# The Quiz with Balls

The Quiz with Balls is an American game show that premiered on May 28, 2024, on Fox. The series is produced by Talpa Studios and the Eureka Productions division of Fremantle, and hosted by Jay Pharoah. Contestants must answer pop culture and general knowledge questions correctly, or else incorrect answers will result in contestants being pushed into a giant pool of water.
This game show is the adaptation of the Dutch TV series De kwis met ballen. Although Pharoah and the contestants are American, the show is actually produced and filmed at Docklands Studios in Melbourne, Australia.

## Format

Two teams compete per episode, each consisting of five members from a different immediate/extended family, and attempt to win up to $100,000. Six giant numbered balls are placed at the top of a set of parallel ramps leading down to the edge of a swimming pool. These balls correspond to possible answers to the questions that will be asked during the game.
The main game is played in five rounds and uses a list of 10 categories, each of which can be played only once. Both families receive one turn per round.
The family in control chooses a category and is asked a question with six answer choices, and as many correct answers as the number of members still in the game. Each answer is assigned to a different ramp, and the members must stand at the bottom of the ramps for the answers they believe to be correct, facing away from the ramps and over the pool. The balls are then released, ether all at once, in groups, or singly as requested by the host. If an answer is correct, a mechanism stops the ball before it can reach the bottom; if not, the ball hits the contestant and knocks them into the pool, eliminating them from the game.
Correct answers are worth $1,000 each in Round 1, with the value increasing by $1,000 per round. Initial control for Round 1 is determined by random draw, while for all others it is determined by high score (episodes 1-4 only) or by low score (as of episode 5). If a round ends in a tie, the family who had initial control retains it for the next one.
A family can win the game in one of four ways:
* By being in the lead at the end of Round 5.
* By playing first in Round 5 and having an insurmountable lead after their turn (episodes 1-4).
* By having the lead at the start of Round 5 and the opponents failing to tie or surpass their score (as of episode 5). The family in the lead takes their turn as in other rounds.
* By having at least one member survive their turn in any round while all opponents are eliminated. If this happens before Round 5, the surviving family continues the game alone, taking one turn per round until they either lose every member or complete Round 5.
Both families keep their accumulated money; each family can win up to $75,000 in the main game.
The winning family chooses one member who has not been eliminated to play the bonus round. That member selects one of two categories and is asked a question with six answers, five of which are correct. They must choose one answer at a time and stand at the bottom of its ramp as the ball is released. Finding all five correct answers increases the family's total to $100,000, while finding the incorrect answer ends the round immediately and allows the family to keep their main-game winnings.

## Production

On February 7, 2024, it was announced that Fox had ordered the series. On February 21, 2024, Jay Pharoah was announced as the host. On March 4, 2024, it was announced that the series would premiere on May 28, 2024.
In February 2025, the series was renewed for a second season.

