As the world retreated indoors, the humble quizshow emerged as a beacon of entertainment. Explore the unexpected surge in popularity of this classic format during lockdown, and how it has redefined our social interactions and leisure time.
2020 was the year of the quiz
TV quizshows seem to have colonized greater chunks of the schedules
- There are probably four rules to a good quizshow
- The game has to work; there’s got to be something intrinsic about it that sustains itself, day in, day out
- It has to have an element of proper jeopardy: lots of the best ones hinge round a single decision – to play on or not, to take the money or not take money?
- Hosts need to establish an atmosphere
- Players need to know lots of stuff. The gameplay produces moments of genuine, watch-through-the-fingers tension
- At the end of every show, the chemistry between host and contestant is the best part of the show
Nostalgia was important in 2020
Nostalgia for knowledge, formative cultural experiences, and the company of family and friends was hard to escape
- Quiz shows, the original interactive TV, feed into this nostalgia
- They make sense in a communal context
- When times are serious, trivia is best escape
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