5 Minutes to a Fortune

19 March 2013

In the studio stands an imposing 15 foot hourglass containing thousands of pounds. To keep the money in the hourglass, contestants must work as the perfect team to complete five challenges... in just five minutes. To take home the cash they’ll to be quick thinking and have nerves of steel, because if they run out of time the hourglass will turn and their money will start to drain away. test

Welcome to 5 Minutes to a Fortune.

Channel 4 today announces new game show, 5 Minutes to a Fortune, created and produced by Victory Television, and hosted by Davina McCall.  Broadcast across four weeks, this daily show will challenge teams of two to work as the perfect partnership to take home a life-changing amount of money - £50,000.  On Saturday nights, the show will double the potential winnings to a £100,000 as two celebrities pit themselves against the clock to raise funds for charity.

Davina McCall says: “5 Minutes to a Fortune is one of those shows that has you clenching your buttocks from start to finish – I cannot wait to get started!”

Tom Beck, Commissioning Editor for Channel 4 Entertainment, says: “Five Minutes to a Fortune is a hugely exciting new format fronted by the best host in the business. It’s brilliantly simple to play, fiendishly difficult to win and simply gripping to watch.  It’s tense and exciting, funny and unique.”

Victoria Ashbourne, Managing Director, Victory Television adds: “Unlike most game shows, the pressure really kicks in when the clock hits zero and the prize money literally drains away, coin by coin. With an exciting combination of both daytime and primetime shows to create, we can’t wait to bring this brand new series to life.”

The game is simple.

One member of the team will play five games, the other ‘the Timekeeper’ will control the game.  The Timekeeper decides which categories their partner will play and more importantly how much time they’ll have to play each game. Each couple has five minutes to complete all five games.

Each game starts with eight categories on the board – each requires a range of skills and will vary every week.  This is where we find out how well the couples know each other – is their partner a music fan, trivia junkie or comedy genius?  Once the category has been decided, predicting how much of the five minutes to use for each challenge is crucial to keeping their fortune.  When things get tough, the Timekeeper has two ‘Time Controls’; The Freeze Time, which stops the game for ten seconds, and the Emergency Stop, which aborts the challenge and replaces it with a new one. 

Once the five games have been completed, the roles switch and the Timekeeper must play one final game to win the cash that is left in the hourglass.  After choosing their category, the Timekeeper is required to name ten items from this area in the time it takes for the hour-glass to turn.  Failing to complete the challenge in this time will again see their winnings drain away.

5 Minutes to a Fortune is being made for Channel 4 by Victory Television and has been commissioned by Tom Beck, Commissioning Editor for Entertainment at C4.  Executive Producers at Victory Television are Victoria Ashbourne and Stuart Shawcross.  Tamara Gilder will Series Produce.