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The Finish Line (game show)

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The Finish Line
GenreQuiz show
Directed byRichard van't Riet
Presented byRoman Kemp
StarringSarah Greene
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of series3
No. of episodes85
Production
Executive producers
  • Chris Jones
  • Martin Scott
Production locationsBelfast, Northern Ireland
EditorJim Connolly
Running time45 minutes
Production companiesPotato
Nice One Productions
Original release
NetworkBBC One
Release21 August 2023 (2023-08-21) –
present

The Finish Line is a British quiz show that first aired on 21 August 2023, starring Roman Kemp as host and Sarah Greene as co-host.[1] The show is Kemp's first work as a quiz show host.[2][3] Five contestants compete in four rounds, each eliminating a contestant, with the one remaining contestant playing one final round in an attempt to win £5,000. The show sees these contestants answering quick-fire questions on moving podiums that are mounted on parallel lanes of a track, attempting to cross the finish line to remain in the game.[4]

Production

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On 9 March 2023, BBC Northern Ireland announced the commission of a new quiz show to air later that year.[5] Three weeks later, Roman Kemp and Sarah Greene were confirmed to be hosts for the show.[6] The original series was commissioned for 25 episodes,[7] with subsequent series each for 30 episodes.[1][8]

The fourth series of the show has yet to be commissioned.

Gameplay

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Rounds 1 to 3

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The contestants individually play a qualifying game to determine their lane assignments, attempting to give five correct answers in as short a time as possible. There is no penalty for a pass or miss, and the clock stops on the fifth correct answer or after 45 seconds have elapsed, whichever occurs first. The contestant with the shortest time is assigned to Lane 1, the second-shortest to Lane 2, and so on.

Each qualifier has a different format, as follows:

  • Round 1: Given a category and a picture of an item fitting it, identify the picture.
  • Round 2: Given a category and a string of blanks indicating the number of words/letters for an item fitting it, name the item. The first and last letters are already filled in. Example: "British Dish" and "T - - - / - - / - - - / - - - E" would be "TOAD IN THE HOLE."
  • Round 3: Given a category and three pairs of answers, select the one pair whose answers both fit the category.

Correct answers to passed/missed questions are revealed by the co-host at the end of each contestant's turn.

For the race, the contestants stand at movable podiums within their lanes, initially positioned at the starting line. The host asks one question in turn to each contestant, starting with Lane 1. A correct answer starts/keeps the contestant moving forward, while a miss stops them or leaves them where they are if they are already stopped. Once a contestant passes the finish line, they sit out for the rest of the race. After every contestant but one has reached the finish line, the last one is eliminated from the game with no winnings.

Round 4

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No qualifier is played for this round; the two remaining contestants stand at the podiums and answer toss-up questions on the buzzer. A correct answer starts the contestant moving and stops the opponent, while a miss has the opposite effect. The first contestant to reach the finish line advances to the final.

Final

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A red zone advances slowly down the back wall of the studio, at the same speed as the podiums, and approaches the contestant from behind as the host asks questions. Correct answers start/keep the contestant moving, but a pass or miss stops them. The contestant wins £5,000 if they can reach the finish line without being completely overtaken by the red zone, or nothing if they are caught.

References

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  1. ^ a b "BBC One - The Finish Line". BBC. Retrieved 29 April 2025.
  2. ^ On Demand Entertainment (14 August 2023). Roman Kemp Tells Us About New BBC Gameshow 'The Finish Line'. Retrieved 21 May 2025 – via YouTube.
  3. ^ Zone, T. V. (2 August 2023). "THE FINISH LINE: FIRST LOOK AT NEW BBC DAYTIME QUIZ HOSTED BY ROMAN KEMP". TV Zone UK. Retrieved 21 May 2025.
  4. ^ "The Finish Line - Roman Kemp and Sarah Greene tease "nail-biting, hilarious and actually tear-jerking" quiz show". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 30 April 2025.
  5. ^ Lauren (9 March 2023). "BBC One commissions new quiz format – The Finish Line". Northern Ireland Screen. Retrieved 30 April 2025.
  6. ^ "The Finish Line BBC: Roman Kemp fronts brand new daytime quiz show with Sarah Greene". Edinburgh News. 31 March 2023. Retrieved 30 April 2025.
  7. ^ "The Finish Line". Potato TV. Retrieved 30 April 2025.
  8. ^ "BBC One - The Finish Line, Series 2". BBC. Retrieved 30 April 2025.
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