Win Ben Stein's Money
Encyclopedia
Win Ben Stein's Money is an American television game show
that ran from July 28, 1997 to January 31, 2003 on the Comedy Central
cable network with episodes airing until May 8, 2003. It featured three contestants who competed in a general knowledge quiz
contest to win the grand prize of $5,000 from the show's host, Ben Stein
. In the second half of the show, Stein participated as a "common contestant" in order to defend his money from being taken by his competitors. The show won five Daytime Emmy awards; Stein and Jimmy Kimmel
, the show's original co-host, shared the Outstanding Game Show Host award in 2002.
As noted in a disclaimer during the closing credits, prize money won by contestants was actually paid from a prize budget furnished by the producers of the show. Any money left over in that budget at the end of a season was given to Stein. If the total amount paid out during a season exceeded that budget, the production company paid the excess, so Stein was never at any risk of losing money out-of-pocket.
Stein's co-host was Jimmy Kimmel
for the first three years of the show's run. Kimmel left in 2000 (though he did make occasional guest appearances afterward and even hosted College week episodes in 2001). Nancy Pimental
replaced Kimmel and co-hosted the show through 2001. Kimmel's cousin, Sal Iacono
, who took over the role in 2002, was the show's last co-host.
Players were equipped with signaling devices; the first player to ring in on the toss-up earned the right to answer the question. If the player answered correctly, the question's value was deducted from Stein's bank and added to the contestant's score; if the answer was incorrect, the other two players could ring in and attempt to answer. After a player gave a correct answer, Stein would ask that contestant a follow-up question on the same category for an additional $50. Again, if the player answered incorrectly, either of the other two players could ring in and attempt to answer. If none of the players correctly answered the original toss-up, the follow-up question became a second toss-up on which all three players were eligible to ring in and answer the question correctly for $50. After both questions were asked, a new category replaced the old one and the player who had given the last correct answer got to choose the next category.
At the end of the first round, the contestant with the lowest score was eliminated from the game and that player's money (if any) was added back into Stein's bank. If there was a tie for second place after the first round, a tie-breaker question would be asked to determine which player would advance to the next round. In a tie-breaker, a player who answered incorrectly was immediately eliminated.
Like the first round, the second round also contained five categories at a time, but the question values increased to the range of $200 to $500 in increments of $100, depending on difficulty. All questions in this round were toss-ups, with no follow-up questions asked. Stein would choose the first question. As in the earlier round, any money earned by the other two players was deducted from Stein's bank; when Stein answered a question correctly, his bank total simply remained unchanged; since whatever was in the bank was considered to be his total and was already displayed, his podium's scoreboard simply displayed a dollar sign.
At the end of this round the lower scoring contestant was again eliminated from the game, with that player's winnings going back into Stein's bank. The other player kept their money and advanced to the bonus round to compete head-to-head against Stein for the grand prize of $5,000. In the event of a tie, a tie-breaker question was again used to decide which player would advance (without Stein answering).
, ran in the United Kingdom in 1999. The grand prize was £1,000. It aired on Channel 5.
Win Roy & H.G.'s Money, an Australian version, hosted by Roy Slaven and H.G. Nelson
, ran in Australia in 1999-2000. The grand prize was $5,000 (Australian). It aired on the Seven Network
.
were used as the themes. The opening theme was the fourth movement of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony
, Ode to Joy
, which was repeated to begin the second round, and again if the champion won the $5,000. The closing theme was Ride of the Valkyries
, from Richard Wagner
's The Valkyrie
. (The Ride of the Valkyries was also played in the contestants' headphones in the isolation booth, to prevent them from hearing the other contestant's answers.) Other classical music pieces used on the show included:
Game show
A game show is a type of radio or television program in which members of the public, television personalities or celebrities, sometimes as part of a team, play a game which involves answering questions or solving puzzles usually for money and/or prizes...
that ran from July 28, 1997 to January 31, 2003 on the Comedy Central
Comedy Central
Comedy Central is an American cable television and satellite television channel that carries comedy programming, both original and syndicated....
cable network with episodes airing until May 8, 2003. It featured three contestants who competed in a general knowledge quiz
Quiz
A quiz is a form of game or mind sport in which the players attempt to answer questions correctly. In some countries, a quiz is also a brief assessment used in education and similar fields to measure growth in knowledge, abilities, and/or skills.Quizzes are usually scored in points and many...
contest to win the grand prize of $5,000 from the show's host, Ben Stein
Ben Stein
Benjamin Jeremy "Ben" Stein is an American actor, writer, lawyer, and commentator on political and economic issues. He attained early success as a speechwriter for American presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford...
