It's in the Bag

*This article contains information that is fictitious and imaginary as PTV Network New Zealand (Patrick Te Pou Enterprises Ltd) is a fictional broadcaster.*

## *It's in the Bag*

### Presented by

**Host:**Jason Reeves

**Co-host:**

Matilda Green

## Production

### In-house or independent

**Independent:**Screentime New Zealand for PTV Network New Zealand

## Release

### Original channel

PTV1

***It's in the Bag*** is a New Zealand game show that airs on PTV1. It is produced by Screentime New Zealand and commissioned as an independent production by PTV Network New Zealand.

The history of *It's in the Bag* dates back to 1954 when it began on radio and and was hosted and directed by Selwyn Toogood. In 1973 a television version of the show was developed which was also hosted by Toogood until his retirement in the 1980s. After his retirement, John Hawkesby took over hosting duties. The show was discontinued in 1990 but brought back in 1992 under Robin Scholes, of independent production house Communicado, with Nick Tansley as host and Suzy Aiken (now Suzy Clarkson) as hostess.

In 2009 Māori Television began a new revival of the show, hosted by Pio Terei and Stacey Morrison.

In 2021, PTV Network New Zealand announced that it would bring back a brand new version of *It's in the Bag* with Jason Reeves (from Coast) as host and Matilda Green (winner of *The Bachelor New Zealand 2015* and wife of Art Green) as co-host.

The series screens Saturday nights on PTV1 (at 6:30pm for the first half of the year and at 7:30pm for the second half) and running for a total of 26 weeks (over two 13 week seasons).

## Gameplay

Unlike other game shows instead of being filmed in a single studio the show goes on the road to a different town each week and the set is assembled into a local community town hall. The contestants are locals selected from the audience by a pre-show qualifying process.

During the show, each contestant will be called onto the stage and asked three relatively easy questions. If all three questions are answered correctly, the contestant has the chance to play for "the money or the bag". The contestant will first be asked to select one of 30 different bags. Each bag contains a prize unknown to both the contestant and the host. The prizes range in value from moderate to valuable, and also include three 'booby prizes' of negligible value, such as a clothes peg. The top bag is known as *Super Bag.* This bag contains a prize of high value, or several items equally a high value. There is just one *Super Bag.*

The host of the show will then offer the contestant an increasing amount of cash in exchange for their unopened bag. The offers would continue until the contestant either accepts the cash or the host chooses to stop offering more money. If they choose the bag, it will be opened at that point and their prize revealed. If the contestant chooses the money the prize the contestant turned down will be revealed.

The final round is the *Travel Bag* round in which one of the previously-appearing contestants will be randomly selected to compete. In this round, the contestant will be asked 10 quite difficult questions. The contestant who has answered the most correctly at the end of each season will win the prize — a valuable travel-related prize such as a round-the-world trip, a matching set of travel luggage, and video camera.

The last segment of the show consists of the host going into the audience and selecting a participant. That lucky person will not be asked any questions but would otherwise participate in the normal bag selection and bidding process.

The show also contains an *Email Bag* segment at the start where viewers across all of New Zealand will email in a cash bid by post. An entry will be drawn on the show with the 'money or the bag' process run through until the offer by the host exceeded the bid in which case the entrant will take the money, or until the host reaches a limit and in this case the entrant will take the prize in the bag.