Survirivia Pursuit

***Survirivia Pursuit*** is a Transmanian television quiz/game show competition program created by Ethan Kensington and Charlene Bryce and produced by Kensington Entertainment. It premiered in September 1990 and ended in 2015. It features a quiz competition in which three contestants compete by answering trivia questions on various categories in order to survive and to stay in the game without getting locked out with the leading contestant having the chance to play a series of well-endured fast-paced rapid-fire mini games. *Survirivia Pursuit* is proved to be one of the longest-running and most successful game shows ever created and originated in Transmanitain alone.

## Conception and development

In the early to mid-1980s, the format of the program's devision was led by television producer Ethan Kensington (known as the producer of *Sale of the Century*) as he originally conceived it as "The Richest Quiz Survivor" and "Survive to Win" under both working titles as the show was given also using inspiration from the board game Trivial Pursuit (which is introduced in the RT in 1982 after it launched earlier that year) in which he would play with his family.

Kensington's early conception of the game in late 1981 and mid-1982 had used a format comprising five rounds and four mini games with three contestants each and the board comprising six categories with five questions each in the first three rounds, and the five categories with four questions each in the fourth round and in the fifth round, the four categories with three questions each. The title used to be "The Richest Quiz Survival of the Century" but was shunned.

*Survirivia Pursuit* shares its title from the board game *Trivial Pursuit* and combines the words "Survive" and "Trivia" as a portmanteau as its program's finaliszed title.

## Game format

Three contestants competed on each episode in a Q&A styled-quiz game competition, survived on pursuit to play up to four rounds by answering questions and playing a series of fast paced mini-games to amass winnings and the winner with the highest score at the end of four rounds gets to compete for a chance to win a progressive jackpot worth of prize money and merchandise (cash and prizes) in the bonus round. The champion from the previous episode will usually be invited to return and defend him/herself as a current "carry-over" champion.

### Main game

The three contestants begin with the score of Ð200 (originally Ð100). The contestants faced a video wall of categories of random trivia questions which is displayed. The host started the first entire category from the five on the board, and the five (originally four) toss-up questions from that category were asked/read in succession. The first contestant to buzz in gets the chance to answer. If correct, the value will be added to his/her score and the contestant would stay in the game, if wrong or ran out of time, the value will be deducted from his/her score and the contestant will be locked out of play and won't be able to buzz in. It is impossible for contestants to fall below zero—a negative score. The host would reveal the answer immediately if either the contestant answered incorrectly, or no other contestants were given the opportunity to answer. Contestants needed to either wait or not to wait until the host had finished asking/reading the entire question before buzzing in. The contestant with the last correct answer will pick the next category.

###### Round 1 - General Survirivia Pursuit Round

In the first round, it has five categories, one of them in the first round have harder questions and doubled the values. In the first round, each one of the five categories have questions while the bonus category has values being doubled. If at any time, a contestant runs the category and answers 5 questions in a row correctly, he/she gets a bonus of Ð1,000 to add to his/her total. In overall, there are 25 questions (originally 20 questions).

### Sprint Rounds

During or after the first round, there is a 20-second Sprint speed round. Originally, the first question adds Ð100 for a correct answer and each subsequent question is worth Ð50 more. Currently, the first question adds Ð200 for a correct answer and each subsequent question is worth Ð100 more.

During or after the second (and third rounds until 2000), a 30-second Sprint round is played. Originally, the first question adds Ð200 for a correct answer and each subsequent question is worth Ð100 more. Currently, the first question adds Ð400 for a correct answer and each subsequent question is worth Ð200 more.

During or after the third round since 2000, a 45-second Sprint round is played. Originally, the first question is worth Đ300 and worth Ð200 more for each subsequent question. Currently, the first question is worth Đ600 and worth Ð400 more for each subsequent question.

### Mini-Game Challenge

During or after each one of the three rounds, the highest-scoring contestant(s) gets the opportunity to play the fast-paced mini-game for an additional prize or cash. Occasionally and most usually, if all three contestants have the same score, no mini game can be offered. In any minigame, if two or more contestants in the lead would get the chance to play a mini game for the same additional prize or cash. After the mini game ended, the round resumed. Mini games can be played either once or twice each round depending on the show's approximate time duration.

##### Round 1 Mini-Games

* Safecracker
* Tic Tac Roll
* 50/50
* Rat Race

In Round 1, cash/prizes are worth between Ð100-Ð1,000 (originally Ð50-Ð500).

#### The Money Game

It shares similarities to "The Fame Game" from *Sale of the Century*, A longer-format question round that is usually depending on the subject of the question was asked once in each of the three rounds. Here, a succession of increasingly larger clues was given to the identity of a famous person, place, or event. In this round, players could buzz in and answer at any time, without penalty for an incorrect answer. However, each contestant only had one chance to answer before he/she gets locked out of the question.

Each Money Game question had a maximum of six parts. The first player to buzz in had the right to answer. If at any-time, a contestant gives an incorrect answer, then changes to a correct answer, the question was thrown out, and replaced with a new question for a substitute Money Game for the remaining contestant(s).