## Episodes

| No. | Title | Original release date | Prod. code | U.S. viewers (millions) | Rating (18–49) |
| 1 | "Beantown vs The Big Apple" | May 28, 2024 (2024-5-28) | QWB-105 | 1.51 | 0.3 |
| Episode 1 Results:Wheatley Family vs. Harris Family Families: Wheatley (Shayna, Shivonne (Shayna's sister), Christian (Shayna's brother), Monique (Shayna's cousin), PJ (Monique's husband)) Harris (Sierra, Lynne (Sierra's mother), Jeff (Sierra's father), Alana (Sierra's aunt), Chris (Sierra's uncle)) Categories: Best in Show, Notable People, Game Night, Famous Authors, Geography, Girl Groups, Ahoy Mate!, Space Race, Foods, On Broadway Notable People (Wheatley) (Amount Won: $4,000) Girl Groups (Harris) (Amount Won: $5,000) Foods (Harris) (Amount Won: $15,000) Game Night (Wheatley) (Amount Won: $10,000) Ahoy Mate! (Harris) (Amount Won: $27,000) On Broadway (Wheatley) (Amount Won: $16,000) Best in Show (Harris) (Amount Won: $35,000) Geography (Wheatley) (Amount Won: $24,000) Space Race (Harris) (Amount Won: $40,000) Extra Categories: World Sports, Movie Villains Movie Vilains (Harris (Lynne)) (Amount Won: $40,000) ||||||
| 2 | "The Southern Showdown" | June 4, 2024 (2024-6-4) | QWB-107 | 1.51 | 0.2 |
| Episode 2 Results:Byars Family vs. Banks Family Families: Byars (Jay, Jessi (Jay's wife), Dustin (Jessi's brother), Tia (Jay's cousin), Chris (Jay's cousin)) Banks (Takenya, Telisa (Takenya's cousin-in-law), Neshia, Tonya (Takenya's aunt), Alexandria (Takenya's cousin)) Categories: Toy Store, Sports, Literature, The Human Body, In Style, U.S. Geography, On the Farm, Word Up, Movies, World Trivia Sports (Byars) (Amount Won: $5,000) Movies (Banks) (Amount Won: $4,000) On the Farm (Byars) (Amount Won: $13,000) Word Up (Banks) (Amount Won: $10,000) U.S. Geography (Byars) (Amount Won: $25,000) The Human Body (Banks) (Amount Won: $16,000) In Style (Byars) (Amount Won: $37,000) Toy Store (Banks) (Amount Won: $20,000) World Trivia (Byars) (Amount Won: $47,000) Extra Categories: Classic Rock, Red Carpet Classic Rock (Byars (Chris)) (Amount Won: $47,000) ||||||
| 3 | "A Family Affair" | June 11, 2024 (2024-6-11) | QWB-101 | 1.62 | 0.3 |
| Episode 3 Results:Guillen Family vs. Patel Family Families: Guillen (Sophia, Karen (Sophia's mother), Ambioris (Sophia's father), Genesis (Sophia's sister), Katherine (Sophia's sister)) Patel (Anip, Dharma (Anip's aunt), Vigen (Anip's brother-in-law), Shachi (Anip's cousin), Darsha (Anip's sister)) Categories: Say Cheese, American Pastimes, World Languages, Pop Culture, Green Thumb, Something Fishy, Bedtime Stories, Olympic Games, Foreign Exchange, Reality TV Pop Culture (Patel) (Amount Won: $4,000) Reality TV (Guillen) (Amount Won: $5,000) World Languages (Patel) (Amount Won: $10,000) Say Cheese (Guillen) (Amount Won: $13,000) American Pastimes (Patel) (Amount Won: $19,000) Something Fishy (Guillen) (Amount Won: $19,000) Foreign Exchange (Patel) (Amount Won: $27,000) Bedtime Stories (Guillen) (Amount Won: $27,000) Olympic Games (Patel) (Amount Won: $32,000) Green Thumb (Guillen) (Amount Won: $37,000) Extra Categories: Medieval Times, Capture the Flags Medieval Times (Guillen (Karen)) (Amount Won: $37,000) ||||||
| 4 | "Clash of the Coasts" | June 18, 2024 (2024-6-18) | QWB-108 | 1.94 | 0.3 |
