saying "Going once... going twice...", the player was placed on a five-second "Shop Clock".
  • Fame Game: The host read clues pertaining to a famous person, place, thing, etc. from a first-person perspective. Unlike the 1980s version, letters filled in a puzzle one at a time on the monitor behind the host. The contestant who answered correctly won $15.

Round 2

After the first commercial break, the second round consisted of "Knock-Off", a second Instant Bargain, a second speed round, "Instant Cash", and one final speed round.

  • Knock-Off: A category was announced and 12 possible answers were shown; nine answers were correct while three were wrong. Each contestant, in turn, selected one of the answers. A correct answer turned gold and was worth cash (four $2 answers, three $5 answers, a $10 answer, and a $15 answer; Some boards had two $3 answers replacing two worth $2). An incorrect answer turned red and eliminated that contestant for the remainder of that round. Play continued until the last correct answer was found or all three players had been eliminated. In general, the less obvious an answer was, the more it was worth.
  • Instant Bargain: Played as before but for a slightly more expensive prize.
  • Speed Round #2: Two answers were given before the start of the round, both usually with a similar theme (e.g., "Winger or Gunslinger" and contestants had to identify films as starring Debra Winger or Westerns, which were sometimes called Gunslingers). Once again, the speed round lasted for 30 seconds, and questions were worth $5 up or down.
  • Instant Cash: Based on the Sale of the Century round of the same name. The leader at that point was offered a chance at a cash jackpot which began at $500 and rose by that amount until it was claimed or reached $5,000, at which point the pot was frozen until someone won it. To play, the contestant had to give up his/her entire lead over the second-place opponent. If two or more contestants were tied, a Dutch auction was conducted (it usually started at the difference between the tied players and third place). If a contestant opted to play, they were shown three wallets (one white, one brown, one red) and asked to choose one and open it. Inside two of the wallets was a slip that said "$100" on it, with the other having a slip with the amount of money in the Instant Cash jackpot inside. Regardless of whether or not the leader chose to play, Morreale revealed the location of the jackpot.
  • Speed Round #3: After a second commercial break, a final 30-second round of questions was played, however each answer was worth +/- $10.

The contestant with the highest score was the champion and advanced to Shopper's Paradise for the "Shopping Spree of a Lifetime". If two or more contestants were tied, a tiebreaker question was played. The contestant who had the right answer earned $10 and became the champion (or remained if s/he was the defending champion). If not, the opponent won $10 and became the champion (or remained)

The losers kept any cash and prizes won during the main game; unlike earlier incarnations of Sale of the Century, no contestants received their score in cash. Any player who had not won anything up to the end of the game received unacknowledged parting gifts.

Shopper's Paradise

Temptation used a similar shopping endgame to its predecessor series, but was slightly different.

After the champion entered Shopper's Paradise, he/she was shown each of the five prizes that could be purchased that week and how much it cost in "Temptation dollars" to buy. Each new prize increased in value as the champion went along, with the most expensive/valuable prize usually being a car. Unlike the Australian version of Temptation, on which this series was based, and the 1980s Sale of the Century, there was no opportunity to buy all on-stage prizes nor receive a cash jackpot for accumulating a high amount of money. Contestants were also not permitted to buy more than one prize in Shopper's Paradise, a rule that carried over from the 1980s Sale series.

Once the entire gallery of prizes was revealed to the champion, he/she attempted to build up his/her bankroll by playing a round of "Super Knock-Off". Like the version played in the front game, twelve answers were shown. This time, only six were right and the round was played for higher stakes. Four of the answers were worth $25 each, one was worth $50, and one worth $100 for a total of $250 added to the bankroll for finding all six answers. The champion could stop choosing answers whenever he/she desired, as choosing one of the wrong answers wiped out the bank and ended the round.

After Super Knock-Off was completed, any money from the correct answers was added to the champion's already-accumulated bankroll and he/she was given a choice to buy a prize or return on the next show and try to add more money to the bank. If the total bank was not enough to buy the lowest level prize in Shopper's Paradise, a Croton diamond watch was offered as a consolation prize.

