| Host | |
| Drew Carey | |
| Broadcast | |
 | |
| Packagers | |
| Embassy Row Sony Pictures Television | |
Power of 10 was a short-lived, primetime game show where contestants predicted how a cross-section of Americans responded to questions covering a wide variety of topics in polls conducted by CBS. The top prize was an annuitized $10,000,000.
Rules and gameplay[]
Two contestants attempt to predict the results of polls in a best-of-five elimination round. A question is read (e.g. What percentage of Americans said they are afraid of circus clowns?) and the two contestants are given ten seconds to lock in their guess using a dial to select a percentage. If a contestant has not locked in their guess after ten seconds, the computer locks in the percentage the on which the contestant had currently rested. The player who comes closest to the actual percentage without going over earns a point. The first player to earn three points advances to the money round to play for the top prize.
In the money round, the contestant is given similar questions, and places a range on a scale from 0% to 100% that they believe includes the correct answer. The size of the range decreases as cash awards increase:
| Question # | Question Value | Percentage Range/Margin of Error |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $1,000 | 40% |
| 2 | $10,000 | 30% |
| 3 | $100,000 | 20% |
| 4 | $1,000,000 | 10% |
| 5 | $10,000,000 | Exact/Dead on (see below) |
For the first three questions, the correct answer to the question is revealed once the contestant locks in an answer by pulling down a handle or lever. For the $1,000,000 question, the correct answer is only revealed if the actual percentage is outside of the contestant's range. If the contestant correctly answers the $1,000,000 question, they are then given the chance to win $10,000,000 by picking the exact percentage (rounded to the nearest 1%) out of that 10% range.
If the contestant's guess is not within range, the game is over. If the contestant missed either the $1,000 or $10,000 question, the contestant leaves empty-handed. From the $100,000 question onward, missing a question decreases the contestant's winnings by the power of 10, meaning that he/she leaves with 10% of the money accumulated to that point (i.e. the value of the question they last answered correctly).
For each question, audience members make exact-percentage guesses in order to show the contestant a full sample of the results for help in answering. Contestants can also ask an in-studio relative or friend their opinion before locking in, and contestants can adjust their choice if necessary to elicit reactions from the audience or their friend/relative. Contestants can stop the game and take the money that they currently have until locking in an answer.
The host is not made aware of the answers prior to the reveal and sometimes helps contestants think through questions and offered their own opinions, unlike most game shows.
Notable US winners[]
Jamie Sadler, a 19-year-old Upper Montclair, New Jersey pre-med student at the University of Florida, was the first contestant to earn the right to play for money on the game show, and won $1,000,000 (to be paid as a ten-year annuity). This made him the youngest person to ever win $1 million on a quiz show or game show (the second youngest was David Goodman on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?). Sadler accomplished this distinction by giving a range of 23% to 33% for the question, "What percentage of women consider themselves feminists?" Though given the chance to win the $10,000,000 grand prize, he declined to lock in a guess for the exact percentage within that range. Instead, he quit the game, and kept his $1 million prize. Subsequently, with no risk involved, he informally guessed 24%. The correct answer was 29%.
This marks the first time CBS has ever awarded a $1 million prize on a game show, excluding reality shows.
On the show, Carey claimed that neither he nor the show's producers believed anyone would reach the $10,000,000 question so early in the show's run. As a result, Carey claimed that they were unprepared for its actual occurrence, but that he would wing it.[1]
Also, CBS's Big Brother 8 reality show contestants Daniele Donato and Amber Siyavus won the opportunity to appear on the show in a competition. Amber won in the opening round and made it to the $100,000 question, but was wrong and left with $1,000.
Contestant Matt, who later went on compete on CBS's Big Brother 12 didn't make it past the first round.
On the episode that aired on January 2, 2008, two contestants that made it to the money round and each won nothing in the same episode for the first time.
