# Divided (British game show)

Divided is a British game show that aired on ITV from 18 May 2009 to 7 May 2010. It was hosted by Andrew Castle with Charlotte Hudson as the Question Master for Series 1 and Rachel Pierman as the Question Master for Series 2.

## Format

A team of three complete strangers attempt to answer up to 15 questions over the course of five rounds and accumulate as much money in a prize pot as possible. In the first four rounds, each question is either multiple-choice with one correct answer to be chosen from three options, or a list of three items to be placed in a specified order. The fifth round has a single question with three answer options, more than one of which may be correct, and the team must select all correct answers in order to win the money.
The team has 100 seconds to arrive at a unanimous decision on each question, and the money at stake decreases continuously at a rate of 1% per second that elapses before they lock in their choice. A correct answer adds the remaining money to a prize pot, while an incorrect answer or running out of time cuts the pot in half. If the team misses a total of three questions, the game ends immediately and the team forfeits all winnings.
The payout structure for each round is shown below.
| Round | Question value | Number of questions | Lost per second | Potential maximum (round) | Potential maximum (overall) |
| 1 | £3,000 | 5 | £30 | £15,000 | £15,000 |
| 2 | £7,500 | 4 | £75 | £30,000 | £45,000 |
| 3 | £15,000 | 3 | £150 | £45,000 | £90,000 |
| 4 | £30,000 | 2 | £300 | £60,000 | £150,000 |
| 5 | £75,000 | 1 | £750 | £75,000 | £225,000 |
At the end of each round, the team is given 15 seconds to decide whether to continue the game, or stop playing and divide up the money. If they elect to continue or fail to reach a unanimous decision before time runs out, the next round begins automatically.
When the team either completes the fifth round or chooses to stop playing, the money in the prize pot is divided into three unequal shares, typically 50-70%, 20-40%, and 10%. Each player is given 15 seconds to state their case to the others as to which share they feel they deserve, after which all three select the share they want. If each player selects a different share, they each receive their chosen amount and the game ends. If not, they are given a further 100 seconds to discuss the splits among themselves and try to reach a consensus, with all three shares decreasing by 1% per second. The timer pauses briefly after 50 seconds, and the host reminds them that half their money has gone. If the team agrees on a split before time runs out, they receive whatever is left of their chosen shares; otherwise, the team leaves with nothing.

## Academic paper

The show has been studied by a team of economists. They find that individual behaviour and outcomes are strongly influenced by equity concerns: those who contributed more to the jackpot claiming larger shares are less likely to make concessions and take home larger amounts. Contestants who announce that they will not back down do well relative to others, but they do not secure larger absolute amounts and they harm others. They find no evidence of a first-mover advantage and little evidence that demographic characteristics matter.

## Transmissions

| Series | Start date | End date | Episodes |
| 1 | 18 May 2009 | 26 June 2009 | 30 |
| 2 | 6 April 2010 | 7 May 2010 | 23 |

## International versions

| Country | Title | Host | Network | Top Prize | First airdate |
| Afghanistan | ثانیه 100 100 Sanya | Hafiz Mohammadi | Tolo TV | Af.1,000,000 | 8 June 2013 |
| Albania | Per Vete | Edi Oga | Top Channel | 1,500,000 leke | 7 October 2013 |
| Arab World | من الأحق؟ Men El Ahaq? | Amira El Fadl | Abu Dhabi TV | د.إ 1,000,000 | 5 October 2008 |
| Canada ( Quebec) | Chaque Seconde Compte | Julie Snyder | Noovo | N/A | 8 January 2024 |
| Chile | Divididos | Álvaro Escobar | TVN | CL$75,000,000 | March 2012 |
| Denmark | Splittet | Camilla Ottesen | TV3 | 250,000 Danish kroner | 8 April 2015 |
| Estonia | 100 sekundit (Mondays) | Madis Milling | TV3 | N/A | 30 August 2010 |
| Estonia | 100 sekundit (Mondays) | Madis Milling | TV3 | N/A | 3 January 2011 |
| Estonia | 60 sekundit (weekdays) | Madis Milling | TV3 | 120,000 krooni | 4 October 2010 |
| Greece | Divided | Fotis Sergoulopoulos | Alpha TV | €31,000 | 21 October 2019 |
| Hungary | Cápák | Unknown (heard from speakers only) | TV2 | 26,250,000 Forint | 25 August 2008 |
| India (in Marathi) | Divided | Aadesh Bandekar | ETV Marathi | ₹650,000 | 30 July 2012 |
| India (in Kannada) | Divided | Rohit | Zee Kannada | ₹1,000,000 | 3 January 2014 |
| India (in Tamil) | Divided | Gopinath | Star Vijay | ₹5,000,000 | 21 July 2018 |
| Malta | Divided | Mariella Scerri | TVM | €80,000 | 1 October 2009 |
| Netherlands (original version) | De Gemene Deler | Rinie van den Elzen | RTL4 | €250,000 | 6 July 2008 |
| Netherlands (original version) | De Gemene Deler | Beau van Erven Dorens | SBS6 | €250,000 | 2012 |
| Slovenia | Vse ali nič | Milan Gačanovič | TV 3 | €10,000 | 4 October 2010 |
| South Korea | 퀴즈쇼 트라이앵글 Kwijeusyo teulaiaeng-geul | Nam Hee-suk | tvN | ₩200,000,000 | 5 December 2010 |
| Spain | Divididos | Luján Argüelles | LaSexta | €80,000 | 15 December 2020 |
| Thailand | Divided คนไม่ยอมเกม | Sanya Kunakorn | Channel 3 | ฿380,000 (ep. 1-2) ฿530,000 (ep. 3-13) | 27 January 2019 |
| Turkey | Anlaşma | Ansi Elagöz | Türkmax | 100,000 TL | 20 September 2010 |
| Ukraine | Хто вартий більшого? Khto vartyi bilshogo? | Andriy Dzhedzhula | Ukrayina | 225,000 ₴ | 15 September 2013 |
| United States | Divided | Mike Richards | GSN | $85,000 ($100,000 on 30 March 2017) | 25 November 2016 ("Sneak Peek" episode) 19 January 2017 (series premiere) |
| Vietnam | Không Thỏa Hiệp | Đại Nghĩa | VTV3 | 300,000,000₫ | 14 July 2019 (Series premiere) |