| Episode 4 Results:Garciga Family vs. Buckalew Family Families: Garciga (Juan, Laura (Juan's sister), Leonel (Juan's father), Ana Maria (Juan's sister), Amanda (Juan's sister)) Buckalew (Becca, David (Becca's brother), Leslie (Becca's mother), Joe (Becca's father), Brad (Becca's uncle)) Categories: Physics, Celebrity Culture, Astronomy, U.S. States, Workin' Out, Kid's Classics, Pop Music, Farm to Table, Wine & Dine, Critters Pop Music (Garciga) (Amount Won: $4,000) Wine & Dine (Buckalew) (Amount Won: $4,000) Kid's Classics (Garciga) (Amount Won: $10,000) Farm to Table (Buckalew) (Amount Won: $10,000) Celebrity Culture (Garciga) (Amount Won: $19,000) U.S. States (Buckalew) (Amount Won: $13,000) Workin' Out (Garciga) (Amount Won: $31,000) Critters (Buckalew) (Amount Won: $13,000) Astronomy (Garciga) (Amount Won: $41,000) Extra Categories: Sports, Movies Movies (Garciga (Juan)) (Amount Won: $41,000) ||||||
| 5 | "Brains vs. Brawns" | June 25, 2024 (2024-6-25) | QWB-109 | 1.40 | 0.2 |
| Episode 5 Results:Wyse Family vs. Brooks Family Families: Wyse (Shane, Brittany (Shane's wife), Ryan (Shane's cousin), Christian (Shane's cousin), Corrie (Shane's cousin)) Brooks (Kelly, KC (Kelly's sister), Nancy (Kelly's sister), Avery (Kelly's daughter), Brooke (Kelly's daughter)) Categories: Nature, Books, Fashion, World Geography, Music, Foods, Hot Stuff, Art History, Movies, Animal Science Movies (Wyse) (Amount Won: $4,000) Foods (Brooks) (Amount Won: $5,000) Music (Wyse) (Amount Won: $8,000) Books (Brooks) (Amount Won: $15,000) Hot Stuff (Wyse) (Amount Won: $8,000) World Geography (Brooks) (Amount Won: $27,000) Animal Science (Brooks) (Amount Won: $43,000) Fashion (Brooks) (Amount Won: $58,000) Extra Categories: History, Sports Sports (Brooks (KC)) (Amount Won: $100,000) ||||||
| 6 | "Football Frenzy" | July 9, 2024 (2024-7-9) | QWB-106 | 1.65 | 0.3 |
| Episode 6 Results:Guillory Family vs. Gresham Family Families: Guillory (Danny, Courtney (Danny's sister), Tyron (Danny's father), Debbie (Danny's mother), Ana (Danny's sister)) Gresham (Jacob, Jan (Jacob's mother), Zack (Jacob's brother), Scott (Jacob's uncle), Jo Anna (Jacob's aunt)) Categories: Ballers, Weather Report, Music, Hit Movies, (Doctor, Doctor), Academia, Foods, Book It, Toe to Toe, Geography Foods (Guillory) (Amount Won: $5,000) Book It (Gresham) (Amount Won: $5,000) Ballers (Guillory) (Amount Won: $13,000) Academia (Gresham) (Amount Won: $15,000) Toe to Toe (Guillory) (Amount Won: $22,000) Music (Gresham) (Amount Won: $30,000) Doctor, Doctor (Gresham) (Amount Won: $46,000) Geography (Gresham) (Amount Won: $66,000) Extra Categories: Red Carpet, Animal Science Animal Science (Gresham (Zack)) (Amount Won: $66,000) ||||||
| 7 | "School of Splash" | July 23, 2024 (2024-7-23) | QWB-110 | 1.54 | 0.3 |
| Episode 7 Results:McGlothin Family vs. Bowser Family Families: McGlothin (John Jr., John Sr. (John Jr.'s father), Kaitlyn (John Jr.'s sister), Raven (John Jr.'s brother), Brooklyn (John Jr.'s sister)) Bowser (Jodi, Will (Jodi's husband), Suzy (Jodi's aunt), Liz (Jodi's aunt), Kevin (Jodi's uncle)) Categories: I'm Hungry, Starry Nights, Fun & Games, In Style, Animal Science, American History, Sports, Flags, Weather Report, Film & TV Film & TV (McGlothin) (Amount Won: $5,000) Fun & Games (Bowser) (Amount Won: $5,000) American History (McGlothin) (Amount Won: $13,000) I'm Hungry (Bowser) (Amount Won: $15,000) Sports (McGlothin) (Amount Won: $19,000) In Style (Bowser) (Amount Won: $27,000) Starry Nights (McGlothin) (Amount Won: $23,000) Weather Report (Bowser) (Amount Won: $39,000) Flags (McGlothin) (Amount Won: $23,000) Animal Science (Bowser) (Amount Won: $49,000) Extra Categories: Classic Rock, Literature Classic Rock (Bowser (Jodi)) (Amount Won: $49,000) ||||||
| 8 | "Sister Act" | August 20, 2024 (2024-8-20) | QWB-103 | 1.42 | 0.2 |
