Coolness alert! ...
M-Net has the rights to do a South African version of the game show
Million Dollar Money Drop, renamed Million Rand Money Drop.
The original US series aired on the channel in July/August and was highly addictive - particularly because I won the million bucks twice during the season by playing along.
In case you missed it, this is the scenario and how it works:
During each game, two contestants work together as a team to beat one of the most difficult challenges of their lives: saving a million-dollar mountain of cash in front of them from disappearing forever.
Unlike any other game show, the duo is given their prize money - bundles of real cash totaling $1-million - at the start of the game, and it's up to them to keep this life-changing cash.
Once the question is revealed, the duo must debate and decide the answer(s) on which they will risk all of their money. They can either spread their money across various answers (if they're unsure) or bet it all on one answer.
If they've answered incorrectly, the money drops and they lose it. If they're correct, they keep it.
It's crazy stuff - very cruel too because of how close people can get to winning a fortune and how quickly it can be lost. I was crushed for contestants numerous times while watching so one can only imagine what it must have felt like for them.
Part of what's so appealing about the show is how all-consuming it is to watch - it's not only thrilling for the contestants.
Which you could be.
M-Net's doing a four-city audition search for competing sets of partners, starting in Jozi at end of October.
The audition details are going to be released soon - will keep you posted. In the meantime find a partner and start plotting how you're going to get your paws on the million bucks.
These are the audition cities and dates:
- Johannesburg - Thursday, 25 October and Friday, 26 October
- Durban - Thursday, 01 November and Friday, 02 November
- Cape Town - Thursday, 08 November and Friday, 09 November
- Port Elizabeth - Friday, 16 November and Saturday, 17 November