The Wall (American game show)

The Wall
Genre	Game show
Created by	Andrew Glassman LeBron James
Developed by	Andrew Glassman LeBron James Maverick Carter
Directed by	Alan Carter Michael Dempsey
Presented by	Chris Hardwick
Opening theme	"Behind the Wall"
Ending theme	"Wall of Will" and "Trophies"
Composer	Michael Lord
Country of origin	United States
Original language	English
No. of seasons	5
No. of episodes	88
Production
Executive producers	Chris Hardwick LeBron James Andrew Glassman Maverick Carter
Production locations	Warner Bros. Studios, Burbank, California (2016–2018) Universal Studios, Universal City, California (2018–present)
Camera setup	Multi-camera
Running time	42–44 minutes
Production companies	Glassman Media SpringHill Entertainment Endemol Shine North America
Original release
Network	NBC
Release	December 19, 2016 (2016-12-19) – present

The Wall is an American television game show airing on NBC, which premiered on December 19, 2016. The show is hosted by Chris Hardwick, who also serves as executive producer on the show along with LeBron James, Maverick Carter, and Andrew Glassman.

In 2018, NBC announced plans for a Spanish-language version of The Wall, which premiered in January 2020 on their Telemundo Spanish-language network with Marco Antonio Regil hosting.

Broadcast

Two special episodes aired on November 22, 2017 and December 27, 2017. A special Christmas themed episode aired on December 4, 2017. The second half of the second season premiered on January 1, 2018. Season 3 premiered on March 15, 2020. After going on a brief hiatus in July 2020, new episodes resumed broadcast on September 24, 2020. On September 30, 2020, the series was renewed for a fourth season of 20 episodes. The fourth season premiered on January 4, 2021. A special Tokyo 2020 Olympics episode aired to raise money for the Team USA fund on February 22, 2021. A special Red Nose Day episode aired on May 27, 2021. After going on a brief hiatus in September 2021, new episodes resumed broadcast on November 12, 2021. The fifth season premiered on April 11, 2023. After going on hiatus in December 2023, new episodes of the fifth season resumed July 1, 2024.

Gameplay

The Wall is a four-story tall (40 ft) pegboard, similar to a pachinko game or bean machine; it also is similar to the board used for the Plinko pricing game on The Price Is Right. The bottom of the board is divided into 15 slots marked with various dollar amounts, alternately with high and low values. The eight low values range from $1 to $100 and remain constant throughout the game, while the seven high values are $5,000 or more and increase from round to round. Balls can be put into play from seven numbered "drop zones" on the top edge of the board, directly above the seven centermost money slots.

A team of two contestants plays each game, attempting to bank as much money as possible by answering questions correctly and landing balls in high-value slots. Green balls dropped on the board will add to the team's bank, while red balls dropped on the board will subtract from it. Throughout the game, the bank has a floor of $0.

Round 1: Free Fall

In Free Fall, the team is asked a series of five questions, each with two answer choices. As each question is asked, three balls are simultaneously released from drop zones 1, 4, and 7. The team must select one answer and lock it in before any ball crosses the threshold of a money slot. If the team's answer is correct, the balls turn green and their values are added to the team's bank. If the team answers incorrectly or fails to lock in an answer, the balls turn red and their values are subtracted from the team's bank.

If the team's bank balance is zero at the end of this round, the game ends immediately and they leave without any winnings. Otherwise, their earnings become part of a guaranteed payout to be offered to them at the end of the game.

Starting with Season 4, the team may choose to double the total value of any one question by pressing a gold "Free Fall Plus" disk while the balls are falling.

The highest amount that a team can bank in this round is $375,000 in the first three seasons; this was later increased to $450,000 for the fourth season.