. In the second half of the show, Stein participated as a "common contestant" in order to defend his money from being taken by his competitors. The show won five Daytime Emmy awards; Stein and Jimmy Kimmel
Jimmy Kimmel
James Christian "Jimmy" Kimmel is an American television host and comedian. He is the host of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, a late-night talk show that airs on ABC. Prior to that, Kimmel was best known as the co-host of Comedy Central's The Man Show and Win Ben Stein's Money...
, the show's original co-host, shared the Outstanding Game Show Host award in 2002.
As noted in a disclaimer during the closing credits, prize money won by contestants was actually paid from a prize budget furnished by the producers of the show. Any money left over in that budget at the end of a season was given to Stein. If the total amount paid out during a season exceeded that budget, the production company paid the excess, so Stein was never at any risk of losing money out-of-pocket.
Stein's co-host was Jimmy Kimmel
Jimmy Kimmel
James Christian "Jimmy" Kimmel is an American television host and comedian. He is the host of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, a late-night talk show that airs on ABC. Prior to that, Kimmel was best known as the co-host of Comedy Central's The Man Show and Win Ben Stein's Money...
for the first three years of the show's run. Kimmel left in 2000 (though he did make occasional guest appearances afterward and even hosted College week episodes in 2001). Nancy Pimental
Nancy Pimental
Nancy Marie Pimental is an American actress and screenwriter.-Biography:Born in Boston, Massachusetts, Pimental attended Somerset High School, graduating in 1983 and she graduated from the Worcester Polytechnic Institute, where she was a member of the Phi Sigma Sigma sorority with a degree in...
replaced Kimmel and co-hosted the show through 2001. Kimmel's cousin, Sal Iacono
Sal Iacono
Sal Iacono is an American comedian, writer and game show host best known as "Cousin Sal" on The Man Show and the late night television show Jimmy Kimmel Live.-Biography:...
, who took over the role in 2002, was the show's last co-host.
Round 1
The game began with three contestants and $5,000 in Stein's bank. Five categories were always available for players to choose from, with punning (and sometimes raunchy) titles hinting at the questions' content. After a player chose a category, Stein would ask a toss-up question that was assigned a dollar value, depending on the level of difficulty; questions in this first round could be worth $50, $100, or $150.Players were equipped with signaling devices; the first player to ring in on the toss-up earned the right to answer the question. If the player answered correctly, the question's value was deducted from Stein's bank and added to the contestant's score; if the answer was incorrect, the other two players could ring in and attempt to answer. After a player gave a correct answer, Stein would ask that contestant a follow-up question on the same category for an additional $50. Again, if the player answered incorrectly, either of the other two players could ring in and attempt to answer. If none of the players correctly answered the original toss-up, the follow-up question became a second toss-up on which all three players were eligible to ring in and answer the question correctly for $50. After both questions were asked, a new category replaced the old one and the player who had given the last correct answer got to choose the next category.
At the end of the first round, the contestant with the lowest score was eliminated from the game and that player's money (if any) was added back into Stein's bank. If there was a tie for second place after the first round, a tie-breaker question would be asked to determine which player would advance to the next round. In a tie-breaker, a player who answered incorrectly was immediately eliminated.
