The Million Pound Cube
The Million Pound Cube (known as The Cube from 2009–2015) is a British television game show that premiered on ITV from 22 August 2009. It is hosted by Phillip Schofield.
| The Million Pound Cube | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Also known as | The Cube (2009–2015) |
| Created by | Adam Adler |
| Presented by | Phillip Schofield |
| Voices of | Colin McFarlane |
| Theme music composer | Nick Foster Ken Bolam |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language | English |
| No. of series | 10 |
| No. of episodes | 85 |
| Production | |
| Production locations | Fountain Studios (2009–2015) Television Centre, London (2020–) |
| Running time | 60–75 minutes (inc. adverts) |
| Production companies | Objective Productions OBJECTIVE MEDIA GROUP ENTERTAINMENT (2020–) |
| Distributor | All3Media |
| Release | |
| Original network | ITV |
| Picture format | 576i (SDTV) 1080i (HDTV) |
| Audio format | Stereo |
| Original release | 22 August 2009 – present |
| External links | |
| Website | |
The original series offered contestants the chance to win a top prize of £250,000 by completing challenges from within a 4m × 4m × 4m perspex cube. It was based on the idea that even straightforward tasks become extremely challenging when confined and put under pressure inside a small, enclosed area whilst surrounded by a live studio audience. Once inside, contestants could feel both claustrophobic and disoriented, affecting their concentration and abilities.
Using "state-of-the-art filming techniques", the show aimed to demonstrate the intense anxiety which contestants underwent as they progressed through each task. The challenges involved physical and mental tasks including catching, throwing, estimating, reacting, memorising and balancing. Colin McFarlane provides the disembodied voice of The Cube, who explained the rules of the games.[1]
On 15 June 2020, after five years off the air, it was reported that The Cube would return with the jackpot being increased to a significant sum of money.[2] A month later the return was confirmed, with the jackpot being raised to £1,000,000 and Phillip Schofield returning as host.[3]
Format
Original Series (2009–2015)
The game is played by a single contestant within a transparent Perspex cube that measures 4 metres along each edge. The goal is to complete a series of seven games, each of which awards an increasing amount of prize money, before failing a total of nine times. Games are preselected for each individual contestant before the show to test their mental and physical faculties in various ways. A typical episode consists of two contestants' games; depending on how successful the contestants are and on editing, a contestant's game may split across two episodes.
The contestant begins with nine lives, and loses one for every unsuccessful attempt at a game. The contestant must repeat the game until they either complete it or run out of lives; in the latter case, the game ends and all money is forfeited. When a contestant succeeds, they are shown a preview of the next game and can decide to either stop playing and keep their winnings, or continue and risk the money. During a preview, the game is named and described by a male computer voice (provided by McFarlane) and demonstrated by "The Body," a woman dressed in a full-body jumpsuit and featureless metal mask. In the original series, McFarlane described the Body as "an expert in all games played within the Cube"; her real name has never been stated on camera or listed in the credits.
Schofield occasionally comments on the difficulty that past contestants have had with a game and notes the average number of lives lost while playing it, in order to help the contestant decide whether to continue or stop. Friends and family members in the audience may offer advice on decision-making and techniques for playing the games. Certain games have specific restrictions added to increase their difficulty, such as a time limit or allowing the use of only one hand. If the contestant violates any such restriction, they immediately lose a life.
The contestant is given two forms of assistance, each of which may be used once. "Simplify" reduces the difficulty of a game, such as by allowing more time or increasing the size of a target zone – though the precise nature of the change is not revealed until after the contestant chooses to use Simplify. Simplify may be used after any unsuccessful attempt. The simplification remains in effect until the contestant either completes that game or runs out of lives. "Trial Run" allows the contestant to make one practice attempt at a game with no lives or money at stake, then decide if they want to play or stop. This assistance becomes available after they complete the first game, and can only be used upon the introduction of a new one.
The seventh and final game is worth a jackpot of £250,000; contestants who complete this game are said to have "beaten the Cube". It is a more difficult version of one of the six games a contestant previously played. To date, seven people have reached this level, with six choosing to stop and keep their winnings of £100,000. The seventh is runner Mo Farah, who successfully completed the final game on an episode of a 2012 celebrity series in which British gold medallist athletes competed for charity.
Revival (2020–)
The series was revived in 2020 as The Million Pound Cube with some notable format changes. Most notably, the game is now played in pairs of a pre-existing relationship, with the games being a mix of single player games and new two-player players. Other changes include the replacement of the "Trial Run" lifeline with a new one called "Swap", which allows the contestants to switch places (this can only be used in single-player games), and the changes to the money ladder due to the top prize being increased to £1 million. The format otherwise remains the same as the previous series.
