No, not the horrible Johnny's The Quiz Show Golden but the first series. When I tried the second season many moons ago, any anonymous commenter said this:
Have you seen the original The Quiz Show? I have to say, that show was much, much, much better. In its original 30 minute time slot, they didnt waste ANY time. There's basically only 2 characters in the show and it focuses on their relationship much better. Plus, they can actually ACT unlike the johnnies you see on The Quiz Show 2
It intrigued me but I didn't make any effort to seek it out until I came across it while looking to fill in the gaps of my collection and I'm very happy to say that the commenter was absolutely right on the money. In brief The Quiz Show is about this mysterious tv show with a host who seems to have memory problems and a producer who has someone planned for the program. If someone manages to answer all the questions, the tv station will do whatever it can to fulfill their dream.The contestants of the show all are given easy questions at the start and then the questions get really personal and reveal some hidden secret from their past. So its not about whether the contestants know the answers but how difficult it is for them to admit their past.
Its as if somehow the producer knows everything about the contestants and there is a reason why each of them are summoned on the show. The episodes are a breezy 22-23 minutes each and the story is told so efficiently unlike the second season. This is one dorama that literally has no fat at all. The writers know the story that they want to tell and use the limited time available to them fully. The writing is tight, the revelations are fun and the climax is built up really well. I really love how you can see hints of the other contestants in the flashbacks as it makes it a more cohesive world. Most of the series takes place on the game show set but small details like the cover of a manga or a poster in someone's room help make a good dorama into a great one.
The acting is spot on. Katagiri Jin who I've only seen him in GS Wonderland and SP but he really carries the show as the blunt and straightforward host. I love how the takes the piss from the contestants. Yamamoto Koji is in the first episode as a one-hit-wonder singer. To say more would be to spoil the show. Thanks to the commenter for recommending this show and for Halo Productions for subbing this. The series is not available on d-addicts but can easily be found on megaupload. I can't seem to find Halo Productions' website and they are not listed on the fansub wiki groups. I wonder what other good jdoramas have never been put on d-addicts? Definitely a must watch and highly recommended.
It's great, isn't it? Although the last episode left me wondering who I should sympathise with. But perhaps that's a good thing. I watched the first ep of series 2 as far as until I realised they changed the cast, and I didn't want to see any more than that. Some stories don't need sequels.
ReplyDeletebtw, it's also up on Silent Regrets:
http://silentregrets.com/completed-jdramas/the-quiz-show.php
Great show, thanks for the tip! Very bizarre ending, but with a premise like this you'd expect nothing less.
ReplyDeleteKatagiri Jin was amazing to watch. The Producer character was creepy and twisted throughout. I kept confusing him with Tanihara Shosuke, the psychiatrist from Love Shuffle.
It doesn't really matter who one sympathises with. It was just a tragedy that provided a great ending for the series.
ReplyDeleteGlad you enjoyed it Maiku. If only they uploaded it to d-addicts but I suppose they must have their reasons not to.
it's like watching "One million stars falling from the sky", it left bitter taste in your mouth. it's twisted yet dropping hint every now and then, action pack...highly dramatic and make you feel like running thru the whole show. really intriguing.
ReplyDeleteMike where u find this. I tried d-addicts n bakabt but all that is available is the raw version. Me need the eng sub I c in r screens
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