Minute to Win It

Minute to Win It is a game show where people compete in seemingly easy stunts to win one million dollars. They can include pulling all the tissues out of a box with one hand, stacking golf balls, and other crazy stunts.

Gameplay
The contestant is presented with the blueprint for the first game and must successfully complete a game within one minute/60 seconds to win $1,000 and advance to the next level. After successfully completing the first, fifth, eighth, and recently ninth level games, the contestant is guaranteed to leave with no less than the cash award for those levels.

The difficulty of the games progressively increase throughout the show. If time expires or the conditions of the game cannot be fulfilled (such as by the contestant exhausting any allotted attempts or committing a foul), the contestant loses a "life". If the contestant loses all three of their "lives", the game ends and the contestant's winnings drop to the previous milestone they passed.

After successfully completing a game, the contestant can leave with the amount of money already won before seeing the blueprint for the next game. However, once the contestant elects for the game, the contestant cannot leave the show until that game is complete or they have exhausted all three of their "lives".

NBC run
In the first part of season one, $50,000 was the only milestone; players who were eliminated from the game before completing the level five game left with nothing. The milestones at $1,000 and $250,000 were added in the second part of that season. Then, partway through season two, a milestone at $500,000 was added.

In episodes featuring celebrity contestants competing for charities, all levels are milestones, so they get all the money up to their last successful level.

In episodes featuring teams of two contestants, some games are played by both players, while others are played solo. A player can only make three consecutive attempts at solo games (including re-attempts following losing a life; an intervening team game does not reset this count). After a player makes three attempts, the other player is forced to attempt the next solo game.

In Christmas episodes, 2 extra games are added for "the 12 games of Minute to Win It": the 11th game is worth $2,000,000 and the 12th is worth $3,000,000. Both are milestones. Also in Christmas episodes, some games contain a "Holiday Bonus," in which a contestant wins a gift if the level is passed. A visual representation of the gift is placed inside of a box, which is opened if and when the level is completed. The gifts include:
 * An extra life: Contestants who received this "gift" can have more than the basic three lives.
 * Extra 10 seconds: Contestants who received this "gift" can add an extra 10 seconds (or, in the case of a survival game, subtract 10 seconds) to any game, including after a re-attempt following a failure.
 * Prize: Contestants who received this gift won a bonus prize.

Some season two episodes feature similar bonuses known as a "Blueprint Bonus." However, the bonus is shown on a large monitor, and it is shown before the blueprint and before the game is played. So far, the only bonuses won by contestants have been the extra life and extra ten seconds. When a contestant decides to use the extra ten seconds, a special 70 second clock is used, or if the contestant is playing a survival game (like Keep it Up, Defying Gravity, High as a Kite, Uphill Battle, etc.) the clock is reduced to 50 seconds. In addition, the outer floor lights of the 60-second circle do not turn red for the first ten seconds. For the survival games, the first ten lights are already red.

GSN run
This summer, GSN, the network for games has aired a new version of Minute to Win It. Apolo Anton Ohno has been named the new host. The new grand cash prize for GSN’s version is $250,000.

The timer was reused from the NBC game show from the last season.

Trivia
The GSN run retains nearly all the elements of the NBC run, barring the theme song, reduced money amounts, host, and the fact it now tapes in New York, as well as the fact that teams play from now on.

Videos
Here are two clips of the GSN version.

Music
"Get Up" by Eve Nelson (NBC)

Merchandise

 * A Summer Activity Guide

Spin-Offs
Minuto Para Ganar - Spanish version airing on MundoFox in 2012

International Versions
Here is a list of countries that have Minute to Win It in their countries:

Guy Fieri/Apolo Anton Ohno
"For (insert amount) Let's take a look at/Here is your Level (insert number) Blueprint!" - Guy Fieri/Apolo Anton Ohno

"You've got a Minute To Win It!" - Guy Fieri

"You've got a Minute To Win It, every...second...counts!" - Apolo Anton Ohno

"Are you ready for more or headed to the door?" - Apolo Anton Ohno

Female British Computer Voice
"Failure to complete this task in 60 seconds may/will result in elimination!"

"The game begins in 3...2...1 (HONK!)"

"Level (insert number) complete, (insert amount)!"

"Level (insert number) failed, you have (insert number) lives/life remaining!"

"Game Over, congratulations you have won (insert amount)!" - from early episodes

"Your game is over. congratulations, you have won (insert amount)!"

Links
Official Site

Press Photos