Filming
Objective Productions first approached Channel 4 in 2008 with the format. It was made into a non-televised pilot by the channel,[4] and was hosted by Justin Lee Collins. Channel 4 eventually decided not to commission the show because it would have been too expensive.[5]
In February 2009, ITV purchased the rights to the show and filming began during April 2009 at Wembley's Fountain Studios. The Cube is one of the first shows to use the game freeze filming technique on a frequent basis, such as when a contestant jumps in celebration. The technique used is called "Bullet Time". Using specially designed cameras, it allows the viewer to see one side of the Cube before the action is frozen, spun to another face of the Cube and then resumed. Slow-motion shots are again common to show action replays of the task a contestant just completed, or the critical moment of a game, to heighten the excitement of whether the contestant will succeed or fail.
The show makes extensive use of CGI to project images onto the walls and ceiling of the Cube, while a screen on the floor is also capable of showing images. These film techniques make the seemingly simple tasks that are put before the contestants seem much more exciting than they would normally be.
For series 8, which premiered on 1 March 2014, the show received a revamp, including a new studio set (the wave lines in the background were replaced by a circular replica of the letter C), new opening credits, a redesign of graphics and several new games. The seven game format and prize money structure remained the same.
During Series 10 in 2020, 120 Canon DSLR cameras were used for the Bullet Time rig, 3 x Red Dragon EPIC 6K cameras and a separate rig was added to capture 3D Photogrammetry and Volumetric data by UK Bullet Time specialists New World Designs LTD[6] Due to the closure of Fountain Studios not long after the ninth series had concluded, the show moved to Television Centre, London.
Prize money
Since the first episode, The Cube has had a prize money structure starting at £1,000 and ending at the £250,000 jackpot, though in the 2020 series, the jackpot was raised to £1,000,000.[7] Below is a breakdown of the prize money structure as used from Series 1–9, showing the game number and amount of prize money that can be won for successfully completing that game. If a player loses all their lives at any point during the game, they lose all the money they have accumulated to that point. The only exception is for celebrities, playing for charity, in which £1,000 is awarded. All games are different for each level, except for the jackpot, where a game is repeated, but at a much harder level. For example, decreased time, smaller targets or one more barrier, in Barrier.
| Stage | Amount (Original series) | Amount (Revived series) |
|---|---|---|
| Game 1 | £1,000 | £2,000 |
| Game 2 | £2,000 | £5,000 |
| Game 3 | £10,000 | £10,000 |
| Game 4 | £20,000 | £25,000 |
| Game 5 | £50,000 | £100,000 |
| Game 6 | £100,000 | £250,000 |
| Game 7 | £250,000 | £1,000,000 |
Transmissions
| Series | Start date | End date | Episodes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 22 August 2009 | 3 October 2009 | 7 |
| 2 | 19 September 2010 | 2 January 2011 | 12[8] |
| 3 | 3 April 2011 | 11 June 2011 | 9[8] |
| 4 | 30 October 2011 | 31 December 2011 | 9[8] |
| 5 | 14 April 2012 | 21 July 2012 | 8[8] |
| 6 | 23 December 2012 | 13 April 2013 | 8[8] |
| 7 | 20 April 2013 | 22 February 2014 | 8[8] |
| 8 | 1 March 2014 | 7 July 2014 | 9[8] |
| 9 | 3 June 2015 | 8 August 2015 | 8[8] |
| 10 | 17 October 2020 | 20 December 2020 | 8[8] |
Ratings
Series 1
Series 2
Series 3
|
Series 4
Series 5
Series 6
|
Series 7
Series 8
Series 9
Series 10
|
Awards
| Year | Group | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Broadcast Awards | Best New Programme | Nominated |
| Rose d'Or | Best Game Show | Nominated | |
| 2011 | RTS Awards | Best Entertainment Show | Nominated |
| Broadcast Awards | Best Entertainment Programme | Won | |
| BAFTA | Best Entertainment Craft Team | Won | |
| Best Entertainment Programme | Won | ||
| 2012 | Best Entertainment Craft Team | Won | |
| National Reality TV Awards | Best Game Show | Nominated | |
| TV Choice Awards | Won | ||
| Rose d'Or | Nominated | ||
| National Television Awards | Best Entertainment Programme | Nominated | |
| 2013 | Nominated | ||
| 2014 | Nominated |
International versions
The format has been sold to international broadcasters. As of 2017, eleven countries have produced their own versions of the show which have all ceased broadcasting and in the case of the US version, the Greek and the Turkish version have not even been shown (only a pilot was filmed).
Below is a breakdown of the countries that have created their own versions along with other information including the Jackpot available and broadcast dates.