The values on the board range from $1 to $25,000, and are arranged as follows:

$1

$5,000

$100

$20,000

$10

$10,000

$1

$25,000

$1

$10,000

$10

$20,000

$100

$5,000

$1

Round 2

At the start of the second round, the contestants are separated from each other for the rest of the game. One enters an isolation chamber behind The Wall, while the other remains onstage. A set number of green balls are played simultaneously at the beginning of the round. Three multiple-choice questions are then played, each with three answer choices. The onstage player is shown only the answers to each question and must decide which drop zone to use, based on how confident they are that the isolated player can answer correctly. The question and answers are then presented to the isolated player. After they respond, the ball is dropped from the chosen zone. A correct answer turns the ball green and adds the value of the slot it lands in to the team bank, while a wrong answer turns the ball red and deducts the value. The isolated player is not told which of their answers are correct or given any information on the team bank until they are brought out of isolation near the end of the game.

The onstage player is offered an opportunity to "Double Up" on the second question and "Triple Up" on the third. These options allow the onstage player to play two or three balls from the selected drop zone instead of one, respectively. After the third question, if the banked total is at least $1 more than the number of green balls played at the start of the round, an equal number of red balls are played simultaneously from the same zones; if not, the bank is automatically reset to $0.

In the first two seasons, two initial green balls were played from different zones chosen by the onstage player, and a team could bank up to $1,999,998. Beginning with the third season, seven initial green balls are played in a "SuperDrop," one from every zone, and a team could bank up to $3,249,993; the maximum slot value was reduced to $150,000 for the fourth season, lowering the maximum for this round to $1,949,993.

Starting in the fifth season, the contestant is given an additional "Wall to Wall" option on the third question, allowing them to play seven balls as in the SuperDrop. The maximum that can be banked in this round is thus increased to $2,549,993.

The values on the board range from $1 to $250,000 (later $150,000), and are arranged as follows:

$1

$5,000

$100

$10,000

$10

$25,000

$1

$50,000

$1

$100,000 $75,000

$10

$125,000 $100,000

$100

$250,000 $150,000

$1

Round 3

Gameplay proceeds as in Round 2, but each of the three questions now has four answer choices. In addition, four green and four red balls are played at the start and end of the round respectively, and are dropped one at a time, rather than simultaneously. The "Double Up" and "Triple Up" options are available as before. The maximum amount that a team can bank in this round is $9,999,996.

The values on the board range from $1 to $1,000,000, and are arranged as follows:

$1

$50,000

$100

$100,000

$10

$200,000

$1

$300,000

$1

$400,000

$10

$500,000

$100

$1,000,000

$1

Final Decision

After the third question in Round 3, the isolated player is sent a contract by the host and must decide to either sign it or tear it up. Signing the contract gives up the team bank in favor of a guaranteed payout, equal to the Free Fall winnings plus an additional $20,000 for every question answered correctly in Rounds 2 and 3. If the isolated player tears up the contract or returns it unsigned, the team receives their final bank total instead. After the four red balls have dropped in Round 3 and the final bank is calculated, the isolated player returns to the stage to reveal his/her decision. If the bank contains $4 or less, the four red balls are skipped, the bank is set to zero, and the game proceeds directly to the revelation. Only at this point does the isolated player learn the number of correct answers given, the payout total, and the team's final bank.

The maximum possible guaranteed payout in the first two seasons is $495,000, obtained by scoring $375,000 in Free Fall and answering all six questions correctly in Rounds 2 and 3. The maximum possible bank total in the first two seasons is $12,374,994, obtained by answering every question correctly, using every Double Up and Triple Up option, having every green ball drop into the highest-valued slot, and having the six mandatory red balls each drop into a $1 slot. In the third season, the maximum possible total is $13,624,989 due to the increased number of mandatory green and red balls in Round 2. For the fourth season, the maximum payout and bank totals are $570,000 and $12,399,989, respectively, achieved through use of the double-value option in Free Fall, and the reduced maximum slot value in Round 2. With the introduction of the "Wall to Wall" option in the fifth season, the maximum bank total is $12,999,989.

Episodes

Color key

  The contestants won at least $1,000,000.

  The contestants left with the larger possible amount.

  The contestants left with the smaller possible amount.

  The contestants left with nothing at all.

