What? Where? When?

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Television broadcast
Original title Что? Где? Когда?
Country of production USSR (1975–1991), Russia (from 1991)
Year (s) since 1975
Production
company		 TV IGRA, Russia
length 90 minutes
Episodes 409
Broadcasting
cycle		 4 series per year with 4 programs each, as well as an annual finale
genre Quiz show
Theme music Richard Strauss So spoke Zarathustra
idea Vladimir Voroshilov
Moderation
First broadcast September 4, 1975 on First Central Television Program (1975–1991), First Channel Ostankino (1991–1995), ORT (since 2002 Channel One Russia) (from 1995), NTW (1999–2000, 2002 – repetitions of old games)

What? Where? When? ( Russian Что? Где? Когда? ) is a quiz show that is mainly popular in Russian-speaking regions. The show was invented in 1975 by TV presenter Vladimir Voroshilov and it quickly became very popular. The purpose of the game is to compare the team of the knowledgeable (a game team of 6 people) and the team of television viewers . The knower will in a minute with the help of brainstorming to find the right answer to be sent by a viewer question. As a rule, questions are asked that can be solved with general knowledge and logical thinking. For every correct answer, the team of those who know gets one point; if the answer is wrong, the point goes to the team of TV viewers. The game continues until one of the teams has reached six points.

The moderator (and director at the same time) is usually (traditionally) only present as a voice from the off. This goes back to an incident in the early 1980s, when the then chairman of the "Gosteleradio USSR" (in Soviet times the umbrella organization of all television and radio stations), Sergei Lapin, demanded that Vladimir Voroshilov withdraw from the show (which ended the show would have been the same), and the "background voice" was invented as a way out. From around 1986/87 Voroshilov appeared again and again in front of the camera, but since the audience had got used to the voiceover over the years, it was decided to keep this "tradition".

Rules of the game

In the course of the game, the team of the knowledgeable (Russian: команда знатоков ) receives one point for each correct answer, if the answer is wrong, the point goes to the team of TV viewers (Russian: команда телезрителей ), who compete against the team, so to speak. As soon as one of the teams has received 6 points, it wins, which means that no more than 11 questions can be asked per game. The rules are adjusted again and again, but the game (with a few exceptions at the beginning) takes place in the hunting lodge in the Lustgarten in Moscow. A special room has been set up there with a kind of roulette, in the middle of which there is a top with an arrow attached. The questions lie on the table in envelopes in a circle around the top; the envelopes are marked with the sender's city. The question is played on which the top arrow stops. If this question has already been played, the next question is taken in clockwise order.

The discussion of the question lasts a minute. At the end of the day, the captain of the team has to name the person who should answer the question. Typically, the author answers the best version of the answer.

If a knowledgeable person knows the answer while the question is being asked, he can give a signal (usually a fist with his thumb extended upwards), whereupon the team captain can tell the moderator that the answer is ready before the start of the answer discussion. If this answer is correct, those who know not only get the point, but an additional minute of discussion for the later rounds. The number of minutes depends on the number of correct answers previously given; a team may take more than one extra minute in a row.

Later the rule “help the club” was introduced. If the knowledgeable do not know the answer to the question, they can turn to the other knowing (from other teams) in the hall once per game. The time for this is 20 seconds. In 2007 this rule was slightly changed: now you can only use this help if the score is not in favor of your own team. There used to be a similar rule (help from the masters) where the team of the knowing would receive help from the masters of the game for 20 seconds, but this rule has been abolished.

Since the team of knowing are not alone in the hall, there is a potential potential for the answer to be said. To avoid this, there is an administrator in the hall; in such a case this shows a red card. The game is also recorded by multiple cameras. When speaking, the person speaking is usually removed from the hall. The moderator has the right not to count the answers of those who know.

The questions

General

The game requires a thorough general knowledge and education in the field of modern science, as well as the ability to think quickly, originally, and unusually. Given the game's title, one might mistakenly assume that there are a lot of facts to keep in mind. In fact, the questions that only require factual knowledge are uninteresting and are mostly avoided. A good question contains everything you need to know to get an answer and requires general schooling, attention, observation, etc. Sometimes the questions contain clues, for example, by using conspicuous wording or playing on words. Therefore, many questions cannot be translated and require knowledge of culture and science .

The questions relate to different areas of knowledge and are structured differently, so the best players are usually the ones who are the most well-read and most educated. A strong team includes players with different mindsets who complement each other in harmony. Much depends on the team's experience and internal chemistry.