Legend:
- Currently airing
- No longer airing
- Non-broadcast pilot
| Country | Name | Host | Channel | Top prize | Premiere/air dates | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Arab World[10] |
The Cube | Dhaffer L'Abidine | Dubai TV | Dhs250,000 | 2 February – 27 April 2014 | No longer airing |
.svg.png.webp){kind=small} Australia[11] |
The Cube | Andy Lee | Network 10 | A$250,000 | 24 February 2021 | Set to air on 24 February 2021 |
 China |
梦立方 Mèng lìfāng |
Cheng Lei | Dragon TV | Prize[lower-alpha 2] or ¥250,000 | 13 May 2012 – 4 September 2013[12] | No longer airing |
 France |
Le Cube | Nagui | France 2 | €50,000 | 1 July – 30 August 2013 | No longer airing |
 Germany |
The Cube – Besiege den Würfel! | Nazan Eckes | RTL | €250,000 | 29 April 2011[13] | No longer airing |
 Greece |
O κύβος O kubos |
Unknown | Mega Channel | €75,000 | 2010 | Non-broadcast pilot |
 Hungary |
A Kocka | Nóra Ördög | TV2 | 10,000,000 Ft | 23 November – 23 December 2015[14] | No longer airing |
 Italy |
The Cube – La Sfida | Teo Mammucari | Italia 1 | €100,000 | 7 – 28 September 2011[15] | No longer airing |
 Portugal |
O Cubo | Jorge Gabriel | RTP1 | €30,000 | 16 May – 11 July 2010 | No longer airing |
 Russia[16] |
Куб Kub |
Dmitry Kharatyan | Channel One | ₽3,000,000 | 30 March – 30 November 2013 | No longer airing |
 Saudi Arabia |
المكعب Al Moukaab |
Faisal Al Issa | KSA 1 | SR250,000 | 17 March – 8 July 2010 | No longer airing |
 Spain |
El Cubo | Raquel Sánchez Silva | Cuatro | €150,000 | 8 February – 14 August 2012[17] | No longer airing |
| €250,000 | ||||||
 Turkey |
Kup | Unknown | Kanal D | 250,000 lira | 2010 (pilot rejected) | Non-broadcast pilot |
 Ukraine |
Куб Kub |
Maksim Chmerkovskiy | STB | 250,000 ₴ | 21 November 2011 – 24 December 2012[18] | No longer airing |
| Dmitry Tancovich | 500,000 ₴ | 26 August 2013 – 29 December 2014 | ||||
 United States |
The Cube | Neil Patrick Harris | CBS | $500,000 | 2010 (pilot rejected) | Non-broadcast pilot |
| Dwyane Wade | TBA | TBA | TBA | Set to air in 2021[19][20][21] |
- Note
- Not reported in the weekly top 15 programmes for four-screen viewer ratings.
- For example, the prize of the first 5 games for the very first contestant were football boots, complete set of freestyle football equipments, freestyle football party, replacement of old home appliances and a freestyle football studio respectively.
The UK version of The Cube is also formerly being simulcast in Ireland by Virgin Media One. It is broadcast in New Zealand on TV1, and in Australia on the Nine Network. Old series were broadcast in Bosnia and Herzegovina by RTRS, in Serbia by IQS Life and in Singapore by MediaCorp Channel 5.
Filming locations
The German, Italian, Portuguese, Saudi Arabian, Spanish and the U.S. pilot of The Cube were filmed at The Fountain Studios in London using the British set and games. Other international versions have created their own studio sets. The Chinese version of the show is filmed at the Zhabei Gymnasium in Shanghai; the Ukrainian version of the show is filmed at the Antonov Serial Production Plant in Kyiv; the Russian version of the show is filmed at the Ostankino Technical Center in Moscow; the Arabian version is filmed at the Dubai Studio City in Dubai and the French version of the show is filmed in La Plaine Saint-Denis, near Paris.
Top prize winners
Across all versions of the show, 6 contestants have won the final game and taken away the jackpot.
| Country | Contestant | Jackpot game | Jackpot won | Number of lives left | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arab World |
Mark Johnson | Blind Shot | Dhs250,000 | 4 | 20 April 2014 |
| China |
Chen Kun | Extraction | ¥250,000 | 3 | 22 July 2012 (Charity special) |
| Wu Jing | Tower | ¥250,000 | 1 | 2 May 2013 (Charity special) | |
| Portugal |
Vítor Costa | Barrier | €30,000 | 30 May 2010 | |
| Ukraine |
Andriy Serko | Rapid Fire | 250,000 UAH | 29 October 2012 | |
 United Kingdom |
Mo Farah | Barrier | £250,000 (original series) | 6 | 14 July 2012 (Charity special) |
Merchandise
An electronic board game based on the series was made available in stores from November 2010.[22] As of June 2011, the game has been discontinued by most main retailers.[23] The game comes with an electronic handheld system featuring games such as Time Freeze and Stop Zone, as well as 9 balls- six 18mm blow moulded balls, 1 30mm EVA foam ball, 1 25mm hard ball and one 50mm hard ball. The balls are used for different reasons and the foam ball is used for most games with a ball. For Multisphere, all balls are used unless it is being played in a room with hard floors, in that case eight balls are used. Tubes are used for almost every physical game for starting positions, voids, tubes, towers and columns.