Round 2
In round 2, Stein himself defended his money by becoming a contestant, replacing the player eliminated at the end of the first round and competing against the two remaining contestants. The co-host took over asking the questions, with the disclaimer that "from this point on, Ben has no advance knowledge of any of the questions to be asked."Like the first round, the second round also contained five categories at a time, but the question values increased to the range of $200 to $500 in increments of $100, depending on difficulty. All questions in this round were toss-ups, with no follow-up questions asked. Stein would choose the first question. As in the earlier round, any money earned by the other two players was deducted from Stein's bank; when Stein answered a question correctly, his bank total simply remained unchanged; since whatever was in the bank was considered to be his total and was already displayed, his podium's scoreboard simply displayed a dollar sign.
At the end of this round the lower scoring contestant was again eliminated from the game, with that player's winnings going back into Stein's bank. The other player kept their money and advanced to the bonus round to compete head-to-head against Stein for the grand prize of $5,000. In the event of a tie, a tie-breaker question was again used to decide which player would advance (without Stein answering).
Bonus Round
The bonus round was known as the "Best of Ten Test of Knowledge." Both Stein and the winner of the second round were placed in isolation booths, so that neither could hear the other player's answers. The isolation booth for the contestant was plain, with a hardwood stool and a bare hanging light bulb, while Stein's booth was more luxurious, with a leather wingback chair and other lavish furnishings. In later seasons, the contestant's isolation booth was made to appear in disrepair, with a large crack running down the back wall. The contestant had the choice of playing first or second (whoever played second had headphones on while in their booth); the co-host would ask each of them the same ten questions, and they each had 60 seconds in which to answer as many of them as they could. Any missed or passed questions could not be returned to; though after the first player finished, the co-host went over the missed/passed questions before the second player played. If the contestant answered more questions correctly than Stein did, the contestant won all of the $5,000 that Stein had put into the bank at the beginning of the show. If Stein answered more questions correctly, the contestant kept only the money won in the first two rounds. If both gave the same number of correct answers, the contestant kept their winnings from the first two rounds plus an additional $1,000."Ben Stein's Cup" episode
At the end of the fourth season, three of the best players of the season who had earlier won $5,000 returned for a special "Ben Stein's Cup" episode, for a chance to win $25,000. In Round 1, the question values were $200, $400, and $600; with follow-up questions worth $200. In Round 2, the questions were worth $800 to $2,000 in increments of $400. The winner attempted to defeat Stein for the entire $25,000.Versions outside the United States
Win Beadle's Money, a British version, hosted by Jeremy BeadleJeremy Beadle
Jeremy James Anthony Gibson-Beadle MBE was an English television presenter, writer and producer. During the 1980s, he was a regular face on British television and in two years appeared 50 weeks of the year. His shows regularly topped the charts beating Coronation Street and EastEnders on one...
, ran in the United Kingdom in 1999. The grand prize was £1,000. It aired on Channel 5.
Win Roy & H.G.'s Money, an Australian version, hosted by Roy Slaven and H.G. Nelson
Greig Pickhaver
alt=Greig Pickhaver|thumb|In May 2010Greig Pickhaver AM is an actor, comedian and writer, who forms one half of the Australian sports comedy duo Roy and HG...
, ran in Australia in 1999-2000. The grand prize was $5,000 (Australian). It aired on the Seven Network
Seven Network
The Seven Network is an Australian television network owned by Seven West Media Limited. It dates back to 4 November 1956, when the first stations on the VHF7 frequency were established in Melbourne and Sydney.It is currently the second largest network in the country in terms of population reach...
.
Music
Various pieces of classical musicClassical music
Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...
were used as the themes. The opening theme was the fourth movement of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony
Symphony No. 9 (Beethoven)
The Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125, is the final complete symphony of Ludwig van Beethoven. Completed in 1824, the symphony is one of the best known works of the Western classical repertoire, and has been adapted for use as the European Anthem...
, Ode to Joy
Ode to Joy
"Ode to Joy" is an ode written in 1785 by the German poet, playwright and historian Friedrich Schiller, enthusiastically celebrating the brotherhood and unity of all mankind...