Types of questions

  1. Standard question . Those in the know are read a question sent in by post by a television viewer. The question is determined by the top. The question is discussed for one minute, then the team has to give an answer. The answer will be given by one of the players, named by the captain.
  2. Multimedia question . This question is asked with the help of a video or audio recording or with the help of a picture. The recordings are shown on the monitors that are installed above the table. Often (especially with pictures) these are spread out on the table in front of the players.
  3. Object question . The team receives an item and must z. For example, guess what it serves or served for, or how to use it for something in particular.
  4. Black box question . Here you have to say what is in a black box in front of the players. Sometimes this is already an indication of the answer, since the box is not very large and there cannot be anything abstract there (however, it happened that the box was empty and the correct answer was "nothing" - but this is more the Exception). Once there was another, smaller black box in the black box (in the game on December 27, 2008). If the item does not fit in the box, it is behind the scenes, which those in the know are made aware of when asked.
  5. Sector thirteen . Those in the know are asked a question that is asked on the 13.mts.ru website during the game. The question is randomly generated by the computer. The question is unmoderated and no one, not even the moderator, knows the answer until it is announced.
  6. Sector Zero . At the beginning of the game, three stylized playing cards were placed on the sector with the number 0. When this sector came up, the round of the intellectual casino against the knowledgeable was ushered in. Then the moderator Vladimir Voroshilov stepped up to the knowledgeable and asked one of the questions from the cards. After Voroshilov's death, this sector was abolished.
  7. Lightning . This consists of three questions that are easier than the standard questions, but the team only has 20 seconds for each question. The team only gets the point if all three questions have been answered correctly.
  8. Superblitz - the more complicated form of the lightning round. The difference is that only one player has to guess without the help of the team. This is decided by the captain; occasionally the top is used to draw the player. The Superblitz round is very rarely won (e.g. by Andrei Koslow in the final in 2008; before that by Maxim Potaschew in 1997).
  9. Decisive round . If the team already has 5 points, but would like to achieve a score of 6: 0 as the result of the game, the team can ask for a decisive round. Then only one player remains at the table who has to answer a question alone. It is not allowed to speak in the hall. Since getting through to the final depends on the difference in points, a team can ensure through the decisive round that it makes it to the final.

Question examples

  1. Before you is an ancient Egyptian document; it says of a slave : "He hears perfectly in both ears, is honest and obedient". This text is considered an early copy of what? (Answer: advertising .)
  2. The management of McDonald’s thinks: The rumors that McDonald’s meat dishes are prepared from earthworms can easily be refuted if you compare them to meat. Question: according to which criterion? (Answer: by price: earthworms cost considerably more.)
  3. After humorous Calendar of Belajew and Stauber: "If this statement is true, would this not as a pleasant taste." Guess from which statement is talk and tell you what the is. (Answer: wine , the statement: In vino veritas (Latin: the truth lies in wine ). The question is based on the comparison of the proverbs “In vino veritas” and “the bitter truth” .)
  4. Once a friend of Mark Twain's , Harry Duman, borrowed $ 500 from him and promised to repay it after a month - if he was still alive. Question: What did Mark Twain do when he didn't get what was promised after a month? (Answer: he printed Duman's necrology )
  5. In the fable of Ambrose Bierce one has people's representatives promised his voters, not to steal, if chosen. When it later turns out that he embezzled large sums of money after his election, the voters confront him. The politician says that although he promised not to steal, he did not make a different promise. The question: what promise? (Answer: a promise not to lie.)
  6. Jerome K. Jerome likened this to government: both are valued only as long as they are good. Name this. (Answer: the weather )

background

The creation date of the game is September 4, 1975. On that day there was a game, the rules were different and two families competed against each other. The game consisted of two rounds filmed in each of the families' homes.

In 1976 the gyro was introduced. At the beginning, the top was not used to determine the question, but the player who answered.

In 1976 the game «Что? Где? Когда? » changed a lot and was dubbed a "television youth club". Because Voroshilov was banned from television at the time, the first editions were moderated by Alexander Masljakow . The first players were students from Lomonosov University , who were allowed to talk loudly and smoke while discussing. There was no limit to 1 minute, everyone played for themselves and not as a team.

In 1977 the game got its final form: the top selected the question and the discussion lasted 1 minute. In 1977 the game also got its symbol: an eagle owl .

The first questions were thought up by the moderator Vladimir Voroshilov. After the game became popular, people started taking audience questions. It is known that every day mail came in bags that had to be answered; The best questions had to be selected, the facts checked, and any necessary items procured. A single person could not cope with this work, and Voroshilov was helped by his wife, Natalia Stetsenko, who headed the department of audience communications for many years.