Other equipment in the board game are track pieces, discs, clips, z shaped platform pieces, cannons, blocks, a ball flipper, a beam and card pieces,and a 7 cm x 7 cm x 7 cm plastic cube for playing a series of physical games. The cube is used for a container and to connect onto the cube platform for the electronic games. A reducer also comes with the cube, allowing it to reduce the size of the open top of the cube. This is, in almost all games involving the cube, removed in a simplify. Many well known and classic games are here as well as new games such as Roller, Catch, Retrieval and Bounce, everyday life games and interesting and complex games.
Around the time of the release of the board game, a Game App version of the series was made available via the iTunes store for use on the iPod Touch, iPhone and iPad. This app version originally featured sixteen games from the series: Balance, Cylinder, Descent, Drop Zone, Focus, Multisphere, Perimeter, Precision, Quantity, Reaction, Revolution, Shatter, Stabilise, Stop Zone and Time Freeze. The first update for the game came in April 2011 with Pulse added Another update for the game was made available in June 2011, adding a further free game, Succession, and making eight games available via in app purchase in 2 "packs" Exact, Pathfinder, Totalise and Tower in Pack one and Invert, Composure, Calculate and Navigate in Pack two. A further update was made available in October 2011, adding a further free game, Axis. 2 further games followed in 2012, Eliminate in April and Symmetry in October. In February 2013, Chase, which at that time had not been shown on TV, was made available. Almost a year later on 21 February 2014 Avoid was added. The most recent update came on 19 May 2014 when 4 games new games were made available via In App Purchase. These new games were Reset, Plummet, Selection and Tally all which are new games from the most recent series. There are currently 35 games available to play in the App version.
On 9 November 2012, a Cube game was released on consoles for the first time. It was available on the Nintendo Wii, PlayStation 3 and Nintendo 3DS. 33 games are playable in this version including two unseen new games: Flight Path (already played in international versions) and Retrace. If the Cube is beaten, Extreme Mode is unlocked, featuring more extreme versions of five popular games: Revolution, Pathfinder, Perimeter, Rebound and Momentum.
References
- Rollo, Sarah (14 March 2009). "Schofield to host ITV gameshow 'The Cube'". Digital Spy.
- White, Peter (15 June 2020). "ITV Brings Back Big-Budget Gameshow 'The Cube' From Objective Productions". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 15 June 2020.
- Cremona, Patrick (15 July 2020). "The Cube reboot sets £1m prize with Phillip Schofield to return as host". Radio Times. Retrieved 15 July 2020.
- West, Dave (13 June 2008). "Channel 4 piloting gameshow in a cube". Digital Spy.
- ITV snaps up C4-piloted gameshow Broadcast
- "ITV The Cube - 120 Camera Bullet Time and Photogrammetry Rig - NWD". New World Designs. Retrieved 16 October 2020.
- "THE CUBE IS RETURNING TO ITV!". Facebook. 15 July 2020.
- "The Cube". All3Media. Retrieved 2 April 2020.
- "Weekly Top 30 Programmes". Broadcasters' Audience Research Board. Archived from the original on 8 January 2015. Retrieved 1 January 2015.
- "Dubai TV". Dmi.ae. 6 May 2012. Retrieved 18 January 2014.
- https://tvtonight.com.au/2020/12/andy-lee-to-host-the-cube-for-10.html
- "东方卫视梦立方官方网站". dragontv.cn. Archived from the original on 15 May 2012.
- "TVmatrix". tvmatrix.de.
- "TV2". tv2.hu. Retrieved 15 July 2020.
- "Mediaset Play: Programmi TV, Video, Dirette Live e Film". Mediaset Play. Archived from the original on 24 September 2011. Retrieved 15 July 2020.
- суббота, 16:50. "Куб - Анкета - Первый канал". 1tv.ru. Archived from the original on 3 April 2013. Retrieved 18 January 2014.
- "Cuatro busca concursantes para 'El Cubo'". cuatro.com. 15 November 2011.
- "Шоу Куб: смотреть онлайн". КУБ.
- White, Peter (5 August 2020). "WarnerMedia Remaking British Game Show 'The Cube' With NBA Star Dwyane Wade Set As Host & EP".
- "Warnermedia Announces Series Order For Heart-Pounding, Beloved Game Show THE CUBE, Executive Produced And Hosted By NBA Legend Dwyane Wade | Pressroom". pressroom.warnermedia.com.
- "WarnerMedia to enter The Cube".
- "Buy The Cube Family Electronic Game at Argos.co.uk - Your Online Shop for Games and board games". argos.co.uk.
- "Generic Error". debenhams.com.