The Weakest Link

The Weakest Link (also known as The Weakest Link USA) is an American television game show that first aired on NBC on April 16, 2001. It is based on the British television series of the same name. Apart from the first three episodes, which all aired the same week, the series aired once a week for an hour as part of the network's primetime schedule. The network canceled Weakest Link in 2002, and its final episode aired on July 14, 2002, with ten episodes left unaired. These were eventually shown on PAX and GSN years later.

While the primetime series was still being produced, NBC began developing a daily half-hour edition that would be syndicated to local stations. This version premiered on January 7, 2002, and aired for a season and a half with the last new episode airing on May 23, 2003.

In July 2020, a revival with Jane Lynch as host and executive producer was announced. The revival premiered on NBC on September 29, 2020. A second season of the revival was announced in January 2021 and premiered on March 13, 2022. A third season of the revival was announced in August 2022, and premiered on April 11, 2023.

On May 12, 2025, it was announced that the show would move to Fox for a new series with celebrity contestants, and would be titled Celebrity Weakest Link. The season premiered on September 15, 2025.

Format
The original format features a team of six contestants who take turns answering general knowledge questions. The object of each round is to create a chain of six consecutive correct answers and earn an increasing amount for a single communal pot within a certain time limit. An incorrect answer breaks the chain and loses any money earned in that chain. However, before their question is asked, a contestant can choose to bank the current amount of money earned in a chain to a safe pot, after which the chain starts afresh. A contestant's decision not to bank, in anticipation that they will be able to correctly answer the upcoming question allows the money to grow, as each successive correct answer earns proportionally more money.

When the allotted time for each round ends, any money not banked is lost, and if the host is in the middle of asking a question, or has asked a question but the contestant has yet to answer, the question is abandoned. Occasionally, the host gives the correct answer whether the contestant is able to answer the question correctly or not. The round automatically ends if the team successfully reaches the maximum amount for the round before the allotted time expires, and the next person says "Bank". Each round thereafter is reduced by 10 seconds as players are eliminated. The remaining two players have 90 seconds on the clock for the triple stakes round.

The first person to be asked a question in the first round is the player whose name is the first alphabetically in the original version. Every subsequent round starts with the "strongest link"—the player with the most correct answers—from the previous round, unless that person has been voted off, in which case the second strongest answers first.

Money tree

The money tree was as follows:

2001–2002
5,000
4,000
3,000
2,250
1,000
500
100

2002 
10,000
8,000
6,000
4,500
3,000
2,000
500

Voting and elimination
At the end of each round, contestants must vote one player out of the game. Until the beginning of the next round, only the television audience knows exactly who the strongest and weakest links are statistically due to Goldwell's narration. While the contestants work as a team when answering questions, they are at this point encouraged to be ruthless with one another. Players often decide to vote off weaker rivals, but occasionally opt to eliminate stronger players as well. After the revealing of the votes, the host will interrogate the players on their choice of voting, the reasons behind their choice, as well as about their background and their interests. After interrogation, the player with the most votes is given a stern "You are the weakest link. Goodbye!" and must walk off the stage in what is called the "Walk of shame." In the event of a tie, the strongest link has the final decision about who is eliminated. If they voted for a tied player, they have the option of sticking with their vote or changing it. The strongest link usually sticks with their original choice, unless another player in the tie has voted for them. Occasionally, the strongest link has voted for someone who is not in the tie, and so is forced to change their decision one way or the other.

End of the game

Final round
The final two contestants work together in a final round identical to the previous ones; however, all money banked at the end of this round is tripled and added to the current money pool, forming the final total for the game. At the end of this round, there is no elimination, with the game instead moving to a head to head round.

Head to head
For the head to head round, the remaining two players are each required to answer five questions each in a penalty shootout format. The strongest link from the previous round chooses who goes first. Whoever has the most correct answers at the end of the round wins the game. In the event of a tie, the game goes to "sudden death". Each player continues to be asked questions as usual, until one person answers a question correctly and the other incorrectly.

The winner of the game takes home all of the money accumulated in the prize pool for the game, and the loser leaves with nothing, like all previous eliminated players. From 2001–2002, the maximum is 50,000 and In 2002, the maximum cash jackpot is 100,000.

Reception
The Weakest Link won the CableACE Award in 2002 for Best Excellence.

Related pages
 Weakest Link

 Other websites 

 (Australian)
 (American)

 References 

Category:2000s American television game shows
Category:2000s television quiz shows
Category:2001 American television series debuts
Category:2003 American television series endings
Category:2020s American television game shows
Category:2020s television quiz shows
Category:2020 American television series debuts
Category:American television series based on British television series
Category:American English-language television shows
Category:American television series revived after cancellation
Category:American television game shows
Category:First run syndicated American television programs
Category:Fox television series
Category:NBC network series
Category:Television quiz shows
Category:Television series by BBC Studios
Category:Television series by Universal Television