In the beginning there was no special name for the players. In 1979 the term “knower” (Russian: знаток) came about. This word has now become the standard for designating players, and the club is usually called the “Club of the Knowing” (Russian: клуб знатоков).

The details of the rules of the game were often subject to change, but the main prizes were always books and the crystal owl.

After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, the game was transformed from an “intellectual club” into an “intellectual casino” (although the location remained the same). The motto of the game became «Intellectual casino: the only place where you can make money with your mind».

From then on, each question had a certain "value" that could be increased by placing the money won on a playing field. Sponsors and lawyers ( Michail Barschtschewski ) came. Gambling for money was abolished in 2001 and the value of the questions was determined by telephone voting. As of 2008, the authors of questions that are answered incorrectly will be paid depending on how many points the TV viewer team has: 1 point gives the viewer 10,000 rubles, 2 points 20,000, etc. If the first question from those in the know is correct answered, the viewer receives an "insurance" of 10,000 rubles; any unplayed question other than "Sector 13" will receive compensation of 10,000 rubles; with Blitz and Superblitz this applies to every author of a question. In the years 2006–2007, viewers received 1 ruble per vote “Question was liked” and −1 ruble per vote “Question was not liked” in the SMS voting.

The game is subject to constant changes that are still being made. In 1992, the “Zero” sector was introduced, replacing the “Green Sector” that existed before 1991. If the pointer stopped on sector 0, the moderator would come up to the players with three cards (later only 1 of them was played) and ask the questions he had thought up. Voroshilov called this variant of the game the "game of the casino against the knowing". In the 2001 Summer Games, the prepared questions of the (deceased) Vladimir Voroshilov were read out by the new moderator.

Sector 13 was introduced in 2001 (previously it was experimentally referred to as the Internet). When the top points to it, a question is played that is chosen at random from the questions sent in via the Internet. These questions have their own specifics: the moderator does not know the correct answer before the knowledgeable has given their answer, so he cannot comment on the question. Since the questions are not moderated, their quality can vary greatly.

After the death of Vladimir Voroshilov in 2001, his stepson Boris Kryuk became the new presenter. At first he changed his voice so as not to be recognized; but later he revealed himself and continued the program with his own voice. He has only appeared to the players twice so far - October 26, 2007 and December 27, 2008.

The game has four "series" (or seasons) each year: spring, summer, fall and winter. The first three series contain four games each (3 selection games and 1 final); the winter season consists of 5 games, as the annual finale is added. In this the "Diamond Owl" will be drawn.

The established teams have changed little over the course of game history. Some of the oldest players have left the game and others have joined, but the process is usually slow and unobtrusive.

New intellectuals have been taking on the club since 2000, so a new team played every season. The members were selected from local clubs, later they were drawn after a telephone vote. However, these teams, which had no team play experience, usually did not give a good picture.

There are currently “What? Where? When? ”- amateur clubs practically in all major regions of Russia and in many countries where emigrants from the former USSR live. There are regular championships as well as festivals and tournaments. Club work is carried out by the International Association of Clubs “What? Where? When? "Regulated. The club had its own newspaper “Igra”, which was about the most important events in the world of “What? Where? When? ”And KWN reported.

The television version includes pauses to allow those in the know to relax. There are two types of breaks:

  • Music break : the crew steps out of the hunting lodge to a stylized stage in the garden on which an invited star sings a song. As a variant, the band or the performer is invited into the hall. This break is called by the moderator after 4 rounds (or if the score is 3: 0).
  • Tea break : during this, the manager brings six cups of tea from the sponsor, Ahmad Tea Limited Edition. This break is usually called by the moderator after the 7th or 8th round if the game has not yet been won.

Live broadcast

One of the special features of the game is that it is broadcast live. During the broadcast, viewers who are subscribers to the sponsor MTS can submit their variants of the answers. Because of the many time zones, the live broadcast is only available for viewers in the Moscow time zone and the MSK + 1 time zone. Viewers in more easterly time zones see the recordings from the week before; In the time zones to the west of Moscow, the live broadcast will be broadcast on the same day with a corresponding delay.

Prizes and titles of the game

The owls

  • Badge of the owl . Awarded to the best player of the 1980 final, Alexander Bjalko.
  • Crystal owl . Introduced in 1984, it is awarded to the best player on the team of the knowledgeable or to the best questioner from the team of television viewers (depending on which team won)
  • Diamond owl . Awarded to the best player of the year. Introduced in 2002. Previous winners: Asja Schawinskaja, Boris Burda and Andrej Koslow.
  • Crystalline nest . Six small crystal owls on a crystal tray (in the nest) was awarded to the best team of an anniversary year. Was awarded to Andrej Koslow's team in 2008 (2008 was declared by the moderator and the Masters as an anniversary year in honor of 33 years of playing).

jacket

  • The red jacket was a symbol of the "forever club member" for the player who stayed in the club even if his team lost. It was awarded to the best player on the team that made it to the final (regardless of the score). Abolished after 1994.

