Family Feud replacement aims to replicate Pointless appeal

Don’t be misled by the name — there is not just a point but also a lot of strategy involved in Ten’s new game show Pointless.

Hosted by satirist and comedy writer Mark Humphries and Ten regular Dr Andrew Rochford, Pointless sees teams of two battle it out to plumb the depths of their general knowledge in an effort to think of the answer no one can think of.

The result is a game show Rochford describes as “slightly different” to what viewers may be used to that was also fun and compelling.

“In every episode, we can go from showing pictures of cats to asking about the solar system, albums to Charles Darwin, so as far as a quiz goes, there is something in it for everyone,” Rochford says.

“Then there is the extra level of complexity, and also fun that is associated with it, because if you know five of the answers, then knowing which one will score lowest is the trick to the game.

“You cannot help but get sucked in.”

Based on a hit UK format, which has produced 29 seasons over nine years, Pointless — which replaces Family Feud in the 6pm weeknight timeslot — sees 100 people given 100 seconds to provide answers to a general knowledge question.

The same questions are then posed to contestants, with the least well-known answers attracting the least points. The team earning the fewest points, by choosing the most obscure correct answer, wins the round.

The pair who survive the first three knockout rounds play in the final round for a chance to win a jackpot prize.

People like to know things and people also like other people to know that they know things

Rochford said the combination of strategy and general knowledge results in an entertaining game that viewers could play along with at home.

“People like to know things and people also like other people to know that they know things. It is the whole dinner-party scene,” he says.

“When you are sitting around at a dinner party and someone starts talking about something, there is a social currency that comes with being the person who knows a fact about something that no one else knows.

“And the nice thing about a quiz show like this is you can be challenged and you can test yourself, but you can also be entertained and prove there are certain areas where you know more about something than someone else.”

Pointless is a change of scene for the popular TV personality, who was first introduced to audiences when he won reality television contest The Block in 2004 as a medical student.

Rochford has since become a household name, hosting a variety of medical and lifestyle shows including What’s Good for You, Amazing Medical Stories and You Saved My Life, as well as sitting behind the desk of The Project.

Off-screen, he last year launched a healthcare technology company, Docta, which is deploying in Indonesia to help enable digital infrastructure, and released his first book, The Reality Check Up.

He said he was drawn to co-hosting Pointless because he was a fan of the UK format, was looking for a new challenge and loved the idea of giving money away.

“And the relationships between the two people standing there are fascinating a lot of the time,” he says. “We have had characters on there who you would never expect to know what they know, and the strategy in finding these answers but also deciding which one is the most obscure, I really enjoy that part of it. I’m enjoying being the guy who has a lot to learn.”

Pointless airs weekdays starting July 23 at 6pm on Ten.