Temptation (Australian game show)

Temptation

Company type	Television game show
Industry	Television entertainment
Founded	May 30, 2005 (2005-05-30)
Defunct	January 23, 2009 (2009-01-23)
Headquarters	Australia
Products	Television game show

Temptation was an Australian game show that debuted on the Nine Network on 30 May 2005, airing at 7:00 pm (5:30 pm in most areas). Presented by Ed Phillips and Livinia Nixon, it served as a revival of Sale of the Century, which had occupied the same timeslot from 1980 until 2001. While preserving the core gameplay, Temptation incorporated new elements and placed less focus on the shopping segment during the final phase.

The series continued until 30 November 2007, when it was temporarily suspended due to strong competition from Deal or No Deal on the rival Seven Network. During this hiatus, Nine filled the timeslot with episodes of the American sitcom Two and a Half Men. Ed Phillips later hinted at a possible comeback "maybe summer," which materialized with a shortened fourth season commencing on 1 December 2008, featuring unaired episodes filmed earlier that year.

Nonetheless, following the expiration of Phillips' contract in November 2008 and his subsequent departure from Nine Network, Temptation did not resume broadcasting. The concluding episode aired on 23 January 2009, after which all associated websites were taken down and Two and a Half Men reclaimed the 7:00 pm slot on Channel Nine.

Main game

Mirroring Sale, the competition consisted of four distinct rounds. Contestants began with . When Ed Phillips posed a question, the first participant to buzz in could respond; a correct answer earned $5, while an incorrect one deducted $5. If answered incorrectly, Phillips promptly disclosed the correct response; no other contestant had an opportunity to answer. Buzzing was permitted before the question was fully read.

Throughout the game, "Who Am I?" questions were interspersed, providing increasingly easier hints culminating with the individual's first name and surname initial. The first player to answer correctly received a "famous faces" selection; no penalty was applied for incorrect guesses, and clues continued for others to attempt.

Round One: Following three questions, a rapid-fire "Sprint" round lasting 20 seconds took place, succeeded by the initial Gift Shop offer presented to the current leader(s). The first Gift Shop prize was priced at $6 but typically valued between $1,500 and $2,500; producers could lower this price or include cash bonuses of $200 or $400. In cases of ties, a Dutch auction was conducted.

Additional questions ensued before introducing the first Fame Game ("Who am I?").

Round Two: After several more questions, a second Gift Shop opportunity was offered at $10, generally worth between $3,000 and $7,000; price reductions or cash incentives were also possible. Following further questions and a second "Who am I?" segment, three more questions led into another 20-second sprint round that concluded round two.

After this round, co-host Nixon posed an "On This Day" question aimed at home viewers. Initially (2005–06), she asked it prior to the commercial break and revealed answers afterward; starting in 2007, viewers could submit responses via call or SMS overnight for a chance to win $500, with results posted online.

Round Three: Following three questions, leading contestants could spend $15 to access the Temptation Vault through a Dutch auction if multiple players qualified. The vault contained a random cash prize ranging from $1 to $10,000; prizes below $1,000 were uncommon. Three more questions followed before the final "Who am I?" challenge.

Final Round: The game concluded with a single 60-second fast-paced speed round focused on rapid money accumulation.

Famous Faces: Correct answers to "Who am I?" allowed contestants to select one of nine boxes featuring celebrity images. Most concealed minor prizes; some contained Money Cards that added directly to players' scores:

• $10—available throughout all rounds until claimed
• $15—available during rounds two and three
• $25—exclusive to round three
• Wild Card—only in round three; awarded either $2,000 in cash or permitted an additional selection aiming for a Money Card

At game start, three special options were available but removed by round three:

• Burglar—transfers $5 from an opponent’s score to one’s own
• Lock Out—prevents an opponent from answering the next three questions
• Turbo—increases stakes to $10 for the next three questions for the selector only; penalties also doubled

These effects did not apply during fast money rounds and were omitted for the final "Who am I?" segment.

Occasionally, Temptation aired celebrity specials competing on behalf of viewers or charitable organizations. Prize values remained consistent; charity editions substituted minor prizes with cash donations ranging from $500 to $5,000 while Money Cards remained part of gameplay.

Bonus game

New champions were presented with a significant prize valued at approximately $10,000 and faced the choice to either accept it and exit or continue competing. The rewards escalated nightly, reaching a vehicle valued between $50,000 and $95,000 on the fifth evening, all five prizes combined (totaling roughly $130,000) on the sixth night, a cash jackpot on the seventh, and finally all prizes plus twice the cash jackpot on the eighth night.

