The Weakest Link

***The Weakest Link*** is a trivia based game show. The game begins with ten contestants who take turns answering general knowledge questions within a time limit to create chains of eight correct answers in a row. At the end of each round, the players then publicly vote one contestant, "the weakest link", out of the game. After two players are left, they play in a head-to-head penalty shootout format, with five questions asked to each contestant in turn, to determine the winner.

## Production and Development

Initial development of *The Weakest Link* began in 2020 after a trial run involving seven contestants but did not meet the expectations of the Host, opting to instead go into competitive reality based shows leading to the creation of *Castaway*. However, wanting to bridge a gap between the recently concluded *Locked Away* and the premiere of *The Amigo Race*, Robert opted to return to *The Weakest Link* that would be quicker to produce and could livestream each episode (similar to the livestreamed season of *Castaway: One World*)

Each episode contains on average 150 questions, with graphics created by the website *Rusnak Creative*. Unlike other productions, the games aesthetics, music and transitions are generated automatically.

The first season premiered on January 23rd, 2022 and was renewed for a second season on February 10th, 2022.

## Format

### Civilian format

The format features ten contestants, who take turns answering general knowledge questions. The objective of every round is to create a chain of eight correct answers in a row and earn an increasing amount of money within a time limit. One wrong answer breaks the chain and loses any money earned within that particular chain. However, before their question is asked (but after their name is called), a contestant can choose to bank the current amount of money earned in any chain to make it safe, after which the chain starts afresh. A contestant's decision not to bank, in anticipation being able to correctly answer the upcoming question allows the money to grow, as each successive correct answer earns proportionally more money.

For Civilian episodes, contestants can accumulate a maximum of 125,000 points per round. The All-Stars episode increases to 250,000 points per round.

When the allotted time for every round ends, any money which is 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. If the question is completed, 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".

Round 1 starts with 2:30 minutes on the clock, with every round thereafter reduced by 10 seconds as players are eliminated. When two players remain, a best-of-five competition is held, if the players are tied thereafter, a penalty shootout begins where the first player to answer a question incorrectly loses.

The first person to be asked a question in the first round is the player whose name is first alphabetically. 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 link answers first.

### All-Stars format

The All-Stars follows the original format with the maximum a team can earn be 5,000,000 points. After each round and before the voting begins, the Strongest Link is announced and becomes safe from elimination. When three contestants remain the Strongest Link will cast the sole vote. The start of the next round will also show who is the Weakest Link unless that player has been successfully voted out.

### Point tree

 8
 7
 6
 5
 4
 3
 2
 1

## Season 1

The first season consisted of five "Civilian" teams with the final episode inviting back two players from each episode to compete in the "All-Stars".

### Episodes

* Episode 1
* Episode 2
* Episode 3
* Episode 4
* Episode 5
* All-Stars

The episode premiered on Sunday 23 January, 2022 and featured ten contestants. Mark won against Sam in a penalty shootout scoring 44,000.

The episode premiered on Sunday 28 January, 2022 and featured ten contestants. JD won against Chanelle in a penalty shootout scoring 70,000.

The episode premiered on Sunday 30 January, 2022 and featured ten contestants. Pauldo won against Kisha in a 4-3 decision scoring 55,000.

The episode premiered on Sunday 6 February, 2022 and featured ten contestants. Bethaney won against Nick in a penalty shootout scoring 65,000.

The episode premiered on February 10, 2022 and featured nine contestants due to one contestant not arriving on time, culminating in a "ghost round" where points could be accrued with no elimination. Benn won against Stan in a 4-2 decision scoring 64,000.

The episode premiered on TBC, 2022 and featured ten returning contestants. TBC won against TBC in a TBC decision scoring TBC.

File:Twl e6.png

## Season 2

A second season has been announced, filming of which is to begin in mid-2022.