Champions played until they either decided to buy a prize, were defeated, banked enough to buy the highest level prize, or won a fifth match. If that happened and a champion had not banked enough money for the highest level prize, he/she was forced to buy any prize that he/she could afford and retire undefeated.

Tournaments

From November 19–21, 2007, and again from November 26–28, Temptation aired two 3-day tournaments where three former contestants returned and played for the entire tournament. The contestants were different for each of the two tournaments. Rules remained similar for each tournament, except that contestants started each game with $30. The winner of each game played Super Knock Off. The winner of day 1 and 2 played Super Knock Off, but did not go to "Shopper's Paradise". In day 3, a special 10% off coupon to be used in Shopper's Paradise was presented for the contestant in the lead for the second Instant Bargain if the contestant accepted the bargain. Only the winner of day 3 went to "Shopper's Paradise".

Shop-at-home offers

Before commercial breaks, offers for products at discounted prices were advertised under a deal of the day format. These items were purchased online at the show's official site. The offers were originally separate items, but later became generic "60% off retail" plug offers.

Broadcast history

Temptation was based on the Australian series of the same name, itself a revival of Sale of the Century. The two pilots were filmed on the Australian set with the show's eventual mini-games in place; unlike the series, the pilots used the Australian sound effects and theme (the former based on the 1980s Sale sounds).

Unlike the 2005 Australian revival, this new American iteration only allowed female contestants for the majority of the run as they were attempting to target the female demographic in tandem with the shopping elements of the show and specifically the retail merchandise offered from the Temptation website. Toward the middle of the second and final season, a small selection of male contestants were finally allowed to compete on Temptation; however, this was occasional and the contestant ratio was always two female contestants to one male contestant in such instances. The American version of Temptation was also notable for not making use of a studio audience, opting instead for a stock applause track in its place.

Owned-and-operated stations of MyNetworkTV were among the stations carrying the show, as was the former WTBS Atlanta (currently known as Peachtree TV). MyNetworkTV aired two sneak preview episodes featuring American Idol alumni Mikalah Gordon, Justin Guarini, and Kimberly Caldwell on September 5, 2007 in prime time. These episodes were aired again on March 13 and 14, 2008.

Before the series premiered, writers went on strike because FremantleMedia refused to recognize the Writers Guild of America as the writers' chosen labor representative.

BUZZR aired reruns of Temptation as part of their Friday Night block from February 9 to April 20, 2018, and brought them back as a weeknight entry that fall.

First taped week

The first taped week of the series did not air until March 3–7, 2008 and featured a slightly different game structure. The show began with Speed Round #1 followed by Instant Bargain #1, the Fame Game, and Speed Round #2.

After the first commercial break, Knock-Off was played followed by Instant Bargain #2, a second Fame Game worth $25, Instant Cash, and Speed Round #3.

In addition, the price tags at Shopper's Paradise were white instead of orange, and Morreale showed the winning contestant around while Watts described the prizes.

Cancellation

With the exception of the preview episodes, which rated 0.8, Temptation never rose above 0.5 in the Nielsen rating system, making it the least-watched game show on broadcast television that year; the next lowest-rated game, Merv Griffin's Crosswords, maintained a 0.8–1.0 share.

Although the final first-run episode of Temptation aired on May 23, 2008, the show's official cancellation was not announced until July 29. The final episode was later broadcast as the last repeat on September 5, making it one of only a handful of programs to do so. The series was replaced with Trivial Pursuit: America Plays on most stations that carried it; however, the program experienced similar low ratings as its predecessor and was canceled in April 2009.

References

  1. Writers Guild of America West Pickets Tribune Studio’s Temptation - 9/18/2007 1:15:00 PM - Broadcasting & Cable
  2. Downey, Kevin. Syndicated TV's new star: "Family Guy" Archived 2009-05-27 at the Wayback Machine, Media Life. October 4, 2007

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