The Wall (Australian game show)

The Wall (Australian game show)

Company type	Television series
Industry	Television entertainment
Founded	October 30, 2017 (2017-10-30)
Headquarters	Australia
Parent	Endemol Shine Australia

The Wall is an Australian adaptation of the American game show format, which debuted on the Seven Network on 30 October 2017. The series, hosted by Axle Whitehead, aired for a single season. Produced by Endemol Shine Australia, filming took place in Poland. Contestants had the opportunity to win a grand prize exceeding .

Gameplay

The Wall centers around a large vertical pegboard spanning four stories, designed similarly to a pachinko or bean machine, akin to the Plinko board seen on The Price is Right. At the bottom of this board are 15 slots displaying different cash amounts, some of which increase as the game advances. Seven numbered "drop zones" at the top release balls that cascade down the board.

Pairs of contestants form teams competing to build their bank. Green balls contribute positively by adding their value to the team's total, whereas red balls subtract from it. The bank cannot drop below zero at any point.

Round 1: Free Fall

During Free Fall, teams face five questions, each offering two possible answers. As each question is posed, three balls simultaneously drop from drop zones 1, 4, and 7. Contestants must select an answer before the first ball reaches a money slot. Correct responses cause the balls to turn green and add their slot values to the bank; incorrect or unanswered questions turn balls red, deducting those amounts.

If the bank remains at zero after this round, the game concludes with no winnings awarded. Otherwise, the accumulated amount becomes part of a guaranteed payout presented later. The highest possible total in this round is $375,000.

Slot values range between $1 and $25,000:

$1

$5,000

$100

$20,000

$10

$10,000

$1

$25,000

$1

$10,000

$10

$20,000

$100

$5,000

$1

Round 2

In this round, the contestants separate: one moves into isolation behind The Wall while the other remains onstage. Two green balls are dropped simultaneously from drop zones selected by the onstage player. The team then faces three multiple-choice questions with three answer options each. The onstage player views only the possible answers and chooses drop zones based on their confidence in the isolated player's knowledge. The isolated contestant provides an answer without receiving any feedback regarding correctness or current bank status. Correct answers result in green balls adding corresponding slot values to the bank; incorrect answers cause red balls to subtract those amounts.

The onstage player may opt to "Double Up" on question two and "Triple Up" on question three by dropping multiple balls per question.

If after question three the bank is at least $3, two red balls drop simultaneously from the same zones used for the initial green balls. The maximum achievable bank in this round is $1,999,998.

Slot values range from $1 up to $250,000:

$1

$5,000

$100

$10,000

$10

$25,000

$1

$50,000

$1

$100,000

$10

$125,000

$100

$250,000

$1

Round 3

This round follows similar rules to Round 2 but increases each question's answer choices to four. Four green balls are dropped individually at the beginning of play; four red balls follow one by one at the end. The options to "Double Up" and "Triple Up" remain available.

The highest possible bank total in this stage is $9,999,996.

Slot values extend from $1 up to $1,000,000:

$1

$50,000

$100

$100,000

$10

$150,000

$1

$200,000

$1

$300,000

$10

$400,000

$100

$1,000,000

$1

Final Decision

Following the third query in Round 3, the contestant who is separated from the team is presented with a contract by the host, which they must either endorse or discard. Signing this contract ensures a guaranteed payout comprising the Free Fall winnings plus an additional $20,000 for each accurately answered question in Rounds 2 and 3, but at the expense of relinquishing the team’s accumulated bank. Conversely, tearing up the contract allows the team to retain their final bank amount. The isolated participant re-joins the group after the four red balls have fallen (or after the last question if less than $4 has been banked) to disclose their choice, at which point they also discover the number of correct responses, total guaranteed payout, and final bank value.

The highest possible guaranteed sum stands at $495,000—consisting of $375,000 from Free Fall plus bonuses for all correct answers in Rounds 2 and 3. The largest attainable bank total is $12,374,994, achievable by answering every question correctly, having each green ball land in the highest-value slot, and all six compulsory red balls dropping into $1 slots.

Production

Filming took place in Szeligi, Warsaw, Poland, alongside international versions produced in Poland, Romania, Britain, Russia, Hungary, and Finland. The production team was mainly composed of Polish personnel, while the audience included English-speaking locals as well as Australian expatriates.

Although it garnered reasonable viewership during its six-episode run in 2017, the series was not renewed for a subsequent season in 2018.

Episodes

Color key

Contestants secured winnings of at least $1,000,000.

Contestants departed with the larger guaranteed amount.

Contestants left with the smaller guaranteed amount.

Contestants ended up with no winnings.

Episode	Contestants	Relationship	Guaranteed Payout Contract			Final Total	Contract Decision
			Free Fall Bank	Correct Answers (Bonus)	Total Offer
1	Chrissy and Dez	Husband and wife	$140,123	5 ($100,000)	$240,123	$700,335	Accepted
2	Jess and Lee	Husband and wife	$95,404	3 ($60,000)	$155,404	$249,999	Accepted
3	Jane and Alan	Father-in-law and daughter-in-law	$65,105	4 ($80,000)	$145,105	$0	Rejected
4	Kent and Suz	Husband and wife	$75,135	5 ($100,000)	$175,135	$935,385	Accepted
5	Bron and Michelle	Long lost sisters	$80,242	4 ($80,000)	$160,242	$880,373	Accepted
6	Rosanna and Laurie	Husband and wife	$110,112	4 ($80,000)	$190,112	$0	Rejected