Season 1

Episode	Contestants	Guaranteed payout contract			Final bank total	Contract decision
		Free-fall bank	Correct answers (bonus)	Total offer
1	John and Angel	$65,213	5 ($100,000)	$165,213	$1,300,010	Rejected
2	Chris and Katie	$35,132	4 ($80,000)	$115,132	$0	Rejected
3	Mike and Shana	$10,121	2 ($40,000)	$50,121	$529,921	Rejected
4	Jarrod and Shantell	$75,001	3 ($60,000)	$135,001	$950,011	Accepted
5	Matt and Jean	$45,014	2 ($40,000)	$85,014	$1,100,098	Rejected
6	Ebony and Deanna	$170,105	2 ($40,000)	$210,105	$194,896	Accepted
7	Nathan and Erica	$30,301	3 ($60,000)	$90,301	$349,890	Rejected
8	Katie and Kevin	$140,013	3 ($60,000)	$200,013	$299,969	Rejected
9	Darnell and Dion	$35,112	0 ($0)	$35,112	$0	Rejected
10	Ashle and Xandi	$100,313	1 ($20,000)	$120,313	$0	Accepted

Season 2

Episode	Contestants	Guaranteed payout contract			Final bank total	Contract decision
		Free-fall bank	Correct answers (bonus)	Total offer
1	Ryan and Stephanie	$45,214	5 ($100,000)	$145,214	$570,344	Rejected
2	Noah and Lisa	$110,312	4 ($80,000)	$190,312	$1,095,498	Rejected
3	Milton and Aaryn	$65,004	3 ($60,000)	$125,004	$520,095	Rejected
4	Lenny and Sharon	$50,320	5 ($100,000)	$150,320	$850,632	Accepted
5	Delvar and Bonnie	$15,221	2 ($40,000)	$55,221	$399,792	Rejected
6	Jeff and Jamie	$20,011	3 ($60,000)	$80,011	$0	Rejected
7	Chris and Paris	$100,231	2 ($40,000)	$140,231	$0	Accepted
8	Angela and Jodi	$115,322	4 ($80,000)	$195,322	$220,333	Accepted
9	Tomeka and Andre	$65,241	2 ($40,000)	$105,241	$0	Accepted
10	Erin and Rachael	$115,024	4 ($80,000)	$195,024	$0	Rejected
11	Sheriese and Kieara	$74,912	3 ($60,000)	$134,912	$50,012	Rejected
12	Ruben and Sandy	$135,111	3 ($60,000)	$195,111	$0	Accepted
13	Cassandra and Victoria	$130,102	3 ($60,000)	$190,102	$0	Accepted
14	Prince and Chris	$100,043	3 ($60,000)	$160,043	$159,813	Rejected
15	Niko and Kassie	$155,313	1 ($20,000)	$175,313	$740,500	Rejected
16	Victor and Evelyn	$85,124	3 ($60,000)	$145,124	$499,899	Rejected
17	Jakia and Shana	$90,232	4 ($80,000)	$170,232	$565,422	Rejected
18	Brooke and Cody	$70,210	3 ($60,000)	$130,210	$0	Rejected
19	Steve and Nick	$49,891	2 ($40,000)	$89,891	$899,881	Accepted
20	Brooke and Kirk	$35,023	3 ($60,000)	$95,023	$1,415,098	Rejected

Season 3

Episode	Contestants	Guaranteed payout contract			Final bank total	Contract decision
		Free-fall bank	Correct answers (bonus)	Total offer
1	Rebekah and Chris	$85,234	5 ($100,000)	$185,234	$1,455,631	Rejected
2	Bill and Meghan	$70,127	4 ($80,000)	$150,127	$820,045	Rejected
3	Matt and Nick	$40,237	5 ($100,000)	$140,237	$0	Rejected
4	Essence and Valencia	$60,189	2 ($40,000)	$100,189	$0	Accepted
5	Nellie and Taylor	$75,343	3 ($60,000)	$135,343	$1,670,254	Rejected
6	Damon and Deidra	$50,121	2 ($40,000)	$90,121	$0	Rejected
7	Holly and Michael	$45,103	2 ($40,000)	$85,103	$850,090	Accepted
8	NeAngela and Marcus	$135,120	3 ($60,000)	$195,120	$0	Rejected
9	Alex and Jodie	$15,140	2 ($40,000)	$55,140	$199,980	Rejected
10	Peter and Bob	$35,200	3 ($60,000)	$95,200	$0	Rejected
11	Hecthan and Hector	$15,400	2 ($40,000)	$55,400	$1,749,907	Rejected
12	Michael and Jahmar	$35,091	4 ($80,000)	$115,091	$1,115,076	Accepted
13	Janeris and Jesenia	$30,301	5 ($100,000)	$130,301	$104	Rejected
14	Goldin and Linda	$9,920	3 ($60,000)	$69,920	$0	Rejected
15	Karen and Lori	$10,011	5 ($100,000)	$110,011	$1,410,024	Rejected
16	Tiffany and CJ	$65,005	3 ($60,000)	$125,005	$79,732	Accepted
17	Keaton and Taylor	$55,132	0 ($0)	$55,132	$0	Accepted
18	Jeremie and Nikki	$60,001	5 ($100,000)	$160,001	$0	Rejected
19	Denise and Tisha	$50,100	3 ($60,000)	$110,100	$0	Rejected

