Trivia / The Chase (Game Show)

---

• Actor Allusion: One question was about Bradley's stint as host of the British version of Wheel of Fortune.
• Adored by the Network:
  • For some reason, UK game show channel Challenge TV ABSOLUTELY loves this show. They have been really milking the show every chance they get since they first acquired the broadcast rights to the show. As of 2017, the channel has treated the show in Teen Titans Go! levels, which has widely been criticised by many viewers wanting Challenge to air the more older game shows they normally air.
    • On most weekdays, Challenge airs at least 7 episodes (around 4 during the daytime hours and 3 during the midnight hours).
    • In September 2021, the show ranged about 76 episodes a week, and as they’re an hour long, roughly 45.24% of an entire week on Challenge is just of this show alone.
    • In April 2024, an average week ranges around 55 episodes, so while it's a little less, it's still the most shown program on Challenge with an average percentage now ranging around 32.7% of an entire week.
    • The show also sometimes airs on Sky Replay (formerly Sky Two), and until it was replaced in October 2019, also aired on Real Lives. The series even airs on Sky's other free-to-air network Pick, as well!
    • Even ITV adores the series itself. An episode sometimes airs during the weekends, and ITV4 occasionally re-broadcasts episodes.
    • When ITVX launched in November 2022 and added Pluto TV -styled FAST (Free Ad-supported Streaming Television) channels, one of them is dedicated to this show, meaning you can watch episodes of the show at any time you like.
  • The Game Show Network version has been a fixture on the afternoon lineup years after being cancelled, much more so than even newer GSN originals.
• Author's Saving Throw:
  • One major criticism about the GSN version of the show is that for no reason at all, the show would occasionally preview the next segment when they go to commercial. While they keep it vague enough, a keen eye and good sense can tell when they focus on the set and the player(s) actively spoiling parts of the show. The ABC version does not have this.
  • In an interview with BuzzerBlog, producer Vin Rubino addressed some of the criticisms the first season of the ABC version got, and indicated that the second season would address them, with faster-paced question reading and the Cash Builder now worth $10,000 a question instead of $25,000 (so more people are tempted to go for the high offer).
  • A major complaint of the ABC version's first season was that the three Chasers didn't feel like real villains (with the possible exception of Holzhauer) and that none of them had the charm of Mark "The Beast" Labbett had in the GSN version. Come Season 2, and The Beast joins the crew as a Chaser to much fanfare.
• Corpsing:
  • Happens every now and then, and the producers always Throw It In! for comedic value. Bradley's face is a joy to behold, especially funny as the mirth spreads to even the Chaser!
  • On at least one attempt by the question writers to crack Bradley up which leads to him remaining completely stoic, Bradley ends the segment with, "to those of you who are regular viewers of the Chase, well held, Brad." And ends on a goofy grin.
• Distanced from Current Events: A question on 4 March 2019 asked which band had the fewest members, between The Proclaimers, The Pretenders, and The Prodigy. Unfortunately, the last one mentioned lost a member that day when Keith Flint died of hanging.
• Enforced Method Acting: Not necessarily "acting", but the writers were fully aware of Bradley Walsh's juvenile sense of humor and never lost an opportunity to try and make him crack up with Double Entendre-laced questions. This is probably partially why he didn't figure out Ant & Dec were pranking him once again in 2020.
• In Memoriam: The ABC version started with an intro dedicating the show’s run to Alex Trebek.
• Marathon Running: To the point that a dedicated page to Challenge's countless marathons to the series now exists.
• Screwed by the Network: Despite strong ratings, the American version was cancelled by GSN in early 2016 with no explanation given. Challenge also doesn't air this series as much as the UK version and as of 2020 it has been taken off the station in favor of them continuing to over adore the UK version.
• You Might Remember Me from...: One contestant from the episode dated 24 November 2020 was Rosalind, who made a memorable appearance on Taskmaster as the eponymous stranger from the “song for a stranger” task.
• What Could Have Been: Jeopardy! champion Brad Rutter was featured as a Chaser in the first pilot episode of the US version, but was removed after FOX rejected the pilot and GSN took it up. British host Bradley Walsh hosted that pilot, and Dan Patrick from ESPN and NBC Sports fame was considered before Brooke Burns was hired. Subverted with the 2020 announcement of Rutter as one of three Chasers in the ABC revival.
  • According to The Other Wiki, the producers for the GSN version were so in awe of James Holzhauer's knowledge that they auditioned him to be the second chaser, but the show was cancelled soon after. Like Brad, he was tapped as a chaser for the ABC version.

---