The Master (Australian game show)
| Company type | Television program |
|---|---|
| Industry | Television broadcasting |
| Founded | August 16, 2006 |
| Defunct | January 16, 2007 |
| Fate | Discontinued after premiere episode; remaining episodes aired later |
| Headquarters | Australia |
Key people | Mark Beretta (host), Grant Rule (producer), Martin Flood (the Master) |
| Products | Quiz show |
| Parent | Seven Network |
The Master was an Australian quiz show that debuted on the Seven Network on 16 August 2006 but was discontinued following its premiere episode. The unaired episodes were subsequently broadcast during the 2006–2007 non-ratings season, concluding on 16 January 2007. Hosted by Mark Beretta, the program featured a grand prize opportunity of $1,000,000. Production was handled by Grant Rule and Seven Melbourne. In late July 2021, reruns were shown on 7Two at 11 am on weekdays.
Format
The competition involved five contestants participating in timed general knowledge segments, competing against both each other and the clock, under the scrutiny of the Master, Martin Flood, who analyzed their vulnerabilities. The ultimate victor earned the chance to challenge the Master for the $1,000,000 prize.
Players received $100 for each correct answer during general rounds and $200 during "Master's Choice" rounds, where Flood selected the topic. Each round lasted 90 seconds; an incorrect response barred the contestant from answering the subsequent question. Contestants with the lowest scores were eliminated until only three remained. In cases of tied scores, elimination decisions were made by the Master. The final trio faced a "mean minute" round featuring questions from their chosen categories: correct answers added $100, while incorrect ones subtracted $200. Following an additional general round, the top scorer advanced to challenge the Master. Eliminated contestants retained their accumulated earnings.
The champion received $50,000 to wager in a best-of-five question duel against the Master. If wagering less than the full amount, the Master selected the category and a successful contestant won ten times their bet (ranging from $100,000 to $400,000). Betting the entire $50,000 allowed the contestant to choose the category and compete for $1,000,000 and the title of Master; failure resulted in forfeiting all winnings and leaving without any prize.
Ratings
Due to attracting only 744,000 viewers in metropolitan areas, Seven Network executive David Leckie decided to pull the show after its initial episode. The remaining six pre-recorded installments were aired during the summer non-ratings period on Mondays at 7:30 pm. The second episode, broadcast on 12 December, experienced a modest rise to 839,000 viewers, while episode three drew 826,000.