International versions[]
| Country | Name | Host | Network | Highest prize | Prize in US$ | First Aired |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arab World | القوة العاشرة El Quwa El Ashira |
George Kurdahi | MBC 1 | SR10,000,000 | US$2,664,346 | October 14, 2008- July 21, 2009 |
| Armenia | 10-Ի ՈՒԺԸ Tasi Uje |
Avet Barseghyan | Shant TV | դր.10,000,000 | US$27,700 | 2008 |
| Australia | Power of 10 | Steven Jacobs | Nine Network | A$1,000,000 | US$828,593 | March 31, 2008 |
| Brazil | Jogo dos 10 | Fausto Silva | Rede Globo | R$500,000 | US$291,886 | May 2008 |
| Bulgaria | Всичко по 10 Vsichko po Deset |
Ivo Andreev | NOVA | лв500,000 | US$349,000 | 2007 |
| Chile | El Poder del 10 | Julián Elfenbein | Chilevision | CL$100,000,000 | US$183,000 | April 22, 2008 |
| Colombia | El Poder del 10 | Diego Trujillo | RCN TV | CO$1,000,000,000 | US$474,441 | February 4, 2008 |
| China | 十倍钱进 Shi Bei Qian Jin |
He Haopeng | Guangdong TV | CN¥1,000,000 | US$146,000 | March 1, 2009 |
| Denmark | Gi' mig 5 | Hans Pilgaard | TV 2 | DKK5,000,000 | US$977,523 | |
| Finland | Power of 10 | Janne Kataja | MTV3 | €100,000 | US$140,000 | January 2, 2009 |
| France | Jouez pour 5 fois plus | Jean-Pierre Foucault | TF1 | €1,000,000 | US$1,459,204 | February 2008 |
| Germany | Power of 10 | Dirk Bach | VOX | €1,000,000 | US$1,459,204 | April 21, 2008 |
| Greece | Power of 10 | Konstantinos Markoulakis | Mega Channel | €1,000,000 | US$1,459,204 | October 2007 |
| India | Dus Ka dum | Salman Khan | Sony TV | Rs.100,000,000 | US$2,151,463 | June 6, 2008 |
| Israel | תוצאות האמת Totsot Ha Emet |
Guri Elfi | Channel 2 | ₪10,000,000 | US$2,905,700 | January 2008 |
| Mexico | El Poder del 10 | Omar Germenos | Azteca Uno | MX$1,000,000 | US$75,600 | May 11, 2008 |
| Norway | Power of 10 | Hallvard Flatland | TVNorge | kr10,000,000 | US$1,560,000 | August 31, 2008 |
| Philippines | Power of 10 | Janno Gibbs | GMA Network | ₱10,000,000 | US$208,000 | 2009 |
| Poland | Strzał w 10 | Cezary Pazura | Polsat | zł1,000,000 | US$434,775 | March 29, 2008 |
| Russia | Магия 10 Десяти Magiya desyati |
Vera Brezhneva | Perviy Kanal | руб10,000,000 | US$399,016 | January 7, 2008 |
| South Africa | Power of 10 | Mark Pilgrim | M-Net | R10,000,000 | US$1,230,203 | August 2008 |
| Sweden | Power of 10 | Mikael Tornving | Kanal 5 | Kr1,000,000 | US$146,466 | spring 2008 |
| Ukraine | 100% Украина 100% Ukraina |
Anna Bezulyk | 1+1 | ₴1,000,000 | US$131,000 | September 5, 2008 |
| Venezuela | El poder de Ganar | Leonardo Villalobos | Venevisión | Bs. F 400,000 | US$186,000 | September 18, 2008 |
| Vietnam | Quyền năng số 10 | Minh Béo | HTV | Đ 100,000,000 | US$5,555 | May 19, 2008 - June 14, 2010 |
Merchandise[]
An online game has been released through its website at the time.
Cancelled Merchandise[]
Pressman (2008)[]
A board game version of Power of 10 was planned for release by Pressman in 2008, but the game wound up getting cancelled.
Irwin Toys (2008)[]
An electronic tabletop version of Power of 10 was going to be released by Irwin Toys in 2008, but the game never got released to the public.
Rating[]
Studio[]
Inventor[]
Lewis Flinn
Trivia[]
- This show is rumored to have been a test to see if Drew Carey was fit to be a game show host.
Reference[]
Links[]
Official subsite (via Internet Archive)
Official Site (via Internet Archive)
Official online game (via Internet Archive)
Official online game swf (via Internet Archive)