| Episode 8 Results:Barnes Family vs. Lees Family Families: Barnes (Corisma, Cekell (Corisma's sister), Chaval (Corisma's sister), Casmè (Corisma's sister), Cathy (Corisma's sister)) Lees (Lindsay, Ashley (Lindsay's sister), Brittany (Lindsay's sister), Jason (Lindsay's husband), Brad (Lindsay's brother-in-law)) Categories: Breakfast Foods, '90s TV, World Languages, Animal Science, Boy Bands, Across the Universe, Extreme Sports, Music Lessons, Highways & Byways, Dating Apps '90s TV (Lees) (Amount Won: $5,000) Breakfast Foods (Barnes) (Amount Won: $4,000) Animal Science (Lees) (Amount Won: $15,000) Dating Apps (Barnes) (Amount Won: $10,000) Highways & Byways (Lees) (Amount Won: $30,000) Across the Universe (Lees) (Amount Won: $50,000) World Languages (Lees) (Amount Won: $75,000) Extra Categories: The Human Body, Classic Literature The Human Body (Lees (Jason)) (Amount Won: $100,000) ||||||
| 9 | "Mom Knows Best" | August 27, 2024 (2024-8-27) | QWB-102 | 1.66 | 0.2 |
| Episode 9 Results:Mitchell Family vs. McGraw Family Families: Mitchell (Anthony, Carla (Anthony's mother), Michael (Anthony's brother), Kristen (Anthony's wife), Jeremy (Anthony's brother)) McGraw (Jessica, Diana (Jessica's mother), Kevin (Jessica's father), Kyle (Jessica's brother), Angela (Jessica's sister)) Categories: Home Improvement, Hot Stuff, Kids TV, Geometry, Pop Music, Animal Science, World Sports, Language, Celebrity Culture, Fun & Games Pop Music (McGraw) (Amount Won: $5,000) Fun & Games (Mitchell) (Amount Won: $5,000) Hot Stuff (McGraw) (Amount Won: $13,000) Celebrity Culture (Mitchell) (Amount Won: $13,000) Home Improvement (McGraw) (Amount Won: $22,000) Kids TV (Mitchell) (Amount Won: $25,000) Language (McGraw) (Amount Won: $34,000) Animal Science (Mitchell) (Amount Won: $37,000) Geometry (McGraw) (Amount Won: $49,000) World Sports (Mitchell) (Amount Won: $52,000) Extra Categories: Award Shows, Capture the Flags Capture the Flags (Mitchell (Anthony)) (Amount Won: $52,000) ||||||
| 10 | "Boston Brawlers vs. The Pride of Polynesia" | September 3, 2024 (2024-9-3) | QWB-104 | 1.63 | 0.3 |
| Episode 10 Results:Schlehuber Family vs. Halaufia Family Families: Schlehuber (Kevin, Ilanna (Kevin's daughter), Andrew (Kevin's son), Olivia (Kevin's daughter), Joshua (Olivia's boyfriend)) Halaufia (Vonda, Ivan (Vonda's nephew), Koloa (Vonda's nephew), Lavi (Vonda's niece), Seyvion (Vonda's niece)) Categories: Sports Lingo, The Human Body, Snack Time, The Great Outdoors, Award Winners, Animal Science, Movie Stars, Fashion Trends, Working Out, Foreign Exchange Movie Stars (Schlehuber) (Amount Won: $4,000) Working Out (Halaufia) (Amount Won: $5,000) Snack Time (Schlehuber) (Amount Won: $10,000) Sports Lingo (Halaufia) (Amount Won: $15,000) The Human Body (Schlehuber) (Amount Won: $19,000) The Great Outdoors (Halaufia) (Amount Won: $30,000) Fashion Trends (Halaufia) (Amount Won: $50,000) Award Winners (Halaufia) (Amount Won: $70,000) Extra Categories: Book Smarts, Kings & Queens Kings & Queens (Halaufia (Koloa)) (Amount Won: $100,000) ||||||

## International versions

International format and distribution rights are held by Talpa Studios.
| Country | Name | Presenter(s) | Channel | Broadcast |
| Argentina | The Balls | Guido Kaczka | El Trece | 10 March 2025 – present |
| Germany | Splash - Das Promi-Pool-Quiz | Sophia Thomalla | RTL | 24 July 2024 – present |
| Netherlands (original format) | De kwis met ballen | Johnny de Mol | SBS6 | 24 June 2023 – present |
| Spain | Juego de pelotas | Juanra Bonet | Antena 3 | TBA |