Season 4

Episode	Contestants	Guaranteed payout contract			Final bank total	Contract decision
		Free-fall bank	Correct answers (bonus)	Total offer
1	Lisa and Dan	$95,245	3 ($60,000)	$155,245	$545,225	Rejected
2	Brittany and CJ	$135,225	5 ($100,000)	$235,225	$910,266	Rejected
3	Tamara and Leo	$155,104	3 ($60,000)	$215,104	$0	Accepted
4	Travis and Michael	$120,415	4 ($80,000)	$200,415	$0	Rejected
5	KD and CJ	$135,144	3 ($60,000)	$195,144	$885,033	Accepted
6	Debbie and Ghadir	$165,223	1 ($20,000)	$185,223	$0	Accepted
7	Jason and Jay	$90,407	3 ($60,000)	$150,407	$0	Accepted
8	Terra and Brandi	$90,050	5 ($100,000)	$190,050	$600,188	Accepted
9	Apolo Ohno and Bianca Stam	$35,010	2 ($40,000)	$75,010	$100,000	Rejected
10	Jon and Stephanie	$140,024	1 ($20,000)	$160,024	$0	Accepted
11	Tammy and Doug	$180,214	2 ($40,000)	$220,214	$1,199,988	Accepted
12	Evalyna and Shaun	$125,505	3 ($60,000)	$185,505	$790,494	Rejected
13	Mikail and Shakira	$115,334	4 ($80,000)	$195,334	$0	Accepted
14	Annalee and Lily	$135,112	4 ($80,000)	$215,112	$415,131	Accepted
15	Jordan and Maurcus	$140,118	3 ($60,000)	$200,118	$0	Rejected
16	Ted and Hayden	$70,018	2 ($40,000)	$110,018	$0	Accepted
17	Carmen and Toni	$25,261	2 ($40,000)	$65,261	$199,991	Rejected
18	Melvin and Meridith	$125,145	4 ($80,000)	$205,145	$0	Accepted
19	Andrea and Terry	$90,443	3 ($60,000)	$150,443	$605,561	Rejected
20	Amber and Chelsea	$85,313	1 ($20,000)	$105,313	$0	Accepted