, which was repeated to begin the second round, and again if the champion won the $5,000. The closing theme was Ride of the Valkyries
Ride of the Valkyries
The Ride of the Valkyries is the popular term for the beginning of Act III of Die Walküre, the second of the four operas by Richard Wagner that comprise Der Ring des Nibelungen. The main theme of the Ride, the leitmotif labelled Walkürenritt, was first written down by the composer on 23 July 1851...
, from Richard Wagner
Richard Wagner
Wilhelm Richard Wagner was a German composer, conductor, theatre director, philosopher, music theorist, poet, essayist and writer primarily known for his operas...
's The Valkyrie
Die Walküre
Die Walküre , WWV 86B, is the second of the four operas that form the cycle Der Ring des Nibelungen , by Richard Wagner...
. (The Ride of the Valkyries was also played in the contestants' headphones in the isolation booth, to prevent them from hearing the other contestant's answers.) Other classical music pieces used on the show included:
- Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme by Johann Sebastian BachJohann Sebastian BachJohann Sebastian Bach was a German composer, organist, harpsichordist, violist, and violinist whose sacred and secular works for choir, orchestra, and solo instruments drew together the strands of the Baroque period and brought it to its ultimate maturity...
(at the beginning of the show where Stein introduces himself). - Water MusicWater Music (Handel)The Water Music is a collection of orchestral movements, often considered three suites, composed by George Frideric Handel. It premiered on 17 July 1717 after King George I had requested a concert on the River Thames...
by George Frideric HandelGeorge Frideric HandelGeorge Frideric Handel was a German-British Baroque composer, famous for his operas, oratorios, anthems and organ concertos. Handel was born in 1685, in a family indifferent to music...
(leading to first commercial break). - Spring from The Four SeasonsThe Four Seasons (Vivaldi)The Four Seasons is a set of four violin concertos by Antonio Vivaldi. Composed in 1723, The Four Seasons is Vivaldi's best-known work, and is among the most popular pieces of Baroque music. The texture of each concerto is varied, each resembling its respective season...
by Antonio VivaldiAntonio VivaldiAntonio Lucio Vivaldi , nicknamed because of his red hair, was an Italian Baroque composer, priest, and virtuoso violinist, born in Venice. Vivaldi is recognized as one of the greatest Baroque composers, and his influence during his lifetime was widespread over Europe...
(Coming out of the first commercial break). - Eine kleine NachtmusikEine kleine NachtmusikThe Serenade No. 13 for strings in G major, K. 525 was written by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in 1787. The work is more commonly known by the title Eine kleine Nachtmusik. The German title means "a little serenade", though it is often rendered more literally but less accurately as "a little night music"...
by Wolfgang Amadeus MozartWolfgang Amadeus MozartWolfgang Amadeus Mozart , baptismal name Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart , was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical era. He composed over 600 works, many acknowledged as pinnacles of symphonic, concertante, chamber, piano, operatic, and choral music...
(leading into the second commercial break). - Trepak (a/k/a "The Russian Dance") from The NutcrackerThe NutcrackerThe Nutcracker is a two-act ballet, originally choreographed by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov with a score by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. The libretto is adapted from E.T.A. Hoffmann's story "The Nutcracker and the Mouse King". It was given its première at the Mariinsky Theatre in St...
by Pyotr Ilyich TchaikovskyPyotr Ilyich TchaikovskyPyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (Russian: Пётр Ильи́ч Чайко́вский ; often "Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky" in English. His names are also transliterated "Piotr" or "Petr"; "Ilitsch", "Il'ich" or "Illyich"; and "Tschaikowski", "Tschaikowsky", "Chajkovskij"...
(used to segue to the final commercial break). - Night on Bald MountainNight on Bald MountainNight on Bald Mountain is a composition by Modest Mussorgsky that exists in, at least, two versions—a seldom performed 1867 version or a later and very popular "fantasy for orchestra" arranged by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, A Night on the Bare Mountain , based on the vocal score of the "Dream Vision...
by Modest MussorgskyModest MussorgskyModest Petrovich Mussorgsky was a Russian composer, one of the group known as 'The Five'. He was an innovator of Russian music in the romantic period...
(coming out of the final commercial break and cuing to the final round).