The cash jackpot initiated at $50,000 for returning champions after their initial victory. At each episode's conclusion, they participated in "Top Ten," where they answered ten questions within 60 seconds to add an extra $50,000 to the jackpot. The jackpot was only claimable following the seventh or eighth nights. Contestants selected from five distinct question sets; neither incorrect answers nor passes reset the jackpot amount.

The theoretical maximum cash jackpot attainable was $800,000, calculated as 2 × (50,000 × 7 + 50,000).

Original 2005 format

Upon its debut on 30 May 2005, Temptation featured several format variations:

Main game

• Round 1 included the Temptation Vault offering $10 (replacing the Gift Shop), with a top prize of $5,000.
• The Burglar in the Fame Game deducted $5 from an opponent's score without adding it to the player's own.
• The Turbo feature applied to all three contestants rather than just one; this was revised on 17 April 2006.
• In Round 3, the Gift Shop appeared for $15 instead of the Temptation Vault.
• The Wild Card prize value was reduced by half to $1,000.

Bonus Round: Ten in a Row

In the 2005 Ten in a Row bonus round, contestants had one minute to correctly answer ten consecutive questions. Cash prizes scaled non-linearly from $1,000 up to $100,000. Any wrong or passed question or exceeding three seconds per question reset the prize to zero. If time expired before reaching $100,000, players retained their current winnings.

Champions who lasted six nights could keep all five prizes or return for a seventh night. Victory on night seven awarded all prizes plus the accumulated cash (not doubled) and an additional $500,000 worth of gold bullion. The theoretical maximum cash jackpot was $600,000 ($1.1 million including gold bullion).

Players could choose to leave at any time with money earned during Ten in a Row along with any prizes won.

In 2006, adjustments were made: first-night winners were granted an automatic $50,000 cash jackpot that could only be claimed after their seventh night. Ten correct answers added another $50,000 to the jackpot; answers no longer needed to be consecutive but had to total ten before time ran out.

Grand champions

Notable record holders of Temptation comprise:

• Brigid O'Connor (Episode 18, 22 June 2005, $663,738)
• Stephen Hall (Episode 63, 24 August 2005, $672,357)
• Rob O'Neill (Episode 75, 9 September 2005, $701,241)
• Yolanda Stopar (8 March 2006, $932,577) – first grand champion under the current format; highest winner in combined history of Sale of the Century and Temptation; twice set a record score of $135 and achieved a record victory margin of $100
• Tracey Korsten (2 November 2006, $857,655)
• Blair Martin (11 June 2007, $603,002)
• Sunil Badami (22 August 2007, $638,086)

Quizmaster

Quizmaster was broadcast from 27 March to 3 April 2006, showcasing nine elite contestants drawn from Temptation, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?, and Sale of the Century. They competed for cash rewards and prizes. In the final round, Rob O'Neill triumphed over Yolanda Stopar with a score of $110 to $80, securing a total prize of $815,840.

Other specials

Various special editions featured celebrities, athletes, and previous champions. The format adapted depending on the availability of participants. Prizes were either donated to charitable causes or awarded to viewers at home.

Foreign versions

• South Africa's adaptation airs on M-Net, presented by James Lennox and Bridget Masinga. Debuting on 25 September 2006, the show ran for six weeks, with contestants achieving grand champion status after six consecutive wins. The top three finalists vied for a house valued at over . Theunis Strydom emerged victorious, claiming more than R2.6 million in cash and prizes.
• The Nigerian version on M-Net launched on 6 November 2006, hosted by Ikponmwosa "Ik" Osakioduwa and Kemi Adetiba. Across 26 episodes, contestants became grand champions following six wins; the leading three competed for prizes exceeding in value. Erhabor Emokpae won upwards of US$155,000.
• A U.S. syndicated edition hosted by Rossi Morreale premiered in autumn 2007 but lasted only one season due to poor ratings, never surpassing a 0.5 Nielsen rating and ranking as the least-watched network game show that year.

Home versions

In 2006, Crown and Andrews released a Temptation board game comprising a game board, an electronic umpire to detect the first player to buzz in, six individual buttons, a 'Question and Answer' booklet, score tokens, and prize cards.

In 2007, Imagination introduced a DVD game featuring series host Ed Phillips, launched shortly before the show's cancellation.

Novelty Item

A Big Red Buzzer (also known as the Temptation Buzzer) was made available, featuring a ring-in sound effect along with a three-second timer accompanied by flashing lights.