TV Game Show: Read My Mind 1

© 2008 Hermilando D. Aberia

Despite remarkable progress in information and communication technology, the art of reading someone’s mind continues to amuse, entertain and create communication challenges for people and their fellow rational creatures, particularly those who are part of the communication process itself. Decisions that can change the world, at least figuratively speaking, can be made from fleeting moments in which people read other people’s minds. This TV game show brings out the unlimited wonders of basic non-verbal communication through mind reading.

Layout and Physical Arrangement

This TV game show shall feature two sets of participants/contestants (one set [of 37] shall comprise the “messengers” and another set [of 3] will be composed of “readers”), one or two game show host/hostess, and a TV studio specifically designed for the show. The studio layout shall provide for an elevated platform for 37 participants (similar to the one used in the Philippines’ ABS-CBN “1 vs 100” game show) and opposite to the elevated platform would be a level platform for 3 participants. The elevated platform shall provide for 100 color-coded seats. The 40 seats shall be clustered into 2 (red and white) of 20 each; the red 20 shall be divided into 2 (red-orange and red-yellow) of 10 each; the white 20 shall be divided into 2 (white-blue and white-black) of 10 each.

Each seat shall have access to electronic controls that can be used by participants. The readers shall have electronic write pads in addition to other controls they may need.
A wide screen shall be mounted opposite the elevated platform and just above the level platform. Smaller screens (but still visible to TV viewers) shall be mounted also in front of the desk of each of the 3 readers. These screens shall show for the TV viewers what the readers write on their electronic write pads, including the time he/she it took him/her to make the answer (eg, 1.7 seconds, 3.2 seconds, 4.9 seconds, etc.).
For the TV viewers at home, split screens of 2, 3 or 4 shall be designed/programmed at specific junctures of the game as the show progresses.

Selection of Participants

There shall be a total of 40 participants for every playing date. They shall be selected from texters to a number/s designated by game show producers. There shall be an extra cost for the text, and proceeds from the SMS shall form part of the game show’s operating funds. Obviously, those who send more texts shall have more chances of being selected as game participants.

Show Format

1 Theme Show of the Day

The show begins with the host/hostess welcoming the 40 participants/contestants into the show. The host/hostess shall ask the 40 participants (seated) to choose in 5 seconds 3 themes from a wide range of possible themes (flashed on the wide screen) the themes for the day. The themes (can be changed every playing date) may include: sports, documentaries, cartoons, news, talk shows, game shows, films (horror), films (comedy), films (action), films (romance), comedy/shows, soap opera, drama series, etc. It is important for the show to maintain a library of at least three to five film/video clips for each theme; which can be accessed by permission or for a fee from cable TV channels and websites like the YouTube.

The 3 themes that garnered the most number of votes from the 40 participants become the film/video themes for the day.

The 40 participants shall be divided into 37 “mind messengers” and 3 “mind readers.” There shall be two key parts of the show: first is the selection of messengers and readers portion (10 percent of the show); second, the mind-reading portion (90 percent of the show), where readers will read the minds of messengers.

2 Selection of Mind Readers

To select the 3 mind readers, a two-step screening process shall be applied. The first process shall make use of the “theme video” of the show for the day. The video shall have two parts. Each part shall run for 15 seconds.

The first part shall show spectators/audience/crowd, groups of people or animals, or individuals. The host/hostess shall ask the 40 participants to guess among two choices what the spectators are watching. The participants shall have 5 seconds to pick their answers. The second part of the video will show what the spectators are watching and shall provide the correct answer.

Those who made the right guess earn 1 point and shall qualify to participate in the second stage of the screening process.

The second screening shall show 4 slides on the screen. The host/hostess shall ask the participants who qualified to the second stage to choose what should appear on the fifth slide. Three choices shall be flashed on the screen for the participating contestants. The first 3 participants who made the correct answer shall earn another 1 point each and shall constitute the group of mind readers.

Getting through the second screening will require logic and/or verbal and non-verbal reasoning abilities.

Example 1: First slide—1 tree; Second slide—3 trees; Third slide—5 trees; Fourth slide—7 trees. The fifth slide (and the correct answer) should be 9 trees.

Example 2: First slide—picture of Abraham Lincoln; Second slide—picture of John F. Kennedy; Third slide—picture of Richard Nixon; Fourth slide—picture of Ronald Reagan. The choices are 1—picture of Barrack Obama; 2—picture of Bill Clinton; and 3—picture of Arnold Swarzzeneger. The correct answer would be 2 (picture of Bill Clinton).

The purpose of the second screening is to ensure that the mind readers are “smart” enough and having the potential to bring life and wit into the show. In this respect, it is important for the host/hostess to interact with the readers (and even with the messengers) whenever this is called for or suggested. In general, ad libs and out-of-the script repartees are suggested as fillers or tools with which to manage the time available for the show.

Once the 3 readers are selected they take their respective seats on the level platform opposite the elevated gallery for the other 97 participants (already seated). The host/hostess shall be situated in front of the elevated platform and alongside the level platform where the mind readers shall be seated.