"DUEL," A NEW TOURNAMENT-STYLE GAME SHOW BASED ON SMARTS, SKILL AND STRATEGY, WILL PREMIERE WEEK OF DECEMBER 17 ON ABC
Six-Night Series from BermanBraun and Rocket Science Laboratories Gives Game Show World a Shot of Adrenaline with Tense, Head-to-Head Competition for Huge Jackpot Guaranteed to Final Winner
Mike Greenberg (ESPN's "Mike and Mike in the Morning") Will Host
The new game show "Duel," a one-hour, high-stakes tournament-style competition to air over six nights with a guaranteed final winner, will go into production after Thanksgiving for ABC. From BermanBraun and Rocket Science Laboratories, "Duel" features head-to-head matches with nerve rattling game play rewarding contestants who embrace shrewdness and manipulation to win. If contestants can react quickly under pressure and outsmart their opponents using strategy and deception, intellect and skill, they could walk away with a life-changing prize � potentially more than $1.5 million. One of 20 contestants is guaranteed to win the jackpot. "Duel" will premiere MONDAY, DECEMBER 17 (8:00-9:00 p.m., ET/PT) and run over six nights to a finale on SUNDAY, DECEMBER 23 (8:00-9:00 p.m., ET/PT). Mike Greenberg (ESPN's "Mike and Mike in the Morning" radio show) is the host.
In a cutting edge format � combining trivia challenges like those on "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" with the strategy played in the "World Series of Poker" -- 20 contestants are given the chance to duel against one another in a mental and intellectual showdown that combines nail-biting trivia fun with the unfortunate reality that, if someone gets one question wrong � just one question � that player loses the match. The top four contestants qualify to �duel' for the guaranteed jackpot. Contestants in "Duel" have been chosen for their confidence and charisma, a love of trivia and an obsession for competition. These 20 people will become characters to root for (or against) during the six nights. Examples of contestants could include a punk rock astro-physicist, an opera singing fireman, a supermodel beauty with a Harvard Law degree, a retired welder who writes computer programs for fun � the key being that not everything will be revealed about contestants' backgrounds they choose their opponents in a duel.
Among the highlights for:
� Each episode will feature three or more duels
� Players begin each duel with 10 chips valued at $5,000 each
� After a player wins a duel, that player chooses the next contestant to play
� Chips placed on wrong answers are collected by the house and added to an escalating jackpot
� Each time a player wins a duel, he or she banks the value of the remaining chips
� Top four players qualify for the finals
� On the final night, the series winner wins the jackpot
This intense, face-to-face showdown will require nerves of steel and a cunning strategy to win. In "Duel," one person is guaranteed to become the final winner.
An online game of "Duel" is currently being developed by BermanBraun to launch on December 17 on ABC.com. Online gamers can choose to play either against the computer, or challenge other players' duels from around the country.
Diet Pepsi Max is a key sponsor of the television show and the online game.
Mike Greenberg is co-host of ESPN's "Mike and Mike in the Morning," a syndicated drive-time radio show covering sports and topical subjects. The popularity of the show has grown so much that it is now simulcast on ESPN2 as well, reaching over 95 million viewers in addition to its fan base of three million weekly listeners. Greenberg also anchor's ESPN's "SportsCenter," writes articles for ESPN.com and has published the book Why My Wife Thinks I'm an Idiot, chronicling much of his recent life since starting with ESPN Radio. The book reached as high as 14th on the New York Times bestseller list.
Gail Berman and Lloyd Braun are executive producers for BermanBraun; Chris Cowan, Jean Michel Michenaud and Charles Duncombe are executive producers, R.A. Clark is co-executive producer for Rocket Science Laboratories; and David Rosconval and Francis Vacher are executive producers for French TV.
BermanBraun, founded in February 2007, is an independent production venture based in Los Angeles. It recently established a strategic alliance with NBC Universal Television which allows BermanBraun to provide creative content across all properties and platforms of NBCU. BermanBraun also has a strategic alliance with Pepsi to develop internet content.
Rocket Science Laboratories, LLC, formed in 1998 by its two principals, Chris Cowan and Jean Michel Michenaud, has established itself as a leading innovator in the creation and production of original primetime reality formats. The company has consistently delivered top rated programming, including such series as "Temptation Island," "Joe Millionaire," "My Big Fat Obnoxious Fianc�" and "Trading Spouses." Rocket Science Laboratories is based in West Hollywood, CA, where it maintains its corporate headquarters and production facilities. To date, Rocket Science Laboratories has produced three To- Ten-rated U.S. primetime series, produced over 130 hours of primetime programming, and its formats have been distributed across the globe.
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