The best captain's shoulder piece

  • The shoulder piece is awarded to the best captain, who is elected once every 5 years. Currently the following captains have this award: Boris Yerjomin, Vladimir Lutovinov, Andrei Kamorin, Viktor Sidnew, Andrei Kozlov, Alexej Blinow and Ales Muchin.

Magister

Starting in 1995, a master’s degree will be awarded in every anniversary season of the game. The following people in the know currently have this title:

  1. Alexander Drus (1995)
  2. Maxim Potashev (2000)
  3. Viktor Sidnew (2005)
  4. Andrej Koslow (2008) 1
1 Andrej Koslow received his master's degree in the 33rd year of the game. This year was declared an anniversary year after a vote by the Masters.

Keeper of Traditions

  • As the guardian of the club's “What? Where? When? ”The lawyer Mikhail Barschtschewski , the official representative of the Russian government before the highest courts, appears.

music

The game became so popular that certain music titles are only associated with this program in Russian-speaking countries. Many themes became famous and are also used in regional club games. For many people, these melodies are inseparable from the game atmosphere. The title melody is the beginning of Richard Strauss ' symphonic poem " Also sprach Zarathustra ". In addition, an excerpt from Hermann's aria from the opera “ Pique Dame ” (“What is our life? A game!”) And other excerpts from the same opera sounds at the beginning . When the top rotates, the track “Wild Horse” (by Gennadi Bondarew) plays, played by the Dixieland Orchestra by Albert Melkonow. Between the rounds, excerpts from " Rhapsody in Blue " and "Blues" by George Gershwin , "Sing, sing, sing" by Louie Prima , gypsy choir from the opera "Il Trovatore" by Giuseppe Verdi, "Ra-ta-ta" by James Last , excerpts from "Crucified" and "Israelism" by Army of Lovers . At the end of the game, “Danse macabre” by Camille Saint-Saëns (in a pop version) will be played by Ekseption .

International versions

Estonia

The TV station Kanal 2 (Estonia) calls its version Mis? Kus? Millal? .

Belarus

On April 13, 2009, a regional season was played on the Belarusian broadcaster ONT , moderated by Ales Muchin. According to Ales Muchin, there are about 1500 active players in Belarus.

Bulgaria

In Bulgaria there have been clubs of the knowing for over 20 years, which are united in a National Association of the Knowing. Usually there is a game every week. Many Bulgarian universities also have knowledge clubs. Some games are broadcast on regional channels.

Ukraine

The TV channel 1 + 1 calls its version Що? Де? Коли? ( ukr. What? Where? When?).

United States

In December 2009 it was announced that the rights to an American version of “What? Where? When? ” Were bought by the АВС broadcaster . The game, which currently has the working title "The Six", is said to be made by Merv Griffin Entertainment. The adjustments to the American market should be minimal: the moderator should not be present as an off-voice, but personally in the game room.

Web links

Commons : what? Where? When?  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b http://chgk.tvigra.ru/letopis/?1975
  2. ↑ a b http://www.7682.ru/smi_tele/243.html
  3. ↑ http://chgk.tvigra.ru/letopis/?1977
  4. ↑ a b c “The Phenomenon of the Game”, Vladimir Voroshilov, 124, p. 20, M. Sowetskaja Rossija, 1982–1983
  5. ↑ http://chgk.tvigra.ru/letopis/?1979
  6. ↑ a b http://chgk.tvigra.ru/letopis/?1991
  7. ↑ http://chgk.tvigra.ru/encyclopedia/?nagrada
  8. ↑ http://chgk.tvigra.ru/encyclopedia/?nagrada1
  9. ↑ http://chgk.tvigra.ru/encyclopedia/?nagrada2
  10. ↑ 10 апреля на Радио TUT.BY день интеллектуальных игр  ( page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.@1@ 2Template: Dead Link / radio.blog.tut.by  
  11. ↑ Алесь Мухин: About 1500 people play “What? Where? When? "In Belarus ( Memento from April 15, 2009 in the Internet Archive )
  12. ↑ The Hollywood Reporter: ABC eyeing Russian game show ( Memento from December 13, 2009 in the Internet Archive )