Zee TV’s original production – Americas’ Smartest Family has been attracting large audience numbers all season. Now in its 8th episode, and heading towards the semi-finals, the show, which pits families against families in a unique quiz format, is poised to become the number 1 show in its time slot and category.
Hosted by 23-year-old YouTube sensation Zaid Ali, “America’s Smartest Family” is a unique mashup of the American household favorites “Family Feud” and “Jeopardy,” but with that special ZEE TV twist that celebrates its South Asian heritage. Complete with a diverse set of categories and a buzzer, each episode will feature five challenging in-studio question rounds, testing pre-screened contestants on their ability to answer quickly and more importantly – their ability to work as a team. Only the fastest, most well-rounded family will get to take home the crown.
Round one consists of four questions, with a dice roll deciding which family goes first. Participants can choose from one of five topics – including science, math, arts, history and geography. Once a category is chosen, it may not be selected for the remainder of the round. During the first round, 100 points will be awarded for every correct answer. There are no deductions for wrong answers until round three and four, where a mistake can cost a team 100 points for every incorrect answer.
As the game progresses, questions become increasingly difficult. By rounds three and four – each correct answer is worth 200 points. During the fifth and final round, the game takes a turn and host Zaid Ali spices things up by offering clues. If the team answers correctly without a clue, a maximum of 1000 points is awarded. If the family chooses to get clues, each clue costs them 200 points. At the end of five rounds, scores may vary from -2400 to 5500. In the event of a tie, an extra tie-breaker round will identify the winner.
Produced by leading firm, Touchdown Productions, the show was conceptualized as a Zee Originals property and produced by Touchdown Productions. The production was done over a one-month period in a custom built studio accommodating the set. A crew of over 35 apart from the post production team and knowledge partners worked for almost 6 months to bring the show to life.
“We are very happy with the result of this first ever endeavor and look forward to producing multiple seasons of the show,” said Rahul Walia, Executive Producer and CEO of Touchdown Productions. “The effort of the crew, Director and channel team was a winning combination,” he added.
“I’m very happy with the outcome of the show whether it is on the production end, or the sponsorship end. With this we can easily allude to Zee TV’s initiative of being the first movers in the market. I am looking forward to learning who the winning family turns out to be,” said Sameer Targe, Head of Americas for Zee TV.
“America’s Smartest Family” is broadcast every Saturday at 9:00 p.m. EST; 9:30 p.m. PST; and 9:00 p.m. AST on ZEE TV.
India Post News Service