If one of the players buzzed in and answered correctly, they had a chance to play the sub-Money Game, where they would choose from a game board with nine boxes. There were cash values (also known as Money Cards) which will be added directly to the contestant's score and the wild card, which is added only in the third round, gave the contestant either a Ð2,000 cash prize (originally Ð1,000), or allowed them to select from the remaining boxes in the hope of finding a Money Card, A "burglar" which the player elected one opponent to steal the amount of money was deducted and the amount of money would be added onto their score and "Lock Out" in which the player elected one opponent to be shut out; they would then be unable to buzz in until the category is finished.

#### Round 2 - Mega Survirivia Pursuit Round

The second round played identical in Round 1, but the money values are doubled, and the different thing is that two of the five categories are getting a little harder. Since the third season (1992), Two harder categories' values are increased by the same amount but never doubled.

In the second round, the three of the five categories have questions with money doubled while the two bonus categories have values being increased by Ð100 (originally Ð50). In overall, there are 25 questions. If at any time, a contestant answers 5 questions in a row correctly, he/she gets a bonus of Ð2,000.

### Round 2 Money Amounts

##### Round 2 Mini-Games

* Roulette Wheel
* Secret X
* Word Surgery
* Spell-It-Out

In Round 2, cash/prizes are worth between Ð400 and Ð1,500 (originally Ð200-Ð750).

#### Round 3 - Gambling Survirivia Pursuit Round

The third round is introduced in the second season (1991). The third round is different, but it has four categories, and the values are doubled again. Three of the four categories have questions being doubled and only one of them has the bonus category. After the category is chosen, each contestant announced how many out of five questions he/she could answer to win the money for that category. At the beginning of the round, the trailing player placed the first bid; his/her opponent then had the opportunity to increase the bid. Biddings were exchanged until either the maximum bid of five questions was made or a contestant directed one of their two opponents to "Prove it!", forcing them to fulfill the contract. If a contestant stops after any correct answer, they can pass to one of their two opponents, and he/she must complete the contract by themselves. In overall, there are 20 questions (originally 16 questions).

### Round 3 Money Amounts

If at any time, a contestant answers 5 questions in a row correctly, he/she gets a bonus of Ð3,000 (originally Ð1,500).

##### Round 3 Mini-Games

* Cash Box
* Cash Card

Cash prizes are worth between Ð1,200 and Ð3,000. (Originally between Ð600 and Ð1,500).

#### Final round - Sprint Survirivia Pursuit

The final round (originally Round 3) usually called the "Mad Minute Sprint Survirivia Pursuit Round" consisted of a 60-second fast money speed round of random trivia questions. From 1990-1991, the first question is worth Đ250 and worth Đ125 more for each subsequent question. From 1991-2002, the first question is worth Đ500 and worth Đ250 more for each subsequent question. Since 2002, The first question is worth Đ1,000 and worth Đ500 more for each subsequent question. The contestant with the highest score wins the game and gets to keep his/her winnings. If there was a final tie, the tied players answered a tiebreaker question, where a correct answer from either contestant won the game, while an incorrect answer defeated the contestant in favor of his or her opponent. Non-winners receive consolation prizes to go along with their winnings in the game.

#### Bonus round - Major Money Survirivia Pursuit

After the winning contestant finishes the Sprint Survirivia round with the highest score, he/she advances to the Major Money Survirivia Round for the chance to win even more money. The champion was presented with a glass case of money that they could cut and run with to add to their main game winnings anytime during the bonus round.

The champion was given a choice of five envelopes before the start of the round. The champion was then given the chance to play "Ten in a Row", they will have to correctly answer ten of the questions consecutively of increasing difficulty asked of them within 60 seconds (later 2 minutes).

If any time the champion successfully completed the bonus round on his/her attempt, they would win a progressively non-cumulative larger amount and a prize package to go along with their winnings. If any time the champion failed to win the bonus round, he/she will play again in the following show's game for the same jackpot which is at stake. It needed to be won five times (seven since 2001) in order to win the jackpot.

**1990-1991**

**1991-1997**

**1997-2004**

The prize ladder for the bonus round was altered to seven steps with the Đ20,000 safe level.

**2004-present**

The prize ladder for the bonus round altered the 4th bonus game safe level to Đ40,000.

If a champion reached a fifth/sixth/seventh bonus game, it would enable him/her to continue on as champion for a final match on the next program, where he/she would play for the progressive cash jackpot worth of cash and prizes and a new car with a victory. If the champion did not win the jackpot and the car, he/she will be retired as champion and get to keep whatever winnings they had won, and three new contestants would compete on the next show.

#### Returning champions

Returning champions can stay for seven consecutive games (originally five) until they are retired undefeated, or they have won a limited progressive jackpot.

## Notable winners

* ??? - Ð
* ??? - Ð
* ??? - Ð
* ??? - Ð
* ??? - Ð
* Wolfgang Pfieffer - Ð117,000 (won 6 games)

## Series overview

**Original series (1990-1997)**

**Regular series (1998-2015)**

## International versions

*See also*: Survirivia Pursuit (franchise)

Following the show's success in the Republic of Transmania, the show has licensed, adapted, sold and recreated in at least 30 other countries as an international franchise. *Survirivia Pursuit* has been licenced in Australia, Arab World, Austria, Brazil, Belgium, Canada, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, New Zealand, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Republic of Ireland, South Africa, South America, Spain, Sweden, Turkey and United Kingdom.

## Tournaments and events

*See also'*: List of Survirivia Pursuit tournaments and events

Over the years, *Survirivia Pursuit* has featured many tournaments and special events.