Season 5

Episode	Contestants	Guaranteed payout contract			Final bank total	Contract decision
		Free-fall bank	Correct answers (bonus)	Total offer
1	Christiana and Nic	$135,521	4 ($80,000)	$215,521	$1,350,633	Rejected
2	Monet and Kevyn	$125,125	4 ($80,000)	$205,125	$1,464,846	Accepted
3	Turner and Shelby	$145,044	3 ($60,000)	$205,044	$375,162	Accepted
4	Bria and Matt	$115,207	1 ($20,000)	$135,207	$0	Accepted
5	John and Toni	$150,203	4 ($80,000)	$230,203	$2,625,210	Accepted
6	Travis and Kelsey	$190,004	3 ($60,000)	$250,004	$0	Accepted
7	Rachel and Chris	$200,030	3 ($60,000)	$260,030	$899,989	Accepted
8	David and Chris	$45,314	1 ($20,000)	$65,314	$999,977	Accepted
9	Kavi and Radhika	$140,160	2 ($40,000)	$180,160	$0	Accepted
10	Karly and Megan	$50,627	3 ($60,000)	$110,627	$0	Rejected
11	Jerimiah and Nikki	$45,602	4 ($80,000)	$125,602	$640,398	Rejected
12	Turquoise and Donald	$90,326	3 ($60,000)	$150,326	$1,599,791	Accepted
13	Melissa and Liz	$180,123	3 ($60,000)	$240,123	$775,322	Accepted
14	Jakob and Yvonne	$134,914	1 ($20,000)	$154,914	$0	Accepted
15	Tom and Kasey	$170,134	3 ($60,000)	$230,134	$1,615,203	Accepted
16	Larry and Lauren	$115,500	1 ($20,000)	$135,500	$0	Accepted
17	Adam and Shelley	$140,113	2 ($40,000)	$180,113	$200,125	Rejected
18	Joel and Suzanne	$90,105	4 ($80,000)	$170,105	$829,995	Accepted
19	Tyler and Sabrina	$90,534	2 ($40,000)	$130,534	$0	Accepted
20	Richard and Latoya	$49,901	2 ($40,000)	$89,901	$0	Rejected

Critical reception

The Wall has received mixed reviews by critics. Jan Chaney of Vulture dubbed The Wall as being "the most stereotypically American game show on television right now" and "absurd yet undeniably diverting." Chaney criticized the show for making "attempts to sell us something new, even though its concept is really based on old ideas [...] mixed up just enough [to] seem fresh".

Bethonie Butler of the Chicago Tribune agreed that "The Wall looks a lot like the famed Plinko game from CBS", but qualified that "originality is relative when it comes to game shows", remarking on the similarity between popular trivia game shows such as Who Wants to Be a Millionaire & Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader?

European production

In Europe, the production is made in a studio in Poland where the 4 stories high wall is located. The crew of the show are mostly a local Polish crew. The producers, the host, and the participants are flown in for the filming of the show.

International versions

Legend:

•   Currently airing  
•   No longer airing  
•   Upcoming version  

Country	Title	Presenter	Channel	Airdates	Top slot value	Possible top prize
Arab World	The Wall الجـدار	Mohammad Sal	MBC 1	February 14, 2018 – May 2, 2018	SR300,000	SR3,712,494
Argentina	The Wall: Construye tu vida	Marley	Telefe	October 1, 2017 – December 31, 2017	AR$200,000	AR$2,274,995
Australia	The Wall	Axle Whitehead	Seven Network	October 30, 2017 – November 19, 2017	A$1,000,000	A$12,374,994
Belgium (Flanders)	The Wall: De muur die geeft en neemt	Niels Destadsbader	VTM	September 4, 2017 – November 7, 2017	€100,000	€1,137,495
Brazil	The Wall (part of Domingão com Huck)	Luciano Huck	Rede Globo	March 10, 2018 – present	R$150,000	R$1,729,995
Canada (Quebec)	Face au Mur	Maripier Morin	TVA	January 18, 2018 – March 2, 2018	C$200,000	C$2,599,994
Chile	The Wall	Rafael Araneda	Chilevisión	June 20, 2018 – August 29, 2018	CL$20,000,000	CL$247,499,940
China	好运梦想之墙	Hú Qiáohuá	iQiyi	February 15, 2022 – February 20, 2022	CN¥ 100,000	CN¥1,474,994
Colombia	The Wall	Andrea Serna	Caracol Televisión	January 30, 2018 – February 26, 2018	COP$200,000,000	COP$2,274,999,500
Denmark	The Wall - Danmark	Felix Smith	Kanal 5	September 5, 2019 – October 16, 2019	Kr 100,000	Kr 1,137,495
Finland	The Wall Suomi	Heikki Paasonen	Nelonen	September 22, 2018 – December 8, 2018 (Season 1) February 16, 2019 – May 4, 2019 (Season 2) October 5, 2019 – December 7, 2019 (Season 3)	€50,000	€629,994
France	The Wall : Face au mur	Christophe Dechavanne	TF1	February 27, 2017 – August 18, 2018	€150,000	€1,824,995
Germany	The Wall	Frank Buschmann	RTL	July 1, 2017 – August 11, 2017 (Season 1) August 3, 2018 – August 24, 2018 (Season 2)	€250,000	€3,069,994 (Season 1)
Greece Cyprus	The Wall	Grigoris Arnaoutoglou	ANT1	May 10, 2018 – July 27, 2018	€50,000	€629,994
Hungary	A Fal	Balázs Sebestyén	RTL Klub	November 19, 2017 – June 8, 2018	Ft.8,000,000	Ft.100,899,940
India (Tamil Nadu)	The Wall	Priyanka Deshpande and Ma Ka Pa Anand	Star Vijay	October 12, 2019 – March 7, 2020	₹2,000,000	₹24,749,994
Israel	The Wall	Zvika Hadar	Reshet 13	February 7, 2018 – October 2, 2018	500,000₪	6,187,494₪
Italy	The Wall	Gerry Scotti	Canale 5	November 20, 2017 – January 6, 2019	€100,000	€1,474,994
Netherlands	BankGiro Loterij The Wall	Winston Gerschtanowitz	SBS 6	April 22, 2018 – May 27, 2018 (Season 1) January 13, 2019 – February 14, 2019 (Season 2)	€500,000	€6,187,494 (Season 1)
Philippines	The Wall Philippines	Billy Crawford	TV5 (via Viva Television) (Season 1) GMA Network (Season 2)	March 13, 2021 – September 11, 2021 (Season 1) August 28, 2022 – December 4, 2022 (Season 2)	₱1,000,000	₱12,374,994 (Season 1) ₱11,949,994 (Season 2)
Poland	The Wall. Wygraj marzenia	Paweł Orleański	TVP1 (Seasons 1-4) TVP2 (Season 4)	September 22, 2017 – December 29, 2017 (Season 1) January 5, 2018 – June 9, 2018 (Season 2) September 14, 2018 – January 4, 2019 (Season 3)	100,000 zł	1,237,494 zł
		Maciej Kurzajewski		March 8, 2019 – October 6, 2019 (Season 4)
Romania	The Wall – Marele Zid	Valentin Butnaru	Antena 1	September 13, 2017 – 2020	150,000 Lei	1,894,994 Lei (season 1)
Russia	Стена	Andrey Malakhov	Russia 1	October 22, 2017 – December 9, 2017	5,000,000 Ruble	61,874,400 Ruble
Spain	The Wall: Cambia tu vida	Carlos Sobera	Telecinco	June 23, 2017 – September 8, 2017	€100,000	€1,374,995
Thailand	The Wall กำแพงพลิกชีวิต	Vuthithorn "Woody" Milintachinda	ONE HD	January 6, 2018 – July 21, 2018 (Season 1)	฿500,000	฿5,599,995 (first 16 episodes) ฿6,099,994 (the rest of the series)
		Pakachon Wo-Onsri		October 20, 2018 – April 3, 2019 (Season 2)
				November 23, 2019 – December 21, 2019 (rest of Season 2)
United Kingdom	The Wall	Danny Dyer	BBC One	October 12, 2019 – November 16, 2019 (Series 1) October 3, 2020 – July 17, 2021 (Series 2) February 23, 2021 – June 5, 2021 (Series 3) February 21, 2022 – April 2, 2022 (Series 4)	£50,000	£687,495 (series 1–3) £977,495 (series 4)
United States (in Spanish)	The Wall	Marco Antonio Regil	Telemundo	January 1, 2020 – January 17, 2020	$200,000	$2,874,994
Uruguay	The Wall: Cumplí tu Sueño	Rafael Cotelo	Canal 10	March 13, 2018 – June 2018	U$300,000	U$3,489,995
Vietnam	Tường lửa	Trường Giang	VTV3	July 18, 2019 – October 3, 2019 (Season 1) August 20, 2020 – December 31, 2020 (Season 2)	500,000,000₫	6,187,494,000₫

See also

• Peggle – a similar game published by PopCap Games
• Tipping Point – a similar game show airing in the United Kingdom, whereby counters worth £50 are dropped into a "win zone" to win money
• The Price Is Right – the Plinko game is similar to this game show

External links

• Official website
• The Wall at IMDb