| Runtime: | 43 minutes (approx.) |
| Creator: | Frank Elstner |
| Presenter: | Mark McEwen and Gordon Elliott (1993) Ant & Dec (2008) |
| Num Seasons: | 1 |
| Num Episodes: | 6 |
| Country: | United States |
| Language: | English |
| Channel: | CBS (1993) ABC (2008) |
| Related: | Germany: Wetten, dass..? UK: You Bet! |
Wanna Bet? is an American game show based on the German series Wetten, dass..?, which aired on ABC in 2008. It featured four celebrities making wagers on whether ordinary Americans will be able to complete outrageous stunts. The format first aired as a one-time special on CBS in 1993, with Gordon Elliott and Mark McEwen hosting.
The CBS version was a one-time special aired on April 21, 1993 with Gordon Elliott and Mark McEwen hosting, and Mark Elliott as announcer. Marsha Warfield, Martin Mull, Victoria Jackson, and Evander Holyfield were the panelists.[1]
An episode of the ABC version began with four celebrities being given $25,000 to wager on the success or failure of ordinary Americans completing outrageous stunts. Show hosts Ant & Dec introduced a stunt performer and the stunt they claim they will be able to complete, and the celebrities then guess whether the performer will successfully complete the stunt or if they will fail to complete the stunt. The celebrities also lock in the amount of money they'd like to wager on performer's ability to complete the stunt, but the exact amount of the wager is not revealed to the viewing audience. The performer then attempts the stunt, and afterward the celebrities' wagers are revealed, which are added to their money if their bet won or deducted from if their bet lost. If the celebrity's money fell to $0 after losing an all-in bet, they cannot participate in any later bets for the episode. The celebrity with the most money totalled at the end of an episode wins that amount for their favorite charity.
Due to poor ratings, the show was cancelled after one season.
Wanna Bet? was based on the German entertainment show Wetten, dass..? which is shown in Austria, Switzerland, Italy and Germany. The show in Europe normally lasts up to 120 to 150 minutes and is broadcast an average 6 times a year. The first show started in 1981. After every show viewers can call for their favourite bet wager and he / she can win 1000, 2000, 3000, 4000 or 5000 Euros by becoming the bet king. In the show included is a child bet, where a child can bet a difficult task and is awarded outside the competition. The child normally gets an extraordinary present (training with the soccer national team and visit a game of the team, or visit a concert music performance of famous musician). The show is also broadcast from different locations around Europe (Xanten, Disneyland Paris, Palma de Mallorca, Vienna, Berlin, Berne, and other locations in mainly German-speaking areas).
| The Winners |
| Guest star | Final Total | |
|---|---|---|
| $6,607 | ||
| $60,500 | ||
| $106,150 | ||
| $77,500 |
| Guest star | Final Total | |
|---|---|---|
| $6,000 | ||
| $4,000 | ||
| $35,511 | ||
| $0 |
| Guest star | Final Total | |
|---|---|---|
| $1 | ||
| $0 | ||
| $43,000 | ||
| $38,000 |
| Guest star | Final Total | |
|---|---|---|
| $0 | ||
| $79,997 | ||
| $0 | ||
| $76,000 |
| Guest star | Final Total | |
|---|---|---|
| $44,000 | ||
| $3,500 | ||
| $31,000 | ||
| $9,999 |
| Guest star | Final Total | |
|---|---|---|
| $0 | ||
| $0 | ||
| $0 | ||
| $6,200 |
The series declined in the Nielsen ratings, first on Mondays, then on Tuesdays, usually losing to repeats of sitcoms, NCIS and Big Brother 10 on CBS, reruns of House on Fox, America's Got Talent on NBC (also including their 2008 Summer Olympics coverage) and the Spanish telenovela Fuego en la sangre on Univision. It didn't even help matters when the first three shows were scheduled after on July 21 and 28 as well as August 4 before moving to Tuesdays as of August 12.